CNN – National

By Michelle Watson and Kelly Murray, CNN (CNN) — In less than two weeks, all five of the Philadelphia Zoo’s meerkats died. Now, the zoo needs to find out why. “We had five meerkats that passed between June 1st and Monday,” Amy Shearer, chief experience officer for the zoo, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

By Rebekah Riess, CNN (CNN) — A Black North Carolina teacher has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a Charlotte charter school, alleging he was fired after some White parents opposed his teaching of a novel about a Black teen struggling with “racial injustice” during Black History Month. Charlotte Secondary School hired Markayle Gray

By Nicole Chavez (CNN) — The Black Lives Matter movement has lost support among Americans in the past three years, according to a new study released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. Pew found that 51% of Americans say they strongly or somewhat support the Black Lives Matter movement. That’s down from nearly 70% of

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at courts-martial. Court-martial refers to both the name of the court where charges are brought against members of the armed forces and the proceedings themselves. Facts In the United States, the laws of court-martial are set forth in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The UCMJ

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of former CIA Director and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Personal Birth date: June 28, 1938 Birth place: Monterey, California Birth name: Leon Edward Panetta Father: Carmelo Panetta, restaurant owner and farmer Mother: Carmelina (Prochilo) Panetta, restaurant owner Marriage: Sylvia Marie (Varni) Panetta (1962-present) Children:

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at Juneteenth, the oldest known US celebration of the end of slavery. On June 19, 1865, over two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. Knowledge of the celebration spread as families

By Rachel Ramirez and Cheri Mossburg, CNN (CNN) — Once a stark example of the drastic effects of California’s yearslong megadrought, Lake Oroville has rebounded and is once again filled to capacity, data from the state’s Department of Water Resources shows. California’s drought-stricken reservoirs have seen a remarkable recovery in recent months after a barrage

By Dakin Andone and Shawn Nottingham, CNN (CNN) — The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention voted to affirm a decision made earlier this year to remove Saddleback Church, a major southern California congregation founded by the pastor and author Rick Warren, due to its having women pastors. Representatives at the conference in New

By Sabrina Souza and Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) — The final witness to testify in the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting trial said Wednesday she played dead and stayed by her dying mother’s side during the attack. Andrea Wedner and her 97-year-old mother, Rose Mallinger, who was killed in the attack, were inside the synagogue that

By Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — Unusually hot and dry northeastern and upper Midwest states are forecast to be wildfire hotspots this summer, while historically fire-prone Western states, including California, have a lower-than-normal predicted wildfire risk. A summer wildfire outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center paints an atypical picture, with the highest potential for

By Leah Asmelash, CNN (CNN) — Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez was just seven months into a job as chief diversity officer at the New College of Florida when the news came: The board of trustees announced it was dissolving the diversity, equity and inclusion office. The news, which came in February, disappointed Rosario-Hernandez, who spent those seven

By Lauren Mascarenhas, Nouran Salahieh, Celina Tebor and Danny Freeman, CNN (CNN) — Demolition work on the section of Interstate 95 that collapsed in Philadelphia on Sunday will be completed by Thursday, when teams will begin working around the clock to rebuild the overpass, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday. The interstate crumbled after a

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN (CNN) — Amazon is turning to artificial intelligence to make it simpler to sift through thousands of user reviews. The company is incorporating a new tool to help customers quickly determine the pros and cons of various products — which could also cut down the time shoppers spend contemplating before making

By Nicki Brown, CNN (CNN) — US students give their schools an overall B- grade on average, according to a new report released Wednesday that asked fifth through twelfth graders to assess their school’s quality in multiple categories, including teaching, effectiveness in preparing them for the future and mental health support. Two-thirds of students graded

By Raja Razek, CNN (CNN) — Houston police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old K-9 who suffered heat exhaustion Monday after being left in an air-conditioned patrol car when the engine unexpectedly shut off, police said. Houston Police Department K-9 vehicles are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, activates cooling fans and

By Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN (CNN) — A young woman walking along a road in Upstate New York was struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver – a coworker whom she had been drinking with earlier in the night and refused to ride with, authorities say. Madison Faltisco, 22, was bar hopping with the coworker

