CNN – National

By Shawn Nottingham and Macie Goldfarb, CNN Small business owners in Nashville are stepping up after a high school student was turned away from their senior prom for wearing a suit. B. Hayes, 18 — who uses they/he pronouns, according to their Instagram account — said they weren’t “allowed in the doors” because they were

By Sara Smart, CNN Five students at a west Philadelphia school were taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after drinking an unknown substance, the school district said. Philadelphia School District spokesperson Marissa Orbanek told CNN that at least 11 students, aged 14 to 16, drank the substance at Crossroads Accelerated Academy around 11:30 a.m. She

By Sara Smart, CNN Taylor Swift fans have rallied in support of a fellow fan who was killed early Saturday after leaving Swift’s Houston concert. Jacob Lewis, 20, was hit and killed by a drunken driver after The Eras Tour show at NRG Stadium in Houston on Friday night. A GoFundMe was created for Lewis

By Michelle Watson, CNN Three teens were arrested in the death of a 20-year-old Colorado woman who was killed when a large rock thrown at her car went through the windshield, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday. Alexa Bartell was killed April 19 after a series of cars were hit

By AJ Willingham, CNN In March, Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, made a stunning announcement. For pennies on the dollar, the congregation had bought up $3.3 million of medical debt belonging to 3,355 local families. With bells ringing and confetti flying, the church held a “debt burning” ceremony marking the full forgiveness of

By Greg Wallace and Pete Muntean, CNN The Federal Aviation Administration is establishing an independent safety review team following several near-collisions of commercial aircraft at US airports in recent months. The FAA National Airspace System Safety Review Team will be tasked with examining the air traffic system and delivering recommendations on how to enhance safety,

By Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Harry Belafonte, who died Tuesday at the age of 96, was an activist long before he became an artist, he once said. His political consciousness was shaped early on by the experience of growing up poor, the son of a Jamaican mother who worked as a domestic servant. During the civil

Throughout an acclaimed career spanning more than six decades, entertainer Harry Belafonte leveraged his passion and talents to champion the arts, spotlight humanitarian issues and advance justice. Born in 1927 Harlem, he moved to his mother’s native island, Jamaica. There, he embraced Caribbean culture and witnessed the impact of British colonization on the island. In

By Amy Simonson and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN An accused MS-13 gang member has been arrested in Holiday, Florida, and charged in what the sheriff described as a “demonic” murder of an Uber Eats delivery driver whose remains were found dismembered at the suspect’s home last week, according to investigators. Oscar Solis, 30, a resident of

By Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Darren Williams, a teacher at McLain High School of Science and Technology in Tulsa, Oklahoma, pointed a wooden ruler at one of four questions in red on the dry-erase board in his classroom. “Question number three, somebody read it,” he said. “What is the Schomburg Center for Research in Black

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN Gummies sold for sleep may have significantly more melatonin or CBD than what is actually listed on the product’s label, a new study finds. Researchers are calling on the FDA to investigate the alarming number of improperly labeled supplements on store shelves, as some companies skirt laws to boost sales. Here’s

By Nouran Salahieh, Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN The United States suffered more casualties from “active shooter” incidents in 2022 than it did in the four years prior, according to an FBI report released Wednesday. The report tallied 50 active shooter incidents in 2022 that left 313 casualties, including 100 people killed, not including

By Sara Smart, Amy Simonson and Holly Yan, CNN One of four Mississippi jail escapees who police believe fired at a law enforcement officer from a home Wednesday has been found dead after a fire in that residence, the Hinds County sheriff said. Dylan Arrington, one of four people who authorities said escaped the Raymond

By Brynn Gingras, Linh Tran and Dakin Andone, CNN Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday denied clemency in the case of Richard Glossip, a death row inmate who has long insisted he is innocent of the 1997 murder for which he’s scheduled to be executed this month. The board voted 2-2, resulting in a

By David Close, CNN Minneapolis police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a possible suspect linked to separate fires at area mosques on Sunday and Monday. The police department posted pictures of the person along with the plea for assistance on Facebook. Surveillance video and pictures of the possible suspect were released after

By Ross Levitt and Pete Muntean, CNN Three Transportation Security Administration officers were injured in an “unprovoked and brazen” attack by a traveler at a Phoenix airport Tuesday morning, the agency said. The TSA officers were working at a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport just before 6 a.m. local time when they

