K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 21st, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - CURRENT AND FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE PAINTING A SINISTER PORTRAIT OF RUSSIAN CYBERATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES AIMED AT INTERFERING IN THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LAST YEAR. THEY SAY MOSCOW STOCKPILED STOLEN INFORMATION AND SELECTIVELY DISSEMINATED IT DURING THE CAMPAIGN IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FBI SAYS A GUNMAN ACTED ALONE WHEN HE SHOT AND WOUNDED A TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN AND FOUR OTHER PEOPLE ON A NORTHERN VIRGINIA BASEBALL FIELD. TIM SLATER, WHO LEADS THE CRIMINAL DIVISION OF THE FBI'S WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE, ALSO SAID DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY THAT JAMES T. HODGKINSON DID NOT HAVE ANY TIES TO TERRORISM.

JERUSALEM (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW AND CHIEF MIDDLE EAST ADVISER, JARED KUSHNER, HAS ARRIVED IN ISRAEL FOR A DAYLONG VISIT AIMED AT RESTARTING LONG-DORMANT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS. KUSHNER TOUCHED DOWN FOR MEETINGS WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS.

BEIJING (AP) - THE DEATH LAST WEEK OF AMERICAN STUDENT OTTO WARMBIER, WHO FELL INTO A COMA AFTER BEING ARRESTED IN NORTH KOREA, HAS RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER HIS TOUR AGENCY WAS ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR ITS TRIPS INTO THE HARD-LINE COMMUNIST STATE. THE YOUNG PIONEER TOURS AGENCY BUILT UP A BUSINESS ATTRACTING YOUNG TRAVELERS WITH CUT-RATE, HARD-PARTYING ADVENTURES INTO ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ISOLATED COUNTRIES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. AND CHINESE DIPLOMATS AND DEFENSE CHIEFS HAVE BEGUN TALKS IN WASHINGTON THAT ARE EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON THE NUCLEAR AND MISSILE THREAT FROM NORTH KOREA. SECRETARY OF STATE STATE REX TILLERSON AND DEFENSE SECRETARY JIM MATTIS ARE HOSTING CHINA'S FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF AND THE HEAD OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY'S JOINT STAFF DEPARTMENT. BUT THE DEATH OF AN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT AFTER HIS IMPRISONMENT IN NORTH KOREA IS THREATENING TO OVERSHADOW THE TALKS AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
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AGENTS WITH THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE OVER A MISSING PERSONS CASE AT THE REQUEST OF THE CASPER POLICE DEPARTMENT.

DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FROSTY WILLIAMS SAID MONDAY THE STATEWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AGREED TO TAKE THE CASE OF KRISTI RICHARDSON AFTER INTERIM POLICE CHIEF STEVE SCHULZ WROTE A LETTER SEEKING THE CHANGE.

CASPER POLICE SGT. MIKE OGDEN SAYS THE DEPARTMENT WANTED A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE CASE.

RICHARDSON DISAPPEARED NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO. HER CASE REMAINS UNSOLVED DESPITE HER FAMILY OFFERING A $250,000 REWARD.

RICHARDSON'S DAUGHTER REPORTED THE 61-YEAR-OLD MISSING ON OCT. 7, 2014, WHEN RICHARDSON DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR WORK. HER HOME WAS FOUND LOCKED, WITH HER PURSE AND CELLPHONE STILL INSIDE.
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JACKSON, WYO. (AP) - CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN NORTHWEST WYOMING HAVE UNCOVERED A BURIED BOX OF HAND GRENADES. ONE GRENADE DETONATED WHEN THE BOX WAS FOUND ABOUT 2 PM TUESDAY NEAR THE JACKSON HOLE GUN CLUB BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE REMAINING GRENADES WERE SAFELY DISPOSED OF BY EXPERTS.

LARAMIE, WYO. (AP) - THE US POSTAL SERVICE HAS OFFICIALLY UNVEILED A FIRST-OF-ITS KIND STAMP THAT TRANSFORMS WITH THE TOUCH OF A FINGER AND IS DEDICATED TO THIS SUMMER'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. THE 49 CENT STAMP USES TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE INK. WHEN A PERSON TOUCHES IT, THE BODY HEAT TRANSFORMS THE IMAGE OF THE BLACKED-OUT SUN INTO THE MOON.

RIVERTON, WYO. (AP) - U.S. 26 HAS REOPENED IN CENTRAL WYOMING AFTER BEING CLOSED SINCE LAST WEEKEND BECAUSE OF FLOODING ALONG THE WIND RIVER IN FREMONT COUNTY. ALL MAJOR ROADS ARE NOW OPEN IN FREMONT COUNTY ALTHOUGH RIVERS CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH FROM RECENT RAIN AND RUNOFF FROM THE MELTING MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK.

CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - WYOMING'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS FALLEN TO 4.1 PERCENT. THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES SAYS THE RATE IN MAY WAS DOWN FROM APRIL'S 4.3 PERCENT. UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FELL IN MAY IN 16 COUNTIES, ROSE SLIGHTLY IN 4 COUNTIES AND WERE UNCHANGED IN 3.