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KXIIChoctaw Nation of Oklahoma declares April ‘Child Abuse Prevention Month’
Wednesday, the Choctaw Nation declared April ‘Child Abuse Prevention Month.’
Texoma'Unnecessary & excessive': Suspension letter of former WFPD Officer David Wilson sheds light on controversial arrest of Victoria Lang
The report inside the suspension letter outlines in detail what happened on the body cam footage of the controversial arrest of an MSU student in August 2025.
TexomaMSU Texas's inaugural event aids students, scholarships and programs
From scholarships to student programs, Midwestern State University is asking the community to invest in its students through a new campuswide giving effort, the school's first-ever Maroon and Gold Giving Day.
KXII“I’m really nervous”: STAAR testing is underway in Texas, bringing stress to some students
The STAAR test is underway, and for some students, the annual exam brings stress.
KXIIRavia Public Schools to close, consolidate with Mill Creek
Low enrollment and state funding cuts forced Ravia Public Schools to shut its doors.
TexomaVernon confirms first rabies case of the year in skunk
The Vernon Police Department and Wilbarger Humane Society confirmed today, April 8, that a skunk has tested positive for rabies within Vernon city limits.
KXIITalk of the Town: The Big Spring Clean Garage Sale
The Boys & Girls Club of Sherman’s Big Spring Clean Garage Sale will be open to shoppers at their gym on April 11 and 12.
Texoma"Buffalo Bill: The Last Outlaw" filmed in Electra's historic downtown
A short film about Buffalo Bill, featuring local actors and shot in the historic downtown of Electra, is set to air in next year's Cowpoke International Film Festival.
NBC 5Judge orders rapper Pooh Shiesty held in custody in Dallas kidnapping case
A federal judge ordered Memphis-based rapper Pooh Shiesty to remain in custody Wednesday in connection with an alleged kidnapping conspiracy involving rapper Gucci Mane. U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver said prosecutors demonstrated sufficient probable cause during a hearing to detain the rapper, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., as the case proceeds. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Texas alleges Williams planned the kidnapping of Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane at a recording studio in Dallas on Jan. 10, 2026. Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, is identified in a federal complaint under the initials “R.D.” An FBI special agent testified Wednesday about details in the complaint, which was unsealed last week when Williams and eight others were arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping and robbery. The hearing marked Williams’ first court appearance since his arrest in Frisco on Thursday, April 2, 2026. Court records show eight other defendants made their initial appearance in a Memphis federal courtroom on Friday, April 3, 2026. Prosecutors said Davis traveled to Dallas for what he believed was a business meeting. Instead, he told Dallas police he was forced at gunpoint to sign a document releasing Williams from a record deal and was then robbed, along with four other victims. Defense attorney Bradford Cohen, who represents Williams in this case and a previous weapons case out of Florida, said the timing of the charges raises questions. “The statements that were given on the evening that this occurred were very questionable,” Cohen said. “I think the way the statements were made, what was made, what allegedly was witnessed, and wasn’t witnessed, I think gave great pause to the FBI.” Toliver cited Williams’ prior weapons conviction and the fact he did not have permission to be in Dallas at the time of the alleged offense as reasons to deny bond. No trial date has been set.
TexomaMidwestern State University Texas Mass Comm students win 29 awards at statewide competition
The annual Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) competition is a statewide organization of journalism and mass communication programs with about 75 universities in membership. MSU Texas took second out of 32 other schools in the on-site sweepstakes competition.
