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A riptide swept away a family from a beach in Panama City, Fla., on July 8. Beachgoers formed a human chain to rescue them. (Video: WJHG-TV; Photo: Roberta Ursrey)

When Jessica and Derek Simmons first saw the beachgoers pausing to stare toward the water, the young couple just assumed someone had spotted a shark.

It was Saturday evening, after all, peak summer season in Panama City Beach for overheated Florida tourists to cross paths with curious marine life.Then they noticed flashing lights by the boardwalk, a police truck on the sand and nearly a dozen bobbing heads about 100yards beyond the beach, crying desperately for help.

Six members of a single family four adults and two young boys and four other swimmers had been swept away by powerful and deceptive rip currents churning below the waters surface.

These people are not drowning today, Jessica Simmons thought, she told the Panama City News Herald.Its not happening. Were going to get them out.

She was a strong swimmer and fearless in the face of adversity. But others had tried to reach them and each previous rescue attempt had only stranded more people.

There was no lifeguard on duty, and law enforcement on the scene had opted to wait for a rescue boat. People on the beach had no rescue equipment, only boogie boards, surf boards and their arms and legs.

Form a human chain! they started shouting.

Beachgoers formed a human chain to save a family on July 8 in Panama city, Fla. Here are four other times good Samaritans came to the rescue. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

Roberta Ursrey was among those caught in the treacherous rip currents. From 100 yards away in the Gulf of Mexico, between crashing waves and gulps of salt water, she heard the shouting, she told The Washington Post.

By then, Ursrey and the other eight people stranded with her had already been in the water for nearly 20 minutes, fighting for their lives. Ursrey and the others had ventured into the water to rescue her two sons, Noah, 11, and Stephen, 8, who had gotten separated from their family while chasing waves on their boogie boards.

Tabatha Monroe and her wife, Brittany, in Panama City for a birthday getaway, were the first two to hear the boys panicked cries for help. The couple had just gone into the water when they saw theboys far from shore. They swam over and grabbed hold of their boogie boards.

But when they tried towing them back to shore, the women couldnt break free of the current.

They tried to swim straight and they tried to swim sideways, Tabatha Monroe told The Washington Post, but nothing worked. After about 10 minutes, a few young men with a surfboard snagged Brittany and towed her back to shore, just as the number of people who needed rescuing grew.

Soon Ursrey, who had heard her boys cries from the beach, was also caught in the rip currents, followed in close succession by her27-year-old nephew, 67-year-old mother and 31-year-old husband. Another unidentified couple struggled to tread water nearby.

The tide knocked every bit of energy out of us, Ursrey said.

So much water went up Tabatha Monroes nose that she was sure she would drown, she told The Post.

I was exhausted, she said.

On shore, thehuman chain began forming, first with just five volunteers, then 15, then dozens more as therescue mission grew more desperate.

Jessica and Derek Simmons swam past the 80 or so human links, some who couldnt swim, and headed straight for the Ursreys, using surf and boogie boards to aid their rescue efforts.

I got to the end, and I know Im a really good swimmer, Jessica Simmons told the News Herald. I practically lived in a pool. I knew I could get out there and get to them.

She and her husband started with the children, passing Noah and Stephen back along the human chain, which passed them all the way to the beach.

By the time Jessica Simmons reached Ursrey, the 34-year-old mother could hardly keep her head above water.

Im going to die this way, Ursrey thought to herself, she told The Post. My family is going to die this way. I just cant do it.

Ursrey remembered Simmons coaxing her to carry on.

I blacked out because I couldnt do it anymore, Ursrey said.

She woke up on the sand to the sound of more screams in the water.

Someone yelled that Ursreys mother, Barbara Franz, still in the water, was having a heart attack. Simmons told the News Herald that Franzs eyes were rolling back. At one point, the 67-year-old woman told the rescuers to just let her go and save themselves. Instead, Ursreys husband and nephew held Franzs body up as they struggled to keep their own heads above water.

Thats when the chain got the biggest, Ursrey said. They linked up wrists, legs, arms. If they were there, they were helping.

Nearly an hour after they first started struggling, just as the sun prepared to set, all 10of the stranded swimmers were safely back on shore.

The entire beach began to applaud.

It was beachgoers and the grace of Gods will, Ursrey said. Thats why were here today.

Both Brittany Monroe and Franz were transported to a hospital. Monroe was later released after being treated for a panic attack and Franz remains hospitalized, her daughter said. She suffered a massive heart attack and an aortic aneurysm in her stomach, but has been taken off the ventilator and is considered to be in stable condition.

The Ursreys plan to meet up with Jessica and Derek Simmons once Franz is released from the hospital, but Roberta said she could give hugs to the dozens of strangers who rescued her family.

It actually showed me there are good people in this world, Ursrey told The Post.

