Tibet earthquake, oil near May high, Virginia senator indicted, DOJ targets 2 Minnesota judges, Bears win
A magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in northern Tibet, Brent crude nears its highest since May after Iran threatens U.S. bases, Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas is indicted, the Justice Department seeks to remove two Minnesota federal judges from cases, and the Bears beat the Patriots on a 58-yard kick.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a remote, high-altitude area of northern Tibet at 10:33 p.m. local time Thursday, about 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu, according to the USGS. Chinese state media say at least 16 people were killed and dozens injured, and at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. More than 1,600 rescuers were deployed; power and communication lines were reported down and some roads were blocked by rockfalls.
Brent crude rose to about $114 a barrel and U.S. crude to about $100 early Friday, near their highest levels since May, according to AP and AFP. Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned the conflict would extend to U.S. bases in the region if American military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz continue. On Thursday, the Nasdaq fell 2.6% and the S&P 500 1.2% on worries about AI stocks.
Federal prosecutors charged Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, 82, a senior Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, and six others, including two of her daughters and a grandson. The indictment, made public Thursday, includes racketeering, marijuana distribution and money laundering charges; prosecutors allege a criminal enterprise tied to a medical marijuana dispensary business handled at least 100 kilograms of marijuana. The charges are allegations.
The Justice Department saysAttorney General Todd Blanche said, "We don't do political paybacks," that the investigation began before his tenure and before President Trump's reelection, and that prosecutors are guided by the facts and evidence a grand jury relied on.
Lucas saysLucas called the case politically motivated and wrote on X, "I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down." Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said she is innocent until proven guilty.
The Justice Department filed motions asking U.S. District Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim of Minnesota to step aside from two immigration-related cases, citing their comments in a Sept. 17 New York Times story on the administration's immigration operation in Minnesota. The department had earlier filed ethics complaints against both judges and five others. The judges decide the motions themselves first.
The Justice Department saysIts motions call the Times story a "partisan critique" of the administration's immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and argue neither judge can be seen as impartial.
The court and defense sayA spokesperson for the U.S. District Court for Minnesota said the judges "were acting well within the ethical rules that apply to federal judges." A defense attorney in one case called the arguments "contrived and baseless."
Cairo Santos made a career-long 58-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 on Thursday Night Football at Soldier Field. Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns; Drake Maye threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns for New England. The Bears are 5-2 and the Patriots 4-3.
