Category: U.S. News

Official records from a March 6, 2026 meeting of the Mystic Harbour Water & Wastewater Advisory Board have been made available for public review.

The advisory board convened at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 6, 2026, and the corresponding meeting minutes were subsequently published online on May 27, 2026.

Community members can access the complete meeting documentation through the county’s official website calendar system, where the minutes are posted as a downloadable PDF file.

The advisory board oversees water and wastewater matters affecting the Mystic Harbour area, and these public records provide transparency into the board’s discussions and decisions.

Search teams prepared to continue their work Wednesday looking for nine employees at a Washington state paper mill following a devastating tank collapse that released a dangerous chemical mixture known as “white liquor,” resulting in one confirmed fatality.

Officials stated there was no expectation of locating additional survivors from Tuesday’s tank collapse at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, an incident that also left nine others wounded, including a firefighter who responded to the scene. However, before recovery teams can retrieve any remains of those still missing, workers must first secure the damaged tank on Wednesday, as it remains unstable and could release additional caustic chemicals.

The collapse caused the massive round tank to cave in and crumple on one side, with officials announcing they would limit operations to daylight hours due to safety concerns. Although the cause has not been determined, authorities confirmed there was no danger to the surrounding community, a Columbia River town of approximately 40,000 residents with deep connections to Washington and Oregon’s paper and timber sectors.

This marked the second significant chemical tank incident in recent days along the West Coast, coming after thousands of Southern California residents were evacuated due to a compromised tank at an aerospace facility before evacuation orders were canceled Tuesday evening.

The industrial tank contained approximately 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of a solution consisting primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. This substance, called white liquor, is combined with heat to break down wood fibers for producing kraft paper, a strong material used in packaging, shopping bags and similar products.

The extensive facility, which provides jobs for roughly 1,000 workers, produces materials for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, and cartons. The plant is located riverside alongside other timber, paper and chemical operations.

During a community prayer service Tuesday evening, dozens of people came together to pray, light candles and comfort one another.

Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident, said she has friends at the plant who remained unaccounted for. She said people called and texted each other all day trying to figure out what happened.

“We’re all still waiting for answers,” she said. “There’s families that have been torn apart, and we don’t know why.”

The cause of the implosion remained unclear.

Scott Goldstein, a fire chief with Cowlitz County, said Tuesday night that the tank still held about 90,000 gallons (more than 340,000 liters) of the volatile liquid.

“We don’t know until we know, hopefully tomorrow, how we can stabilize the tank. Do we remove the product first? Do we stabilize the tank first or the vice versa?” Goldstein said.

Hours after the disaster, officials repeatedly referred to the situation as a recovery effort.

Some of those who were injured suffered burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said.

Following the tank’s rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about how all of this happened and I want to assure you that we will all continue to pressure to get answers to those questions,” Murray said.

Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave in March and May. The state’s labor and industries department said on X that both were unrelated to the current situation. One was an anonymous complaint about a valve on a tank, according to the department, which noted that it was not the tank that imploded.

Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the start of 2021, according to the department’s online database.

Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of hazardous chemical incidents in the U.S., according to a paper released by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.

WASHINGTON — Military defense contractors will require a minimum of three years to restore America’s arsenal of critical weapons systems that were heavily utilized during the Iran conflict, according to a new study released Wednesday. This timeline raises concerns about potential limitations in U.S. military capabilities should tensions escalate with China in the future.

The weapons in question include Tomahawk cruise missiles designed for deep-strike operations against enemy positions, along with Patriot and THAAD defense systems that intercept incoming missiles and aerial threats.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies stated in their latest report, shared with The Associated Press: “The United States has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict. The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern.”

Beijing has publicly declared its intention to develop military capabilities sufficient for forcibly taking Taiwan if needed by 2027, though analysts view this more as an aspiration than a firm timeline. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned this month that poor handling of U.S.-China relations regarding the self-governing island could lead to confrontation or even open warfare.

The Washington think tank’s study considers the Republican Trump administration’s proposed defense budget of $1.5 trillion for 2027, which dramatically increases spending on advanced munitions that started during the Democratic Biden administration. Despite bipartisan congressional support for rebuilding stockpiles, the report emphasized: “the problem today isn’t money; it’s time.”

“It takes time to expand production capacity and to build these complex systems,” the analysis noted, explaining that the vulnerability period will continue “for several years until inventories return to their previous levels and another several years before they get to the levels that war planners desire.”

While exact munitions inventories remain classified, CSIS indicated that Pentagon budget documents provide enough public data to project production schedules.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have maintained America’s readiness for any military engagement. They’ve pressured defense manufacturers to accelerate munitions output, with Hegseth informing legislators last month that Trump’s military spending will enable manufacturers to double or triple their production capabilities.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”

“We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” Parnell said.

Some defense experts disagree. Pentagon leadership “knew the reality of our military stockpiles and hopefully told someone, ‘Hey, if we go to this fight, even in the most conservative estimates, we are drawing down our stockpiles to a critical level,’” stated Virginia Burger, a senior defense policy analyst at the Project On Government Oversight watchdog group and former Marine officer.

Depleted stockpile concerns dominated recent congressional hearings. Democrats view the munitions shortage as evidence against the Iran war, which Trump initiated without legislative authorization. Some Republicans blame the issue on sending Patriot missile systems to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion, though multiple American allies operate these systems.

The situation’s origins trace back to the Cold War’s conclusion, explained Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at CSIS who co-authored the study with research associate Chris H. Park.

Following the Soviet Union’s collapse in late 1991, America anticipated future conflicts would be brief and regional, requiring fewer high-end weapons, Cancian explained in an interview. The Pentagon ordered smaller quantities, expecting limited need. Defense contractors adapted accordingly, maintaining smaller manufacturing operations.

Russia’s Ukraine conflict demonstrated that wars could extend longer and demand extensive advanced weapons inventories, Cancian noted. Simultaneously, U.S. military planners began modeling potential western Pacific scenarios.

“The thinking started to change, but it just takes time to build inventories,” Cancian said, noting the complexity of coordinating supply chains and subcontractors producing specialized components.

President Joe Biden’s administration deserves recognition for initiating defense industry discussions, investing in the industrial base, and increasing production, said Cancian, who managed military hardware acquisitions at the Office of Management and Budget under Presidents George W. Bush, a Republican, and Barack Obama, a Democrat.

“A lot of people in the Trump administration are inclined to say that everything was terrible until they arrived, and that’s not true,” Cancian said. “Now, it is true that the Trump administration really increased funding.”

America launched over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles against Iran, and CSIS projections suggest complete inventory restoration could extend until late 2030.

Annual Tomahawk production remains under 200 units due to historically small orders, the report indicates. Nevertheless, manufacturer Raytheon aims to increase capacity beyond 1,000 annually.

RTX, Raytheon’s parent company, declined commenting on CSIS findings without reviewing the report. However, RTX highlighted multi-billion dollar production investments, including facility expansions in Alabama and Arizona.

Regarding high-demand air defense systems, replacing up to 290 THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, interceptors that destroyed incoming Iranian drones and missiles could require until late 2029, CSIS estimates. Restoring over 1,000 Patriot interceptors should conclude by mid-2029.

Lockheed Martin is substantially increasing production for both systems, while THAAD deliveries “were apparently re-sequenced to prioritize U.S. needs over those of allies and partners,” CSIS observed.

“Patriot deliveries pose a dilemma for the United States because of the need to replenish its own inventories, help Ukraine defend against Russian missile attacks, and meet the needs of 17 other countries that use the interceptor,” the report stated.

Lockheed Martin announced in a statement that it’s investing $9 billion through 2030 and “is already delivering tangible results to meet heightened munitions demand, including a new facility in Alabama announced last week along with more than 20 others across the United States.”

Meanwhile, CSIS suggested a potential China conflict is “not all bleak,” citing recent U.S. military demonstrations against Iran, Venezuela and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“China is deeply aware that it has no recent combat experience and that it performed poorly in its last war — against Vietnam in 1979,” the report stated. “That difference in experience may preserve deterrence until munitions inventories are restored.”

A Miami federal judge will determine Wednesday morning whether a 16-year-old facing charges for sexually assaulting and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship will stay in jail while awaiting trial.

In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres initially allowed Timothy Hudson to stay with an uncle under electronic supervision after his arrest and charges as a juvenile. However, prosecutors are now seeking to keep Hudson detained following the case’s move to adult court.

Hudson has entered a not guilty plea to first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges. Federal prosecution of minors is uncommon. Hudson’s federal public defenders have refused to provide comments regarding the allegations.

Anna Kepner, Hudson’s stepsister, was aboard the Carnival Horizon vessel in November with family members, including Hudson. Authorities discovered her body hidden beneath a bed in a room she shared with Hudson and another teenager before the ship was set to dock back in Florida, according to a criminal complaint.

Medical officials determined Kepner died on Nov. 6 from mechanical asphyxia, which occurs when breathing is prevented by an object or physical force.

Christopher Kepner, Anna’s father, issued a previous statement expressing the family’s “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”

“The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Kepner said.

