Brad Matthews

Malibu blaze blasts 4,000 acres; Cher, Dick Van Dyke among evacuees

The Franklin Fire in Malibu, California, that started Monday has grown to encompass nearly 4,000 acres. Residents remain under an evacuation order, with celebrities Cher and Dick Van Dyke also forced to flee.

December 11, 2024

British telecom company creates AI ‘granny’ to waste the time of phone scammers

British mobile phone company Virgin Media O2 has rolled out a new method to vex phone scammers, an artificial intelligence "granny" that keeps them tied up talking so they can't target real customers.

December 10, 2024

Burglars hit home of Bengals’ Burrow while he played on ‘Monday Night Football’

As Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow led his team to a Monday night road victory over the Dallas Cowboys, there was a break-in at his house in Anderson Township, Ohio.

December 10, 2024

Jamie Foxx reveals he suffered stroke that left him hospitalized with memory loss

In a new Netflix special, actor and comedian Jamie Foxx disclosed that he suffered a stroke from a brain bleed in 2023 that left him hospitalized and caused memory loss.

December 10, 2024

FTC sending $72 million in refunds to Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted purchases

The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than 629,000 refund payments worth $72 million to customers of Fortnite developer Epic Games who were charged for things they never wanted.

December 10, 2024

Wildfire in California leads to evacuations, shelter-in-place order at Malibu college

A wildfire that broke out in Malibu, California, led to evacuations in the area and an edict to stay inside at Pepperdine University.

December 10, 2024

Film executive Steve Mensch dies in Florida plane crash

Tyler Perry Studios President Steve Mensch died Friday as the sole occupant of a single-engine plane that crashed in the western Florida town of Homosassa.

December 7, 2024

Time running out for mystery lottery winner to collect massive Mega Millions fortune

A pair of Mega Millions tickets won the jackpot at an Encino, California, Chevron station on Dec. 8, 2023, but one of them was unclaimed. The winner has until Saturday to come forward.

December 7, 2024

Missing grandmother’s body found in Pennsylvania sinkhole

The body of Elizabeth Pollard, 64, who went missing Monday while looking for her cat, was recovered from a sinkhole in Unity Township, Pennsylvania.

December 7, 2024

Kentuckian bets $3.1 million on Eagles to beat Panthers Sunday

A Kentucky man is betting $3 million that the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles will beat the Carolina Panthers at home Sunday for an expected payout of $442,800.

December 7, 2024

Multiple injured and one dead after explosions cause apartment building collapse in the Netherlands

A pair of explosions Saturday in The Hague, Netherlands, caused the partial collapse of a three-story apartment building, a fire, one death and multiple injuries.

December 7, 2024

Artemis moonshot timeline crumbles under safety pressure, NASA delays missions again

NASA's planned Artemis II and Artemis III missions, which are set to take astronauts into orbit around and then onto the south pole of the moon, have been pushed back again.

December 6, 2024

Drug contamination spreads from streets to sea life as dolphins test positive for fentanyl

Some bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico have human-made pharmaceuticals including fentanyl in their systems, according to a study published in the journal iScience.

December 6, 2024

Fight porch pirates with Christmas carols; State official recommends musical defense for deliveries

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel offered consumers advice on steps they could take to stop porch piracy during the holiday season, including playing music and leaving lights on.

December 6, 2024

Wind-fueled fire scorches wood recycling yard in Baltimore

A fire broke out Thursday at a wood recycling yard run by the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, causing various closures. The fire was still blazing Friday.

December 6, 2024

Vatican goes green with new battery-powered Mercedes popemobile

Mercedes-Benz, maker of the popemobiles used since 1930, gave an electric model to Pope Francis this week ahead of the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee.

December 6, 2024

Stowaway who flew to Paris sent back to New York and arrested

The woman who got through security and boarded a flight to Paris without a boarding pass has been sent back to New York, where she was arrested upon arrival.

December 5, 2024

Gen Z is using credit cards more than millennials at same age

Gen Z is using credit cards more and amassing credit card debt at a faster pace than millennials, according to reports.

December 5, 2024

Helicopters flying over the District to measure radiation ahead of inauguration

The National Nuclear Security Administration is flying helicopters at low altitudes over the District this week and next in preparation for next month's inauguration.

December 5, 2024

Man charged with stealing mail in D.C., Arlington, Bowie

A District of Columbia man arrested this week faces multiple charges of mail theft and the armed robbery of a postal worker.

December 5, 2024