By Cheri Mossburg and Jean Casarez, CNN One of the surviving roommates in a stabbing attack that left four University of Idaho students dead is being asked by suspect Bryan Kohberger’s attorneys to testify in his upcoming preliminary hearing — a demand she is resisting, according to new court documents. Kohberger’s attorneys are asking a

By Sara Smart and Amy Simonson, CNN The 2-year-old boy found last month in an alligator’s mouth in a St. Petersburg, Florida, lake died of drowning, police say. Taylen Mosley was reported missing on March 30 after his mother, Pashun Jeffery, 20, was found dead in her apartment with multiple stab wounds. The boy was

By Michelle Watson and Brad Parks, CNN Disgraced R&B singer and convicted sex trafficker R. Kelly has been transferred to a federal prison in North Carolina. R. Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was moved to FCI Butner Medium I, a “medium security federal correctional institution,” according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons

By Kelly McCleary and Tina Burnside, CNN The College Board is making changes to the framework of its Advanced Placement African American Studies course for high school students amid criticism from Florida’s influential Republican governor and others who have accused the program of imposing a “political agenda.” The board, a non-profit that oversees AP coursework

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN Covid-sniffing dogs can help detect infections in K-12 schools, a new study suggests. By simply smelling ankles and feet, canines are already being used to screen for Covid infections in sports venues, airports and other public settings. Now, some researchers say the sniffing technique should be incorporated in schools as a

By Nick Valencia, Alta Spells and Chris Youd, CNN State investigators found 89 shell casings and believe seven guns were used at a dance studio shooting that left four people dead during a Sweet 16 party in Dadeville, Alabama, earlier this month, according to a report from CNN affiliate WBMA. The new details came Tuesday

By Claudia Dominguez and Nouran Salahieh, CNN Two Instacart shoppers making a grocery delivery to a home in South Florida had their car shot at after they ended up at the wrong address last week — an incident that police say didn’t lead to criminal charges. The homeowner who opened fire, a 43-year-old Southwest Ranches

By Rob Frehse and Nouran Salahieh, CNN A man accused of driving an SUV into a Hingham, Massachusetts, Apple store last year — killing one person and injuring 22 others — now faces more than two dozen additional charges, including second-degree murder, as prosecutors say there were no signs the brakes were applied before the

By Michelle Watson, Claudia Dominguez, Taylor Romine and Kyung Lah, CNN Advocacy groups sued the Missouri Attorney General Monday after he announced an “emergency rule” limiting transgender care for minors and adults — a rule that is expected to go into effect this week, his office announced this month. Gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based

By Nicquel Terry Ellis A Black Texas couple has been reunited with their newborn daughter after authorities removed the baby and placed her in foster care last month citing a doctor’s concerns about how they were treating a jaundice diagnosis. Rodney and Temecia Jackson of DeSoto, Texas, regained custody of their daughter, Mila, on April

By Michelle Watson, CNN A suspect is in custody and one person is dead after a shooting at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, the city’s police chief said Monday. Chief Sid Porter told reporters the suspect and victim “are acquainted through a domestic situation.” Authorities say the suspect’s wife and the 20-year-old male

By Mark Morales and Caroll Alvarado, CNN Myles Cosgrove, one of the Louisville Metro Police officers involved in the 2020 shooting of Breonna Taylor, has been recently hired by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Cosgrove’s attorney told CNN. The move prompted the family of Breonna Taylor to release a statement expressing “disgust” and “disappointment” the

By Adrienne Broaddus, CNN Former Minnesota officer Kimberly Potter has been released from prison after serving 16 months of a two-year sentence in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, whom she shot after mistaking her gun for a Taser during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Potter was

By Rebekah Riess and Raja Razek, CNN A woman delivering for DoorDash in Florida was attacked and kidnapped before being rescued by her family members, police say, and a male suspect has been arrested. The driver was trying to make a delivery to the Residence Inn in Tampa at night on April 18 when she

By Raja Razek, CNN A former Disney World theme park employee was arrested and charged in Florida after allegedly recording a video up the skirt of a park guest late last month — and may have been similarly attacking other visitors for years, according to an arrest affidavit. Authorities responded to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on

By Zenebou Sylla and Nouran Salahieh, CNN A group of New York Democrats announced support for federal legislation aimed at regulating lithium-ion battery safety standards after a spate of fires caused by the batteries malfunctioning or overheating. Lithium-ion batteries, found in many popular consumer products like e-scooters and smartphones, have been under scrutiny amid increasing

