Category: Headline

Federal Judge Stops Obamacare Religious Exemption Rule
A federal judge in Pennsylvania has struck down a Trump-era rule that allowed employers with religious or moral objections to opt out of an Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate requiring health insurance plans to cover abortion and contraceptives. The decision, issued on August 13, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone, declared the 2018 rules “arbitrary and capricious” and in violation of federal law, delivering a significant blow to religious liberty advocates.
The ruling, detailed in a 55-page opinion from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, vacates both the religious and moral exemption rules enacted during President Donald Trump’s first administration. These rules permitted employers, including religious organizations, to exclude coverage for contraceptives and abortion services from employee health plans based on sincerely held beliefs. Judge Beetlestone’s decision came in response to lawsuits filed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which argued that the exemptions undermined access to essential healthcare services.
Beetlestone’s ruling hinged on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a 1993 law prohibiting the government from substantially burdening religious exercise unless it meets strict criteria. The judge concluded that the exemption rules were not rationally connected to addressing RFRA violations. “The Rule is not arbitrary and capricious because it draws imprecise lines,” she wrote. “It is arbitrary and capricious because the Agencies identified a problem (RFRA violations) and then proposed a solution that is not rationally connected to solving that problem (exempting organizations whose compliance with the Accommodation posed no potential conflict with RFRA to begin with).”
The decision favors Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office telling The Epoch Times via email: “We are gratified that a federal court has agreed with us that the Trump Administration violated the law by exempting certain entities from the requirement to provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives.” The White House declined to comment on the ruling.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from religious organizations and their legal advocates, particularly the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic nonprofit that has been a defendant-intervenor in the litigation. Mark Rienzi, president of Becket, a public interest legal institute, called the decision an “out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey to attack the Little Sisters and religious liberty.” He criticized the court for issuing a nationwide ruling without addressing constitutional issues or holding a hearing after five years of litigation. “It is absurd to think the Little Sisters might need yet another trip to the Supreme Court to end what has now been more than a dozen years of litigation over the same issue,” Rienzi said, vowing to continue the fight to protect the group’s right to serve the elderly without violating their religious convictions.
The dispute traces back to the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, which mandates that employer-sponsored health plans cover preventive services, including contraceptives, at no cost to employees. The 2018 rules were designed to address concerns from religious groups, like the Little Sisters, that compliance with the mandate violated their beliefs. A 2020 Supreme Court decision, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, upheld the authority of federal agencies to create such exemptions, stating, “The plain language of the statute clearly allows the Departments to create the preventive care standards as well as the religious and moral exemptions.” Justice Samuel Alito, in a concurring opinion, argued that the exemptions were not arbitrary or capricious, though the Court remanded the issue to lower courts for further review.
Litigation stalled as the Biden administration drafted narrower exemption rules in 2024, only to withdraw them shortly before President Trump’s second term began. Judge Beetlestone noted that with the 2018 rules still in effect, the case was “ripe for resolution.”
The ruling reignites a contentious debate over balancing religious liberty with access to healthcare. For states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the decision reinforces the ACA’s mandate to ensure comprehensive coverage. For religious organizations, it raises concerns about government overreach into matters of conscience. As the Little Sisters and their advocates consider an appeal, the case may once again escalate to the Supreme Court, prolonging a legal battle that has spanned over a decade.
August 14, 2025
New York Factories Shed Nearly Half Their Jobs Since 2000
NEW YORK — Manufacturing employment in New York State has plummeted by 45 percent since 2000, marking the steepest decline in the nation, according to a new analysis by software services firm ETQ. The report, which draws on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reveals that the Empire State lost 330,794 manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2024, reflecting broader national and global economic shifts.
The 44.6 percent drop in New York’s manufacturing payroll surpasses declines in other states, with Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont each reporting a 40 percent reduction in manufacturing jobs over the same period. Nationally, the United States has shed more than 4.5 million manufacturing jobs, with significant losses in sectors like computer and electronic manufacturing (-786,000 jobs), printing and related support activities (-452,000), apparel manufacturing (-421,000), and machinery manufacturing (-350,000).
The report attributes much of this decline, particularly between 2000 and 2010, to the “China Shock” following China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. This event expanded China’s access to global markets, boosting its exports and attracting foreign investment, which disrupted manufacturing sectors in the United States and Europe. “The transformation of global supply chains, driven by a significant surge in Chinese exports, decimated manufacturing employment levels,” the ETQ analysis, shared with NYB, noted.
