Guard rescued

after quakes

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) — Rescuers have pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement, ending a grueling dayslong operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was extracted safely after being trapped since June 24 under the rubble in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town in La Guaira. Rescuers initially made contact with him over the weekend.

Gil Flores, who worked as a night-shift security guard at the complex, was inside his small security cabin when the first violent tremor struck.

Vandalism

alleged

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Olympian has been indicted on a felony charge for alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. David Hearn is a former Olympic canoe racer who was indicted on a single count of property destruction in Washington, D.C. court.

District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said he ripped up recently installed sealant and caused over $1,000 in damage. Hearn previously told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool to examine the newly peeled coating during a 64-mile bike ride.

President Trump has said federal authorities made “multiple arrests” of people he said were vandalizing the Reflecting Pool following a $16-million rehabilitation project he launched for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

FBI probes

Georgia vote

ATLANTA (AP) — The FBI has asked its field offices across the country to dedicate more than 200 staffers to its investigation of the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County.

A memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press calls for the FBI to “surge” 260 investigative analysts and staff operations specialists to the effort. The memo describes it as a “priority investigation.”

While the memo does not describe the investigation, people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal decision-making have confirmed the request was to help with the Georgia 2020 election investigation. Georgia’s votes in that year’s presidential race were counted three times, including once by hand. Each count affirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s win.