NBC 5Godley Investigation: Prostitution Allegations, Ex-Police Ties, & Jailed Husband
A North Texas prostitution investigation is widening with new allegations involving former law enforcement officers. Investigators say a couple ran a years-long operation, working with members of the Godley Police Department to target local officials. Michael Ketchershide, the husband in that couple, is now behind bars, and his wife, Ashley, is coming to his defense. “He’s a great husband. He’s an amazing father and I hope to bring him back soon for my children,” Ashley Ketcherside said. The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office alleges a prostitution conspiracy linked to a local couple and former members of the Godley Police Department. Michael Ketcherside was arrested on Thursday on a continuous promotion of prostitution charge and remains in jail. Ashley Ketcherside has not been charged in connection to the case. Prosecutors say the couple ran an operation serving numerous clients for the past five years. A search warrant executed at their Godley home last Tuesday turned up what prosecutors say is evidence of an ongoing criminal activity. “They grabbed a few USB drives and a couple of laptops, an iPad and a phone,” Ashley told NBC 5. Authorities allege the couple worked with the then-Police Chief Matthew Cantrell and other officers, targeting public officials and private citizens whom they perceived as adversaries. “I have no idea who they would be talking about or what kind of information would be said,” Ashley explained. The DA’s Office says the officials known so far are members of the Godley City Council, Godley ISD School Board, the former mayor of Godley and a former police chief of Godley. The investigation remains active with the possibility of more arrests. Ashley is standing by her husband and pushing back against the allegations. “I know that he’s strong and he’s going to get through this, we’re both going to get through this. We believe in the criminal justice system and I’m hoping that our names are cleared and we can move forward from here,” she said.
NBC 5Maui doctor accused of trying to kill wife on hike is found guilty of attempted manslaughter
The Hawaii doctor charged with trying to kill his wife during an Oahu birthday hike last year was convicted Wednesday of attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance. The unanimous verdict came after the Honolulu County jury deliberated for more than eight hours. It did not convict Dr. Gerhardt Konig on the higher charge of second-degree attempted murder. Konig closed his eyes and bowed his head when the verdict was read. When he sat down, he covered his face with his hand and his attorney put a consoling arm on his shoulder. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the charge. The verdict caps a roughly three-week trial during which Konig and Arielle Konig offered sharply contrasting accounts of the events of March 24, 2025 — her birthday. In his closing argument, prosecutor Joel Garner said Gerhardt Konig was “obsessed” with his wife’s emotional affair with a co-worker when he tried to shove her from a cliff on the Pali Puka Trail, northeast of Honolulu. When that failed, Garner said, he tried to stab her with a syringe and bashed her head with a rock. The alleged attack ended when two hikers came upon the scene, he said. “The only thing that got him to stop was being caught red-handed,” Garner said. Gerhardt Konig’s attorney, Thomas Otake, described the allegations as “she said, he said” and a “theory in search of facts.” On the stand, Gerhardt Konig denied trying to push Arielle Konig or inject her with a syringe and said he acted in self-defense, striking her with a rock after she tried to push him from the trail. “He had a reflex,” Otake said in his closing argument. “He reacted, and then he felt horrible about it.” The alleged attack occurred three months after Gerhardt Konig discovered his wife had been having the emotional affair. They’d gone to counseling, Arielle Konig testified, and appeared to be mending the damage she said she’d caused to their relationship. Gerhardt Konig testified that he was “devastated” by the affair. He accused his wife of minimizing the breach and refusing to take accountability for it. The husband and wife, who married in 2018, each testified about what happened during the hike. Arielle Konig said the incident occurred after her husband asked her to pose for a cliffside selfie. She became nervous about the photo’s location, she said, and when she tried to move past him, he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her back. A struggle ensued, Arielle Konig said, and her husband — an anesthesiologist — came at her with a syringe and told her to hold still. She batted it away, she said, and after he briefly appeared to calm down, he began bashing her head with a rock. “‘Nobody’s going to hear you out here,’” she recalled him saying. “‘Nobody’s coming to save you.’” Other hikers on the trail called 911 and said they saw a man trying to kill a woman, according to audio of the call presented in court. Police body camera video played during the proceedings showed the women assisting Arielle Konig, whose face was covered in blood. An emergency doctor who tended to Arielle Konig testified that she sustained a skull laceration that reached the bone. Pieces of rock were embedded in the wound, he said. The defendant took the stand for two days, telling the jury that the altercation happened after he and his wife had an argument about the co-worker with whom she had the affair. Arielle Konig tried to push him from the cliff, Gerhardt Konig said. She pulled him to the ground, grabbing his testicles and striking him hard in the face with a rock, he testified. Gerhardt Konig said he wrestled the rock away from his wife and hit her with it twice. A pathologist who testified for the defense described Arielle Konig’s wound as a “soft-tissue injury” that did not cause a bone fracture or bleeding around the brain. “This is not a life-threatening injury,” said the pathologist, Dr. Jonathan Arden. Gerhardt Konig denied trying to inject her with a syringe and said that while he felt horrible about what he did, he’d acted in self-defense. Afterward, he called his son and said he planned to take his own life. During the call, Emile Konig testified, his father told him that his wife was cheating on him and that he’d tried to kill her. Gerhardt Konig disputed part of that claim in his testimony, saying the word “kill” may have been used but that he didn’t mean it as a confession. Gerhardt Konig was arrested nearly eight hours later, Garner said,after authorities launched a manhunt. Gerhardt Konig testified that he decided to turn himself in.
