Author: Brian Melley
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Cleaning up mountains of trash from Harvey could take months
HOUSTON — Roiling waters in the streets have been replaced by stifling piles of garbage on the curbs. Harvey’s record-setting rains created heaps of ruined possessions that now line entire neighborhoods, nearly up to the rooftops of the homes that were swamped. All that sodden drywall, flooring, furniture, clothing and toys adds up to an…
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Warehouse fire survivor: People ‘dying right in front of me’
OAKLAND, Calif. — To set foot in the Ghost Ship on a party night was to pass through the industrial facade of an old warehouse and enter an exotic world glowing with rainbow lanterns, guarded by figures of Asian deities and pulsing with a welcoming vibe. Performers who came to play the electronic dance party…
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Warehouse fire death toll climbs to 33, and includes teens
OAKLAND, Calif. — The death toll from a fire that tore through a warehouse hosting a late-night dance party climbed to 33 on Sunday as firefighters painstakingly combed through rubble for others believed to still be missing and made the grim announcement that teenagers were among the dead. The building that went up in flames…
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More mosques receive hate-filled letters from California
LOS ANGELES — Several more mosques nationwide have reported receiving a hate-filled letter from California that warns Muslims to leave the country or face genocide. The identical letters postmarked from the Los Angeles area have now shown up at mosques throughout California and in Ohio, Michigan, Rhode Island, Indiana, Colorado and Georgia. Los Angeles police…
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Fugitive Boston mob boss Bulger arrested in California
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was captured near Los Angeles 16 years after his run from the law sparked an international manhunt and served as a major embarrassment to the FBI as their onetime informant eluded authorities. The FBI finally caught the 81-year-old Bulger at a residence in Santa Monica…