Anna Kepner cheered for Temple Christian School’s team in Titusville, Florida, located approximately 40 miles east of Orlando. During her November memorial service, relatives asked attendees to dress in vibrant colors rather than traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

A catastrophic industrial incident at a paper manufacturing facility in Longview, Washington has claimed one life and left nine people missing following a chemical container failure that occurred in the early morning hours on Tuesday.

The deadly accident happened when a chemical storage vessel collapsed at the paper mill, creating a dangerous situation that emergency responders are still working to address.

Authorities continue searching for the nine individuals who remain unaccounted for following the industrial disaster.

A new Human Rights Watch report reveals that the Trump administration has sent nearly 13,000 Cubans, Venezuelans and other foreign nationals to Mexico, where they face dangerous conditions and cartel violence in an unfamiliar nation.

According to the report released Wednesday, Mexico has allowed these deportation arrangements for years, but current deportees tend to be older individuals who have resided in the United States for extended periods compared to previous cases. This makes employment more challenging and creates urgent medical needs.

Researchers conducted more than 50 interviews in the southern Mexican cities of Tapachula and Villahermosa for the study, which comes during expanded immigration enforcement as part of the president’s mass deportation initiative.

The enforcement expansion has ensnared immigrants previously not targeted, including Cubans who lived in America for years or decades. When countries like Cuba and Venezuela restrict or refuse deportation flights, the US instead sends these individuals to Mexico or other nations with existing agreements.

“Imagine being 60 or 70 years old, uprooted from your life overnight and sent to a country you don’t know, where authorities leave you out to dry without access to even the most basic services — shelter, healthcare. Imagine being dropped in dangerous cities with nothing but the clothes on your back,” said Alcira Hava, Leonard H. Sandler Fellow at Human Rights Watch, who worked on the report.

“That’s the reality for many Cubans deported to Mexico,” Hava said.

The report shows Cubans make up the largest group sent to Mexico, with over 4,300 individuals deported. More than half of the 41 Cubans interviewed had been living in America since the 1980s or 1990s, having arrived during the Mariel boatlift or through the 1990s lottery program. Most previously held green cards but lost their status.

While more than half of deported Cubans had criminal records, researchers found only 16% involved violent crimes. One-quarter had no criminal background whatsoever.

Most individuals were apprehended during routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-ins, though some were detained at work or in public areas. None appeared before a judge to challenge their Mexico deportation, even when expressing safety concerns.

The Cuban community, which traditionally benefits from expedited residency and citizenship pathways through the Cuban Adjustment Act, has expressed surprise at the scope of the current immigration crackdown.

Upon arrival in Mexico, deportees are placed in southern cities offering limited employment prospects, restricted healthcare access, and where criminal organizations target them. They must navigate complex procedures to potentially obtain refugee status in Mexico, if eligible.

A Villahermosa shelter has received Cuban deportees as elderly as 83 over the past year, representing a shift from the typical young men and families they usually assist, according to shelter worker Josué Leal.

“The U.S. discards them. Cuba discards them,” Leal said, calling it a form of “double punishment.”

The specific procedures for third-country deportations remain unclear since neither the US nor Mexico has released their agreement publicly. Human Rights Watch urged both nations to publish the arrangement and ensure due process and international law compliance.

The organization called on Mexico to guarantee medical treatment access and legal status pathways for those unable to return home. It also urged the US to halt these deportations unless such protections are guaranteed.

The Minneapolis police chief who was brought in to lead department reforms following George Floyd’s death has stepped down after interfering with an internal investigation, the mayor announced Tuesday.

Brian O’Hara chose to resign rather than face potential termination for obstructing a probe into allegations that he was having intimate relationships with city workers, Mayor Jacob Frey revealed.

Though the relationship allegations were not proven, investigators determined that O’Hara had disrupted their inquiry. According to a written reprimand obtained by The Associated Press, he removed a contact from his city phone to hide evidence and spoke about the investigation to another city worker after being told to remain silent.

When Frey informed O’Hara that he would face discipline that could include firing, the chief decided to step down instead.

“It was an extremely painful decision, obviously, but I concluded that that was necessary to maintain public trust, and this was the right way to move forward as a city,” Frey said.

“Trust is not secondary to the job. It is the job,” he added.

The city is continuing to investigate 17 additional complaints against O’Hara that are unrelated to the probe that led to his resignation, according to mayor’s office spokesperson Jennifer Lor. She declined to discuss the specifics of those complaints.

O’Hara did not respond immediately to a LinkedIn message requesting comment.

O’Hara took over as chief in 2022 while the department was under intense national scrutiny over police racism and excessive force. Floyd, a Black man, had been killed by a white Minneapolis officer two years earlier, sparking worldwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations and calls to defund police departments.

Minneapolis reached a deal with federal authorities last year to reform its police training and force policies following Floyd’s death. The U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump terminated that agreement months afterward.

O’Hara led the police response to the fatal shooting at Annunciation Catholic School last August.

He spoke out against immigration enforcement methods in December after a federal agent put his knee on a woman’s back during an arrest and attempted to pull her toward a vehicle. Minneapolis officers came under criticism from multiple groups during Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, with some saying police were either assisting or blocking federal agents and demonstrations.

Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell is now running the department while officials search for O’Hara’s replacement, Frey announced.

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces conducted another operation Tuesday targeting a boat believed to be carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific, resulting in one fatality and two people rescued from the water.

Social media footage released by U.S. Southern Command captures the vessel racing across the ocean before bursting into flames. According to Southern Command, officials “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.”

This operation continues the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to destroy suspected drug-running boats throughout Latin American waters, spanning the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea regions. The campaign, which began in early September, has resulted in at least 194 deaths overall. Military officials have not released proof that any targeted vessels actually contained narcotics.

Last week, the Pentagon watchdog announced plans to assess whether U.S. forces adhered to proper targeting protocols during these boat attacks. The established six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle encompasses military commander’s intent, target development, analysis, decision, execution and assessment.

According to the Pentagon inspector general’s office, this review was “self-initiated.” The investigation will not examine whether the strikes violate international law, despite facing harsh criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars.

The Trump administration maintains the U.S. is engaged in warfare against Latin American drug cartels, which it blames for the epidemic of fatal drug overdoses devastating American communities nationwide.

IRVINE, Calif. — A legendary war photographer who worked for the Associated Press during the Vietnam conflict has passed away at 91 years old. Dang Van Phuoc, who continued his dangerous work even after losing his sight in one eye from an explosion, died Saturday in Southern California following a sudden collapse, according to his nephew Van Nguyen.

The Associated Press brought Phuoc aboard in 1965 when former photo chief Horst Faas recruited him to fill the position of another local photographer who had been killed while working. Phuoc quickly became known among fellow journalists and American and South Vietnamese military personnel for his remarkable talent in locating the most intense combat situations.

Born in 1935 in a Vietnamese village close to Quang Ngai, located south of Da Nang, Phuoc was the youngest among several siblings. Around age 10, local Viet Cong insurgents killed his father. His mother’s death occurred several years afterward, leaving the young boy without a home.

“He was a really very extraordinary man who grew up from very bad treatment when he was a boy,” Nguyen said.

During his youth, Phuoc offered to help transport equipment at a Saigon film studio where Nguyen’s mother was employed as a cook. At this location, Phuoc initially handled a camera and learned photography techniques on his own, according to his nephew.

His supervisor called Phuoc the AP’s “secret weapon” because of his practice of walking alongside the “point man” during military patrols. This positioning allowed him to capture outstanding photographs while simultaneously placing him in extremely dangerous situations.

Throughout his decade with the AP in Vietnam, Phuoc suffered injuries on at least five occasions, with the initial incident occurring just five months into his employment. Shrapnel from a grenade blast wounded his chest and leg, though he returned to covering the prolonged civil war between Communist North Vietnamese forces and the American-supported South Vietnamese army within months.

During 1968, a rocket struck him in the head while he documented urban combat in Saigon, causing a concussion. That same year, Phuoc braved sniper fire to rescue an injured American soldier, earning recognition from the Ninth U.S. Army Infantry Division for his life-saving actions.

A grenade explosion in 1969 cost Phuoc his right eye while he accompanied a Ranger battalion south of Da Nang on Vietnam’s central coastline. He adapted his shooting technique for single-eye vision and resumed his duties.

During a 2011 archival interview with AP, Phuoc explained the challenges of operating with one eye while needing to peer through his camera lens and simultaneously observe silent hand signals from the soldiers he accompanied on patrol.

Huỳnh Công “Nick” Út, who worked with Phuoc at AP’s Saigon office, characterized him as both fearless and resourceful during fieldwork. Away from the action, he was generous and devoted, treating Út as family.

“Everyone loved him so much,” Út said. “When I heard, I cried, ‘My brother, he’s gone.’”

While Phuoc gained recognition for his action photography, the images that most affected him were those showing civilians trapped in the conflict. In his 2011 interview, he described himself as a “small grain of sand” who used photography to share their experiences with the world.

