A woman was arrested Friday in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Melissa L. Farris faces two felony charges for allegedly damaging federal property and a veterans’ memorial, with each offense carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The vandalism included filling a memorial fountain with bubbles and spray-painting the message “Clean hands … Continue reading Suspect arrested in World War II Memorial vandalism in Washington

Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges Friday for the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. Mangione told the court he posed as a potential investor to learn the location of the conference where Thompson was attending before shooting him. Prosecutors said they will seek the maximum sentence of life in prison, with Mangione scheduled to be sentenced on December 18. … Continue reading Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO

A 20-year-old Northern Kentucky man died Monday after falling more than 175 feet from a waterfall in Oregon. Oregon State Police said Zachary Mertens fell from the top of South Falls at Silver Falls State Park after entering a closed area to take photos. Troopers and deputies responded to the park around 6:30 p.m. following reports of the fall. Mertens was a 2025 graduate of … Continue reading 20-year-old dies after falling from waterfall in Oregon

A 47-year-old Reno woman, Christine Mitchell, has been arrested in connection with the Freds Mountain Fire. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office says Mitchell intentionally started multiple fires near Freds Mountain Road. Authorities say she later flagged down firefighters responding to the blaze and admitted that she had started the fire. The fire grew into what became known as the Freds Mountain Fire, KOLO-TV has reported. … Continue reading Woman arrested for allegedly starting Freds Mountain Fire

Plea negotiations are reportedly underway between Luigi Mangione and federal prosecutors over charges related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A federal hearing has been scheduled for Friday, though sources caution that the talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal. Mangione faces separate federal and state cases and has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. A federal plea … Continue reading Luigi Mangione ‘discussing plea deal’

A man who co-owned an in-home daycare in Hopkins, Minnesota, is believed to have killed his wife and 7-year-old daughter before taking his own life. Police found the woman and child fatally stabbed in the basement and the suspect dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound upstairs. Six other young children were at the daycare during the incident but were unharmed and reunited with their parents. … Continue reading Man accused of killing wife, child at in-home daycare center in Minnesota: Police

Two soldiers were killed Wednesday when an Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in a field near Salado, Texas. Emergency crews responded to the crash around 1:30 p.m., and the soldiers were pronounced dead after being taken to a Fort Hood medical center. The crash sparked a large fire that spread across about 155 acres and led to some evacuations, though no other injuries or structural … Continue reading Two soldiers are dead after a military helicopter crashes in Texas, sparking a fire

California climber Jacob “Jake” Whisenant, 30, died after falling while climbing in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness on August 3. Whisenant was known in the climbing community for setting speed records in Yosemite National Park, including a 2024 ascent of El Capitan in under three hours. He had also completed the famed Nose route on El Capitan twice in a single day earlier this … Continue reading Record-breaking El Capitan climber dies in Sierra Nevada fall

Evacuations have been ordered along California’s Big Sur coast as the Timber Fire grows in the rugged mountains of Monterey County. The fire expanded to about 2,000 acres by Tuesday, with nearly 500 firefighters working to contain the blaze. Several popular tourist destinations, state parks and part of the Pacific Coast Highway have been closed, while officials urged visitors to avoid the area. The fire … Continue reading Famed tourist destinations evacuated as wildfire threatens California’s Big Sur

Tyler Boebert, the 21-year-old son of Rep. Lauren Boebert, was arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and released on $10,000 bond. The charges stem from a 2024 video allegedly involving Boebert and a 17-year-old girl that was later posted on Instagram. Authorities said Boebert was 18 and 11 months older than the girl at the time the video was recorded. He faces … Continue reading Lauren Boebert’s 21-year-old son is arrested on child sexual exploitation charges

Luigi Mangione is set to face trial in September for the alleged 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A New York judge has ordered that the 12 jurors remain completely anonymous throughout the high-profile trial to protect them from intimidation or corruption. The prosecution and defense will work together on a questionnaire for prospective jurors, which will later be made public. Mangione faces state … Continue reading Luigi Mangione murder trial to have anonymous jury 

An Arkansas high school football player discovered a venomous cottonmouth snake hiding inside his helmet after practicing for nearly an hour. The two-foot-long snake had slipped beneath the helmet’s padding and remained hidden until the player noticed unusual movement. School staff were shocked when they inspected the helmet and found the snake trapped inside. Animal Services safely removed the cottonmouth and relocated it to a … Continue reading Arkansas high school football player finds deadly snake was in his helmet

A 47-year-old Georgia teacher died after rescuing a young girl caught in a rip current off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Derrick Moore, of Loganville, entered the water Friday evening and successfully brought the girl to safety before being pulled underwater by the current. His body was found along the shore around 1 p.m. Saturday, and officials confirmed he did not know the girl he rescued. … Continue reading Metro teacher dies saving girl caught in rip current along Myrtle Beach