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s some background information about the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, which killed six people and injured more than 1,000. Six suspects were convicted of directly participating in the bombing. The seventh suspect, Abdul Rahman Yasin, is still at large. Facts The explosion created a hole 200 feet by 100

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama. Facts Throughout March of 1965, a group of demonstrators faced violence as they attempted to march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand the right to vote for black people. One of the pivotal days was March

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the Tony Awards which honor achievements on Broadway. June 11, 2023 – The 76th Tony Awards take place. Facts The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Only productions staged in designated Broadway theatres are eligible for nominations. The musical that

By Laura Ly and Kelly Murray, CNN (CNN) — Two children were left with “burn like” injuries when they came into contact with a pool chemical that had been poured onto playground slides at a park in Massachusetts, fire officials said Monday. The suspects remain at large and “may have suffered acid burns” themselves, according

By Nick Valencia, CNN (CNN) — The Mississippi police officer who wrongfully shot an 11-year-old after the boy called 911 for help has been suspended without pay effective immediately, according to a member of the Indianola Board of Aldermen. Alderman Marvin Elder tells CNN that on Monday night a motion was made at the Indianola

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN (CNN) — A California-based startup is on a mission to manufacture pharmaceutical drugs in space, arguing medicine may be better produced in microgravity. If the firm is successful, analysts say some of this work may lead to changes in the drugs that people on Earth take today. Here’s what else you

By Tina Burnside, Andi Babineau and Lucy Kafanov, CNN (CNN) — At least nine people were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Denver, police said, as crowds gathered to celebrate the Nuggets’ first NBA championship. Shots were fired from “multiple firearms” during an altercation involving several people, police said, hours after the Nuggets defeated

By Nouran Salahieh, Celina Tebor, Lauren Mascarenhas and Danny Freeman, CNN (CNN) — The body recovered from the wreckage of the Interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia was identified by officials Tuesday as the driver of the truck that crashed underneath the freeway and ignited a fire. The truck driver, Nathan Moody, died of blunt trauma

By Jamiel Lynch and Emma Tucker, CNN (CNN) — A Florida woman charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor, a Black mother who confronted her during a dispute over children playing outside, told police in a 911 call she felt threatened just moments before authorities say she killed the mother of four.

By Isabel Yip and Nicole Chavez, CNN (CNN) — Illinois became the first state in the nation to prohibit book bans Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced, as states across the country continue to challenge and axe literature from public schools and libraries. Pritzker signed a bill into law on Monday to prohibit libraries from banning

By Veronica Miracle and Jeffrey Kopp, CNN (CNN) — The suspect in the stabbing death of CashApp founder Bob Lee was also accused of stabbing two teenagers in 2005, according to documents uncovered by the San Francisco Chronicle. Nima Momeni, 38, is accused of fatally stabbing Lee in April in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood.

By Mitchell McCluskey and Kara Devlin, CNN (CNN) — The owner of a building that partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, last month has pleaded guilty to a civil infraction for not maintaining safe conditions, court documents filed Monday show. Andrew Wold, who owns the six-story building that collapsed on May 28, killing three people, was

By Eric Levenson, Laura Ly and Rob Frehse, CNN (CNN) — A tour boat capsized in an underground cave along the Erie Canal in upstate New York on Monday, leaving one person dead and sending nearly a dozen others to the hospital, officials said. A total of 28 visitors from a tour group and one

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN (CNN) — Tourists are heading to Europe this summer in droves — and it appears surging prices won’t dampen their wanderlust. Airfare to Europe is at a five-year high and hotel prices have skyrocketed, too. But travel experts anticipate many European hubs will remain packed in the coming months, especially in

By Tina Burnside and Holly Yan, CNN (CNN) — An 18-year-old woman was killed and six others wounded in a shooting at a birthday party in California on Sunday, Antioch police said. The shooting happened after uninvited guests showed up to a 19-year-old’s birthday party at a home in the northern California city shortly before

By Camila Bernal, Cheri Mossburg and Mitchell McCluskey, CNN (CNN) — A judge denied the pretrial release of Kouri Richins – a Utah widow accused of killing her husband before she authored a children’s book about grief – saying she must remain in custody pending the outcome of her trial due to the “substantial evidence”

