[FoxNews] Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was struck while preparing Communion at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church
A priest preparing Communion was fatally struck by a falling crucifix during a livestreamed Mass in Ecuador, turning a moment of worship into a frantic rush to save him.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was standing at the altar of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil on Saturday when the large wooden crucifix behind him suddenly fell forward and struck him.
Video of the service captures screams erupting inside the church as worshippers ran to his side and called for help.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death in a Facebook statement, identifying him as the parish priest of Perpetuo Socorro Church in its Central Vicariate.
"Our dear Fr. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari … has departed to the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory," the archdiocese wrote in Spanish.
"Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen," the statement concluded in Latin.
The tragedy unfolded just one day after the archdiocese congratulated Sánchez Molinari on the anniversary of his ordination, Ecuadorian news outlet Primicias reported.
The Mass was being livestreamed on social media when the crucifix fell, recording both the fatal incident and the desperate response from those inside the church.
"Father, Father … call an ambulance," a woman can be heard shouting in the video.
Sánchez Molinari belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists. Before serving in Guayaquil, he spent several years as parish priest at San Lorenzo in Vinces, in Ecuador’s Los Ríos province, according to Primicias.
His former parish mourned his death in a social media tribute, remembering the dedication and pastoral love he brought to its community, El Universo reported.
What caused the crucifix to fall remained unclear Sunday. Church officials had not publicly provided an explanation for the collapse.
Footage shows Tucson officers informing preacher David Hoffman that asking passersby about Jesus constitutes prohibited "sermonizing," ordering him out of a public Christmas event under threat of arrest.
[FoxNews] The suspect and the National Guard member shot during the episode are both are expected to live, according to the interim police chief.
A National Guard member was shot in the leg on Sunday night, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said early on Monday.
The suspect was also shot, he noted.
"So both have gunshot wounds," he said, "the National Guard member and the suspect."
Both of the individuals are expected to live, Carroll said, noting they suffered "non-life-threatening injuries."
The suspect and the National Guard member who was shot were taken for treatment at hospitals, the interim police chief said.
The violent episode unfolded as National Guard members attempted to intervene to end a fight, he noted.
Carroll indicated that there were about seven or eight National Guard members in a van who exited the vehicle due to the fight.
Three National Guard members "discharged firearms" during the incident, he noted.
[FoxNews] Three of the four Culpeper police officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation after the rescue
As police officers raced up to a wooden house in the town of Culpeper, Virginia on the evening of Oct. 3, heavy smoke billowed out of the windows.
Residents who lived in separate apartments in the house stood outside, according to the Culpeper Police Department.
But one man hadn’t come out, they told police. They worried that he might be inside.
Officer Ashley Sain didn’t wait. She rushed toward the house and went in without protective gear and began checking doors, searching for anyone who might still be inside.
Moments later, Officer Neal Coffey joined her.
Body-worn camera footage shows one officer running up stairs, past "No Smoking" signs with red lettering posted on the walls.
On the second floor, the duo found a door that was locked from the inside. Smoke slipped through through cracks above and below.
"Police department, if you’re in here!" Sain shouted over shrieking smoke alarms.
Meanwhile, Coffey quickly opened the lock with a pocket-size tool and cautiously swung open the door, calling out, "Police department!"
But there was no answer.
Heavy black smoke poured from the bedroom. The officers could see flames.
By that time, Sgt. David Cole and Officer Michael Beel had made it to the second floor, as well.
Body-worn camera footage shows Coffey crawling on his hands and knees, then flat on the wooden plank floor, searching the room with a flashlight.
"I can’t see!" he shouted with a tone of increasing desperation, as he pushed through thicker smoke.
He inched forward on his chest, feeling around through the smoke. Suddenly, he found a man lying unresponsive on a bed.
"Hey brother, come on!" he urges frantically, tugging the man’s arm.
"Come on! Come with me!"
He shouted again through the smoke to fellow officers.