Despite the sharp decline in jobs, New York’s manufacturing output has grown by 4.7 percent since 2000, part of a national surge in manufacturing GDP exceeding 45 percent. This growth, however, has not translated into job creation. “As a result, many states have expanded their manufacturing economies without a corresponding increase in jobs—reflecting a broader shift toward capital-intensive, technology-driven production,” the report stated. Investments in automation, software, and advanced manufacturing processes have boosted productivity but reduced the need for manual labor. Nationally, manufacturing’s share of GDP has fallen from 13 percent in 2005 to below 10 percent in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Stock Widget
Recent economic policies aim to reverse these trends. President Donald Trump’s agenda focuses on reshaping international trade to bolster U.S. manufacturing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on August 7, predicted that tariffs would strengthen American manufacturing over the next few years, citing “trillions and trillions” in planned investments. Companies like Apple AAPL +2.15% ▲, which recently increased its U.S. investment commitment by $100 billion to a total of $600 billion over four years, and Nvidia NVDA +3.80% ▲, pledging $500 billion, are part of a wave of corporate investments in domestic manufacturing. Other firms, including Eli Lilly LLY +1.95% ▲, Johnson & Johnson JNJ +1.40% ▲, GE GE +2.60% ▲, and Philips PHG +1.75% ▲, have also committed billions to build or modernize U.S. facilities.

Charlie Ashley, a portfolio manager at Catalyst Funds, emphasized the trade-offs of reshoring manufacturing. “Trump’s goal is to reshore manufacturing to create jobs and use that job creation and domestic production as a tool for economic growth,” Ashley told The Epoch Times. However, he cautioned that higher tariffs or labor costs could create “additional cost pressures” for corporations, and “reshoring won’t happen overnight.”
Recent data paint a mixed picture of U.S. manufacturing. The Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reported a fifth consecutive month of contraction in July, while the S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI also slipped into contraction for the first time since December. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, noted that the downturn partly reflects reduced tariff-related inventory accumulation. Optimism for the year ahead has waned amid fears of declining demand and rising prices.
Regionally, manufacturing activity varies. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index posted a positive reading in July, driven by rising new orders, shipments, and employment. Conversely, the Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index contracted for the fifth straight month, hitting a 10-month low with declines in new orders and shipments.
New York’s manufacturing sector, while still a significant economic driver, faces challenges in regaining its former employment levels. As automation and global competition reshape the industry, the state’s experience underscores a broader national trend: robust output growth alongside persistent job losses. Whether new investments and trade policies can reverse this decline remains a critical question for the future.
August 14, 2025
Trump Pushes for Extended DC Police Control Beyond 30-Day Limit
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has said federal control over Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department should last more than 30 days.
“We’re going to be asking for extensions on that—long-term extensions,” the president told reporters on Aug. 13 at the Kennedy Center.
Under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, the president can declare an emergency and take over the police department in the nation’s capital city for two days. He can prolong that for 30 days by notifying Congress.
For the emergency to be extended further, Congress must give the go-ahead. That effort could face a filibuster from Democrats in the Senate.
On X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the takeover “a political ploy and attempted distraction.”
Trump also floated declaring a national emergency, suggesting it might enable him to sidestep the D.C. Home Rule Act’s limitations if Congress does not act.
“I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will, but I think the Republicans in Congress will approve this pretty much unanimously,” he said.
The House and the Senate, which are both under Republican control, are in recess until early September. That’s within 30 days of when Trump first declared a crime emergency to restore safety in Washington on Aug. 11.
National Guard troops are deployed to the Washington Monument as part of President Donald Trump’s mobilization of law enforcement in Washington on Aug. 12, 2025. © Andrew Leyden/Getty Images
Trump has also activated the National Guard to assist the federalized police in combating crime. Those troops started arriving in the city on Aug. 12.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has praised the president’s takeover, writing on X, “House Republicans support this effort to clean up Washington, end the crime wave, and restore the beauty of the greatest capital in the world.”
“President Trump is rightly using executive power to take bold and necessary action to crack down on crime and restore law and order in Washington, D.C.,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia, said in a statement on Aug. 11.
Look Who James Comer Thinks Is Part of the Deep State Now. © Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Comer has also announced that the committee would hold a hearing involving D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local officials next month.
In the upper chamber, the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia.
The NY Budgets also reached out to that committee’s chair, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), for comment on the president’s request but did not receive a response by publication time.
Trump also told a reporter he hopes to advance new crime legislation.
“It’s going to pertain initially to D.C.,” he said.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) reintroduced the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe (CRIMES) Act in Congress on Aug. 8.
The legislation would not permit offenders older than 18 to be charged as youth offenders. That category now extends to individuals as old as 24.