Following Saigon’s fall in 1975, Phuoc escaped with his family carrying virtually nothing except their clothing and a milk bottle. AP reporter Linda Deutsch, who was covering the refugee camp conditions, helped rescue his family from a camp in Guam, and they were transported to Camp Pendleton.

Phuoc briefly returned to Asia for work with AP in Hong Kong before departing the company and permanently relocating to Southern California with his family.

He established himself as a professional portrait photographer in Orange County, which houses Little Saigon, the world’s largest concentrated community of South Vietnamese refugees.

His great-nephew Kim Nguyen reflected Tuesday on the portraits Phuoc created of him as an infant and recalled bringing his own child to view Phuoc’s exhibited work at a Vietnamese museum.

In California, Phuoc helped establish The Artistic Photography Association and mentored emerging photographers. He also served as a civilian volunteer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and received the county’s volunteer of the year award in 1994.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Clarence B. Jones, the attorney and speechwriter who collaborated with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his iconic “I Have A Dream” address, has passed away at the age of 95.

Jones passed away Friday at a senior care facility in Cupertino, a community in the San Francisco Bay Area, with family members by his side, according to a family statement.

“Our father lived a life of conscience,” the family of Jones stated Tuesday. “He believed, until his final days, that an idea” is “more powerful than the march of any army. We are grateful beyond words for the love, the prayers, and the friendships that sustained him, and us, across this long and remarkable life.”

Serving as King’s legal counsel, Jones played a crucial role in pivotal moments during the Civil Rights Movement. He is recognized for secretly transporting portions of King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from his prison cell and continued crafting speeches with the civil rights leader until King’s assassination in 1968.

Jones assisted in developing King’s 1967 “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” speech delivered at Riverside Church in New York exactly one year prior to King’s death. The address became a landmark moment in King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and American militarism overall. King contended that America’s involvement in the conflict worsened poverty throughout the nation.

Jones entered the world on Jan. 8, 1931 in Philadelphia, with parents who worked as domestic help for an affluent Quaker household located miles away in New Jersey, according to the Clarence B. Jones Institute for Social Advocacy. Jones earned the honor of class valedictorian at an integrated high school in Palmyra, New Jersey. His talent for speechwriting emerged in 1949 when he delivered a graduation address focused on dismantling racial barriers.

Jones continued his education at Columbia University in New York. Following graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army but received an honorable discharge nearly two years afterward. He subsequently obtained his law degree from Boston University.

In 1960, marking the beginning of a transformative partnership, Jones was contacted by King to join his legal defense team for a tax evasion case filed by Alabama. Jones shifted away from his entertainment law practice in California and relocated his family to New York City. This move allowed him to work closely with King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference while serving as a full-time advisor, attorney and speechwriter.

Jones participated as a legal team member in the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan case. The Supreme Court reversed a libel judgment against the publication, which had printed an advertisement criticizing police actions toward civil rights protesters in Montgomery, Alabama.

Following King’s assassination, Jones transitioned to employment with a Wall Street investment banking company and achieved the distinction of becoming the first Black American to receive allied member status with the New York Stock Exchange.

Jones later pursued academic endeavors. In 2012, he became a faculty member at the University of San Francisco, instructing law students and undergraduates in classes including “From Slavery to Obama.” In 2018, he helped establish the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the institution. During this period, he also accepted a scholar-in-residence position at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute.

In 2023, Jones released a memoir about his time working alongside King, titled “Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir.”

The next year, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian recognition, from then-President Joe Biden. Several weeks afterward, an emotional Jones made an appearance at a San Francisco Giants baseball game alongside Golden State Warriors basketball player Stephen Curry to deliver the ceremonial first pitch. Curry has produced and co-directed a documentary short film about Jones.

“The Baddest Speechwriter of All” received recognition at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is scheduled to become available on Netflix later this year.

Jones leaves behind five children and his longtime partner Lin Walters.

Arrangements for funeral services and a public memorial celebration are currently being developed.

A devastating house blast in Plainfield Township, Michigan early Tuesday morning resulted in one fatality and left another person fighting for their life, according to local officials.

The cause of the explosion and subsequent fire remains under investigation by authorities. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. in the township located north of Grand Rapids.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office reported that when emergency responders reached the scene, the residence had been completely destroyed with burning debris scattered around the area. Officials confirmed one fatality at the scene.

Two heroic neighbors managed to rescue a woman from the wreckage after they heard her cries for help.

“I had to get in there and get her out,” neighbor Tim Johnson told WOOD-TV. He described how they “grabbed her arms and pulled her out as far as we could.”

Emergency crews transported the rescued woman to a local hospital where she remains in critical condition.

The powerful explosion was strong enough to shake Johnson’s nearby home. During the rescue effort, Johnson sustained second-degree burns to his head and hand.

Authorities announced Tuesday that the deadly blaze and blast at a Maine lumber facility that claimed a firefighter’s life and wounded twelve others was unintentional and began at the bottom of a storage silo.

The May 15 incident at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont resulted in the death of Andrew Cross, 27, from the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department. Those hurt in the incident included family members who operate the lumber facility as well as other emergency personnel. The blaze created massive clouds of dark smoke and necessitated hundreds of firefighters from multiple departments to bring it under control.

Quick ignition of dust particles led to a blast inside the silo that lifted it off its concrete foundation and released substantial amounts of sawdust and other debris, according to a Tuesday statement from the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office. The storage structure then collapsed and flames spread throughout the surrounding area, officials reported.

The fire marshal’s office indicated that investigators plan to return to the site in upcoming months for a more thorough examination.

“Investigators also determined the facility’s fire suppression system, which was located near the top of the silo, did not activate because temperatures at that elevation did not reach the activation threshold after the fire originated at the base of the silo,” the office’s statement said.

Facilities that process lumber are significant sources of flammable dust. Strong winds during the investigation postponed the release of findings, according to Maj. Aaron Turcotte, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, who spoke last week.

“High winds throughout the day created difficult working conditions on scene, resulting in flying debris and periodic interruptions to investigative operations. Drone operations and aerial photography were particularly challenging due to the wind, causing delays in some scene documentation,” Turcotte said in a statement.

The blast in Searsmont, located approximately 95 miles northeast of Portland, prompted a large-scale emergency response to this remote area of the state. Personnel from the state fire marshal and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives launched an investigation following the explosion and fire, which required several hours to control.

Gov. Janet Mills subsequently directed that state flags be lowered to half-staff last week to honor Cross.

“My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of Andrew Cross,” Mills said. “He died a hero.”

The company’s website characterizes Robbins Lumber as a “high-tech lumber manufacturer” operating since 1881 and owned by the same family for five generations. Christian Halsted, speaking for the family, stated following the fire that it was a “hugely devastating day for the family” and confirmed the family’s cooperation with investigators.

Wood and lumber products represent a vital and longstanding industry in Maine. According to the Maine Forest Products Council, the sector generated over $8 billion for the state’s economy in 2024 and employs approximately 29,000 people.

WASHINGTON — The Scripps National Spelling Bee has relocated to a prestigious new location this year after spending a decade and a half at a Maryland convention center. The competition now takes place at Constitution Hall, the capital’s premier concert facility.

However, participants in this week’s contest have varying opinions about the venue change.

“I feel like they should not have moved it. The old venue was better. Because it’s a bit of a hassle, getting on the bus and going there and then coming back,” said 14-year-old Yahya Mohammed, a three-time speller from Hoffman Estates, Illinois. “The old venue was more spacious, and it feels kind of isolated in the hotel.”

While Tuesday’s opening rounds commenced, contestants and their relatives found themselves admiring the historic importance of their new location and nearby attractions, though they also faced practical challenges including packed corridors, few food choices, and required transportation between their accommodations and the competition site.

The Daughters of the American Revolution constructed Constitution Hall in 1929, positioning it just blocks away from the Washington Monument and the White House. Participants are lodging at the adjacent J.W. Marriott, a popular destination for lobbyists and advocacy organizations, with what would typically be an easy walk across the Ellipse to reach the competition.

But the Ellipse currently features temporary barriers and security stations as workers assemble an outdoor octagon on the South Lawn of the White House for UFC Freedom 250, a June 14 event timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

“Two very disparate forms of entertainment,” said Rajeev Malhotra of Boston, the father of speller Rajeev Malhotra, describing the bee and the mixed martial arts extravaganza.

Enhanced security measures were implemented at the venue, including guards and metal detectors at all entrances plus explosive-sniffing dogs walking the corridors. Just three blocks away three days prior, a gunman attacked a White House security checkpoint, wounding a bystander before Secret Service officers killed him.

At the previous location, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, contestants could move around the facility without restrictions, traveling between their rooms, the competition ballroom, and an extensive food court where they ate quick meals during final preparation sessions.

“Last year was better,” said Arpit Aggarwal of Columbia, Missouri, whose daughter, Ananya, is competing for the second time. “Everything was in one place.”

“It’s an adjustment,” Ananya’s mom, Deepti Bahl, said diplomatically.

