Latest news with #Waco
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Suspect boasted on Facebook that being wanted is the ‘adult version of hide-and-seek' - then is arrested a week later
A Texas man who boasted on Facebook that having warrants for his arrest 'is basically the adult version of hide-and-seek' was arrested days after making the bold claim, authorities said. Authorities in Mart were serving a narcotics search warrant on July 19 when they discovered that some of the people at the scene had outstanding felony warrants unrelated to the drug case. One of the suspects, identified as 54-year-old Fritz Eugene Case, shared a Facebook post a week earlier that read, 'Having warrants is basically the adult version of hide-and-seek,' the Mart Police Department said. Authorities in Mart, a small city about 18 miles east of Waco, Texas, didn't hold back on their jokes at Case's expense. 'The Mart Police Department would like to recognize Officer Crawford as a professional player of 'adult hide-and-seek,'' the department joked in a statement online. 'Officer Crawford was able to take the suspect into custody within a week of the Facebook post challenging law enforcement.' 'Law Enforcement - 1 Suspect - 0,' the post, signed by Police Chief Shane James, read. After signing off the post, James added: 'The Chief would welcome any further challenges in the game of 'hide-and-seek.'' Case was arrested on two felony warrants for forgery targeting the elderly and credit/debit card abuse targeting the elderly, according to McLennan County jail records. He was booked into the McLennan County Jail.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US judge tosses Trump administration bid to cancel union contracts
July 24 (Reuters) - A federal judge has dismissed a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to obtain judicial permission to cancel dozens of collective bargaining agreements between eight federal agencies and unions representing their employees. Waco, Texas-based U.S. District Judge Alan Albright decided late on Wednesday that the agencies do not have legal standing to bring a lawsuit to implement a Trump executive order exempting them from having to bargain with unions, as the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, union had argued. Albright's ruling deals at least a temporary setback to the Republican president's broader efforts to lift restrictions on firing federal employees and shrink the federal bureaucracy. The White House, the U.S. Department of Justice and AFGE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. The departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Social Security Administration, filed the lawsuit in March. The American Federation of Government Employees represents 800,000 federal workers. The agencies had claimed in the lawsuit that the administration of Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden entered into collective bargaining agreements with AFGE in the months before Trump took office to block him from firing federal workers en masse and pursuing other priorities. Eliminating collective bargaining would make it easier for agencies to alter working conditions and fire or discipline workers. It also could prevent federal worker unions from challenging Trump administration initiatives in court. Albright, who Trump appointed during his first term as president, did not decide whether the president's order allows the agencies to nullify existing union contracts. Trump in the executive order excluded agencies from collective bargaining obligations that he said "have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work." The order applies to the Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services departments, among other agencies. Trump's order affects about 75% of the roughly 1 million federal workers represented by unions, according to court filings. It significantly expanded an existing exception from collective bargaining for workers with duties affecting national security, such as certain employees of the CIA and FBI. The administration's lawsuit was filed on the same day that Trump issued the executive order, meanwhile unions filed separate lawsuits seeking to block the order saying it violates the U.S. Constitution and federal workers' rights to unionize and collectively bargain. Federal judges in California and Washington, D.C., have blocked agencies from implementing Trump's order in lawsuits by the AFGE and another union. A U.S. appeals court in May paused the Washington judge's ruling, and a different court is considering doing the same in the California case. The