By Tina Burnside, CNN (CNN) — An 18-year-old woman was killed and six others were wounded in a shooting at a birthday party in Antioch, California, early Sunday morning, police said. The shooting happened after uninvited guests showed up to a 19-year-old’s birthday party at a home in the northern California city shortly before 1

By Nouran Salahieh, Celina Tebor, Holly Yan and Danny Freeman, CNN (CNN) — A body has been recovered from among the wreckage of Sunday’s Interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State Police told CNN on Monday afternoon. The body was turned over to the Philadelphia County Medical Examiner. “Authorities are in the process of identifying

By Tina Burnside and Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — A spray of bullets aimed at a funeral procession in a Chicago suburb left four men injured, one critically, according to police. The shooting happened Saturday afternoon in the village of Oak Park as the line of vehicles traveled from Chicago to a cemetery in

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — An associate university professor in Florida has completed his research mission and set a new world record in the process: living 100 days beneath the ocean’s surface. On Friday morning, Dr. Joseph Dituri felt the sun’s rays for the first time since retreating to a subaquatic compound 22

By Mitchell McCluskey, CNN (CNN) — At least 13 people were shot, stabbed or hit by cars when chaos broke out among hundreds of people gathered in Syracuse, New York, early Sunday morning, according to police. Four people were shot and injured, five suffered lacerations and four were hit by cars, Syracuse Police Lt. Matthew

By Celina Tebor and Zoe Sottile, CNN (CNN) — A section of northbound I-95 in Philadelphia that collapsed after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the highway Sunday morning could take months to repair, snarling regional commutes and cutting off a major East Coast artery, Pennsylvania officials said. The commercial tanker truck, which was carrying

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — Half of surveyed adults in the US disapprove of students’ race and ethnicities factoring into the college admissions process, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. The poll of over 5,000 people found that 33% of respondents approved of colleges and universities boosting diversity by considering racial

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN (CNN) — If you’ve spent the past three years relishing the one-minute commute to your home office (or kitchen table) to begin your workday, an email ordering you back to the office may trigger something of an existential crisis. When faced with such an edict that seemingly boils

By Michelle Watson, CNN (CNN) — A shooting at a Houston nightclub left six people injured, including one who is listed in critical condition, police said early Sunday. Police responded to the shooting overnight at a club on Richmond Avenue in west Houston, Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference, and found multiple

By Faith Karimi, CNN (CNN) — Step aside, influencers. We’ve all seen those youthful, photogenic people who promote fashions, foods or services to their large followings on TikTok and Instagram. But now a new breed of “deinfluencers” has arrived, and they’re saying that materialism and overpriced trends are no longer in style. As consumers watch

By Meron Moges-Gerbi, CNN (CNN) — Oxford University Press has announced a large-scale study that will culminate in the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, the brainchild of historian Henry Louis Gates that will focus on the contributions that African Americans have made to the English language. The dictionary will be released in 2025 and

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — A South Carolina police officer is being praised for her attention to detail during a traffic stop that led to a shooting suspect’s arrest, according to authorities in North Myrtle Beach. The police department recognized Officer Kayla Wallace’s quick response in a “Way-to-Go Wednesday” Facebook post this week.

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — Rolex or Faux-lex? US Customs and Border Protection officers in Los Angeles recently seized dozens of fake luxury watches that – if they were legitimate – would have been valued at more than $1.2 million, authorities said. The 41 watches were shipped in individual packages via air cargo

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — A library in western Washington state recently received a book so long overdue, World War II was happening when it was last checked out. Brad Bitar returned a copy of “The Bounty Trilogy” by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall to the Aberdeen Timberland Library on Monday –

By Ashley R. Williams and Caroll Alvarado, CNN (CNN) — Randy Cox, the man who was paralyzed while authorities were transporting him handcuffed and without a seat belt in a police van, reached a $45 million settlement with the City of New Haven, his attorneys announced Saturday. The settlement marked the end of a civil

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — This week, Texas beachgoers along the Gulf Coast may have observed a startling sight along the coastlines: possibly thousands of dead fish washed up on the sand. One couple walking along Quintana Beach near Freeport, observed fish that were scattered for miles down the coast, according to CNN

