US Army: Staff Sergeant Randall R. Lane

Staff Sergeant Randall R. Lane, forty-three of Indianapolis, Indiana, died on September 13.

He became ill while serving in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Lane was assigned to the 190th Transportation Battalion, 38th Sustainment Brigade out of Franklin, Indiana.

Death Toll From Colorado Floods Rises to 7

Seven people are now confirmed dead from the floods in Colorado. That number is two higher than Sunday's, and may go up further still.

Another six hundred and fifty-eight are still missing. Most of the missing are most likely fine, just unaccounted for as some areas are still without communication. More than thirteen hundred and been listed as missing, on Sunday, but many were finally able to check in.

Thirty-four helicopters, nineteen from the Colorado National Guard, are assisting in search and rescue operations. Some twenty-one hundred people have already been rescued. Nine thousand more people were forced to evacuate from flooded areas.

The rains began on last Sunday, but finally let up on Monday. The worst of the rains came on Wednesday and Thursday, with massive flash floods. Over the last week, many areas have received their yearly rain fall, or more.

Seventeen counties have been declared disaster areas as the flooding spreads downstream, to the east. Several towns remain completely cut off, surrounded by waters, and without potable water, cell coverage, or electricity.

At least fifteen hundred homes have been destroyed, with eighteen thousand damaged. Most of the damaged ones had their basements flooded. Government officials are saying that it could be more than a year til everything is rebuilt.

Roads throughout the region are still under water, damaged, or completely destroyed. In some towns they have simply become secondary rivers. This makes travel in some areas dangerous to impossible. As many as seventy highway bridges are damaged or destroyed. It could be weeks to months before all the roads can be repaired or replaced. The roadwork along will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Colorado's oil fields have also been effected by the flooding. High waters have forced hundreds of wells to shut down. The economic impact from the lack of drilling will be felt down the road, just as much as the cost of repairs.

Oxygen Explosion Injures 6 at Texas High School

Six people were injured when an oxygen tank exploded at Lone Star High School, in Frisco, Texas.

A nurse was switching out oxygen tanks, when the new one exploded.

The nurse, a student, an assistant principal, and three fire fighters were exposed to chemicals and required medical treatment.

None of their injuries were deemed life threatening or serious.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the explosion.

DC Navy Yard Shooting Leaves 13 Dead

Thirteen people were killed and fourteen wounded in a shooting at the Washington DC Navy Yard, on Monday morning.

Witnesses say that the shooter was shooting from the fourth floor of the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters building down into the cafeteria, on the first floor.

Security forces put the entire base, and nearby government buildings, on lock down for most of the day.

The FBI identified the shooter as thirty-four year old Aaron Alexis, a former member of the US Navy, who was a current military contractor.

Alexis is among the dead, shot by people defending the base from his attack.

Officials say that they do not have a motive at this time.

DC Police are looking for a suspect who may have been a second shooter.

They described him as a black man in his forties, with grey side burns, wearing an olive military style uniform.

It is unclear if he was involved in the shooting or not, but surveillance footage of him raised investigators' suspicions.

Anyone with information should call the Washington DC Metropolitan Police at 202-727-9099.

Tropical Storms Manuel and Ingrid Combine to Kill 41 in Mexico

Tropical storms Manuel and Ingrid have combined to kill forty-one people, in Mexico.

The storms put a damper on Monday's Independence Day celebrations.

Strong winds and landslides, caused by pouring rain, collapsed buildings and covered roads.

Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz were the hardest hit of the Mexican states.

Tens of thousands have been evacuated from the areas most inflicted by the storm and from areas that are expected to flood.

Both storms will continue moving northward, up Mexico, towards the US.

Nuclear Submarine Catches on Fire in Russia

A fire broke out aboard a Russian nuclear submarine, on Monday.

The Tomsk had been going through normal repairs and refitting while in Vladiastok.

No injuries were reported, due to the incident.

Russian officials say that no radiation leaked, because of the fire.

An investigation is underway to determine what sparked the blaze.

Egypt Liberates Islamist Held Town

Military forces and police moved into the Egyptian town of Dalga, on Monday.

Since July 3, the city of one hundred thousand had been undergoing attacks by Islamist supporters of former president Morsi.

While the military surrounded the town, security forces swept through it making fifty-six arrests.

Dalga's residents welcomed the police and troops as liberators.

Meanwhile, up in the Sinai, militants attacked a checkpoint at El-Arish, wounding nine police officers.

Obama Gives "Non Lethal" Chemical Weapons to Rebels in Syria

Monday saw President Obama sign a new executive order.

This one orders the US government to provide "non lethal" chemical weapon assistance to "selected" rebel groups in Syria.

Part of this will include gas masks and other protective equipment.

It also allows for the Obama administration to send "non lethal" chemical weapons for the rebels to use.

The most common examples of non lethal chemical weapons are tear gas and pepper spray.

However, pyschochemicals or temporary paralytics are both types of "non lethal" chemical weapons.

Obama made the move just hours after the UN confirmed that sarin nerve gas had been used, in Syria.

UN Confirms Sarin Used in Syria

On Monday, Ban Ki-moon confirmed what had already become widely accepted fact, that sarin nerve gas had been used in Syria.

The UN's findings also found that it had been fired into Ghouta via rockets.

As expected, the UN did not suggest who had carried out the attacks.

However, they did note that whoever did perpetrate the attack waited for the perfect weather conditions, before doing so.

Western governments jumped on the sophistication of the attack as proof that the Syrian regime had carried it out.

Turkey Shoots Down Helicopter From Syria

Turkish jets shot down a Syrian helicopter, on Monday afternoon.

Two F16s were scrambled as the helicopter approached the border.

When it crossed the line and, according to Turkey, refused to turn back one of the jets shot it down.

Syria said that the helicopter had accidentally crossed the border and was on it's way back to Syria, when it was attacked.

The Syrian government said that the helicopter had been conducting surveillance of rebel activity and was unarmed.