The D.C. CRIMES Act would also create a website to track juvenile crime in the city and prevent the district’s city council from altering criminal liability sentences.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., came under criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign Wednesday after he pushed back against the state’s new Black history standards. © Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file
In 2024, a previous version of the D.C. CRIMES Act passed the GOP-controlled House 225–181, netting the support of all Republicans and 18 Democrats.
It died in a committee in the Senate, which was at that time controlled by Democrats.
August 13, 2025
West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Greenwood Lake Area
Health officials in Orange County have issued a warning after detecting West Nile Virus (WNV) in local mosquitoes, urging residents to take precautions as the peak of mosquito season continues. The virus, which can cause severe illness in rare cases, was found in a mosquito pool near Greenwood Lake on August 6, marking the latest instance of its presence in the area.
The Orange County Health Department announced the detection as part of its routine mosquito surveillance program. While no human or animal cases have been reported in the county this year, the finding serves as a reminder of the virus’s ongoing threat in the region. “We still have a long mosquito season ahead of us,” said Acting Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Roman in a statement. “Residents should always try to protect themselves but especially now that West Nile Virus positive mosquitoes have been detected in the County.”
WNV, first introduced to New York and North America in 1999, has since become endemic in the state, spreading rapidly across the continent. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans and other mammals through the bites of infected mosquitoes, which contract it by feeding on infected birds. According to public health data, Orange County has recorded WNV in mosquitoes in recent years, including 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024. Dr. Roman noted that the Greenwood Lake area has seen previous detections, making this latest find unsurprising but still concerning.
Most people infected with WNV—estimated at 70% to 80%—experience no symptoms at all. For the remaining 20%, symptoms are typically mild and include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, skin rashes, or swollen lymph glands, appearing three to 14 days after a bite and lasting just a few days. However, in severe cases, the virus can lead to encephalitis or meningitis, causing life-threatening complications such as seizures, paralysis, or coma. Death is possible, though rare.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,791 cases of WNV in the United States in 2024, with 164 fatalities. Experts believe these figures underrepresent the true scale of infections, as many mild cases go unreported or undiagnosed. In Orange County, the last confirmed human case dates back to 2009, but Dr. Roman told The Epoch Times that unreported infections have likely occurred since then.
Unlike many counties that do not routinely monitor for the virus, Orange County maintains an active surveillance program to track mosquito populations and detect pathogens early. This proactive approach allows for timely public alerts and helps mitigate risks.
To prevent bites and reduce mosquito breeding grounds, health officials recommend several steps. “Residents should wear appropriate clothing, consider sprays when outdoors, and check their property for any pooling or stagnant water,” Dr. Roman advised. “If found, it should be removed as soon as possible.” Additional tips from the health department include using insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wearing long sleeves and pants during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active; and ensuring window and door screens are intact.
As climate patterns shift and mosquito habitats expand, experts warn that WNV and similar vector-borne diseases may become more prevalent. For now, Orange County residents are encouraged to stay vigilant and report any unusual standing water to local authorities.
For more information on WNV and prevention, visit the Orange County Health Department website or the CDC’s resources on mosquito-borne illnesses.
August 13, 2025
3 September 11th attacks Victim Identified After Nearly 24 Years
Three 9/11 Victims Identified Nearly 24 Years Later. © Richard Drew/AP/TT
NEW YORK — Nearly 24 years after the devastating September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, New York City’s medical examiner’s office has identified the remains of three more victims, offering closure to their families through advancements in DNA technology. The announcement, made on Thursday, marks another step in the ongoing effort to return the remains of those lost in the tragedy to their loved ones.
The identified individuals are Ryan D. Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old currency trader; Barbara A. Keating, a 72-year-old retired nonprofit executive; and a third woman whose identity was withheld at her family’s request. All three were among the nearly 3,000 people killed when al-Qaida hijackers crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center’s twin towers, the Pentagon, and a field in southwest Pennsylvania. Their names have long been etched on the National Sept. 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, but until now, their families had no confirmed remains to connect to their memory.
The identifications were made possible through advanced DNA testing of minute bone fragments recovered from the World Trade Center debris over two decades ago. The city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner has been tirelessly analyzing tens of thousands of such fragments, retesting them as DNA techniques improve to overcome challenges posed by fire, sunlight, and bacterial degradation. “Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham in a statement. “We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost.”
Barbara Keating was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight that hijackers crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The 72-year-old was returning to her home in Palm Springs, California, after spending the summer on Cape Cod. A career social worker, Keating had served as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Middlesex near Boston and remained active in her Roman Catholic church in retirement. Her son, Paul Keating, expressed awe at the medical examiner’s dedication. “It’s just an amazing feat, gesture,” he told the New York Post. He revealed that genetic material from his mother’s hairbrush was matched to DNA samples from relatives, with a fragment of her ATM card being the only other trace of her recovered from the rubble.