NBC 5Artemis II astronaut's reflection on his faith from space is moving people on Earth
As the Artemis II crew continues their 10-day journey to orbit the moon, pilot Victor Glover shared an inspiring, off-the-cuff message for anyone who’s following the crew’s mission from back home on Earth. The astronaut reflected on the vastness of the universe in an interview with CBS News. Asked if he has a message for Easter on April 5, Glover encouraged people to recognize just how “special” life on Earth really is. “I don’t have anything prepared,” he began. “I think these observances are important, and as we are so far from Earth and looking back at the beauty of creation, I think for me, one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see Earth as one thing,” he said. “When I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us, who were created, you have this amazing place, this spaceship. You guys are talking to us because we’re in a spaceship really far from Earth. But you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe, in the cosmos,” he added. “I think maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we’re doing is special, but we’re the same distance from you. And I’m trying to tell you, just trust me, you are special,” he continued. “In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist (in) together.” The interview took place as the crew prepared to celebrate Easter in space. Glover ended his message on a motivational note. “I think as we go into Easter Sunday thinking about all the cultures all around the world —whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not — this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are and that we are the same thing. And that we got to get through this together,” he said. space Apr 7 Astronauts make long-distance call to space station on return trip from the moon NASA Apr 6 ‘Loved to the moon and back': Artemis II astronauts dedicate crater to commander's late wife NASA Apr 6 Artemis II makes trip around the moon after breaking Apollo 13's distance record NASA shared a video of Glover’s message on Instagram, and many social media users applauded his insightful comments. “I can’t tell you how impactful this statement is #victorglover. How beautiful,” one commented. Another wrote, “THIS is why he was chosen for this mission! So well said!” “The Nobel Prize should go for you all and this message,” another user said. Actor and musician Donnie Wahlberg weighed in, commenting, “Couldn’t love this any more.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: The 6 words an Artemis II astronaut told his wife from space is warming hearts See photos of the far side of the moon captured during Artemis II mission When will Artemis II reach the Moon? How to watch today’s lunar flyby This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 559-year-old American man arrested in woman's disappearance in Bahamas
A man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of an American woman whose husband said she fell from a boat in the Bahamas, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The agency did not identify the man who is in custody or say what charges he may face. Relatives and U.S. officials have identified the woman who fell from the boat as Lynette Hooker, 55. Her husband, Brian Hooker, has said his wife fell in the water Saturday night during rough seas on a dinghy ride from Hope Town to Elbow Cay. The police force said the man was being questioned after being taken into custody shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday in Marsh Harbour, a town in Abaco Islands. Earlier Wednesday, an official with the U.S. Coast Guard said the military branch opened a criminal investigation into her disappearance. The official declined further comment about the weekend disappearance of Lynette Hooker, 55. Brian Hooker has said his wife fell in the water Saturday night during rough seas on a dinghy ride from Hope Town to Elbow Cay. The police force said a 59-year-old American was being questioned after being taken into custody shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday in Marsh Harbour, a town in Abaco Islands. The police force did not identify the man in its news release, nor did it name Lynette Hooker, but provided details about the case the aligned with information about her disappearance. Local authorities said Tuesday that the effort to find her was a “recovery operation.” “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” Brian Hooker said Wednesday on Facebook. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.” Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has questioned that account, saying it seemed unlikely that she would “just fall” overboard. The Michigan couple are experienced on the water and have been sailing for more than a decade, starting with a small two-person sailboat and moving to a larger vessel they bought in Texas, Aylesworth said. The Royal Bahamas police have previously said the pair left Hope Town in an 8-foot, hard-bottom dinghy, about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, headed for Elbow Cay. Brian Hooker told police that Lynette had the keys to the boat when she went overboard, which caused the dinghy’s engine to shut off, according to a police statement. He paddled for hours before making it to Marsh Harbor Boat Yard early Sunday, he told police. According to the police statement, Brian Hooker told someone what had happened, and that person alerted authorities. In his Facebook message Wednesday, Brian Hooker said that he was “heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall.” Caribbean 14 hours ago Daughter of American woman missing in Bahamas says she was unlikely to ‘just fall' overboard Caribbean Apr 5 American woman missing after husband reports she fell overboard during Bahamas trip
NBC 5An Army veteran is charged with sharing classified details of an elite commando unit
An Army veteran has been charged with sharing classified information about an elite commando unit with a journalist, which one official said put “our nation, our warfighters, and our allies at risk.” Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, North Carolina, is accused of violating federal law, as well as multiple nondisclosure agreements by sharing details of her work with a “special military unit” at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security,” Reid Davis, the FBI special agent in charge in North Carolina, said in a U.S. Justice Department news release. Williams “swore an oath to safeguard our nation’s secrets as an employee supporting a Special Military Unit of the Army, but she allegedly betrayed that oath by sharing classified information with a media outlet and putting our nation, our warfighters, and our allies at risk,” Roman Rozhavsky, an assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, said in the statement. Williams, who is specifically charged with violating a provision of the Espionage Act, made an initial appearance Wednesday in Raleigh federal court, where a magistrate judge unsealed the case against her, initially filed late last week, according to online court records. She was ordered held by the U.S. Marshals Service pending hearings set for early next week. War with Iran 9 hours ago Ceasefire threatened as Israel expands Lebanon strikes and Iran closes strait again Artificial Intelligence 7 hours ago Ohio man becomes first person convicted under federal law criminalizing intimate deepfakes Court records didn’t immediately name Williams’ lawyer. A man who answered a phone and identified himself as a family member of Williams declined to comment on the charges Wednesday. Although the reporter and unit are not named in the court filings, dates and details match an article and book about the Army’s secretive Delta Force written by Seth Harp. Williams was the focus of a 2025 Politico article with the headline: “My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit.” It coincided with the release of Harp’s book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” which alleges sexual harassment and discrimination. In a statement published by WRAL-TV, Harp called Williams “a brave whistleblower and truth-teller.” “Former Delta Force operators disclose `national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit,” Harp’s statement read. “This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple.” According to an FBI affidavit attached to the complaint, Williams was cleared as a defense contractor in April 2010 and then became a Department of Defense employee in November 2010. She performed duties within the special military unit as an operational support technician responsible for “Tactics, Techniques and Procedures” used in preparation for and during “sensitive missions,” Special Agent Jocelyn Fox wrote in the affidavit. According to Fox, Williams’ access to classified information was suspended “based on an internal investigation.” Fox said Williams was debriefed in September 2015 and signed a nondisclosure agreement. The government alleges that Williams had been in contact with the unnamed journalist between 2022 and 2025. “During this period, Williams and the Journalist had over 10 hours of telephone calls and exchanged more than 180 messages,” the news release said. Fox cited a text between the two she said occurred on or about the day the book and article were published. “Other than a few factual errors, I would definitely have been concerned with the amount of classified information being disclosed,” Williams’ text read, according to the affidavit. “I thought things I was telling you so you could have a better general understanding of how the (SMU) was set up or operated would not be published and it feels like an entire TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) was sent out in my name giving them a chance to legally persecute me.” Fox also cited an alleged exchange between Williams and her mother. ”`I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book,’” the affidavit read. “When her mother asked why she may be arrested, Williams responded `for disclosing classified information.’” Fox wrote that the investigation so far has identified at least 10 batches of documents gathered that Williams intended to provide to the journalist. __ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