"We’ve got to get him out! I have him! He’s breathing!"
Video shows him struggling to move the man.
"Hey! We need help!" an officer shouted.
Coffey pulled the limp man onto the floor. Beel crawled in to help.
Together, the four officers dragged the unconscious man into the hallway.
Then a firefighter in protective gear emerged through the smoke.
A team of firefighters carried the man out of the burning building, and extinguished the fire.
The rescued resident was transported to a hospital, then transferred to a regional burn center. His name and the cause of the fire have not been released because those details are part of an active investigation.
Three of the police officers also were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries. They were released that evening.
All four who braved the smoke and flames were honored with valor awards on Oct. 14, Capt. Kevin Tooley of the Culpeper Police Department told Fox News Digital. He was a supervisor on the scene.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] An Egyptian farmer discovered fragments of two giant statues, believed to depict the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, on his property. This was reported by the press service of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Statue fragments were found in the village of Behbeit el-Hagar in the Nile Delta. A farmer reportedly noticed a stone with hieroglyphs while working in his yard and reported the find to the Antiquities Inspectorate. An examination revealed that the stone was indeed an archaeological artifact.
Archaeologists who arrived at the discovery site discovered the head of a statue approximately 1.6 meters tall and a fragment of another statue approximately 2.4 meters long during further excavations. The original height of the first statue is believed to have been approximately 8.5 meters. A pink granite block inscribed with the royal titles of Ramses II was also discovered. It is noted that the discovered head most likely depicts Ramses II wearing the double crown, symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the pharaoh's rule.
For his discovery, the farmer was rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to Mecca for the lesser pilgrimage. Archaeologists will continue their work to precisely determine the origin of the statues and their connection to the ancient temple of the goddess Isis.
Previously, Italian researchers announced that a second sphinx lies beneath the sands of Giza at a depth of over 50 meters. Using modern technology that detects subtle vibrations in the ground, the researchers discovered the structure, made of hardened sand, at a depth of 180 feet (54.86 m).
Archaeologists have discovered well-preserved Ptolemaic and Roman tombs in Aswan. A joint Egyptian-Italian expedition discovered them. The tombs contained a limestone sarcophagus with hieroglyphic inscriptions of a high-ranking official, as well as mummies, including those of children.
Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, announced that tomography and biological analysis of the mummies are planned.
[Breitbart] At least seven people were killed and dozens more left injured in an incident at a military base in Alberta, Canada, that caused a major fire late Saturday night.
Fire crews scrambled late into the evening as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright – one of the country’s busiest military training bases – and into the surrounding rural area, AP reports.
Canadian TV network Global News notes at least seven were killed and dozens more injured when a gas line or gas well was hit during a live-fire training exercise, citing unnamed military sources.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said a “serious incident creating a major fire” had occurred, adding his “thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected”.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) said Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton had declared a code orange, a disaster response protocol for responding to a high-casualty incident.
“This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. “It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.”
The town of Wainwright has about 7,000 residents and is near the base which is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre dedicated to conducting realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training.
Defense Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were involved in investigating the incident and described the situation as “very, very active and delicate.”
He said authorities were still working to determine what happened and expected to provide further information.
[FoxNews] Canadian officials said Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens more injured after a fast-moving fire swept through soldiers conducting live-fire training at a military base in Alberta.
The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where a sudden shift in powerful winds sent flames sweeping toward troops training in the area, according to The Associated Press.
Officials said 39 people were hospitalized, including 19 in critical condition. Eight others were listed as stable, while 12 were being treated for less serious injuries.
Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the Edmonton-based 1st Canadian Division, said military officials had been aware of the fire for hours but believed it was contained enough for training to continue, AP reported.
"The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds," Rutland said.
Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire.
Those killed were identified by the military as Sgt. Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark, AP reported.