In a Facebook post, Jessica Simmons expressed a similar sentiment: To see people from different races and genders come into action to help TOTAL strangers is absolutely amazing to see!! People who didnt even know each other went HAND IN HAND IN A LINE, into the water to try and reach them. Pause and just IMAGINE that.

The whole ordeal has given the Ursreys, who just moved to Florida from Georgia a month ago, a newfound respect for the power of the water.

Shell take you with her, Ursrey said. She almost took nine of us that day.

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Rip currents swept away a Florida family. Then beachgoers formed a human chain. - Washington Post

HOUSTON A judge on Tuesday doubled the bond amounts for two women accused of helping smuggle a dozen people into the U.S. who were found in a locked, sweltering hot truck in Houston.

State District Judge George Powell raised each womans bond to $600,000 after Harris County prosecutors said Priscila Perez Beltran, 21, and Adela Alvarez, 26, were flight risks or would resume smuggling activities if released.

The women and a third person, Nelson Cortes Garcia, 27, were arrested Sunday and charged with two counts of human smuggling likely to cause injury or death and one count of human smuggling involving a minor. Ten men, a woman and a 16-year-old girl were inside the stifling truck, where temperatures topped 100 degrees.

Cortes Garcia, who is being held on $300,000, didnt appear at the hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors said they would seek to increase his bond at his next court appearance.

Prosecutors believe all three defendants are from El Salvador. Court records show none is a U.S. citizen.

The three were arrested at a strip centre construction site parking area where Houston police discovered the people inside the truck. Authorities believe the people were from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador.

Prosecutor JoAnne Musick said U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials already were aware of Beltran and Alvarez after a recent bust in Corpus Christi. Authorities have said they continue to investigate whether more people may be involved in the trafficking operation.

At a hearing late Monday for Cortes Garcia, prosecutors said Beltran told authorities that she previously helped him and Alvarez smuggle people into the U.S. and that Alvarez had acknowledged bringing an aunt and uncle into the country without documentation.

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Bond doubled for 2 charged in Texas human smuggling case - National Post

The Peak 2 Fire near Breckenridge was human-caused, according to U.S. Forest Service investigators who now are trying to identify two people seen hiking on the Colorado Trail above Miners Creek Road junction at around 11 a.m. on July 5.

After fire conditions moderated and it was safe to enter the area, fire investigators examined the point of origin and determined the Peak 2 Fire was human-caused, acting Dillon District Ranger Kevin Warner said in a news release Tuesday. This information is important in helping us determine the cause of the Peak 2 Fire. We appreciate any information the public can provide about these individuals.

Reached by phone, Warner said he could not provide any additional detail due to the sensitive nature of the open investigation. He said that all ignition possibilities other than human activity had been ruled out.

Officials urge members of the public with information that might help identify the two individuals to call 970-262-3486 and leave a message with their name, return phone number and a brief summary of the information they can provide.

The Peak 2 fire started on July 5 about two miles north of Breckenridge, quickly growing to 84 acres and prompting a two-day evacuation of more than 450 homes in the Peak 7 area. So far, officials estimate the response has cost around $2 million and counting.

To read more of this story go to summitdaily.com

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Peak 2 Fire was human-caused, investigators seeking two hikers seen in area - The Denver Post

Two Democratic senators unveiled a bill on Tuesday that aims to drastically reform how the U.S. federal prison system treats women behind bars, a segment of the incarcerated population that is often overlooked despite its rapid growth.

Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) introduced The Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act at a press conference Tuesday. The bill, which also had Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.) as co-sponsors, would require federal prisons to provide free, quality sanitary napkins and tampons to female inmates, and would ban shackling them during pregnancy or placing pregnant women in solitary confinement.

At the heart of the bill are proposals that would make it easier for women to maintain strong family ties with their children while in prison. It requires that the Federal Bureau of Prisons consider the location of children when deciding where to place an inmate, and to create policies that make it easier for inmates to communicate with their families. These include longer and more frequent visiting hours, allowing physical interactions during visits, and not charging for phone calls.

It is in the societal interest to support families when members of those families are incarcerated, Booker told HuffPost. We do unnecessarily harsh things that are not necessary for public safety, but really punish women and punish their families as a whole.

Men make up the bulk of Americas imprisoned population, but the number of women behind bars has soared over the past few decadesto more than 200,000 as of 2014, and women are now the fastest growing segment. (Compared internationally, the U.S. incarcerates women at a higher rate than every country but Thailand).

The legislation would affect the nearly 12,695 women in federal prisons almost 60 percent of whom were convicted of drug offenses but not those in state prisons and local jails, where the majority of women are held.

Most women locked up in the U.S. are mothers, and many have histories of drug use, mental health problems, and were victims of sexual or physical violence before their involvement in the criminal justice system.