Some participants welcomed the excitement of meeting in the downtown area, believing it better suited a national championship. The competition started in 1925 and occurred at various Washington hotels before relocating to suburban areas in 2011.

“I just love being here, right next to the National Mall. You can see the Smithsonian, you can see the Jefferson Memorial. It’s such a lively and unique city and I love being in the heart of it,” said three-time speller Oliver Halkett, a 14-year-old from Los Angeles. “There’s so much history, there’s so much culture. The memorials and the museums are fascinating to go to.”

Speller Andie Seavey of Fairbanks, Alaska, and her mom, Kristin, went to see the musical “The Great Gatsby” at the National Theater next door to the hotel.

Following Tuesday’s elimination of 80 contestants through stage spelling and vocabulary challenges, the remaining 167 participants returned to their hotel for a crucial written examination that selected approximately 100 who advanced to Wednesday morning’s quarterfinals. The championship ends Thursday evening.

Previous year’s winner Faizan Zaki claimed the National Spelling Bee title despite making an error and hearing the elimination bell from head judge Mary Brooks. He recognized his mistake early and told Brooks, “Just ring the bell.”

Faizan’s error allowed his two remaining opponents another opportunity, as all three made mistakes in that round.

Kushi Gottimukkala of Morrisville, North Carolina, represents one of several current contestants familiar with that experience.

During her regional competition, sponsored by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, Kushi faced two other spellers for the final national berth. She incorrectly spelled “anchialine” and assumed she was finished, only to watch the other competitors also fail.

Kushi experienced the dramatic ups and downs but eventually succeeded.

“I was still thinking about the mistake, but I was also really grateful that I got a second chance, and so I took that into consideration and decided to focus on my next word,” she said.

Contestants must prepare for scenarios where spelling errors don’t necessarily mean elimination.

Oliver Halkett also participated in a competition where he misspelled but continued. He overcame the setback by concentrating solely on his next challenge.

“It’s a peculiar situation, but I think, above all, mental clarity is so important, especially in those latter rounds,” he said. “I close my eyes and do some deep breathing and I visualize the word, and it’s just me and the word. That’s how you have to approach every single word.

“Treat every word as if it’s your first and last word.”

Officials in Washington state are responding to a deadly industrial accident that occurred Tuesday when a tank filled with chemicals exploded at a packaging plant.

The blast happened at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility located in Longview, Washington, according to ABC News reports citing local authorities. The incident resulted in several deaths and left multiple workers with serious injuries.

Emergency responders are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tank explosion at the industrial facility.

A catastrophic chemical tank collapse at a Washington state paper manufacturing facility Tuesday morning resulted in multiple fatalities and severe injuries, according to company representatives and local emergency officials.

The tank failure occurred at 7:15 a.m. at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, Washington. Company officials and law enforcement agencies released a combined statement confirming the incident produced “multiple critical injuries” along with an unspecified number of deaths. Emergency responders reported that victims sustained burn wounds and breathing-related injuries from the accident. Officials emphasized there was no danger to surrounding communities.

The official announcement came more than four hours following the tank failure, with authorities stating that rescue and recovery efforts were ongoing. Officials indicated they would not identify casualties until family members could be contacted.

Family members and friends gathered outside the company’s main entrance Tuesday, hoping to learn about employees they knew who worked inside the plant. These individuals refused to speak with an Associated Press journalist.

The manufacturing complex operates as both a pulp production facility and liquid packaging operation, creating materials for facial tissues, office paper, disposable cups and plates, beverage containers and similar products. The Washington State Department of Ecology reports the plant workforce totals approximately 1,000 employees.

The failed container held a chemical mixture called “white liquor,” a caustic solution composed primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide that breaks down wood fibers during kraft paper manufacturing. Kraft paper serves as a strong packaging material used in shopping bags and various container applications.

Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department in Longview, Washington, characterized the situation as a “mass casualty scene.” Emergency personnel decontaminated injured workers before transporting them to medical facilities in Longview and Vancouver, Washington, Gorsuch explained.

Approximately 40 fire and emergency medical personnel responded to the incident, supported by a specialized hazardous materials response team, according to Gorsuch.

Meanwhile, thousands of southern California residents remained displaced Tuesday following damage to a chemical storage tank at an aerospace manufacturing plant.

WASHINGTON – Federal safety investigators are urging aviation officials to overhaul their methods for evaluating runway safety during storm conditions, warning of increased dangers when aircraft attempt to land on water-soaked surfaces.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued the safety recommendations Tuesday following their analysis of 11 separate incidents where planes skidded beyond runway boundaries between 2008 and 2022, all involving landings on rain-soaked pavement.

Safety investigators specifically highlighted a 2019 incident involving a Boeing 737 that overran the runway in Jacksonville, Florida, which they attributed partly to “an extreme loss of braking friction due to heavy rain and the water depth on the ungrooved runway, which resulted in viscous hydroplaning.”

An employee terminated by an Indiana university following her Facebook comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been awarded $225,000 in a legal settlement that claimed her former workplace violated her constitutional free speech protections, her legal representatives announced Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union revealed the settlement in a federal case they brought last year representing Suzanne Swierc against Ball State University President Geoffrey Mearns.

Swierc held the position of director of health promotion and advocacy at Ball State’s Muncie, Indiana campus until her termination last September. Ball State pointed to Swierc’s personal Facebook comment regarding Kirk as the only basis for dismissing her, claiming it created “significant disruption” on campus.

The termination of Swierc breached her constitutional protections since she was “speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern,” stated Stevie Pactor, an ACLU lawyer in Indiana.

“The First Amendment does not allow government institutions to retaliate in those circumstances, and this settlement reflects that,” Pactor said in a statement.

Mearns stood by his decision to terminate Swierc in a Tuesday statement distributed to campus leadership, which a Ball State spokesperson provided to The Associated Press.

Mearns explained that negative reactions to Swierc’s comment posed risks to the institution’s student recruitment and donor contributions. He characterized the settlement’s “modest monetary payment” to Swierc as significantly lower than the expense of litigating her case.

Kirk, who established the conservative group Turning Point USA, died in a shooting incident on September 10 at a Utah university campus. Prior to his death, Kirk was recognized for mobilizing conservative young voters to support President Donald Trump’s successful bid for a second presidency.

Swierc joined numerous employees across public and private organizations who faced job losses after sharing social media content and images related to Kirk’s assassination. She represents one of several individuals who have secured legal settlements through court proceedings.

This month, a Florida state department agreed to a $485,000 settlement with a former state biologist dismissed after sharing a meme suggesting Kirk was indifferent to school shooting victims.

In January, Austin Peay State University in Tennessee brought back a professor and provided him a $500,000 settlement following his lawsuit over termination for sharing a 2023 news story titled: “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.”

Legal cases from additional terminated employees remain active in the courts.

In her Facebook message, Swierc described Kirk’s death as a “tragedy.” However, she also characterized it as a “reflection of the violence, fear, and hatred he sowed.” She added: “If you think Charlie Kirk was a wonderful person, we can’t be friends.”

Swierc’s legal team noted that her Facebook account’s privacy controls restricted public access to her posts, though someone captured and widely distributed screenshots of her Kirk commentary online.

Ball State’s president reported that Swierc’s post generated numerous angry phone calls and emails directed at the university. Some threatened to stop financial contributions and at least one parent indicated plans to remove her children from the institution. Several callers made violent threats, Mearns reported.

“The reaction was extraordinarily damaging to our University’s reputation and image, and it was exceptionally disruptive to our mission and our people,” Mearns said in his statement.

Motorists traveling on Abelia Lane should plan for delays as construction crews continue work that requires periodic lane restrictions.

The roadway between Oakridge Court and Willow Creek Lane is experiencing intermittent lane closures that are expected to remain in effect until 5 PM today.

Drivers are advised to use alternate routes when possible or allow extra travel time when navigating through the construction zone.

During the ongoing conflict with Iran, tensions have emerged between the U.S. military and SpaceX regarding the cost of satellite internet services used in combat operations.

Military officials found themselves paying significantly more for Elon Musk’s Starlink network after SpaceX executives argued they deserved higher compensation for their satellite connectivity services used on kamikaze drones.

According to sources and Pentagon documents, SpaceX representatives met with defense officials shortly after U.S. bombing operations began, claiming the military was paying approximately $5,000 per terminal connection while actually utilizing a premium service tier valued at around $25,000.

The dispute centered on LUCAS suicide drones – an inexpensive American model similar to Iran’s Shahed drones that can hover over target areas before diving to strike. These unmanned aircraft rely on satellite connectivity for guidance and targeting.

SpaceX contended that these drones operated under conditions requiring their aviation-level subscription service rather than the less expensive ground or mobility packages. Military officials countered that the $25,000 monthly aviation fee was intended for traditional aircraft, not kamikaze drones that connect to Starlink for only minutes or hours.

Despite initial resistance, the Pentagon ultimately accepted SpaceX’s pricing demands, nearly doubling the cost of each LUCAS drone from roughly $30,000 per unit to accommodate the increased satellite service fees.