Ryan Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old Manhattan resident, was working at a financial firm in the World Trade Center while pursuing a master’s degree in business. Described in obituaries as a driven young man planning a future with his girlfriend, Fitzgerald’s remains were identified through the same meticulous process. Efforts to reach his family for comment were unsuccessful as of Friday.
The third victim’s identity remains private, respecting her family’s wishes, but her inclusion in this announcement underscores the scale of the identification effort. Of the more than 2,700 victims who perished at the World Trade Center, approximately 40% still have no identified remains, leaving many families waiting for answers.
The medical examiner’s office has made steady progress, with identifications added as recently as last year. The process involves not only cutting-edge science but also extraordinary commitment. “We’re talking about people putting in overtime 24 years later, for us,” Paul Keating said, highlighting the emotional weight of the work for families. New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the effort, stating, “We hope the families receiving answers from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner can take solace in the city’s tireless dedication to this mission.”
As technology continues to evolve, the medical examiner’s office remains committed to testing and retesting fragments, ensuring that more families may one day find closure. For now, these three identifications offer a bittersweet moment of connection for those who have waited nearly a quarter-century to lay their loved ones to rest.
August 8, 2025
Tsunami evacuations have been ordered in South America, but the worst risk appears to have passed for the US after a huge earthquake
HONOLULU (AP) — Fears of a devastating tsunami across the Pacific faded Wednesday after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off a sparsely populated Russian peninsula, but communities along South America’s Pacific coast carried out evacuations and closed beaches.
Warnings in the first hours after the 8.8 magnitude quake sent people fleeing to rooftops in Japan and forced tourists out of beachfront hotels in Hawaii, snarling island traffic. One death was reported in Japan, and in Russia, several people were hurt while rushing out of buildings, including a hospital patient who jumped from a window.
A fisherman ties his boat near the shore in Veracruz, Panama, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, as a precaution due to a tsunami warning after an earthquake struck off the coast of Russia. © AP Photo/Matias Delacroix
Millions of people were told to move away from the shore or seek high ground because they were potentially in the path of the tsunami waves, which struck seaside areas of Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast but did not appear to cause any major damage.
The dire warnings following the massive quake early Wednesday off Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula evoked memories of catastrophic damage caused by tsunamis this century.
In Japan, people flocked to evacuation centers, hilltop parks and rooftops in towns on the Pacific coast with fresh memories of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused a nuclear disaster.
Cars jammed streets and highways in Honolulu, with traffic at a standstill even far from the sea.
“We’ve got water, we got some snacks … we’re going to stay elevated,” said Jimmy Markowski, whose family from Hot Springs, Arkansas, fled their Waikiki beach resort before evacuation orders were lifted. “This is our first tsunami warning ever. So this is all new to us.”
A traffic jam forms in Honolulu Tuesday, July 29, 2025 as people heed a tsunami evacuation warning that coincided with rush hour following a powerful earthquakes in Russia’s Far East early Wednesday. © AP Photo
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the worst had passed. Later Wednesday, tsunami advisories for Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington state were canceled but remained for parts of northern California, where authorities warned to stay away from beaches and advised that dangerous currents should be expected through Thursday morning.
Experts say it’s challenging to know when to drop advisories, which signal the potential for strong currents, dangerous waves and flooding.
“It’s kind of hard to predict because this is such an impactful event and has created so many of these waves passing by,” said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator for the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.
Among the world’s strongest recorded quakes
The earthquake was the strongest recorded since the 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Japan in 2011 caused a massive tsunami and meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Japan’s nuclear plants reported no abnormalities this time.
Wednesday’s quake occurred along the “Ring of Fire,” a series of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean. It was centered offshore, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka’s regional capital. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed.
Russia’s Oceanology Institute said tsunami waves of less than 6 meters (20 feet) were recorded near populated areas of the peninsula.
Lava flowed Wednesday from the Northern Hemisphere’s largest volcano in a remote area of Kamchatka, the Russian Academy of Sciences’ geophysical service said.
Boats sit on the shore in Veracruz, Panama, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, after fishermen removed them from the water as a precaution following a tsunami warning after an earthquake struck off the coast of Russia. © AP Photo/Matias Delacroix
3 countries in South America lift tsunami warnings
In South America, three of the four countries with coastlines on the Pacific lifted their tsunami warnings.
Authorities in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru announced that tsunami alerts were removed. In Chile, the country with the largest Pacific coastline in South America, the government kept the alert along most of the coastline but lifted it in some areas where authorities said there was no longer a risk.
