KFAV

Military officials said Monday that the bodies of three U.S. Army soldiers — who went missing in Lithuania during a training exercise last week after their armored vehicle sank in a body of water — have been found. Search and recovery efforts were ongoing to locate a fourth missing soldier.

The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement worked alongside them during last week’s training exercise. The Army later shared in a statement that the soldiers’ identities were being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.

The soldiers, assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing the morning of March 25 after their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle became submerged in a peat bog during a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. The submerged armored recovery vehicle was found by the Army and Lithuanian authorities last Wednesday; in an update from over the weekend, the Army said the vehicle was under at least 15 feet of water, clay-like mud and silt. Their 63-ton armored vehicle was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, said in a statement: “our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home. We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time.”

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his condolences to President Trump and the United States in a post on social platform X. “It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers during a US-led training exercise in Lithuania. The search and rescue operation will continue until the fourth soldier is found. @realDonaldTrump, Lithuania mourns together with the American nation. Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

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The financial technology platform Rocket Companies — , which includes real estate, title and personal finance businesses, and mortgages under its umbrella — has acquired the mortgage company Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in an all-stock deal valued at $9.4 billion.  The acquisition of Mr. Cooper by Rocket creates an entity that will represent nearly 20% of all mortgages in the United States.

Per AP News: Rocket said Monday that the purchase of Mr. Cooper Group Inc. will create a business representing one in every six mortgages in the United States and give it almost 7 million additional clients. The deal will boost loan volumes, while lowering client acquisition costs; with Rocket stating in a press release that “it will bring its industry-leading mortgage recapture capabilities to a combined servicing book of $2.1 trillion across nearly 10 million clients, representing one in every six mortgages in America.”

The move comes just weeks after Rocket acquired real estate listing company Redfin in an all-stock deal worth $1.75 billion.. The acquisitions of Mr. Cooper and Redfin will allow Rocket to speed up its AI-powered platform “and remove the friction and complexities plaguing today’s homebuying process,” according to the release.

The combined company will see Mr. Cooper Group Chairperson and CEO Jay Bray become President and CEO of Rocket Mortgage, who will work under Rocket CEO Varun Krishna. Bray said in a statement: “By combining Mr. Cooper and Rocket, we will form the strongest mortgage company in the industry, offering an end-to-end homeownership experience backed by leading technology and grounded in customer care.”

Rocket shareholders will own approximately 75% of the combined company, while Mr. Cooper stockholders will own about 25%. The combined company’s board will have 11 members, with nine being from Rocket and two from Mr. Cooper.

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The chairperson of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry accused the royal of “harassment and bullying at scale” to try to force her out, after Harry abruptly announced his resignation last week. Sophie Chandauka is the chair of Sentebale, a charity that Harry co-founded in 2006 that was long aimed at helping children in southern Africa who have HIV/AIDS.

The Duke of Sussex resigned Tuesday as a patron of Sentebale, which he helped establish in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, citing a breakdown in the relationships between board members and Chandauka. Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho said in a joint statement that they quit “with heavy hearts” as patrons in solidarity with five trustees who resigned over an internal dispute with Chandauka, who refused to step down when asked. The stalemate reportedly involved a change in the organization’s mission. The princes said in their statement at the time: “It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation. What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”

However in an interview with Sky News that aired on Sunday, Chandauka cited Harry’s resignation statement as an “unleashing of the Sussex machine” against her and the organization’s employees. Chandauka described how the prince’s Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and how an incident with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction. She alleged there was misconduct at the charity, and said she had tried to blow the whistle on “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir.”

Chandauka also said: “At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors or my executive director. And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their family? That is an example of bullying and harassment at scale.”

Responding to Chandauka’s allegations, former Sentebale trustee Kelello Lerotholi said he was unaware of the issues she raised during his time on the board, telling Sky News: “The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each other’s opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other. So this all came as a shock to me when I heard.”

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An Idaho man was arrested after allegedly striking a counter-protester with his car during a protest at a Tesla dealership Saturday. About 30 people were in attendance at the anti-Tesla rally outside a dealership on Franklin Road in Meridian, which also drew a counter-protest of about 200 other people. The Meridian Police Department said in a press release that the suspect, a 70-year-old man, was charged with aggravated assault.

Christopher Talbot, 70, of Meridian, allegedly “made an obscene gesture” toward a 49-year-old man who arrived at the Idaho rally, and then struck him with his car, according to law enforcement. Officials identified the man who was struck as a counter-protester, saying he had non-life-threatening injuries and that he drove himself to a nearby hospital.  The Meridian Police said that “reports indicate the victim had been driving a truck with pro-Trump flags and had just parked and exited his vehicle when Talbot struck him with his car. The victim drove himself to a local hospital, where he was treated and released (with) non-life-threatening injuries. The Meridian Police Department reminds people to respect everyone’s right to protest and express their 1st Amendment Rights without resorting to violence.”

Per NBC News, police used the license plate from Talbot’s vehicle to find his home, where he was later arrested. Talbot was booked into Ada County Jail and charged with one count of aggravated battery, a felony, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

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