By Nic Anderson and Liam Reilly, CNN (CNN) — A New York firefighter drowned while attempting to save his teenage daughter who had been swept away in rough surf on the Jersey Shore on Friday, authorities said. First responders were able to rescue the girl and her father was transported to a local hospital where

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — A woman fell to her death and a teenager was seriously injured at a popular southern California hiking trail during the woman’s attempt to help the girl, who had slipped, authorities said. Sarah Louise Crocker, 48, was hiking with four teenagers Thursday morning at Three Sisters Falls in

By Jay Croft, CNN (CNN) — A rare envelope from the 1860s, the only one ever sent to Vermont via the fabled Pony Express, is going up for auction this month. Bids will start at $2,500, but it’s anyone’s guess how high the price might go. Or who sent the letter, which is long gone.

By Ashley R. Williams, CNN (CNN) — A man is accused of breaking into a Florida theme park, jumping into an alligator enclosure and filming a video for social media – a dangerous stunt that authorities say led to his arrest. Police in Tampa Bay say Jacob Pursifull, 20, hopped a fence to enter Busch

By Ray Sanchez, Evan Perez, and Jamiel Lynch, CNN (CNN) — Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-trained math professor who unleashed a deadly bombing campaign from a shack in rural Montana and became known as the “Unabomber,” has died, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was 81. Kaczynski was found unresponsive in his cell

By Liam Reilly, CNN (CNN) — An extremely rare, bright orange American lobster caught earlier this month in Maine’s Casco Bay by a lobstering crew has found a home at the University of New England’s marine science center. The chances of catching an orange lobster are one-in-30 million, according to Charles Tilburg, a UNE professor

By Alaa Elassar and Celina Tebor, CNN (CNN) — Sorely missed blue skies are returning and cities across the northeastern US are experiencing better air quality indexes after the monstrous cloud of smoke spewed by the wildfires in Canada dissipates. Major metropolitan cities across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut had air quality indexes

By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN (CNN) — A pilot and three passengers were killed Sunday after the unresponsive private jet they were on board crashed in a heavily wooded area near Waynesboro, Virginia, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Crash investigators are looking at hypoxia – a shortage of oxygen in the blood – as a possible

By John Blake, CNN (CNN) —  Jeanne Assam had a gut feeling that something terrible was about to happen as she watched parishioners leave a Sunday worship service at a Colorado megachurch one snow-covered December day. That morning, a gunman had escaped after killing two people at a missionary training center about 70 miles away.

By Majlie de Puy Kamp, Curt Devine, Audrey Ash, Casey Tolan, Allison Gordon and Pamela Brown, CNN (CNN) — As horse racing’s elite saddle up for the final race of the coveted Triple Crown at New York’s Belmont Stakes, the sport’s top trainers will face off for their share of the $1.5 million purse at

By Rachel Ramirez, CNN (CNN) — Raging wildfires in Canada have already scorched about 15 times the normal burned area for this time of the year: nearly 11 million acres — more than double the size of New Jersey — with more than 2 million acres concentrated in Quebec alone. Canada’s fire season is only

By Tina Burnside, CNN (CNN) — A Tennessee woman was indicted on federal charges after allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill the wife of a man she met on a dating site. Melody Sasser, 47, of Knoxville, was taken into custody last month for allegedly trying to arrange the murder. She was indicted

By Andy Rose, Michelle Watson and Tina Burnside, CNN (CNN) — At least nine people were shot Friday in what police believe was a “targeted and isolated incident” in San Francisco’s Mission District neighborhood. Of the nine initially hospitalized, at least six people are still being treated at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the hospital

By Alexandra Coenjaerts, CNN (CNN) — The largest hospitality union in Southern California has approved a strike for more than 15,000 workers that could begin in early July if an agreement isn’t reached on increased pay and other benefits. Unite Here Local 11 – the union representing room attendants, cooks, dishwashers and front desk agents

By Camila Bernal, Michelle Watson, Emma Tucker and Cheri Mossburg, CNN (CNN) — A Colorado Springs widow is demanding answers from police after she says they failed to respond quickly to a 911 call to help her husband, who was allegedly being held hostage and was later found dead. Qualin Campbell, 31, was found dead