The disagreement highlights broader friction between the defense establishment and SpaceX over satellite service pricing in recent months. Additional conflicts have emerged regarding a proposed plan to provide Iranian civilians with direct cellular connections through Starlink to circumvent government communication restrictions.

SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment on the pricing disputes.

Pentagon representatives declined to discuss the specific pricing increases or their decision to pay higher fees. A military spokesperson stated that the Commercial Satellite Communications Office is actively seeking alternative providers.

However, no competing company offers services comparable to Starlink’s capabilities. The satellite network has become essential for modern military operations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, providing global coverage that enables battlefield communications and precision targeting in remote locations.

SpaceX operates approximately 10,000 satellites, representing more than 60% of all satellites currently in orbit and significantly exceeding constellations being developed by competitors like OneWeb and Amazon Leo.

The military’s dependence on Starlink has created potential vulnerabilities, as demonstrated during the Ukraine conflict when Musk ordered service disconnections in certain areas in 2022, disrupting Ukrainian military advances. More recently, a global Starlink outage last summer interrupted Navy testing, leaving unmanned military vessels stranded at sea.

According to Clayton Swope, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, SpaceX maintains unusual leverage over the Pentagon because of its substantial commercial market beyond government contracts. The company generates about 20% of its total revenue from U.S. government work, per SEC filings.

“SpaceX certainly has the U.S. government over the barrel,” Swope said.

When U.S. operations against Iran began, Starlink was already integral to military systems, supporting everything from aerial attack drones to unmanned maritime vessels used for surveillance and strike missions. Starshield terminals were deployed across more than a dozen drone platforms when the bombing campaign launched.

Tensions escalated quickly after the February 28 assault on Iran began. On March 1, Musk responded to a social media post showing a LUCAS drone with an apparent Starlink terminal.

“It is a violation of commercial Starlink terms of service to use the terminal for weapon systems. This applies to all users and is shut down when discovered,” Musk posted. “There is a separate network called Starshield, which is operated by the US government.”

Pentagon officials denied any violation of their agreement with SpaceX.

Following this exchange, SpaceX executives met with defense officials to argue for higher service fees, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

While the Pentagon agreed to increased costs for drone satellite connections, senior officials including Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg remained concerned about the arrangement. During an April ceasefire, Pentagon representatives met with Terrence O’Shaughnessy, a retired four-star Air Force general now leading SpaceX’s defense operations, to revisit the pricing structure.

Currently, the Pentagon is considering purchasing more than 3,500 additional Starshield terminal subscriptions, including 100 at the higher aviation pricing tier. This potential deal could generate hundreds of millions in annual revenue for SpaceX, though final agreement terms remain unclear.

Starlink has proven crucial for other operations beyond direct military action. After Iran suppressed protests in January, resulting in thousands of deaths, the Trump administration smuggled over 6,000 Starlink terminals into the country to provide internet access to citizens.

As the conflict intensified, Iranian authorities began confiscating terminals and deploying jamming equipment in major cities to disrupt connections. Within a week of fighting beginning, Pentagon officials initiated discussions with SpaceX about implementing direct-to-cell service that could bypass these disruptions.

This capability, similar to 5G cellular service, would allow users to connect without requiring ground-based terminals. SpaceX, which generated $11.4 billion in Starlink revenue in 2025, proposed charging up to $500 million to launch this capability, plus $100 million monthly to operate it – a price that alarmed defense officials.

Whether an agreement has been reached for the direct-to-cell service remains unclear.

Authorities in California have allowed some residents to return to their homes following an incident involving a compromised chemical storage facility, though a significant number of people remain displaced.

While officials have cleared thousands of residents to go back to their neighborhoods near the compromised chemical storage facility, tens of thousands of others continue to wait for permission to return home.

Authorities in Southern California have allowed some residents to return to their homes after temperatures decreased sufficiently in a compromised tank holding dangerous chemicals, reducing the threat of a major explosion.

Emergency management officials announced that the risk of a significant blast at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems facility in Garden Grove has been eliminated, though smaller explosion or fire hazards persist, according to Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey during a Monday briefing.

A nighttime assessment of the container holding 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, a highly combustible substance, revealed decreased internal pressure due to a fracture found on Sunday. This development allowed approximately two-thirds of displaced residents — around 34,000 people — to return home, Covey explained.

“It’s not over yet. We still have work to do,” Covey said. “We still have to mitigate a fire and very small explosion concern, and also a spill potential.”

Evacuation directives for Garden Grove residents, located near Los Angeles, began on Thursday when the tank experienced overheating, eventually affecting roughly 50,000 people by the weekend.

Authorities worked to reduce the tank’s temperature to prevent toxic discharge or detonation. The container’s internal temperature dropped to 93 degrees F (33.9 degrees C) on Monday, down from 100 degrees (37.7 degrees C) the previous day, Covey reported.

Orange County Health Director Regina Chinsio-Kwong emphasized safety assurances for returning residents. The federal Environmental Protection Agency warns that methyl methacrylate exposure can lead to severe breathing difficulties, neurological complications, and irritation of skin, eyes, and throat.

“There was no contamination. There were no fumes. There were not vapors that came from this incident,” she said at the news conference. “There was not a leak. So it should be, you should feel comfortable going home even if you’re across the street from that new zone line.”

Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor specializing in environmental contamination research, suggested the tank might eventually cool sufficiently for crews to safely stabilize and empty the remaining contents without creating sparks or ignition.

Whelton warned that explosion risks continue while the chemical remains heated and reactive. He indicated temperatures must decrease to ambient conditions — approximately 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 21.1 degrees C) — before safety conditions improve significantly.

Rising internal tank temperatures caused methyl methacrylate — utilized in plastic manufacturing — to transform from liquid to vapor, increasing pressure and explosion potential, Whelton explained.

Portions of the methyl methacrylate may have already solidified into stable plastic resembling plexiglass, decreasing internal tank dangers, he noted.

Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen announced that the South Coast Air Quality Management District will conduct air monitoring for several months while the EPA examines sewer and storm drainage systems.

County health authorities indicated the chemical produces a distinctive odor that people can detect across wide areas without experiencing harm.

Officials have not specified what constitutes a catastrophic explosion but confirmed Monday that worst-case scenarios are no longer possible.

Kim Yen, a retired resident forced to evacuate her Garden Grove residence, said she has monitored news coverage closely and feels relieved learning the worst dangers have passed.

“I am happy and many of us are happy but, still, we are still on our evacuation,” she said.

Yen, whose home sits two blocks from the facility, expressed readiness to return while wanting safety confirmation first. She also voiced concern for emergency personnel.

“They are really our heroes,” Yen said.

A large Fountain Valley park, located southwest of Garden Grove, had a crowded parking lot Monday as displaced individuals sought temporary shelter or erected tents outside. Other visitors used the park for Memorial Day activities.

GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, the plant’s owner, operates as a British corporation manufacturing cockpit windows, canopies, and windshields for military and commercial aviation.

Technical experts from GKN Aerospace and the Orange County Fire Authority stripped external insulation from the tank to assist cooling efforts, according to a Monday company statement.

“We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing and our priority remains its safe resolution, so that residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

GKN Aerospace reports on its website employing approximately 16,000 workers across 32 production facilities in 12 countries, supplying technologies and components to major commercial and military aircraft manufacturers globally.

The facility’s reopening timeline remains undetermined.

GKN Aerospace agreed in 2025 to pay state regulators more than $900,000 to settle violations involving recordkeeping, permitting issues and nitrogen oxide emissions, according to a report on the South Coast Air Quality Management District website.

Interruptions at specialized aircraft component manufacturing sites create absorption difficulties for the global aerospace industry due to highly concentrated and already stressed supply chains, explained Richard Aboulafia, managing director of aerospace consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory.

Aboulafia noted aerospace manufacturing differs from other industries because aircraft production volumes remain relatively limited, resulting in few suppliers for specialized components and systems.

“There’s just not a lot of margin in the system,” he said.

Not too long ago, public schools nationwide were in a race to provide every student with a laptop computer. Los Angeles middle school educator Anna Soffer recalls those days clearly: “The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child’s hands.”

Today, that discussion has completely reversed course. Following massive investments in laptops, tablets and educational applications, numerous schools are confronting a technological reality check. Screen usage has overwhelmed classrooms, and increasing numbers of parents, educators and school systems are demanding a reduction.

“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” explains Soffer, who instructs 6th grade English and history. While she prefers traditional pen-and-paper work, she must utilize laptops and digital applications for specific classroom activities. “Every day, I’m battling, ‘Who would you rather listen to, Ms. Soffer or Minecraft?’”

The district where Soffer works, Los Angeles Unified, recently made history as the first major school system to announce it will discontinue providing devices to its youngest learners. This decision is part of comprehensive screen-time regulations being implemented this fall throughout the nation’s second-largest educational system.

An extensive resolution approved last month by the Los Angeles school board mandates the district to remove devices through second grade; establish daily and weekly screen limitations for all upper grades; restrict YouTube access on school equipment; and prohibit device usage during lunch and recess at elementary and middle school levels. The district will also examine its educational technology agreements, which the teachers union reports total $1.6 billion.

