The Nation in Brief

Blast at chemical plant hurts several

HOUSTON -- An emergency management official said nearly two dozen people suffered injuries that were not life-threatening in an explosion and fire at a chemical plant near Houston.

La Porte Emergency Management Lt. John Krueger said a valve exploded Saturday at Kuraray America Eval, causing burns similar to a severe sunburn, and other injuries.

The plant's address is Pasadena, but it is located in an unincorporated area of the Houston suburb.

Krueger said all workers were accounted for, and no chemicals were released.

Initial injury estimates ranged from six to more than 20. Krueger said that was a preliminary count released before a "true count" was completed.

Kuraray America Eval said in a news release that it's cooperating with investigators.

A Kuraray spokesman did not immediately return phone messages seeking further information.

Candidate reports cyberattacks wave

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A Tennessee Republican congressional candidate said his campaign and business have faced an "almost constant stream" of cyberattacks.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, state Rep. Jimmy Matlock's campaign says it has notified police and retained a cybercrime forensic investigator.

The campaign says someone hijacked a campaign worker's cellphone Friday.

Campaign spokesman Greg Butcher said someone began targeting Matlock's company, Matlock Tire Service & Auto Repair, last year after he announced his bid to replace retiring Rep. John Duncan Jr.

Butcher said campaign website hacking attempts increased last week.

He called the website attacks unsuccessful. Matlock's business spent thousands of dollars on security upgrades and shut down the servers multiple times.

The campaign says it's relatively certain who is to blame because they "left a trail a mile wide," but evidence is still being gathered.

3 kin said to grow China-funded pot

SEATTLE -- U.S. authorities have arrested a Seattle woman, conducted raids and seized thousands of marijuana plants in an investigation into what they said is an international black market marijuana operation financed by Chinese money.

Authorities were still searching for two men who are suspected of leading a crime ring that used hundreds of thousands of dollars wired from China to grow marijuana illegally in 17 homes around Washington state and then shipped it to New York's black market, according to reports.

Agents arrested Seattle resident Xiamin Huang, 37, and were looking for her husband and his brother, Qifeng Li and Qiwei Li.

All three were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes said.

Agents also raided homes in the cities of Seattle, Burien, Kent, Tacoma and Renton, and seized more than 3,000 marijuana plants, Hayes said.

In a news release Friday, Hayes said that in the raid investigators found business records and special equipment such as water tanks and lights used for growing marijuana.

"Large wire transfers of funds" from the People's Republic of China paid for some of the homes, and agents are still investigating the money's source, authorities said.

The suspects made payments of more than $37,000 for electricity in a three-month period at one property alone and used cash to avoid bank reporting, according to a complaint outlining the case against Huang, Qifeng Li and Qiwei Li.

A Section on 05/20/2018

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