unions have said the vast majority of workers affected by the order are not in roles related to national security or intelligence. And also in May, a federal judge in Kentucky ruled that the U.S. Department of Treasury lacked standing to seek to void a union contract covering tens of thousands of Internal Revenue Service employees. AFGE has said that the Texas lawsuit was an act of retaliation against the union for filing a series of legal challenges to other Trump administration policies, including mass firings and layoffs and restrictions on civil service protections for federal employees. It also said that none of the agencies covered by Trump's order are primarily involved in intelligence or national security work. Some of the contracts allow employees to continue working remotely, delegate decision-making "to unaccountable private arbitrators," and limit the power of the president and agency heads to identify and address poor performance, the agencies said in the lawsuit.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Best American Whiskeys—According To The New Orleans Spirits Comp
Glass of whisky with ice, sitting on the American Flag. getty American whiskey is experiencing a thrilling renaissance—an era defined by innovation, experimentation, and a revival of classic styles. Distillers across the country are embracing bolder grain bills, alternative cask finishes, and regional identities to craft whiskeys that rival the complexity and character of the world's finest spirits. This year's top-scoring whiskeys showcased the category's remarkable diversity—from fruit-laced corn whiskeys and cask-strength Tennessee whiskey to American single malts. Nowhere is this creative momentum more evident than at the 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competition (NOSC). Held in conjunction with the renowned Tales of the Cocktail festival, the NOSC brought together a distinguished panel of judges and a global slate of entries, reaffirming its status as a premier stage for the best in contemporary distilling. Crafted in Waco, Texas, Balcones Lineage is a bridge between traditional Scotch-style single malt production techniques and the bold influence of Texas terroir. The whiskey is made from a blend of Scottish Golden Promise and Texas-grown barley and is aged in a combination of virgin and refill oak barrels under the intense Texas climate. This whiskey was picked as Best in Class Whiskey at the 2025 NOSC. The whiskey features aromas of sweet, cooked malt/cereal, apple, toasted oak, apricot, and a faint mineral note. It's rich and malty on the palate, showcasing flavors of dried dark fruit, nutmeg, roasted pecan, malted milk, and baking spices with a balance between sweetness and oak dryness. The finish is long and drying with gentle tannins, cocoa, cooked grain, and stewed orchard fruit. Starlight Distillery, located on the Huber family farm in southern Indiana, blends six generations of agricultural heritage with small-batch whiskey production. Their blackberry-flavored whiskey is part of a broader range of fruit-infused spirits, crafted using fresh local produce and aged bourbon or corn whiskey as a base. The whiskey features aromas of fresh blackberry jam, accompanied by notes of vanilla, honey, and hints of baking spices. It's rich and flavorful on the palate, with flavors of ripe blackberry compote, sweet corn whiskey, and subtle notes of clove and cinnamon. The natural fruit character is vibrant without being overly sweet. The finish is medium length, with a lingering blackberry tartness, seasoned oak, and a whisper of caramel. Uncle Nearest is a tribute to Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the art of whiskey-making. The brand has quickly become one of the most awarded in American whiskey, particularly renowned for its single-barrel releases, each offering a unique character. Batch 3633 is drawn from a hand-selected cask, bottled at cask strength. The whiskey is bold and complex, featuring aromas of brown sugar, ripe banana, saddle leather, and toasted marshmallow. It's full-bodied and spicy on the palate, showcasing flavors of caramel, molasses, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and toasted oak. A touch of stone fruit emerges mid-palate. The finish is long, sweet, and powerful with lingering notes of wood spices, dried tobacco leaf, char, smoke, and a peppery close. Glass of American whiskey on the rocks sitting on an old wooden barrel. getty Heaven Hill Distillery, Mellow Corn Bottled-in-Bond Corn Whiskey, 50% ABV, 750 ml. $21 Mellow Corn is a cult classic among whiskey aficionados. Produced under the Bottled-in-Bond