Landslide takes down luxury homes

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
Updated ·4 min read
13

A landslide destroyed luxury homes in Southern California. Parts of Vermont are underwater after a deluge soaked the region. And Ukraine's president had strong words for his NATO allies at a summit in Europe.

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'Can actually hear the snap, crackle, and pop'

A landslide over the weekend ripped luxury homes off their foundations in Southern California, and officials evacuated a dozen properties that were at risk of falling down a nearby canyon. The landslide started Saturday in Rolling Hills Estates, an affluent residential city near Los Angeles. Residents started noticing cracks appearing in structures and the ground. Officials then red-tagged twelve homes as unsafe, displacing residents who were only given 20 minutes to evacuate. "You can actually hear the snap, crackle, and pop every minute when you're there as each home is shifting, is moving," said Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. 👉 Here’s the latest.

Damaged houses along Peartree Lane in Rolling Hills Estates, California are seen falling into the canyon below on July 11, 2023. Rolling Hills Estates is about 27 miles south of Los Angeles, and a landslide began in the area on Saturday, ripping some homes off their foundations and prompting a dozen other properties that were at risk of falling to be evacuated.

'Catastrophic flooding' unfolding in Vermont

A swath of the Northeast was underwater Tuesday and bracing for more drenching rains as swift-water rescue teams raced to extricate residents from besieged homes and communities. Parts of Vermont were among the hardest hit, blasted by up to 9 inches of rain. 📍 Follow our live coverage.

  • In downtown Montpelier, Vermont, stunned residents struggled to traverse the capital city's main streets as waters began to recede Tuesday afternoon, some resorting to kayaks and other boats.

  • Authorities said they had rescued more than 100 people as of early Tuesday, including dozens from flooded buildings, homes and cars. Emergency response systems in Vermont's capital were not working or were "spread very thin," officials said.

Floodwaters swamped cars and shops in downtown Montpelier, Vermont, on Tuesday.
Floodwaters swamped cars and shops in downtown Montpelier, Vermont, on Tuesday.

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Zelenskyy's anger over 'absurd' NATO membership timeline rattles summit

NATO's two-day summit got off to a tense start in Vilnius, Lithuania, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted a vague plan for his country to join the alliance, calling it "absurd." NATO leaders presented a plan Tuesday for Ukraine to join the military alliance and signaled broad support for membership − when the war is over. Zelenskyy said this leaves his nation in a weaker position in future peace negotiations with Russia, which vehemently opposes its neighbor – and the target of its invading forces ‒ becoming part of the alliance. ☝️ What to know.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, with his wife Olena Zelenska, arrives to deliver a speech at Lukiskiu Square in Vilnius on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, with his wife Olena Zelenska, arrives to deliver a speech at Lukiskiu Square in Vilnius on Tuesday.

US charges fugitive GOP whistleblower with arms trafficking

The Justice Department this week unsealed charges against the co-director of a Maryland think tank, alleging he acted as an illegal arms broker and unregistered agent for the Chinese government. Gal Luft, a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, is accused of recruiting and paying a former high-ranking U.S. government official – and adviser to then President-elect Donald Trump – on behalf of Chinese interests in 2016 without registering in the U.S. as a foreign agent as federal law requires. Luft has also been touted by Republicans as a whistleblower witness in GOP-led investigations into President Joe Biden and his family. The 57-year-old was arrested on Feb. 17 in Cyprus, Greece, but subsequently fled after being released on bail and remains a fugitive. 👉 Here’s what we know.

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Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California landslide, Vermont, Gal Luft, NATO summit: Tuesday's news