Nation and world news in brief for July 16
Biden to propose capping rental costs, Washington Post reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil a proposal on Tuesday to cap housing rental costs nationwide, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Biden will announce the plan in Nevada, a state that has seen soaring housing costs and one that is critical to Democrat Biden’s chances in the Nov. 5 election against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The proposal calls for stripping a tax benefit from landlords who increase their tenants’ rent more than 5 percent per year, the Post reported. It would only apply to landlords who own more than 50 units, which represents roughly half of all rental properties, the news outlet said. Biden’s plan would need to be approved by Congress, the Post added. The White House declined to comment on the report.
Bird flu found in Oklahoma dairy herd, showing bigger US outbreak
(Reuters) — Oklahoma has become the 13th U.S. state to detect bird flu in dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on Monday, though the state said the infection happened months ago.
The confirmation shows the outbreak was more widespread than U.S. authorities knew after the virus was first found in dairy cattle in late March. Bird flu has since been detected in more than 150 dairy herds nationwide.
The cases are part of a far-reaching outbreak of H5N1 bird flu that has been spreading globally in wild birds, infecting poultry and various species of mammals.
Fires in Southern California burn 30,000 acres and force evacuations
(NYT) — Heavy winds and lightning strikes over the weekend spurred the growth of wildfires in Southern California to more than 30,000 acres by Monday and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, officials said Monday. Several fires that broke out in Kern and San Luis Obispo counties on Saturday were blamed on critical weather conditions and dry lightning over the weekend,
In Kern County, the Lost Hills fire had grown from about 500 acres over the weekend to more than 2,800 acres by Monday morning, and it was zero percent contained, according to Cal Fire, the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Kenyan serial killer suspect admits murdering 42 women
NAIROBI, Kenya (TNS) — Police in Kenya have arrested a suspected serial killer in connection with the discovery of mutilated women’s bodies at a rubbish dump in the capital Nairobi. The 33-year-old man was arrested on Sunday evening while watching the European Championship final in a pub, investigators said.
They said the man has admitted murdering 42 women. He then dismembered them and put their remains in plastic bags before throwing them into a former quarry in a Nairobi neighbourhood. The investigation began last Friday after body parts were found at the dump. By Sunday, the police had found the remains of nine women aged between 18 and 30. The arrested man claimed that his first victim was his own wife, said Amin. He had strangled and dismembered her, and went on to do the same to the other women.