Act, this 100-proof, straight corn whiskey must be at least 80% corn and aged in used oak barrels. It's an old-school American whiskey, inexpensive yet flavorful and robust. The whiskey features aromas of sweet corn, vanilla custard, apple, and a hint of sourdough. It's creamy yet robust on the palate, showcasing flavors of buttered popcorn, toffee, fresh oak, banana, and lemon zest with an underlying, cooked, grain-forward richness. The finish is medium and slightly spicy with lingering notes of cornmeal, caramel, and charred wood. Stranahan's Diamond Peak, Barrel-Finished American Single Malt, 45% ABV, 750 ml. $80 Stranahan's, based in Denver, Colorado, was one of the first distilleries to pioneer the American single malt movement. This Diamond Peak expression is a limited-release bottling, crafted from 100% malted barley and finished in Caribbean rum casks. The exact finish varies from year to year by batch, adding an extra layer of intrigue. The whiskey boasts aromas of toasted malt, dried fig, cocoa, and vanilla, complemented by subtle notes of molasses and tropical fruit. It's bold and silky on the palate, showcasing flavors of dark chocolate, cherry cordial, espresso, tropical fruits, spice box, a hint of smoke, and toasted oak. The finish is long and fruity, with lingering notes of pepper, seasoned oak, tropical fruits, and cocoa. The 2025 NOSC highlighted the extraordinary breadth and quality of American whiskey today. Heritage brands continue to honor tradition while pushing the envelope, and craft distillers are fearlessly reimagining what whiskey can be—one barrel at a time. Whether through the lush depth of a rum cask finish, the raw power of single barrel Tennessee whiskey, or the layered elegance of an American single malt, these winning expressions reflect a category that is evolving with confidence and creativity. The future of American whiskey is not only bright—it's bold, boundary-breaking, and brimming with flavor. More From Forbes
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
One-Handed Backflip: Best Wave Pool Air Ever?
Before most people could buzz from their morning coffee, 18-year-old Hughie Vaughan was bouncing off the walls. Yesterday, the 18-year-old Australian, fresh off winning Stab High Japan and entering the 2025 Swatch Nines at the 11th hour, paddled out for the first session of the day and landed one of the most inverted, off-axis airs ever seen in Waco's famed wave pool. Hughie greased a one-handed stalefish backflip — with no straps or winch pull — right in front of slack-jawed filmers. When the clip circulated on social media, plenty of heavyweights chimed in on Hughie's accomplishment. From Mick Fanning to Julian Wilson to Mateus Herdy to Paul Fisher, they were all stunned. "There's a new standard," Julian Wilson said. "That was unbelievable." A few hours later, while eating banana cream pie before his last session of the day, the grom got another surprise as he scrolled through his phone. 'No way,' Hughie exclaimed. 'Tony Hawk just followed me.' The living skate legend dubbed Hughie's move 'The Stale Fish Flipper' and instantly gave the young surfer major kudos. This is the kind of cross-pollination Swatch Nines strives for. It's a surf, skate and BMX playground where ideas are shared, attempted and lauded. The unexpected is celebrated, and Hughie's rotation is already being hailed as arguably the best air ever done in a wave pool. Certainly, Jacob Szekely, Matt Meola and Mikey Wright could add their names to the hat, but a one-handed backflip without straps or a winch? That has to take the cake. '(Hughie) didn't even know what he did today,' Chippa Wilson said. 'He didn't know he just did the best air ever done in a wave pool.' Due to the format of the event, things like Hughie's wave can go down at any moment. In removing the constraints of competition like heats and scores, organizers created a caldron of creativity. Head to the bathroom and you're liable to miss an air. Grab a sandwich and you won't see the boardslide. But you'll hear the cheers. You can watch for a while, see nothing land, but then the remarkable happens when you glance away. 'It's wild—there's nothing else like it,' said BMX star Kevin Peraza, fresh off his recent X Games bronze medal in Tokyo. 