By Samantha Beech, CNN Residents and business owners in parts of Monmouth County, New Jersey, have been warned of potentially hazardous materials at a nearby former industrial site after firefighters found leaking containers and materials on fire at the location. The US Environmental Protection Agency has started overseeing the sampling and removal of around 200

By Rebekah Riess and Michelle Watson, CNN An animatronic dragon caught fire at California’s Disneyland park on Saturday evening, according to Disney officials. “During the final showing of ‘Fantasmic’ at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire,” Disney officials told CNN in an email. “Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire

By Mitchell McCluskey, CNN An American Airlines plane was forced to return to the airport Sunday morning in Columbus, Ohio, after a possible bird strike may have sparked an engine fire. The Boeing 737 designated Flight 1958 had departed Columbus for Phoenix before the crew reported a possible bird strike at around 8 a.m. local

By Christina Maxouris, Michelle Watson and Zoe Sottile, CNN Eleven teenagers were injured in a shooting at an after-prom party in Texas over the weekend — and a second shooting less than 20 minutes away may be connected, authorities said. Deputies from the Jasper County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at a home

By Rebekah Riess, CNN Vermont State Police announced Friday five adults are receiving citations related to their involvement in a brawl that broke out at a middle school basketball game, leading to the death of a 60-year-old man. After reviewing multiple videos of the incident, which happened in Alburgh, Vermont in late January, Vermont State

By Celina Tebor and Zoe Sottile, CNN An alligator rescued from a lake in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park in February has died, Bronx Zoo officials said Friday. Workers from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation discovered and rescued the four-foot alligator “in poor condition” from 37-degree Fahrenheit temperatures in the Brooklyn park. The

By Rebekah Riess, CNN Six cows found dead and mutilated along a state highway in east-central Texas with their tongues “completely removed” have prompted an investigation by a county sheriff’s office, authorities said. Ranchers in Madison County first reported a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow lying on her side, dead and mutilated, according to a release from

By Zoe Sottile, CNN Florida’s Brevard Zoo has welcomed a clutch of grasshopper sparrows, which the zoo said will help boost the species’ critically endangered population. The two sparrow chicks hatched on April 10 after incubating in their eggs for just 10 days, according to an email from the Brevard Zoo. The babies were born

By Paradise Afshar, CNN A Florida woman and her family have filed a lawsuit against Celebrity Cruises, claiming the cruise line improperly stored her husband’s body in the ship’s cooler, as opposed to the morgue, after he died on board. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida

By Raja Razek, CNN USA Gymnastics star and world champion Simone Biles and NFL player Jonathan Owens are married. Both shared images on social media Saturday announcing their marriage, and Biles now includes “Owens” in her full name on Instagram and Twitter. “I do,” Biles wrote on social media Saturday. “Officially Owens.” “My person, forever,”

By Christina Maxouris and Raja Razek, CNN The Texas Senate passed a bill Thursday requiring each public school classroom to display a copy of the Ten Commandments, a move that drew backlash from civil liberty advocates who say lawmakers should not dictate what religious materials students are exposed to. The legislation, which passed the state

By Zoe Sottile, CNN A poodle named Toodles in Pennsylvania was revived with Narcan after suffering an apparent drug overdose, according to a local shelter. The dog was rushed to Blue Pearl Emergency Hospital on Monday, according to a Facebook post from the Pennsylvania SPCA. The pup was discovered in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington

By Ray Sanchez, Miguel Marquez and Sarah Boxer, CNN The two professionals and colleagues, still in work attire, were part of the afternoon rush at the South Shore Shooting Range. Muffled rapid-fire gunshots could be heard in the parking lot outside Thursday on a quiet street shrouded by giant oaks and dotted with houses with

By Rebekah Riess and Zoe Sottile, CNN It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a … meteor flashing through the Indiana night sky. Residents of Hamilton County, Indiana, had the out-of-this-world opportunity to witness a meteor Friday night. Residents reported what they thought might have been an explosion due to the loud sound and flashing

By Jamiel Lynch, CNN The head of early childhood education in Alabama has been ousted after Gov. Kay Ivey learned of “woke concepts” in a resource book for pre-K teachers, officials said. Barbara Cooper, secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE), resigned after Ivey asked her to stop the use of the

By Laura Studley and Zoe Sottile, CNN Around 250,000 gallons of sewage was spilled into the Los Angeles River on Thursday, causing the closure of seven miles of public beaches, according to local authorities. The massive spill was caused by a malfunction in equipment used by sanitation maintenance crews on Thursday morning, according to a