Chile’s Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde said late Wednesday that evacuation orders remain in force in areas with alerts in place, and that schools will be closed again on Thursday.
He said a wave in one location measured 8.2 feet (2.5 meters), while in other areas they reached a height of 3.6 feet (1.1 meters).
Chile is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
Hawaii downgrades to tsunami advisory
Authorities in Hawaii downgraded the state to a tsunami advisory, and evacuation orders on the Big Island and Oahu, the most populated island, were lifted.
“As you return home, still stay off the beach and stay out of the water,” said James Barros, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
In northern California, tsunami waves of 3.6 feet (1.1 meters) were recorded in Crescent City, which has a history of tsunami disasters.
Even waves of just several feet high might pose a significant risk.
Source: USGS
“It might only be 3 feet, but it’s a wall of water that’s 3 feet and spans hundreds of miles. Three feet of water can easily inundate inland and flood a couple blocks inland from the beach,” said Diego Melgar, director of Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center at the University of Oregon.
In this image taken from a video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service, rescuers inspect a kindergarten damaged by an earthquake in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. © Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP
Russian regions report limited damage
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the quake damaged a kindergarten that was unoccupied.
A video released by a Russian media outlet showed doctors at a cancer clinic on Kamchatka holding a patient and clutching medical equipment as the quake rocked an operating room.
Authorities on the sparsely populated Kuril Islands reported several waves flooded the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, the main city on the islands, and cut power supplies to the area. The port’s mayor said no major damage was recorded.
People take shelter on the roof of a fire station in Mukawa town, Hokkaido, northern Japan Wednesday, July 30, 2025, after a powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East prompted tsunami alert in parts of Japan. © Kyodo News via AP
Hot weather affected Japan’s evacuations
Japan reported one death, and other people were injured or suffered heat-related illnesses during its tsunami evacuations.
A woman in her 50s died after falling from a cliffside road while driving to an evacuation center in the Mie prefecture in central Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Thursday. Another 10 people, most of them in Hokkaido, were injured while heading to take shelter.
Separately, 11 others were taken to a hospital after developing symptoms of heat illness while taking shelter in the hot weather, with temperatures rising to around 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some places in the country.
A tsunami of 2 feet (60 centimeters) was recorded in Hamanaka town in Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
In Iwaki, a city in Fukushima prefecture, which was the epicenter of the 2011 tsunami and quake, residents gathered at a hilltop park after a community siren sounded and breakwater gates were closed.
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, severely damaged in 2011, took shelter on higher ground while remotely monitoring operations, the operator said.
Hours later, Japan downgraded its tsunami alert but left an advisory in place along the Pacific coast.
July 30, 2025
Google Engineer, 29, Killed in Freak Accident on Popular Yosemite Trail
CALIFORNIA — A 29-year-old Google software engineer tragically lost her life earlier this month in a freak accident while hiking along a popular trail in Yosemite National Park, when a massive branch from one of the park’s iconic sequoia trees suddenly broke off and struck her.
Angela Lin, a gifted and respected engineer who previously worked for Salesforce and most recently for Google, had been hiking through the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias on July 19 with her boyfriend, David Hua, and two friends when disaster struck.
According to Hua, the group was walking along the well-trodden trail when they heard a loud crack from above. “One big branch struck Angela, and then there were a bunch of smaller ones directly behind me,” Hua told SFGate.
By the time Hua opened his eyes after instinctively shutting them during the chaos, Lin was lying face-up on the ground, motionless, with blood pooling around her head. He immediately called 911 and performed CPR until a park ranger arrived to take over. Although an ambulance eventually reached the scene, Lin was never transported. Emergency responders said she likely died instantly from the blow.
“It was just unimaginable that something like this could occur,” Hua said in a phone interview, his voice trembling. “On such a popular trail, too.”
Angela Lin, a 29-year-old software engineer at Google. © LinkedIn/Angela Lin
A Promising Life Cut Short
Angela Lin’s tragic death stunned both the tech and academic communities. She had earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Hua, and later completed her master’s in computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked diligently through the ranks at Salesforce before joining Google, where she had been a software engineer for several years.
“We lost a loved and respected member of our team,” a Google spokesperson told The Post. “We’re very saddened by this tragedy, and our hearts are with their family and loved ones.”
Friends and former colleagues recalled Lin as exceptionally intelligent, warm, and humble. “Angela was obviously whip-smart, but she led with a simple and playful attitude,” said Ian Cook, a close friend from her Berkeley days. “That mix of confidence and humility put folks around her at ease.”