'You've got creativity, and a bunch of different athletes feeding off each other—it's non-stop.' Hughie's air has been the most impactful move from Swatch Nines Surf thus far, but plenty of highlights have gone down over the last two days: A 200-ton crane hoisting an illuminated 8-foot aluminum ring, surfers flying through (and crashing into) said ring, boardslides on floating rails, winch-whipped full rotations and a barrage of technical airs. In the last light day two, Robbie "Rasta Rob" McCormick stomped a huge backside 540 off the winch on the left, and a few minutes later, Jacob Szekely landed a lofty tail-high 360 (sans winch) with a burned finger he sustained while holding a flare on an earlier attempt. Gotta pay to play, they say. One of the biggest changes between last year's inaugural event and this year's edition is the enormous floating skate ramp and rails suspended by the crane. Surfers have three rails to choose from: a straight rail, a kink rail and an arched wallriding feature. And after just a few sessions, things are already clicking. Mason Ho, Noah Beschen and Zeke had several clean attempts on the left. Cam Richards, battling bruised knees and bloody shins, has also been a standout. He's glided across the kink rail numerous times and completed a clean fakie boardslide over the wallride, a move so sweet that Nines founder Nico Zacek ran the length of the pool to embrace him. If nothing else, the Nines challenge surfers. It makes them put into practice things that normally only exist in a deep, dark corner of their brains. Even for creatives and technical maestros like Mason and Chippa, who have seen and done much in their careers, Waco offers something different. 'I've loved trying wallrides or any sort of boardslides in surfing,' Mason said. 'I've loved it just because I'm a little crazy and there's rocks or something in the way. It's so fun to tear a wave apart, but now it's like, I'm in the water, then out of the water. It's all about the combo. 'Last year, they had the rail and the hamster ball, and it was one of the funnest events I've been a part of," he continued. "This year is even more special and it feels like just the beginning. Last year, we used this tractor for the rail. And it was at the very end of the wave. Now, we've asked them to move it to the middle and gone way bigger with the crane. They've gone to the next level and it's like a dream come true.' 'I've never done pool rails, but I did skate a lot when I was a kid,' Chippa said. 'And this was the closest feeling to hitting your first rail as a kid. It's crazy. A front boardslide feels so sick. So when I first hit this setup, I was so fired up. I almost stuck it and I just needed to go again.' Call it novel, experimental, random or radical. Stuff is happening at Swatch Nines. One-Handed Backflip: Best Wave Pool Air Ever? first appeared on Surfer on Jun 25, 2025
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Hawk Names 'Best Air Ever Done' in Surfing (Video)
Let's be real: surfers suck at naming tricks. Perhaps 'suck' isn't the right word. A little harsh. Maybe it's more like confused or disorganized, especially when compared to our boardsport brethren in the worlds of skateboarding and snowboarding. So, recently, when young Aussie aerialist Hughie Vaughn landed a never-before-seen maneuver, one touted by many as the 'best air ever done,' during the Swatch Nines event at the Waco Surf wave pool, the Birdman, Mr. Tony Hawk himself, was not only impressed, but also stepped in to help the disjointed surf community with what to call it. Bu…was Tony right in his royal coronation? See below. 'Stale fish flipper.' That's what Tony is calling it. Maybe just a stale fish backflip? Keep things simple? Anyway, it's hard to argue with Tony. The dude, allegedly, has been the first to land 89 skateboarding tricks. 80-freaking-9. And that includes the first-ever 900 on a vert ramp during the X Games back in 1999, a moment etched in sporting very own August Howell was on the ground in Waco during the Swatch Nines event, and he got the inside scoop on what the other surfers were saying about it. 'Some of the highest quality surfing I've ever seen in my life,' Mason Ho said of Hughie's flip. 'It almost looked like snowboarding, it looked fake, but he wasn't strapped in, and he was just surfing. I was like, 'Whoa, I think this is what this is all about.'' However, soon after Hughie's flip, surfing's very own Gumby, Maui's Matt Meola, pulled off another aerial that many were also calling the 'best ever done.' (Surfers love hyperbole, in case you haven't noticed.) It was a tweaked alley oop with a double rotation. The rotation wasn't stomped fully, however; a bit of revert in the whitewash. do we call it? A 720? Someone get Tony Hawk back on the line. Or Travis Rice. Also, whose was better: Hughie's or Matt''s? Ah, the subjectivity of surfing. Gotta love Hawk Names 'Best Air Ever Done' in Surfing (Video) first appeared on Surfer on Jun 28, 2025