The Los Angeles restrictions are strengthening reform movements emerging nationwide. In numerous instances, parents who previously advocated for school cellphone prohibitions, which have now become standard practice, have shifted their focus to a different concern: school-provided devices.

This movement for change is evolving into a public policy matter. According to Ballotpedia, at least 14 states have introduced legislation to restrict screen time in educational settings. Federal authorities issued an advisory last week cautioning that excessive screen usage among young people is developing into a significant public health issue.

In Los Angeles, worried parents established a coalition called Schools Beyond Screens last year and applied pressure on the district through school board appearances, social media campaigns and private discussions with administrators. Many express frustration about attempting to control screen time at home while schools mandate screen usage.

Katie Pace, a mother of three children, works diligently to minimize screen exposure. Her household contains one shared iPad and one television, prohibits screen time on weekdays, and bans screens from bedrooms. Her 8th grade daughter, Clementine, does not own a phone.

However, once Clementine boards the wifi-equipped school bus, her day becomes digitally focused.

During the 30-minute journey to school, Clementine views YouTube videos on her school Chromebook.

In Spanish class, coursework utilizes the Duolingo application, though many students rely on Google Translate for answers, Clementine reported. Frequently, children play games on their phones, which should be secured. In algebra, Clementine uses her finger on a touch screen to work through equations. In history, quizzes, tests and writing tasks are computer-based.

Nearly all homework assignments are digital. Previously, Clementine would return home and read books, her mother noted, but this no longer occurs. Reviewing her daughter’s device activity, Pace discovers she spends hours daily streaming music, creating Spotify playlists, and viewing makeup tutorials and cat videos on YouTube.

“It makes me furious,” stated Pace, a Schools Beyond Screens member. “My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

The initiative to provide every child with a device and bridge the “digital divide” began more than ten years ago but gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education transitioned online immediately in March 2020. Schools hurried to supply students with necessary devices for remote learning. When the 2021-2022 academic year began, 96% of U.S. public schools reported providing digital devices to students requiring them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many schools redirected funding from textbooks, workbooks and printed materials to digital options. Educational technology, or edtech, grew into a multibillion dollar sector.

“During the pandemic, getting kids devices was a lifeline. Now, it’s time that we reset,” said Nick Melvoin, the school board member who authored the new resolution.

Melvoin believes few Los Angeles classrooms utilize screens effectively to enhance learning. Too frequently, he noted, teachers substitute instruction with online applications and employ screens “as a crutch.”

The difficulty, educators explain, is that technology has become so integrated with learning, particularly for older students, that disconnecting from screens at school is complex.

In the wealthy Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, parents initiated a petition drive for the option to remove their children from digital device requirements during school, questioning edtech’s advantages. The district has stated that opting out is impossible.

“If there’s really no evidence that it helps, and in fact there’s evidence that it’s harmful, what are we doing? Test scores are at their lowest point,” said Alex Bird Becker, one of the founders of PA Unplugged.

Other schools are discovering financial benefits to discontinuing home device distribution for every child.

The third-largest district in California, Fresno Unified, spends $4 million annually on laptop repairs and replacements. Partially to reduce expenses, the district has instructed its 40,000 elementary students to return their take-home laptops and will limit computer access to classroom use only this fall, spokesperson AJ Kato reported.

Near Los Angeles, the district stopped sending devices home for younger students this year partly due to expensive repairs, but also because they were used for “inappropriate Google searches” and video games, according to a parent memo. The district now keeps the devices in school storage carts.

A group of parents in Arlington, Virginia, met on a recent Saturday evening to discuss their children’s battles with screen addictions and other consequences of school-issued devices.

“None of us are Luddites. I know that technology adds value, but I also don’t want my son on YouTube all the time,” said LuAnn Oliver, who hosted the gathering in her living room. Her 6th-grade son has difficulty tracking online assignments and resisting the iPad’s temptation for video games. “We get reports on websites he’s visited. He’s visiting a game site in nearly every class.”

The district has ceased distributing iPads before first grade and is implementing new elementary school restrictions, but students in 6th through 12th grades will continue to receive mandatory school-issued devices.

Another mother, Jenny Sullivan, reported noticing her 4th grade son capitalizing random letters without correction because paper-based work is minimal. She also has social concerns: Her 6th grader avoids the afterschool program because everyone uses their iPad. “I’d rather be home,” he tells his mother.

Following a three-hour meeting, the parents developed a strategy to approach the school in the fall with a collective request to “opt-out of technology and opt-in to textbooks and paper.”

“Ten years from now,” said one mother, Kristina Jackson, “I can’t imagine us looking back with any other reaction than: How could we have been so naive that we just handed these devices to our kids.”

A grassroots initiative is taking shape across Connecticut as volunteers dedicate their time to revitalizing forgotten burial sites that have been left to deteriorate over time.

These dedicated individuals, who call themselves ‘cemetery citizens,’ are focusing their efforts on providing care and attention to abandoned graveyards that have suffered from years of neglect.

The volunteer-driven effort aims to restore these overlooked burial grounds, many of which serve marginalized communities whose final resting places have been forgotten by time and circumstance.

Through their restoration work, these volunteers are breathing new life into spaces that hold significant historical and cultural value for their communities.

Public debate has erupted in Dallas after city officials decided to paint over a whale-themed conservation mural to create space for FIFA World Cup promotional artwork. The environmental mural was replaced in preparation for the international soccer tournament scheduled to begin next month.

The decision to cover the conservation-focused artwork with World Cup promotional material has sparked disagreement among residents and observers about the city’s priorities in public art choices.

When Darrell Barber entered sixth grade as the newest student at his school, he quickly found himself facing harassment from bullies. However, his difficult situation took a positive turn when Marcus, a student in eighth grade, decided to intervene and became Barber’s defender.

The protective actions of the older student proved to be a pivotal moment that would have a lasting impact on Barber’s life trajectory.

With the nation’s 250th birthday on the horizon, enthusiasm for historical war reenactments is experiencing significant growth – and this rising popularity extends well beyond spectators to those eager to take part as costumed performers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s most talented young spellers are gathering this week for the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee, carrying forward a tradition that has lasted more than a century. The competition spans three days, starting Tuesday and wrapping up Thursday evening.

The inaugural competition took place in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal extended invitations to other newspapers to organize local spelling contests and send their winners to the nation’s capital. Following many years at a convention facility in suburban Maryland, this year’s event returns to Washington at Constitution Hall, located just a few blocks from the White House.

A notable update for this year includes the addition of ESPN NFL analyst and recent “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion Mina Kimes as the competition’s television host.

While this marks the 98th spelling bee, the champion will actually be the 111th winner due to interruptions during World War II from 1943 to 1945 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Multiple ties over the years, including an eight-way tie in 2019, have also contributed to the higher winner count.

Indian heritage contestants have dominated recent competitions, claiming 30 of the last 36 championships, including last year’s victor, Faizan Zaki.

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company, will broadcast and stream the competition across its various channels and platforms.

Tuesday’s preliminary rounds will be available on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT.

Wednesday’s quarterfinals stream on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by semifinals from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the same platforms. ION will air tape-delayed semifinals from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday’s finals will air on ION from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Both semifinals and finals will also be available on additional Scripps-owned channels and services: ION Plus, Bounce, Grit, Laff, The Spot, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, Scripps News and Scripps Sports Network.

Participants earn their spots by succeeding in regional competitions organized by sponsors nationwide. Eligibility requires spellers to be no older than 15 and not have progressed beyond eighth grade.

Competitors must navigate two preliminary rounds featuring words from a pre-distributed list. These include one spelling challenge and one multiple-choice vocabulary test.

Successful preliminary round participants take a written spelling and vocabulary examination, with approximately the top 100 scorers moving to quarterfinals. All test words and subsequent round words come from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary.

During quarterfinals and semifinals, contestants face elimination through oral spelling and vocabulary challenges at the microphone.

Roughly a dozen spellers reach the finals. When two contestants remain, Scripps may employ a lightning-round tiebreaker called a “spell-off” to crown the winner.

This year’s competition features 247 spellers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five additional countries: The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.

Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, returns as the highest-finishing competitor from 2025, having placed third last year as an 11-year-old fifth-grader. Even with a loss this year, he maintains two more years of eligibility.

Additional notable competitors include:

— Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California, who placed third in 2024. He has excelled in recent competitions, capturing victories at the South Asian Spelling Bee, the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee and the Words of Wisdom Spelling Bee.

— Oliver Halkett, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Los Angeles who tied for seventh place last year.

— Esha Marupudi, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Chandler, Arizona, who also tied for seventh place last year.

The champion receives a custom trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. Prize distribution includes:

— First place: $52,500 in cash, reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines.

— Second place: $25,000.

— Third place: $15,000.

— Fourth place: $10,000.

— Fifth place: $5,000.

— Sixth place: $2,500.

— All other finalists: $2,000.

Emergency responders battling a dangerous chemical tank situation in southern California announced Monday that they have successfully eliminated the threat of explosion after working through the night.