Richard Zhang, a research scientist who shared lab time with Lin in undergrad, remembered her kindness during crunch periods. “She’d stay through the late nights before a paper deadline and thoughtfully treat us to chocolate to keep our spirits up,” he said.
A Growing Pattern of Tragedy in Yosemite
Lin’s death adds to a list of recent tragedies in Yosemite. Last summer, Grace Rohloff, a college student, died after slipping and falling 200 feet from the Half Dome cables during a storm. In October 2024, 22-year-old Australian hiker Harry Partington was crushed by a falling tree on the Four Mile Trail. In 2015, two high schoolers were killed by a falling oak branch while sleeping in a tent, and in 2012, a concessions worker died under similar circumstances during a windstorm.
Yet what makes Lin’s case so uniquely unsettling is the complete lack of typical risk factors. Hua emphasized there was no wind, and Lin — known for her caution — had stayed on the trail and taken no dangerous detours.
“The sad thing is that Angela is the most cautious person you can be,” said Hua. “She stays on trails. She never goes off trails. Usually when you hear about these incidents, someone is doing something dangerous — like playing in water or near a cliff. But that wasn’t her.”
Frustration with Park Officials and Demand for Answers
In the wake of the tragedy, the Tuolumne Grove trail was closed for about a week. Park officials say an investigation is ongoing, but according to Hua and Lin’s loved ones, communication from the National Park Service has been minimal.
“We are seeking more information from the park service regarding this incident,” said Hua, “especially around trail safety, maintenance, awareness of problematic trees on popular trails, and future prevention of similar incidents.”
Yosemite public affairs officer Scott Gediman confirmed to SFGate that the investigation remains active. However, the park has not publicly addressed specific safety concerns related to the tree or trail.
The lack of transparency has left not only Lin’s loved ones but also bystanders emotionally shaken. One tourist who witnessed the incident created a Reddit thread titled “Tuolumne Grove Incident 7/19,” writing: “I am a tourist, but was on the scene of an extremely tragic freak accident… and it has been haunting me. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
The user added: “It hits so so hard because they were doing nothing wrong or careless… Life can be so cruel.”
A Devastating Loss for Many
As friends, coworkers, and strangers alike try to come to terms with the sudden loss of a young, vibrant life, Angela Lin is being remembered not only for her technical brilliance but also her kindness, humor, and steady presence.
“She was just the most thoughtful, grounded person,” said Hua. “We’ve been best friends since college. Her death is a devastating loss — to me, to her family, to everyone who knew her.”
July 29, 2025
The mayor states the New York City shooter blamed and targeted the NFL
Jessica Tisch, the New York police commissioner, said investigators were still trying to determine why the gunman opened fire. © Vincent Alban/The New York Times
The NFL was targeted in Monday’s attack by a gunman at the Manhattan building at which the league’s offices are located, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said in broadcast interviews Tuesday.
An NFL employee was “seriously injured” in Monday’s attack, Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo overnight.
“As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue,” Goodell wrote in the memo to league employees, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition.”
Adams said that the shooter, identified by authorities as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, was targeting the NFL.
“From our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,” Adams told CBS. “Instead, it took him to Rudin Management. And that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.”
Adams said the shooter, who played high school football but did not play in college or in the NFL, wrote in a note that he believed he had the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“He did have a note on him,” Adams said. “The note alluded to that he felt he had CTE, a known brain injury for those who participate in contact sports. He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury.”
CTE can only be diagnosed definitively after death.
The league did not immediately release the identity of its injured employee. NFL staff members were at the hospital to support the employee’s family, according to Goodell.
“We believe that all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for, and the building has nearly been cleared,” Goodell wrote.
Four people were killed, including a New York City police officer, and one seriously injured when the gunman opened fire Monday evening inside the high-rise office building in Midtown Manhattan.
The gunman then fatally shot himself in the chest, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said at a news conference Monday night.
Goodell wrote that the NFL is “deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded to this threat quickly and decisively and to Officer [Didarul] Islam, who gave his life to protect others.”
Those working in the NFL’s New York office should work remotely from home Tuesday, Goodell wrote, adding that it is “understandable if you prefer to take the day off.” He also wrote that there “will be an increased security presence at 345 Park Avenue in the days and weeks to come.”
Goodell told employees that there are grief counselors and other “significant resources” available to them.
“Every one of you is a valued member of the NFL family,” Goodell wrote. “We will get through this together.”
Several NFL employees said they had left the building shortly before the shooter entered just before 6:30 p.m. Monday. One employee who had left about 10 minutes earlier said it is “hard to imagine something like this no matter how many times you read about” similar incidents.
