Undercover state troopers dressed as construction crews on I-90 wrote 94 tickets over an eight-hour shift, prompting scrutiny of undercover enforcement tactics and their impact on drivers and road safety.
Evacuations expanded in Orange County as firefighters work to cool a methyl methacrylate-filled tank at a Garden Grove aerospace plant after it overheated and could explode; drones monitor temperatures, air quality tests are ongoing, and a state of emergency has been declared while authorities warn of potential consequences and a worst-case blast, though no injuries have been reported.
California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency as Orange County faces a looming chemical disaster from a methyl methacrylate storage tank, prompting evacuations for about 40,000 residents and mobilizing state agencies and shelters while responders work to cool, contain, and devise new strategies to prevent an explosion or spill.
An elderly California couple was found dead in a suspected murder‑suicide after the wife, Karen Whitaker, had fallen victim to a year‑long financial scam by someone posing as Tom Selleck, who convinced her to send money via gift cards; the scam escalated despite family intervention and alerts to authorities, but officials say there is no evidence the impersonator caused the deaths and Selleck is not implicated.
Investigators say a single-engine Cessna carrying pickleball players to a Texas tournament broke apart in midair and crashed near Wimberley on May 1, 2026; a report details the breakup of the aircraft.
A 38-year-old tourist from Covington, Washington, Igor Lytvynchuk, was arrested by NOAA agents for harassing a protected Hawaiian monk seal after a witness recorded him throwing a coconut-sized rock at the seal in Lahaina, Maui. He faces charges under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, with potential penalties of up to one year in prison per count and substantial fines; he’s scheduled to appear in Seattle federal court. The case underscores wildlife-protection enforcement in Hawaii and the community’s ongoing recovery efforts after wildfires.
TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie honors her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, with an Instagram collage on Mother's Day as investigators press toward 100 days without answers. Authorities say Nancy was abducted, with blood found at her home and a masked figure seen near the residence; the case has multiple rewards totaling over $1 million for information, and an anonymous letter outside the home adds to the urgency.
A Trump-appointed council proposes transforming FEMA into a locally executed, federally supported agency with a lump-sum disaster funding model, higher thresholds for federal declarations, reduced federal environmental reviews, and a larger private-sector role in flood insurance, aiming for efficiency and accountability but drawing criticism for potentially weakening disaster preparedness as climate-driven disasters rise and local capacities remain uneven; many recommendations require new legislation.
A person breached a perimeter fence at Denver International Airport and was struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 during takeoff, triggering an engine fire and an emergency evacuation. The aircraft carried 224 passengers and seven crew; 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals, and the pedestrian died. The NTSB is investigating as the runway was temporarily closed.
Rescue crews found a missing hiker's body on Mount Brown Trail in Glacier National Park; injuries are consistent with a bear encounter, authorities are assessing bear activity as the investigation continues, and the victim's identity remains withheld pending family notification, marking the park's first fatal bear attack since 1998.
FBI Director Kash Patel accused local officials of delaying FBI involvement in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, while Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said coordination with the FBI began without delay and on-scene decisions governed evidence handling. Patel claimed access to doorbell footage and Google data aided identifying a suspect and criticized not using the FBI lab in Quantico for DNA analysis; Nanos insisted the FBI lab has been cooperating from the start. Guthrie’s family has been cleared by investigators as the search continues.
Five people were wounded in a possible stabbing at Henry Foss High School in Tacoma, with a student suspect detained at the scene. The campus was locked down and parents were asked to meet students in the parking lot. Initially four victims were reported in critical condition and one with minor injuries; officials later said all six involved were in stable condition as investigators continued the scene assessment.
Video trends on TikTok and Instagram showing people speed-running through Scientology buildings in Hollywood prompted the church to remove door handles and restrict access, with police monitoring and reports of vandalism and potential hate-crime investigations; the church condemned the stunt as trespassing and endangering staff, while the trend’s originator and critics like Leah Remini urged participants to stop.
Georgia’s Pineland Road and Highway 82 wildfires in Brantley County have burned about 39,000 acres after a welding gate spark and a balloon landing on a power line; roughly 200 residents are evacuated, containment depends on weather, and there are no reported deaths or injuries.