By Paradise Afshar and Zoe Sottile, CNN There’s an adorable new monk seal pup on Hawaii’s Kaimana Beach — and authorities are taking every step to make sure mother and baby are both unbothered by humans. Authorities have erected a “temporary fence” around the beach to protect the mother and pup, according to a Facebook

By Rebekah Riess and Sara Smart, CNN The home of a Utah state senator was vandalized in possible retaliation for a bill to ban gender-affirming surgery for minors, police say. Lone Peak officers were called around 7:30 a.m. Friday about vandalism at the home of state Sen. Mike Kennedy, a Republican. “The suspects appear to

By Jamiel Lynch, CNN Three people have been arrested after allegedly making online threats against the Volusia County Sheriff over comments he made against a neo-Nazi hate group. Earlier this year, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood addressed a spike in antisemitic fliers and messages on literature and banners, including at the Daytona International Speedway during

By Rebekah Riess and Jennifer Feldman, CNN The federal government has agreed to pay $5 million to the family of a man who died after he left the scene of a minor traffic accident and was shot in his vehicle by officers in Virginia in 2017, according to court documents. According to an amended complaint

By Zoe Sottile, CNN A teenage boy provided a cautionary tale for anyone who has ever wanted to sneak their way into some free prizes. The unnamed 13-year-old climbed into a claw machine, called the “Cosmic XL Bonus Game,” at Carowinds amusement park at around 2 p.m. on April 16 and became stuck, according to

By Zoe Sottile, CNN A Maryland man has found his lucky numbers — and used them to win the lottery not just once but three times. The anonymous winner won his third $50,000 lottery prize in 11 months on April 13, according to a news release from the Maryland Lottery. Previously, the 52-year-old won two

By Rebekah Riess, CNN Eight people, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured in two back-to-back shootings in Washington, DC on Friday night — incidents that police are investigating as being connected. Around 10:00 p.m. ET, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to sounds of gunshots in the district’s southwestern quadrant, officials said. When they arrived, police

By Paradise Afshar, Travis Caldwell and Holly Yan, CNN Depending on who you ask, the late-night shooting that killed Robert Dotson was either a “justified” use of force by New Mexico police or a “murderous” act by officers who responded to the wrong house. Attorneys for both sides have given dueling narratives of what happened

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN The estate of Stephen Paddock, the gambler who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, has been sold off by court order and the proceeds will be evenly divided among the loved ones of the victims he killed in Las Vegas in 2017, an attorney for the victims

By Christina Maxouris and Liam Reilly, CNN Ohio’s govenor said Friday evening that he wants Norfolk Southern to pay East Palestine residents for the long-term impacts the February 3 toxic train derailment may have caused on the community. The rail operator should pay residents selling their house the difference of what their home value used

By Andy Rose and Treasure Welle, CNN An Illinois correctional officer accused of beating a man in custody has been charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct, authorities said. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office this week released surveillance video of the September 2022 incident, which shows a man speaking to the officer and another guard

By Rebekah Riess, Jamiel Lynch and Melissa Alonso, CNN Residents of a South Florida condo building have been ordered to evacuate by Tuesday after the building was deemed unsafe during its 60-year building recertification. During an inspection on April 14, a building engineer found the Majestic Isle condominium building in North Bay Village had sagging floors and

By Mitchell McCluskey, CNN An Indiana woman has been indicted on a federal hate crime count in a racially motivated attack on an Indiana University student of Chinese descent, the US Justice Department said Thursday. Federal prosecutors said the indictment from the federal grand jury in Evansville, Indiana, alleges Billie Davis, 56, attacked the victim

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN A judge denied bond Friday to a man accused in the 2017 White supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, citing allegations the man continued to participate in antisemitic incidents after the infamous event at the University of Virginia. Albemarle County Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell said he “can’t believe” the defendant, Tyler

By Kristina Sgueglia and Omar Jimenez, CNN A candidate for superintendent of a Massachusetts school district says he had his contract rescinded after he used the word “ladies” in an email — and another candidate pulled out of consideration after controversial Facebook posts about women’s sports surfaced. Vito Perrone tells CNN that he sent an

By Rebekah Riess, Michelle Watson and Joe Sutton, CNN An American Airlines employee died Thursday at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, was operating a ground service vehicle that struck a jet bridge, authorities said. Police and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services called to the airport found the employee with “obvious signs of trauma” to