K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 14th, 2017 – Morning

SHOTS WERE FIRED ON A GROUP OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. IT IS REPORTED THAT SEVERAL AIDES AND MEMBERS WERE HIT.

AMONG THOSE WHO WERE SHOT WERE MAJORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE (R-LA.), REPORTEDLY HIT IN THE HIP.

WITNESSES SAY THAT MORE THAN 50 BULLETS WERE FIRED.
THE LAWMAKERS WERE AT BASEBALL PRACTICE, AS THEY ARE GETTING READY FOR THE ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME.
ALEXANDRIA POLICE SAID THAT VICTIMS WERE TAKEN TO NEARBY HOSPITALS AND A SUSPECT IS APPARENTLY IN CUSTODY.
LONDON (AP) - LONDON'S AMBULANCE SERVICE SAYS 74 PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED FOLLOWING A MASSIVE APARTMENT BLAZE IN WEST LONDON. PAUL WOODROW, THE HEAD OF OPERATIONS, SAYS THAT 20 OF THOSE PATIENTS ARE IN CRITICAL CONDITION. HE SAID THAT THE PATIENTS WERE BEING TREATED FOR A RANGE OF INJURIES AND SMOKE INHALATION. POLICE SAID THAT SIX PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE BLAZE, WHICH BROKE OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY AT GRENFELL TOWER, AN APARTMENT BLOCK HOUSING 120 HOMES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS HAS VIGOROUSLY DEFENDED HIMSELF AGAINST A FUSILLADE OF QUESTIONS FROM SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TRYING TO BURROW INTO THE DEPTHS OF RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LAST YEAR. SESSIONS STEADFASTLY DENIED AT YESTERDAY'S CONGRESSIONAL HEARING THAT HE HAD AN UNDISCLOSED MEETING WITH RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES AND VOWED TO DEFEND HIS HONOR AGAINST "SCURRILOUS AND FALSE ALLEGATIONS."

WASHINGTON (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON IS SET TO APPEAR BEFORE THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AS MOMENTUM BUILDS ON CAPITOL HILL FOR A PACKAGE OF NEW RUSSIA SANCTIONS AIMED AT PUNISHING MOSCOW FOR MEDDLING IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. TILLERSON IS SCHEDULED TO TESTIFY WEDNESDAY, JUST HOURS AHEAD OF A VOTE IN THE SENATE ON THE PACKAGE. TILLERSON HAS SAID THE U.S. RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. YET HE'S ALSO CAUTIONED AGAINST TAKING STEPS THAT MIGHT CLOSE OFF COMMUNICATION.
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TS-CPR-COUNCIL WORK SESSION BUDGET-AR
6-13-17 TOM MORTON
CASPER CITY COUNCIL ON TUESDAY INFORMALLY AGREED AGAIN TO NOT ASK THE CITY'S STAFF FOR A LAST-MINUTE REVISIT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1.

VICE MAYOR RAY PACHECO, WHO WAS FILLING IN FOR MAYOR KENYNE HUMPHREY, SAID CITY STAFF HAS SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS WORKING ON THE BUDGET, AND THE NEW CITY MANAGER CARTER NAPIER WILL GO OVER IT WHEN HE ARRIVES LATER THIS MONTH.

THE PROPOSED $129.2 MILLION BUDGET DECIDED LATE LAST MONTH ANTICIPATES A $3 MILLION DECREASE IN GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND WILL BE BALANCED BY DRAWING DOWN $5 MILLION FROM THE CITY'S SAVINGS.

SINCE EARLY 2015, THE CITY HAS SAVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND CUT ITS WORK FORCE FROM 563 TO 500.

BUT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY NEWLY APPOINTED DALLAS LAIRD, WANTED TO SEE OPTIONS INCLUDING BUDGETS WITH 5 PERCENT, 10 PERCENT AND 15 PERCENT REDUCIONS.

LAIRD RAISED THAT QUESTION AGAIN TUESDAY, SAYING HE WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET WHICH COUNCIL IS SET TO APPROVE NEXT WEEK.

BUT SHAWN JOHNSON AND AMANDA HUCKABAY URGED ITS PASSAGE, SAYING IT CAN BE AMENDED LATER.

AND BOB HOPKINS SAID THE BUDGET IS BALANCED, AND, DRAWING ON HIS OWN BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, SAID COMPANIES SOMETIMES NEED TO BORROW MONEY TO GET THEM THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR.
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THE NUMBERS STILL AREN'T CONCRETE, BUT AS MANY AS 18 TORNADOES WERE SPOTTED IN WYOMING AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL AND BROUGHT HIGH WINDS TO MUCH OF THE STATE.

JULIE GONDZAR WITH DAYWEATHER IN CHEYENNE SAID TUESDAY MORNING THAT SEVEN TORNADOES WERE CONFIRMED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN ACROSS THE STATE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON SAID THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY SAW TWO SEPARATE TORNADOES TOUCH DOWN IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF WASHAKIE AND BIG HORN COUNTIES.

KAYCEE SAW MULTIPLE TOUCHDOWNS, THE WEATHER SERVICE SAID, WITH AT LEAST TWO AND POSSIBLY THREE BEING TRACKED SIMULTANEOUSLY AT ONE POINT MONDAY NIGHT.

A TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THE CASPER AREA MONDAY EVENING AFTER A TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR BAR NUNN.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S RIVERTON OFFICE REPORTED AT LEAST SIX TORNADOES TOUCHING DOWN IN THE REGION, WHILE THE CHEYENNE OFFICE -- NOTING THAT REPORTS HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED, AND THE NUMBERS ARE NOT CONCRETE YET -- SAID EIGHT TO 12 TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN THE CHEYENNE AREA.

HAIL WAS THE MAIN IMPACT OF THE STORM. IT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN AREAS ACROSS WYOMING, WITH SOFTBALL-SIZED HAIL HITTING A NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE WHEATLAND AREA AS A SUPERCELL MOVED THROUGH.

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYO. (AP) - PARTLY BECAUSE OF LATE SPRING SNOWSTORMS, FEWER PEOPLE VISITED YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN MAY WHEN COMPARED WITH A YEAR AGO.

BUT IT WAS STILL THE SECOND BUSIEST MAY ON RECORD AT THE WORLD'S FIRST NATIONAL PARK.

YELLOWSTONE HOSTED MORE THAN 419,600 VISITS DURING MAY, DOWN 5.6 PERCENT FROM MAY 2016'S 444,600 VISITS.

PARK MANAGERS NOTED THAT SNOW CLOSED ROADS IN THE PARK LAST MONTH, ALTHOUGH THEY SAY MANY FACTORS COULD ALSO BE INVOLVED.

SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE PARK HAS COUNTED MORE THAN 550,000 VISITORS, DOWN 7.3 PERCENT FROM THE SAME PERIOD IN 2016, WHICH WAS THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL YEAR.