The crisis began Thursday when a container holding highly combustible methyl methacrylate started experiencing dangerous temperature increases at the GKN Aerospace plant located in Garden Grove, a community housing approximately 172,000 residents about 20 miles south of Los Angeles.

The situation escalated by Saturday, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue an emergency declaration while authorities ordered evacuations affecting tens of thousands of local residents. Officials warned the container could potentially burst and release as much as 7,000 gallons of poisonous chemicals, or detonate and threaten additional storage tanks nearby.

Emergency crews found reason for optimism when a fracture developed in the container during the weekend, which helped reduce internal pressure and allowed temperatures to drop somewhat.

“That is incredibly positive news,” Craig Covey, a division chief at the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a video statement.

Memorial Day represents a dual purpose in American culture – serving as a solemn tribute to military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice while also marking the unofficial beginning of summer with extended weekends filled with travel and retail sales on everything from bedding to yard equipment.

Here’s an examination of this national holiday and its transformation over time:

Memorial Day Date

The observance occurs on the final Monday in May each year. In 2025, the holiday falls on May 25.

Purpose of Memorial Day

The day serves as a time for contemplation and honoring military personnel who lost their lives during their service to the United States, as documented by the Congressional Research Service.

Part of the observance includes the National Moment of Remembrance, which calls upon all Americans to stop their activities at 3 p.m. for a brief period of silence.

Historical Background

The holiday’s roots extend back to the American Civil War, a conflict that claimed the lives of over 600,000 military personnel from both Union and Confederate forces from 1861 through 1865.

The initial nationwide commemoration of what was originally known as Decoration Day took place on May 30, 1868, following a call from a Union veterans’ organization to place blooming flowers on military graves.

This tradition was already being practiced widely. Waterloo, New York, established a formal ceremony on May 5, 1866, and was subsequently recognized as the holiday’s official birthplace.

However, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, claims its initial observance dates to October 1864, according to Library of Congress records. Additionally, women in certain Confederate states had begun decorating graves prior to the war’s conclusion.

David Blight, a Yale history professor, highlights May 1, 1865, when approximately 10,000 individuals, many of whom were Black, organized a parade, listened to speeches and honored Union soldiers’ graves in Charleston, South Carolina.

A group of 267 Union soldiers had perished at a Confederate prison facility and were initially placed in a mass burial site. Following the war’s end, Black church members relocated them to separate graves.

“What happened in Charleston does have the right to claim to be first, if that matters,” Blight told The Associated Press in 2011.

Authorities have provided updated details about a Saturday shooting incident that took place in the area surrounding the White House, including revealing the name of the individual believed to be responsible for the gunfire.

Memorial Day stands as an official American holiday dedicated to honoring military personnel who died in service, yet it has transformed into the unofficial beginning of summer featuring extended weekends filled with travel and sales on everything from bedding to gardening equipment.

Here’s how this significant holiday developed and changed over time:

The observance occurs on May’s final Monday. For this year, that date is May 25.

The day serves as a time for contemplation and honoring those who lost their lives during military service, as noted by the Congressional Research Service.

Part of the holiday includes the National Moment of Remembrance, which asks all Americans to stop at 3 p.m. for silent reflection.

The holiday’s roots extend back to the American Civil War, a conflict that claimed over 600,000 military lives from both Union and Confederate forces from 1861 through 1865.

The initial nationwide celebration of what was originally known as Decoration Day took place on May 30, 1868, following a Union veterans’ organization’s request to adorn military graves with blooming flowers.

This tradition had already become common practice. Waterloo, New York, started formal ceremonies on May 5, 1866, and later received recognition as the holiday’s official birthplace.

However, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, claims its first ceremony occurred in October 1864, based on Library of Congress records. Additionally, women in certain Confederate states had decorated graves prior to the war’s conclusion.

David Blight, a Yale history professor, highlights May 1, 1865, when approximately 10,000 people, predominantly Black Americans, organized a parade, listened to speeches and honored Union graves in Charleston, South Carolina.

A total of 267 Union soldiers had perished at a Confederate prison facility and received burial in a collective grave. Following the war’s end, Black church members provided them with separate burial sites.

“What happened in Charleston does have the right to claim to be first, if that matters,” Blight told The Associated Press in 2011.

By 1869, The New York Times warned that the holiday risked becoming “sacrilegious” and losing its “sacred” nature if it emphasized spectacle, feasts and speeches over remembrance.

During an 1871 Decoration Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, abolitionist Frederick Douglass expressed worry that Americans were losing sight of the Civil War’s central issue: slavery.

“We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers,” Douglass said.

His worries proved justified, according to Ben Railton, a professor of English and American studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts.

Despite approximately 180,000 Black men fighting for the Union Army, the holiday became essentially “white Memorial Day” in numerous communities, particularly following the emergence of the Jim Crow South, Railton told the AP in 2023.

During the 1880s, then-President Grover Cleveland reportedly spent the holiday fishing, and “people were appalled,” Matthew Dennis, an emeritus history professor at the University of Oregon, told the AP.

However, when the Indianapolis 500 conducted its first race on May 30, 1911, an AP story omitted any reference to the holiday or related disputes.

Dennis explained that Memorial Day’s significance weakened somewhat following the establishment of Armistice Day, commemorating World War I’s conclusion on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day achieved national holiday status by 1938 and received the new name Veterans Day in 1954.

In 1971, Congress shifted Memorial Day from its fixed May 30 date to the final Monday of May. Dennis noted that establishing the three-day weekend acknowledged Memorial Day’s evolution into a broader commemoration of the deceased and a leisure occasion.

One year afterward, Time Magazine observed that the holiday had transformed into “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.”

Even during the 1800s, cemetery ceremonies were accompanied by recreational activities including picnics and running competitions, Dennis noted.

The holiday also developed alongside baseball and automobiles, the five-day work schedule and summer holidays, according to the 2002 publication “A History of Memorial Day: Unity, Discord and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

During the mid-1900s, a limited number of businesses started opening in defiance of the holiday.

After the holiday switched to Monday, “the traditional barriers against doing business began to crumble,” authors Richard Harmond and Thomas Curran wrote.

Today, Memorial Day shopping events and travel have become firmly embedded in the country’s collective habits.

The Beatles legend’s contemplation of “Days We Left Behind” through his latest studio release and John Travolta’s tribute to 1960s aviation glamour highlight this week’s fresh entertainment options arriving on streaming platforms.

Entertainment reporters from The Associated Press have curated additional noteworthy releases: the second season of Netflix’s “Four Seasons” featuring Tina Fey debuts, Atlanta hip-hop artist Latto launches “Big Mama,” and Nicolas Cage appears in a fresh live-action production drawing from Spider-Man.

— In “Dead Man’s Wire,” available Thursday on Netflix, Bill Skarsgård portrays a troubled ordinary man who takes Dacre Montgomery’s mortgage industry worker captive. Film Writer Jake Coyle noted in his Associated Press review that “it plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

— Following its Cannes Film Festival debut, John Travolta’s “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” arrives Friday, May 29 on Apple TV. Travolta serves as writer, director and narrator for this 60-minute tribute to 1960s air travel elegance, following a flight-obsessed child’s cross-country journey with his mother. The production, adapted from Travolta’s own novel, has garnered largely mixed critical reception.

— HBO Max presents “Miss You, Love You” on May 29, written and directed by Jim Rash, starring Allison Janney as a newly widowed woman forced to coordinate her husband’s memorial service alongside a stranger: her distant son’s assistant, portrayed by Andrew Rannells. HBO Max also debuts Charli xcx’s “The Moment” the same day, a self-referential mockumentary exploring Brat summer’s conclusion and extraordinary fame’s challenges.

— YouTube will host the streaming premiere of Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” on May 31. This indie horror game adaptation, independently funded and theatrically released, generated over $50 million in worldwide box office revenue.

— The former Beatle examines “Days We Left Behind” through his 18th studio effort, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” releasing Friday. This particularly nostalgic and contemplative piece from the collection contemplates a well-lived life’s early years — featuring gentle piano accompaniment and subtle vocal harmonies. The album’s appeal extends further with the debut collaboration between Macca and Ringo Starr, essential listening for Beatles enthusiasts. “The world around us wasn’t safe, the place was falling down/But it was my hometown/And it was home to us,” they perform together. The emotional impact could move listeners to tears, were it not such an infectious tune.

— The Atlanta hip-hop artist returns with “Big Mama.” The familiar title connects to her 2024 Grammy-nominated track from “Sugar Honey Iced Tea.” She’s labeled this upcoming release her “retirement album,” and if accurate, she’s concluding powerfully: “Somebody” delivers relaxed pop-trap vibes; “GOMF” (meaning “Get Out My Face”) reimagines the popular ’00s Soulja Boy track “Yahhh!” with Latto’s distinctive confidence. This collection serves romantic souls, ambitious women, and everyone between.