The bill comes at a time of growing national concern about the need for criminal justice reform. While most of the discussion focuses on men, the popular Netflix show, Orange Is The New Black, has highlighted the plight of women behind bars, and touched on many of the issuesthat the bill seeks to address: a lack of proper access to feminine hygiene products, the trauma histories of the inmates, and the difficulty of parenting from prison.

While many prisons do provide a limited amount of feminine hygiene products, they are often of poor quality and not useful. That means women are in the uncomfortable situation of either having to ask correctional officers for more which can be demeaning and raise the risk of abuses or use limited funds to buy them at the commissary.

Considering the fact that 72% were living in poverty prior to being incarcerated, that often isnt feasible, said Jesselyn McCurdy, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU.

In 2008, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced it would no longer shackle pregnant women during labor.But women are still allowed to be shackled while pregnant, which the bill would prohibit.

The legislation was met with approval by prison reform advocates.

This bill could mark a profound shift toward treating people within our prisons as whole and feeling humans with a desire to do better for themselves and their families, said Diana McHugh, director of communications for the New York-based Womens Prison Association. We hope to see similarly well-informed policies at the city and state level, as well as a general shift toward alternatives to incarceration that promote public safety without prison.

Judith Resnik, a professor at Yale Law School, said that while the bill would provide an important step forward, sentencing reform is also needed. Many women are over-incarcerated, she said.

Booker said women in prison are in need of therapy, in need of healing, and in need of support, and called the criminal justice system profoundly unjust.

We need to create a prison that, yes, is holding people accountable, and yes, is allowing people to pay their debt to society for mistakes they have made, but also is about the dignity of humanity, he said. Weve got to be a better society than this.

This article has been updated to reflect that Sens. Durbin and Harris signed on as sponsors late Monday prior to the introduction of the bill.

Melissa Jeltsen covers domestic violence and other issues related to womens health, safety and security. Tips? Feedback? Send anemailor follow her onTwitter.

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Cory Booker And Elizabeth Warren Want To Treat Women In Prison Like Human Beings - HuffPost

The Human Rights Campaign is taking the LGBT rights fight to the grassroots in hopes of influencing the 2018 races.

HRC today announced what its calling the biggest strategic investment in its 37-year history, with an initiative called HRC Rising. The organization plans to add at least 20 full-time staffers to work on state and local issues, joining the two dozen already doing so, and working with 32 existing volunteer-led local steering committees. It will allocate $26 million to the effort.

Its not enough to resist the hateful policies and attacks coming from the Trump-Pence regime weve got to accelerate the pace of progress toward full equality and secure protections for LGBTQ people in states and communities across the country. Thats why were going on offense with the largest grassroots expansion in HRCs 37-year history, said HRC president Chad Griffin in a press release.

Our grassroots army of over 3 million has proven that, even in the face of unprecedented challenges, we can make incredible progress and defeat the hateful politicians who've been emboldened by Donald Trump when we organize and mobilize. The power and determination of the 10 million LGBTQ voters and our allies across America will only continue to grow stronger in the face of discriminatory attacks on our rights and freedoms.

HRC is well known for its work in Washington, D.C., but it has historically been involved in state and local matters as well. It worked with Equality North Carolina, for instance, in support of Democrat Roy Coopers successful run for governor; he defeated incumbent Republican Pat McCrory, who had signed the states anti-LGBT House Bill 2 into law and staunchly defended it. It turned out to be a key factor in McCrorys loss.

HRC Rising will work in all 50 states but will make what the press release calls an especially strong, early push in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. Theyre all swing states, most of which Trump won, and all have big 2018 Senate races as well as some potentially competitive governors races, notes The Washington Post.

One of the races HRC will focus on is Democrat Tammy Baldwins bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin. Baldwin, a lesbian, is the only member of the LGBT population in the chamber, and she may face a tough opponent, the Post reports. There are also many anti-LGBT U.S. House members HRC would like to defeat.

The organization points out that LGBT voters can be a powerful bloc when mobilized, with these voters credited as crucial to President Obamas reelection in 2012. HRC Rising will focus on allies as well, seeking to turn out what the group calls pro-equality voters.

The election of Trump as president has motivated many of these voters, Griffin told the Post. I think folks believed that after the Supreme Court ruled on marriage, that we were headed quickly toward a place of full equality in this country, he said. And the president's attacks on our community and so many minority communities has served to be, in many ways, a great awakening of our democracy.

Griffin also emphasized the need to work across lines of identity.LGBTQ people are Muslims, he told the Post, so when he attacks Muslims, he's attacked our community. LGBTQ people are women, so when he tries to defund Planned Parenthood, that's an attack on LGBTQ people.

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Human Rights Campaign Expands Grassroots Effort, Looks to 2018 - Advocate.com