Daily Vantage

Asheville’s downtown shooting has now been publicly tied by police to an earlier gunfire case, deepening fear in a city known for its tourist draw and busy nightlife. Quick Take Police said the July 19 Biltmore Avenue shooting was a direct retaliatory act tied to the July 5 Maple Crest shooting. Officials said two people died and seven others were injured in the downtown attack. Investigators also said they recovered a firearm with an illegal...

South Carolina’s Senate seat changed overnight, and the Russia sanctions push tied to Lindsey Graham now hangs in the balance. Story Snapshot South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone to fill the rest of Graham’s term. A special election and special primary are now set in motion to choose a permanent successor. Graham had been publicly pushing a sanctions package against Russia shortly before his death. The vacancy also affects Senate math, committee...

James Fishback’s claim that Byron Donalds is under federal sex-trafficking investigation was quickly met with a flat denial from the Department of Justice and Donalds’ campaign. Quick Take Fishback said a whistleblower gave his campaign evidence about Donalds and Cory Mills. He tied the allegation to two 2024 trips to the MGM National Harbor hotel in Maryland. The Department of Justice said the claim is not true and Donalds is not under investigation. Donalds’ campaign...

Fast-moving flames forced Level 3 evacuations across northwest Spokane, emptied a medical center, and pushed the Old Trails Fire into neighborhoods packed with homes and critical roads. Quick Take Officials issued the highest evacuation orders for multiple Spokane-area zones and told residents to leave immediately. Reports placed the fire at roughly 2,000 to 2,500 acres as it kept growing. The blaze crossed the Spokane River, threatened homes, and reached areas near the Dwight Merkel Sports...

President Trump has hit the brakes on new strikes against Iran, saying he will cancel a major attack if Iran quickly accepts deal terms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end its nuclear threat. Story Snapshot President Trump says he agreed to cancel a planned U.S. attack on Iran if a deal is reached quickly that fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz and ends Iran’s nuclear threat. U.S. strikes, which had run for about...

A beloved television tough guy was found dead and alone in his Bronx home, and the way the news spread says as much about our media and institutions as it does about his life. Story Snapshot Vincent Pastore, best known as Big Pussy on The Sopranos, was found dead at age 80 in his Bronx residence. A concerned neighbor and friends discovered his body after several days without contact, and police reported no signs of...