Wong was a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, while the three others belonged to the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the Edmonton-based battalion.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the blaze one of the worst peacetime tragedies to strike Canada's armed forces on home soil, according to Reuters.
[NYPost] Vance reveals ‘there’s a chance’ he won’t run for president in 2028: ‘We’ve got 4 little kids’
Vice President JD Vance revealed “there’s a chance” he won’t run for president in 2028 — and second lady Usha and the couple’s four young kids could help make the decision for him.
Vance — the frontrunner to succeed Trump as Republican nominee — acknowledged during a CBS News town hall in Michigan that he could sit-out the next election.
“Of course there’s a chance,” Vance said.
“We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service,” Vance said.
“I think you know you can do a lot of good in this job, and I’ve tried to do as much good as possible.”
The vice president said he has yet to make up his mind about a potential White House bid, describing himself as a “procrastinator” when it comes to major life decisions.
“The way that I think about life, big life decisions — my wife will tell you this: I’m a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it,” Vance said.
Vance indicated that he plans to give the question more serious consideration after the November midterm elections, rather than commit to a campaign while the Trump administration is still navigating its current agenda.
His comments come as the vice president is widely viewed as an early frontrunner to succeed Trump, who has described Vance as his “most likely” Republican successor.
The RealClear Polling average gives him a 15-point advantage over Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Republican primary, with 39% support more than two years out from the 2028 election. President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., is third with 11% support.
But the prospect of another presidential campaign would mean an even bigger role in politics for second lady Usha Vance, who has previously acknowledged that she and her husband do not always agree on political issues.
In a March interview with NBC News, Usha said she sometimes holds views that do not fit neatly within traditional political camps.
“Sometimes I have thoughts that fit very comfortably into one side or another,” she said. “Sometimes I have views that are way more idiosyncratic.”
She also made clear that she sees herself as a sounding board for her husband rather than a political operative.
“I’m not his staffer. I’m not involved in this in any professional sense,” Usha said, adding that there is “no exception that we are going to see eye to eye on everything.”
The couple’s family has also grown in recent months. Their youngest child, son Alec was born July 19, joining siblings Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.
Usha said in March that a 2028 presidential campaign was not yet a priority in their household, explaining that her husband was focused on the midterm elections and the demands of his current job.
“If you come back in 2027 and ask me, I’ll have a better sense of, you know, what he’s thinking in that way,” she told NBC News.
For now, Vance’s political future remains an open question — even as early polling puts him ahead of potential Republican rivals.
#3
He may be waiting for the floaters to appear before he dives in. I think he might be a good ambassador, perhaps for steering India to a US alliance.
#6
The youth look at his wife as a liability. I have met very few gen z and millennials who thinks Vance is a strong candidate.
How is the man, married to a hindu... if you ever look at his extended family pics, he is always the lone white guy in the picture. You'd think they were in India. So it begs the question, HOW THE HELL is he gonna fix H1B1 with with baggage wife?
The conclusion the youth and I have is that he cannot.
#8
Honestly, I think he’s very effective as a vice president, and I’d love to see him play that role for the next president. The team of DeSantis and Vance, with Rubio continuing at the State Dept. would make me really happy.
I’d accept Mr. Rubio as a governor for the experience, too, I suppose, but he is an amazingly effective Secretary of State. And let’s get Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court as soon as the Senate has some breathing room — they could use some stiffening — as well as make use of more former Republican governors, whether in Congress or running various departments. No point in letting all that executive experience go to waste.
[UPWORTHY] Being an educator in the American public school system is one of the hardest jobs in our nation. Not only is the work itself challenging, but with constant battles for educational funding and a student body increasingly tethered to their electronic devices, most teachers in America and around the world are navigating uncharted territory when it comes to finding ways to keep their students engaged in their studies.
And that’s why when Verónica Duque came across a form-fitting, anatomical bodysuit while doing some online shopping, she thought it would be perfect visual aid to convey vital information (pun intended) to her students in Spain, in a way they’d actually remember.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
