LA Tunnel Collapse, Secret Service Suspensions, & Bull Escape Artist

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Adam Rogers
July 11, 2025

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All 31 construction workers trapped 400 feet underground after a tunnel collapse in Los Angeles were rescued safely Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called "a blessing" after initially fearing much worse.
The workers were 5-6 miles inside a massive 18-foot-wide tunnel being built for a $700 million wastewater project when a section collapsed. Workers had to climb over 12-15 feet of fallen dirt and debris, squeeze through tight spaces, and be hoisted to the surface in yellow cages by cranes. None suffered major injuries.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation, and work will not resume until officials determine it's safe to proceed. The tunnel will eventually stretch 7 miles to carry treated wastewater from across Los Angeles County to the Pacific Ocean.

Texas archaeologists discovered the tomb of Te K'ab Chaak, the founding ruler of the ancient Maya city of Caracol in Belize, after 40+ years of searching the site. Caracol once had over 100,000 people and dominated the region for centuries before the Maya civilization collapsed around 900 AD.
Te K'ab Chaak, who took power in 331 AD, was buried around 350 AD with extraordinary wealth, including 11 pottery vessels painted with scenes of rulers receiving offerings from gods, a jadeite death mask, carved bone tubes, and jewelry.
His burial and two other nearby tombs change our understanding of Maya history by proving Maya rulers had diplomatic relationships with central Mexico a generation earlier than believed. The other burials included Mexican artifacts and cremation practices, suggesting Caracol royalty may have lived as diplomatic envoys in Teotihuacan, a Mexican city about 153 days’ walk away.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, killing all 298 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The court also found Russia liable for widespread violations in Ukraine spanning over a decade.
Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The court ruled the missile was "intentionally fired" at the civilian aircraft, likely mistaking it for a military target, and found that Russia failed to take measures to distinguish between military and civilian planes.
Though Russia dismissed the rulings as "void" and won't comply, the judgment provides official legal vindication that families have sought for 11 years. "Russia is responsible for killing my son," said Dutch citizen Thomas Schansman, whose 18-year-old son Quinn died in the crash.
The court also found Russia liable for torture, rape, and kidnapping of Ukrainian children during the 2022 invasion.

The Secret Service suspended six personnel without pay for up to 42 days over security failures during last year's assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, but fired no one. (More)

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20 million lawsuit Thursday against the Trump administration, alleging false imprisonment and malicious prosecution after being wrongfully detained while his newborn son was born. (More)

A federal judge in New Hampshire granted class-action status to a lawsuit challenging the new birthright citizenship order and temporarily blocked the policy nationwide. (More)

Rescuers saved four crew members from the Red Sea after Houthis sank the Greek ship Eternity C. The terrorist group killed four sailors and is believed to have kidnapped six others. (More)

Bangladesh formally charged ousted leader Sheikh Hasina with crimes against humanity Thursday for ordering a government crackdown on student-led protests that killed over 1,400 people last year. (More)

A report revealed Tuesday that at least 13 people took their own lives due to Britain's Post Office scandal, where nearly 1,000 workers were wrongly prosecuted over faulty computer data. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.27%, Nasdaq +0.09%, Dow +0.43%). Brazil’s 50% reciprocal tariff threat didn’t faze investors as the S&P and Nasdaq scored record highs again. (More)

Italian confectionery giant Ferrero agreed to buy WK Kellogg Co., the maker of Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes, for $3.1 billion, bringing iconic American cereals under the Nutella manufacturer's ownership. (More)

The Pentagon will invest $400 million in MP Materials, becoming the largest shareholder in the US’s only operating rare earth mine as part of an effort to reduce dependence on China. (More)

ABC officially ordered a "Scrubs" reboot for the upcoming 2025-2026 television season, with original stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke returning to the popular hospital comedy. (More)

American Amanda Anisimova upset world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in Thursday's Wimbledon semifinals to reach her first ever Grand Slam final. She will face Poland’s Iga Swiatek on Saturday. (More)

Cubs' 23-year-old Pete Crow-Armstrong became only the third MLB player ever to reach 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases before the All-Star break, joining Bobby Bonds and Eric Davis. (More)

Scientists discovered four new species of blind cave-dwelling pseudoscorpions with dragon-like jaws deep inside South Korean caves. (More)

Elon Musk announced Thursday that Grok, his AI chatbot, will be integrated into Tesla vehicles "very soon, next week at the latest." (More)

UCL and Cambridge researchers found that space ice is more structured than once believed, with up to 25% containing crystals, potentially reshaping theories of planet formation. (More)

Rodeo bull Sauce Boss becomes the latest animal escape artist.

North Carolina tops the list for America’s best states for business.

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