— Nicolas Cage headlines a fresh live-action production drawing from the Marvel character, presented with noir styling. Located in Depression-era New York’s harsh landscape, Cage portrays Ben Reilly, a private investigator bearing the burden of serving as the city’s sole masked vigilante battling widespread corruption. Audiences may select between monochrome and color presentations. “Spider-Noir” releases eight episodes Wednesday on Prime Video.

— Hulu’s chaotic crime-comedy “Deli Boys” continues with its second season Thursday. Pakistani American siblings, portrayed by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, receive a deli chain inheritance following their father’s death, initially believing they’ve secured financial stability until discovering the establishments served as drug smuggling operations. Poorna Jagannathan portrays their aunt who has assumed control of the enterprise.

— Netflix launches “Four Seasons” Season 2 Thursday. The series follows a friend group managing relationships and life’s challenges. Tina Fey serves as co-creator and star alongside Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. The show adapts Alan Alda’s 1981 film sharing the same title.

— “Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 begins with dual episodes Thursday on Paramount+. The new installments feature imprisoned serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) assisting the BAU in tracking similar criminals while serving his life sentence. Season 19’s primary antagonist is a copycat killer who admires Voit. Original series veterans return, including Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Connor Storrie from “Heated Rivalry” will make a guest appearance.

— While filmmakers continue deliberating the next James Bond casting choice, global gamers can assume the role in “007 First Light.” Developer IO Interactive presents this as a beginning story, featuring Bond in his twenties as a fresh MI6 recruit pursuing a rogue operative. Anticipate numerous international settings, sophisticated weapons and equipment, stylish attire and naturally, an alluring romantic partner. Players can “go silent or go loud,” choosing stealthy mission approaches or aggressive combat tactics. IO’s expertise with the international “Hitman” franchise qualifies them for this project. Obtain your license to kill Wednesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

— “Mina the Hollower” features a mouse skilled at tunneling, useful for escaping or ambushing the dangerous creatures inhabiting her eerie environment. She wields a whip for combat and can discover additional weapons and items enhancing her capabilities. The action unfolds in a vibrant, pixel-art 2D environment reminiscent of 1980s classics like “The Legend of Zelda.” Developer Yacht Club Games, creators of retro indie hit “Shovel Knight,” promises a “bone-chilling yet heartwarming tale inspired by Victorian Gothic horror.” Begin exploring Friday, May 29, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC or Mac.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hidden within a massive warehouse in New York City, skilled craftspeople have spent years creating some of the most cherished children’s characters in entertainment history, working largely out of public view.

The famous puppet workshop established by the Muppets’ legendary creator is now pulling back the veil of secrecy for the first time.

For the first time ever, the renowned studio has begun welcoming visitors to its Queens facility through guided tours, giving enthusiasts the chance to witness puppet construction firsthand, observe puppeteering techniques, and capture memories alongside famous characters.

The workshop’s creative supervisor, Jason Weber, explained that these $150 tours represent a chance to honor the skilled workers who breathe life into these celebrated characters.

“There is a level of expertise here that we’re sharing. It’s not just going to a pop-up store or something like that,” he said during a recent visit. “Things are made one-of-a-kind, made by hand with artisans who have been trained for years and decades.”

Beyond creating Kermit, Miss Piggy and the Muppet family, the studio’s founder was also responsible for Big Bird, Cookie Monster and other beloved “Sesame Street” personalities, plus the “Fraggle Rock” cast. The visionary creator passed away in 1990.

The workshop began operations in Manhattan during the 1960s and has relocated several times throughout the city. The current Queens location has housed the operation since 2009. A second facility operates in Los Angeles, though it remains closed to public visits.

Saturday tours last 80 minutes and begin in a specially designed exhibition space featuring authentic show props and creations. This area serves as the only location where photography and videography are permitted, since much of the working studio contains ongoing projects or confidential materials.

Disney currently holds ownership of “The Muppets,” while Sesame maintains rights to Big Bird and other characters originally developed for the enduring television program, which produces episodes at a nearby studio.

The exhibition room showcases an Oscar the Grouch installation featuring the “Sesame Street” character positioned in his signature trash can amid piles of artificial refuse.

Additional highlights include an intimidating black throne from “The Dark Crystal,” the creator’s 1982 fantasy film, and a full-scale operational Junior Gorg puppet from “Fraggle Rock,” which demands several operators to control.

The production floor bustles with extraordinary creatures in different phases of completion. Drawers and containers fill nearly every available space, overflowing with vibrant furs, textured materials and pre-made puppet components, wardrobe pieces and accessories.

“Everything we do is custom. Everything we do is bespoke,” said Melissa Creighton, the shop’s director.

During a recent tour, team members were actively preparing costumes and components for various ongoing productions, including a “Fraggle Rock” musical scheduled to debut this month at a Times Square area theater.

Previous studio work includes the horror film “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” the children’s adventure “Where the Wild Things Are” and the 1990s television comedy “Dinosaurs.”

Senior puppet builder Sierra Schoening described her position at the studio as her ultimate career aspiration. She grew up loving “The Labyrinth,” the creator’s 1986 musical fantasy featuring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

“I just really always wanted to know how those illusions were made,” Schoening said as she took a break from fashioning a set of new creations. “I know all the secret sauce, and I’m making the secret sauce now.”

Emergency crews in Southern California are racing against time to prevent a catastrophic blast from a compromised chemical storage tank that developed a crack over the weekend, forcing roughly 50,000 people to flee their homes.

The crisis began Thursday when the container started overheating and releasing vapors at a facility in Garden Grove, a community of approximately 170,000 people located about 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Local and state emergency personnel are working frantically to avoid a disaster scenario, though no injuries have been documented so far.

Emergency responders have continuously doused the tank with water to lower the temperature of the chemicals inside. Internal temperatures climbed to 100 degrees Sunday, marking a 10-degree Fahrenheit jump from Saturday’s readings, Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg reported.

Emergency crews discovered the tank had developed a crack over the weekend, which may reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic blast, and no hazardous chemicals appeared to have escaped, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Wayhowe Huang reported.

“There’s still the danger of a possible explosion,” he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state emergency declaration Saturday and requested President Donald Trump authorize federal emergency assistance to support local and state response efforts.

The container at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, a manufacturer of components for civilian and military aircraft, contains 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a substance used in plastic component production.

Air quality testing around the evacuation perimeter showed pollution levels remained within acceptable ranges, and specialized monitoring equipment is being deployed to detect any gas releases, state and federal environmental agencies reported Saturday.

The primary objective for emergency crews is cooling the chemical contents to prevent either a leak or explosion.

Unmanned aircraft are tracking temperatures every 10 minutes to detect any dangerous increases. Protective barriers have been installed to stop the chemical from entering storm water systems or reaching waterways and the nearby coastline if a spill occurs, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey announced on social media.

When internal temperatures increase, methyl methacrylate transforms from liquid to gas form and builds pressure, Purdue University engineering professor Andrew Whelton explained, noting that the crack might allow product or pressure to escape, decreasing explosion risk.

“Think of a soda can. If you leave it in a hot car it can explode,” Whelton said. “But if you put a hole in the can, the product is released and the can itself doesn’t explode.”

Emergency personnel are hesitant to deliberately puncture the tank due to concerns that a spark could ignite the dangerous and combustible gas. The most catastrophic outcome would be an explosion spreading the chemical across a wide area while launching debris, he explained.

Overhead photographs captured by The Associated Press revealed deserted streets throughout the area Sunday, with multiple emergency shelters operating. At a high school in adjacent La Palma, evacuees rested in vehicles or on blankets and sleeping bags on the pavement.

Garden Grove borders Anaheim, which houses Disneyland’s two theme parks that remain outside the evacuation zone. Park representatives confirmed they are closely watching developments.

Contact with methyl methacrylate can result in severe breathing difficulties, nervous system issues, and irritation to skin, eyes, and throat, according to chemical safety documentation.

Whelton emphasized that if an explosion happens, authorities must perform comprehensive air quality testing specifically for methyl methacrylate rather than general volatile organic compound screening, as officials conducted following a 2023 train accident in East Palestine, Ohio, which released over 115,000 gallons of vinyl chloride after authorities deliberately opened five tank cars and burned the chemical.

Orange County health authorities noted the chemical has a distinctive odor that people may detect across a wide area without experiencing harm.

Several Garden Grove residents initiated a class-action federal lawsuit Saturday against GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, the company operating the facility housing the tank. Legal representatives for the residents contended that property values in the surrounding neighborhood will inevitably suffer regardless of the outcome.

GKN Aerospace declined to address the lawsuit but has issued apologies to residents and businesses required to evacuate. The company stated Sunday it was “working around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.”

GKN Aerospace agreed in 2025 to pay state regulators more than $900,000 to settle violations involving recordkeeping, permitting issues and nitrogen oxide emissions, according to a report on the South Coast Air Quality Management District website.

WASHINGTON — A 21-year-old individual identified as Nasire Best opened fire in the direction of a White House security checkpoint on Saturday night, prompting Secret Service personnel to discharge their weapons in response, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department reported. During the exchange of gunfire, an innocent bystander sustained injuries.

The incident represents a photo collection assembled by Associated Press photo editors.