Rim Fire Burns Over 100 Buildings as it Reaches 180,000 Acres

One hundred and one buildings, including thirty homes, have now been lost to the Rim Fire.

Forty-five hundred homes and a thousand other buildings lie with a mandatory evacuation area, that is threatened by the blaze.

The fire has burnt one hundred and eighty thousand acres in California, including forty thousand in Yosemite National Park.

Nearly four thousand firefighters and two dozen aircraft have battled the flames to twenty percent containment.

Winds continue to help the fire expand and drown nearby towns in smoke, making breathing difficult.

Yosemite National Park has remained opened, the main part of the park lies more than twenty miles away and authorities say that it is not in any danger.

Most worries are focused on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the O'Shaughnessy Dam, which are now less than half a mile from the flames.

San Fransisco gets eighty-five percent of it's water from the reservoir and significant amounts of power from the dam.

City officials say that they have adequate emergency reserves, should the water become reached by the smoke.

They are also doing hourly checks of water quality to ensure that contaminants from the fire are not reaching people's drinking water.

Power supply has already been interrupted, as some power lines have fallen victim to flames. 

Montana Teacher Given 30 Days in Jail for Raping 14 Year Old Student

A Montana judge sentenced a former teacher to just thirty days in jail, after the teacher plead guilty to raping a fourteen year old student, who later committed suicide.

District Judge G. Todd Baugh stated that the victim had been "older than her chronological age" and "as much in control of the situation" as the teacher.

The full sentence was fifteen years, however the judge suspended all but thirty-one days, and then gave Stacey Dean Rambold credit for one day served.

The courtroom broke into mayhem as the sentence was announced, with most completely appalled that the fifty-four year old is being given such a light sentence for his crimes.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/27/4440584/former-mont-teacher-gets-30-days.html#storylink=cpy

Sao Paulo Building Collapse Leaves 11 Missing in Brazil

A two story commercial building collapsed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday morning.

Authorities believe that thirty-five people were in the building.

Thirteen escaped and eleven have been rescued.

The search is ongoing for the remaining eleven.

Surrounding buildings were also damaged, when the one collapsed.

Those buildings have been evacuated and are being investigated for any structural issues.

US, UK, and NATO Prepare for Likely Strike on Syria

As the world blames the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons on it's own people, they also decide what to do about it.

The US, UK, and NATO all have brought up the use of military force to punish Syria's government.

US and UK military forces have said that they are ready to go and could strike as early as Thursday.

Russia is demanding that no strikes happen and that any decisions be made in the UN, where they have vetoed any strict measures against the Syrian regime.

The Arab League strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons and demanded that the UN intervene, but did not specify how they should do so.

It is unclear if foreign military intervention would be limited to strikes on Syria's known chemical weapon sites or if the western governments are seeking to force the removal of Assad's government.

Syria's rebel forces have asked the west to strike at the country's air power, which has given the government a significant advantage in the civil war.

Any attempt to force regime change could very well see the war spread fully to Iran and Lebanon as Iran's government would likely back their ally and Hezbollah in Lebanon is already fighting on the side of the regime.

Iran and Syria have also made it clear that any strike could see them retaliate against Israel.

Israel has warned them against doing so, and on Tuesday began military exercises near the border with Syria.

Western involvement is also complicated by the fact their enemy Al Qaeda is an active participant in the civil war.

Al Qaeda is a possible suspect in the chemical weapons attack, but western governments seem very purposeful in their lack of discussing that possibility.