Brad Matthews

Dropped bag of Cheetos jars ecosystem at New Mexico park

A visitor's bag of Cheetos that fell on the floor of the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico upended its ecosystem, officials warned recently.

September 11, 2024

Copy of U.S. Constitution sent to the states for ratification in 1788 up for auction

A signed copy of the U.S. Constitution, one of 100 sent to the states ahead of their vote to ratify it in 1788, is being sold by Brunk Auctions in Asheville, North Carolina, later this month.

September 10, 2024

D.C.-area Anacostia Watershed to be cleared of trash with $1 million in federal money

The Anacostia Watershed will have about 60,000 pounds of trash and 33 abandoned or broken boats removed under a $1 million federal grant, regional officials said Monday.

September 10, 2024

Australian to pay fuel costs and fine for midair outburst that forced plane to turn around

An Australian man has to pay $5,743 in fuel costs and a fine of $5,989 after his behavior on a 2023 flight forced the pilot to double back to the airport.

September 10, 2024

Manhunt for U.S. Interstate 75 shooter continues in Kentucky; $25,000 reward offered for information

The manhunt continues for the escaped primary suspect in Saturday's shooting on U.S. Interstate 75 in Kentucky that left five wounded. Authorities believe he's hiding in Daniel Boone National Forest.

September 10, 2024

Bird flu detected in Missouri where patient had no contact with animals prior to getting sick

A case of bird flu has been detected in a Missouri patient, the first human bird flu case in the state and the first nationwide in someone who reported no exposure to animals before getting sick.

September 7, 2024

Part of Hawaii park closed after hikers contract norovirus

The Kalalau Trail at Napali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kauai in Hawaii is shut down after dozens of hikers and campers fell ill from the norovirus.

September 7, 2024

North Carolina seashore partly closed due to pollutants linked to military activity

National Park Service officials shut down a portion of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina after erosion revealed petroleum, metal fragments and cables.

September 7, 2024

Small plane crashes near Los Angeles County roadway, leaving pilot and passenger critically injured

A single-engine plane crashed Friday near El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The pilot and passenger were hospitalized with critical injuries.

September 7, 2024

No, the red robots on D.C. sidewalks aren’t handing out parking tickets

Red robots that have been spotted on D.C. sidewalks are part of a D.C. Department of Transportation pilot program to help manage signs and sidewalks in the nation's capital, the agency said this week -- not to hand out parking tickets.

September 6, 2024

New York state retailers required to have 911 panic buttons starting in 2027

A new law in New York state mandates that retailers with 500 or more employees nationwide have panic buttons that immediately call the nearest 911 answering point, starting on Jan. 1, 2027.

September 6, 2024

Possible Rembrandt portrait of young girl, found in Maine attic, sells at auction for $1.4 million

A portrait of a young girl possibly painted by 17th-century Dutchman Rembrandt van Rijn, found in an attic of an estate in Maine, was recently sold at auction by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries for $1.4 million.

September 6, 2024

Hidden chamber found under National Mall’s Smithsonian Castle, dates to 1847

Work crews at the District of Columbia's Smithsonian Castle uncovered a cistern dating to 1847 that was sealed for well over a century.

September 6, 2024

Python moved from New York home to zoo after growing too long

An illegally owned albino Burmese python was moved from a New York household to a local zoo last month after the owner realized the snake was too big and untenable.

September 6, 2024

North Carolina man used bots to generate streams, royalties for thousands of AI songs, feds claim

A North Carolina man is accused of using bot accounts to trick streaming platforms into paying him over $10 million in royalties.

September 5, 2024

Animal rights groups claim Hvaldimir, beluga once thought a Russian ‘spy whale,’ killed by gunshots

Animal rights groups are claiming someone shot and killed Hvaldimir, the beluga whale found in Norwegian waters in 2019 who won brief fame after being accused of being a former agent of a Russian spy program.

September 5, 2024

Drone impedes Life Flight helicopter from airlifting car crash victims in Oregon

A Life Flight medical helicopter had to leave the scene of an Oregon car crash on U.S. Interstate 5 last week after a civilian drone got in the way.

September 5, 2024

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to make Olympic rings permanent on the Eiffel Tower

Icon or eyesore? Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to display the five Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower permanently to commemorate the 2024 Paris Games.

September 4, 2024

Brian Stelter returning to CNN, will assume analyst role and write newsletter

Former CNN TV personality Brian Stelter, who hosted "Reliable Sources" on Sundays from 2013 to 2022, is returning to the cable news network as its chief media analyst.

September 4, 2024

Phoenix scorches through 100 straight days at 100 degrees

Phoenix has had temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more for 100 consecutive days, with triple-digit heat continuing into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

September 4, 2024