By Nicole Chavez and Zoe Sottile, CNN (CNN) — A high school in Vermont is working with police to investigate after a swastika was painted with feces in a gender-neutral bathroom, according to the school’s principal. The symbol was reported at Montpelier High School on June 2, the second day of Pride Month, according to

By Raja Razek, CNN (CNN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced plans to deploy a floating marine barrier along the Rio Grande to deter illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border.   The announcement came during a bill signing in Austin, Texas.   Abbott, a longtime critic of the Biden administration’s border policies, said he intends

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Andrea Yates, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the drowning of her five children. Personal Birth date: July 2, 1964 Birth place: Houston, Texas Birth name: Andrea Pia Kennedy Father: Andrew Kennedy Mother: Jutta Karin (Koehler) Kennedy Marriage: Russell

By Jennifer Henderson and Jamiel Lynch, CNN (CNN) — A Florida woman who fatally shot a Black neighbor during a dispute over kids playing outside admitted hurling racial slurs at the children and told detectives the victim threatened to kill her, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit was released before bond for Susan Louise

By Caroll Alvarado, CNN (CNN) — Robert Beaser, the former chair of The Juilliard School’s composition department, was fired after an independent investigation found Beaser had “engaged in conduct which interfered with individuals’ academic work and was inconsistent with Juilliard’s commitment to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for its students” and had an

By Meron Moges-Gerbi, CNN (CNN) — Juneteenth is now a state holiday in Nevada after Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 140 into law on Thursday. The holiday allows many state employees to take the day off. The measure passed 40 to 1 in the state Assembly and 19 to 2 in the state

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco. Personal Birth date: July 2, 1964 Birth place: Havana, Cuba Birth name: Jose Canseco Capas Jr. Father: Jose Canseco Sr. Mother: Barbara Capas Canseco Marriages: Jessica Sekely (1996-2000, divorced); Esther (Haddad) Canseco (1988-1992, divorced) Children:

By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN (CNN) — It’s been almost 20 years since American teenager Natalee Holloway vanished during a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Now, the prime suspect in her disappearance has admitted to killing her, said the judge who accepted his plea deal in a related US federal case. Here’s how the story

By Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green assisted a man who was injured after falling from the bed of a pickup truck Thursday, marking the second time in three weeks the former emergency room physician responded to a roadside emergency. The most recent incident happened as Green was traveling in Kauai and

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN (CNN) — Wheelchair users are reacting with excitement to Delta’s new airplane seat design that would make flying more accessible for passengers with disabilities. Though still a prototype, it’s hoped that the concept could enter commercial use within 18 months if it passes testing and is adopted by airlines. Here’s what

By Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) — A coalition of media organizations and the family of a murder victim came to an Idaho court on Friday with the same goal in mind: challenging a gag order. Two separate hearings were held Friday in the criminal case against Bryan Kohberger, the criminology graduate student at Washington State

By Jean Casarez, Aaron Cooper and Steve Almasy, CNN (CNN) — A not guilty plea was entered in US federal court on Friday on behalf of Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch national accused in the alleged extortion of the mother of Natalee Holloway, the American teenager whose disappearance during a high school graduation trip

By Jamiel Lynch and Rebekah Riess, CNN (CNN) — Alabama inmate Casey White was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for his escape from the Lauderdale County Detention Center last year, according to CNN affiliate WAAY. White escaped the facility in April 2022 with corrections officer Vicky White. Investigators have said they believe Casey White

By Emma Tucker, CNN (CNN) — An 18-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested Thursday for orchestrating an alleged gift card scheme to raise money for terrorist group ISIS, federal authorities said. Mateo Ventura, a resident of Wakefield, knowingly provided gift cards to a man he believed to be an ISIS supporter so they could be sold

By Michelle Watson and Mallika Kallingal, CNN (CNN) — Rangers at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park are seeking information on two people who are accused of harassing a bison calf last weekend, the National Park Service says. The two people “were seen approaching and touching a bison calf at the southern end of Elk Ranch

By Rachel Ramirez and Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN (CNN) — Avni Pravin did not have asthma growing up. But at the age of 30, Pravin says she now has trouble breathing. While she has not yet been officially diagnosed with asthma, she said her doctor has prescribed her an inhaler. “The reason I felt so