Albuquerque police arrested 35-year-old Victor Rivera-Jimenez in connection with a road-rage shooting that killed 30-year-old Corsinio Martinez Friday evening. Police say Martinez was shot while driving on Unser Boulevard and crashed into a light pole, where officers found him dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators identified Rivera-Jimenez’s black GMC Sierra using automated license plate readers and later found surveillance footage placing him and his family in … Continue reading Man Takes Family to Restaurant After Road-Rage Killing

A man described by police as “armed and dangerous” was arrested Saturday after a three-day manhunt in New York’s Hudson Valley. Police say 32-year-old Thomas David Ryan allegedly killed his 70-year-old father, Robert Ryan, and intentionally set his father’s home near Port Jervis on fire. Authorities located Ryan in Gilboa after receiving multiple tips from people who reported seeing his vehicle in the area. Ryan … Continue reading Manhunt for suspect ends three days after dad killed, raging house fire set in NY

A woman was killed and a man was critically injured after they were shot on the porch of a home in Philadelphia late Sunday night. Police found 61-year-old Michelle Wilson and a 67-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds and took them to Temple University Hospital. Investigators believe at least one shooter opened fire on the pair, leaving at least 20 shell casings at the scene. … Continue reading Woman killed, man injured after being shot outside Philadelphia home

A boat overturned near the Statue of Liberty on Saturday night, killing a 27-year-old woman and her five-month-old baby. Twelve other people were rescued from the water and were reported to be in stable condition. Police arrested the boat’s 46-year-old operator, Manuel Hernandez, who faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment. The victims were identified by the restaurant where the woman’s husband worked as Sara Sanchez … Continue reading Man arrested after boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty killing woman and infant

Cornell University has introduced a new rule banning students from processing wild game in community kitchens. The policy was added after two students brought a black bear they had killed into a dorm kitchen in 2025 to butcher it. The incident gained widespread attention after video of the students preparing the bear went viral. One of the students, Aaron Chin, later confirmed his involvement in … Continue reading Cornell bans bear butchering after students carved up creature in dorm kitchen

A Sikorsky S-64 firefighting helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah, on Friday morning while operating near the Widemouth 2 Fire. Two people were aboard the aircraft, and both were confirmed dead by the National Interagency Fire Center. Heavy fire activity initially prevented emergency crews from safely reaching the crash site, forcing officials to wait for safer conditions. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating … Continue reading Firefighting helicopter crashes near Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah

At least one person has died in the Gann Fire in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, which has burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed seven buildings. Police arrested 65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith, who investigators believe accidentally sparked the blaze while using a chainsaw and other equipment near dry vegetation. Smith, who had previously faced charges for starting another fire, expressed regret and said he never … Continue reading At least one person dead in California wildfire allegedly sparked by chainsaw

The remains of 56 people were discovered decomposing in deplorable conditions at a Chicago funeral home, where bodies were allegedly stored in an unrefrigerated area. Illinois officials suspended the funeral director’s license after investigators found evidence of decomposition, maggots and rodent infestation. The funeral home’s owners had previously operated a crematory that was shut down after improperly stored bodies and unreturned cremated remains were discovered. … Continue reading Remains of 56 people found decomposing at Chicago funeral home

More than 300,000 Haitians in the United States are now at risk of arrest and deportation after the Trump administration ended their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). A federal judge’s order blocking the termination expired following a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the government to end TPS for Haitians. Many affected Haitians face the difficult choice of remaining in the U.S. without legal … Continue reading Haitians face arrest and deportation after US removes TPS protections

A 66-year-old Washington man has been charged with illegally shooting and killing a bald eagle with a shotgun in rural Clark County. Federal prosecutors said Benjamin G. Allen allegedly violated the Bald and Gold Eagle Protection Act and laws protecting migratory birds. Investigators found the eagle had two shotgun pellets lodged in its brain after a veterinary examination. Allen, who reportedly kept chickens near where … Continue reading Washington man charged with killing bald eagle

A man was killed and seven children were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday morning in Germantown, Maryland. Police said the children, ages 12 to 15, were inside a Kia Optima that had been reported stolen, while the man was driving a Toyota Matrix. Authorities said the Kia entered an intersection and struck the other vehicle, with witnesses reporting the car had been driving erratically … Continue reading Man dead, 7 children in stolen vehicle hurt in Maryland crash

Madison police arrested 16 people Tuesday while clearing an encampment that formed at the site where officer-involved shooting victim Corey Ruiz was memorialized. Authorities said protesters threw rocks and started fires after city workers attempted to remove the encampment, leading police to intervene and reopen the street. The site had been occupied for nearly two weeks with tents, memorial items, and demonstrations blocking several city … Continue reading Madison police clear encampment at shooting site, arrest 16