Based on previous visits to the NFL offices, the building at 345 Park Avenue is set back from the street, with a large area in front that includes seating and often draws lunchtime crowds. The lobby has entrances from multiple sides. There is a security desk, generally with multiple security staffers seated there, at which any visitors must stop and be approved to enter. The elevators are located behind or to the left of the security desk, depending upon which entrance is utilized.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred yesterday in New York City,” the NFL Players Association, which is based in Washington, said in a written statement Tuesday. “345 Park Avenue is a part of our football family, and we at the NFLPA extend our sincere condolences and support to the people who work in this building and to the families of those who lost their lives. We also want to express our deep gratitude to the law enforcement and emergency personnel who responded to those impacted.”
July 29, 2025
NYC mass shooter Shane Tamura had a note blaming the NFL for his CTE, despite never playing professional football
The crazed gunman who killed an NYPD officer and three other people in a Midtown skyscraper on Monday evening was carrying a note in his pocket that expressed grievances with the NFL and claimed he suffered from CTE – a brain injury linked to head trauma, sources told The Post.
Shane Tamura, 27, cited the NFL in the writings, which were found after he fatally shot himself in the chest on the 33rd floor of 345 Park Ave. – a swanky skyscraper that houses the football league’s headquarters.
The mentally ill shooter wanted to shoot up the NFL HQ — but “mistakenly went up the wrong elevator banks” and ended up on a higher floor, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed Tuesday.
Suspected shooter Shane Tamura is seen dead on the floor in surveillance video after Monday’s mass shooting. © Obtained by NY Post
The suspect, identified as Shane D. Tamura, 27, of Nevada, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, multiple law enforcement sources said. © CBS NEWS NEW YORK
In the ramblings, which was several pages long, Tamura blamed football for his apparent struggle with the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and pleaded for his brain to be studied in the wake of the massacre, law enforcement sources said.
He wrote addressing Terry Long, the former Pittsburgh Steelers player who was diagnosed with CTE after downing antifreeze to kill himself 20 years ago.
“Terry Long, football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” the note stated, according to sources.
“You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”
“Please study brain for CTE. I’m sorry. The league knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits,” he wrote. “They failed us.”
The NFL has offices on floors five through eight of the Park Avenue high-rise, and one of its employees was among those shot, though not fatally..
Mayor Adams confirmed early Tuesday that Tamura’s note “alluded to having CTE from playing NFL” — even though “he never played in the NFL.”
“It appears as tho he was going after the employees of the NFL,” the mayor confirmed on Fox 5.
“We’re still going through the suicide note to zero on in the exact reason but at this time it appears as if it’s something attached to his belief he experienced CTE from the NFL.”
Shortly after the shooting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch directly called executives at Blackstone – another notable tenant in the skyscraper – to inform them that they weren’t the intended targets, sources said.
NYPD officers stand near shattered glass of the building where a crazed gunman killed four people. © REUTERS
Tamura, who lived in Las Vegas and had a known mental health history there, initially opened fire in the building’s lobby before taking the elevator up to the 33rd floor where he turned the gun on himself.
He also shot a fifth victim in the lobby of the building who survived the attack, police said.
The surviving victim appears to an NFL employee, as the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, told staffers in a letter that one of their own had been “seriously injured” in the shooting.
Workers barricade themselves in their office during Monday’s mass shooting.
Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch had earlier revealed the maniac gunman, who lived in Las Vegas, had a known mental health history.
Tamura, who worked a security guard at a Las Vegas casino, never played professional football.
But he did play in high school in California, when he was a described as a standout football player.
“It looked like the sky was the limit, and then it wasn’t anymore,” former classmate Caleb Clarke told NBC News. Ahead of his senior year, his coach told the Los Angeles Times that he expected “big things” from the running back and other star players on the team.
July 29, 2025
Shooter Kills three and Himself and NYPD Officer Didarul Islam
A New York City police officer and three other people were shot and killed inside a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday evening by a gunman armed with a high-powered rifle, police confirmed.
The suspect, identified as Shane D. Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said surveillance video shows the suspect exiting a double-parked black BMW alone on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets just before 6:30 p.m., carrying an M4 rifle in his right hand. He then entered the 44-story building at 345 Park Ave., turned right and immediately began opening fire on an NYPD officer.
Not long after, multiple 911 calls were received about an active shooter inside the building, Tisch said. The building contains offices for Blackstone, the NFL, KPMG and others.
NYPD Officer Didarul Islam killed in shooting
Didarul Islam, 36, worked out of the 47th Precinct in the Bronx. A four-year veteran of the force, Didarul was on a paid detail Monday as part of a program the NYPD has that allows officers to be employed by private companies to provide extra security, CBS News New York’s Naveen Dhaliwal reported.
© NYPD
Didarul leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young sons, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a late-night news conference.
“He was doing what he does best, and all members of the police department carry out. He was saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers,” Adams said. “He was an immigrant from Bangladesh and he loved this city. And everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person. He embodies what this city is all about. He’s a true-blue New Yorker, not only in a uniform he wore but in his spirit and energy of loving this city.”
NYPD officers stand in line during the dignified transfer of Didarul Islam, who was shot and killed by a gunman Monday evening, out of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Hospital to the medical examiner’s office, early on July 29, 2025, in New York. © ANGELINA KATSANIS / AP
Adams said two men and a woman were also killed in the shooting and another man is in critical condition. The mayor called the shooting “a violent, despicable attack,” adding, “No words can describe this act of evil, a man who takes the life of others who are innocent. And no words can fill the void left by this tragedy.”
The mayor said he met with Islam’s family earlier in the evening and told them how much he was admired for putting his life on the line.
“This was his dad’s only son. I think about Jordan, my child, and it is unimaginable to experience a loss of this magnitude,” Adams said.
The names of the other people killed and the person injured are being withheld, pending family notification.
“Tonight we mourn four New Yorkers, including one of New York’s Finest, taken in an act of senseless violence,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on social media. “Our hearts are with their loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy, and we honor the first responders who bravely ran toward danger.”
An NFL employee was seriously wounded and was hospitalized in stable condition, according to a message NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent to employees. The NFL told New York employees to work from home Tuesday while the building remains a crime scene.
What the preliminary investigation reveals
After shooting the officer, the gunman shot a woman who had taken shelter behind a pillar and then proceeded through the lobby, spraying it with gunfire, officials said.
He then made his way to the elevator bank, shooting a security guard who had taken cover behind the security desk. Another man who was wounded told police at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital he was shot in the lobby, Tisch said.
A surveillance photo of the suspected gunman who shot multiple people, including an NYPD officer, in Midtown Manhattan on July 28, 2025. © CBS NEWS NEW YORK
The police commssioner said at one point the gunman was waiting for an elevator to arrive, and when it did, a woman emerged, but he allowed her to walk by unharmed. The gunman then took the elevator to the 33rd floor, the site of Rudin Management, and “began walking the floor, firing rounds as he traveled,” Tisch said, adding one of the victims was shot and killed on that floor.
“He then proceeds down the hallway and shoots himself in the chest,” Tisch said.
What police know about gunman Shane Tamura
Tisch said the vehicle Tamura exited on Park Avenue was registered to him. Inside, officers found a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, a backpack and medication prescribed to Tamura. No explosives were found.
The commissioner said preliminary findings show Tamura drove the vehicle across the country to get to New York City, traveling through Colorado on Saturday, Nebraska and Iowa on Sunday, and passing through Columbia, New Jersey at 4:24 p.m. on Monday.
A photo of the weapon used by the suspected gunman who opened fire in Midtown Manhattan on July 28, 2025, according to law enforcement sources. © CBS NEWS NEW YORK
According to law enforcement in Las Vegas, Tamura had a documented mental health history, Tisch said.
His motive remains under investigation. Tisch said investigators are working to figure out why he targeted 345 Park Ave. specifically.
After reports of the shooting, the building was placed on lockdown and the area was blocked off, police said.
The suspect, identified as Shane D. Tamura, 27, of Nevada, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, multiple law enforcement sources said. © CBS NEWS NEW YORK
The NYPD and Adams asked the public to avoid the vicinity of East 52nd Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Tisch said officers from the NYPD’s Special Operations Division were conducting a secondary sweep of the building.
“I want to be very clear: We believe this to be a lone shooter and there is no longer an active threat to the public,” Tisch said.
“Pure evil came to the heart of our city.”
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry spoke about the shooting and reflected on Islam’s dedication to the NYPD and the city.
“This is a devastating night for our city, for our police department,” Hendry said. “Pure evil came to the heart of our city and struck innocent people and one of our police officers who was protecting those people. We lost four people tonight, and our hero brother, who gave his life for this city. He was a hard-working police officer who was proud, we know from hearing from his family, to put on that shield and the uniform of a New York City police officer. Every day he went out and did his job.”
Hendry said the loss of Islam will serve as a great motivator going forward as the investigation continues.
“The hearts of every New York City police officer right now [are] hurting,” Hendry said. “We’re hurting for our brother police officer who we lost. We’re hurting for that family. We’re hurting for all the victims, and hurting for all the families of the victims. And we’re all asking why? Why did pure evil come here? And we know our police department and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to get those answers.”
July 29, 2025