NBC 5Keith Morrison says he and family miss stepson Matthew Perry ‘deeply' after ‘Ketamine Queen' sentenced in actor's death
Keith Morrison, the stepfather of the late Matthew Perry, is speaking out after the woman who illegally sold the “Friends” star the ketamine that killed him was sentenced. On April 8, Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen” to her drug customers, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars and three years’ supervised release for her connection to Perry’s 2023 overdose death, NBC News reported. Sangha had previously pleaded guilty to illegally selling the hallucinogenic anesthetic in September 2025. Shortly after her sentencing, Morrison shared a brief statement outside of the courthouse. The “Dateline” correspondent said, “We miss Matthew dreadfully, of course, and I feel bad for the family of the perpetrator here as well. Nobody won today.” He also said the “very fair” judge chose a “highly reasoned sentence.” When asked if he thought Sangha took to heart the words he shared in court, Morrison replied, “Yes, I do. I looked down and she was visibly emotional about it. I mean, look, you’d have to have a heart of stone to wake up every morning and make a business out of feeding off the addictions of vulnerable people who are desperate for drugs. Then when you’re forced to confront what you have done, if you don’t feel some sense of shame or sorrow, then you’re not even human.” He continued, “And she is clearly human. She is now facing her sentence, and I think she’ll do fine in prison.” Morrison has been married to the late actor’s mom, Suzanne Perry, since 1981. Perry was found face down and unresponsive in the pool at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28, 2023. The 54-year-old actor was pronounced dead at the scene. Morrison, his wife and three of Perry’s sisters — Caitlin, Emily and Madeline Morrison — previously spoke about grieving the loss of their son and brother on the first anniversary of his death in an interview with TODAY. The October 2024 sit-down came after charges were first announced for the five people connected to Perry’s death. “What I’m hoping, and I think the agencies that got involved in this are hoping, that people who have put themselves in the business of supplying people with the drugs that’ll kill them — they are now on notice. It doesn’t matter what your professional credentials are. You’re goin’ down, baby,” Morrison said at the time. Speaking about his stepson’s impact, Morrison added, “What he taught the world is that no amount of money will cure an addict. It needs something else. That’s what we’re trying to do (with the foundation),” referring to the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada that the family founded that same month. Crime and Courts 11 hours ago ‘Ketamine Queen' gets 15 years in prison for selling Matthew Perry the drugs that killed him Celebrity News Dec 3, 2025 Matthew Perry's family shares emotional victim impact statements at doctor's sentencing Celebrity News Aug 11, 2025 Why Jennifer Aniston mourned Matthew Perry long before his death Prior to her sentencing, Sangha pleaded guilty in September 2025 to five federal charges involving Perry’s death. She was arrested in August 2024 and has been in federal custody since then. In the courtroom, Sangha reflected on her “poor choices” and “horrible decisions that ultimately proved tragic,” according to NBC News. She said, “I pray for forgiveness every day. Thank you for giving me the harshest reality check of my life. Thank you for taking me out of the equation.” After the sentencing, her attorney, Mark Geragos, said about the decision, “I’m bitterly disappointed. If you weren’t in the courtroom, the argument is there’s no way that Jasveen is five times more culpable than the person who injected Matthew Perry with the drug or the doctor who got the drug.” “To me, it’s absurd in the literal meaning of the word, and if this is what the criminal justice system, or the theory of crime and punishment is, that the dealer should get five times as much as the person who injects the drug, who is there to take care of somebody, then maybe I’ve been practicing too long,” he added. According to the U.S. attorneys involved in the case, Sangha said in her plea agreement that she had worked with a man named Erik Fleming to supply Perry with 51 vials of ketamine. The drug was then given to Perry by his live-in personal assistant named Kenneth Iwamasa, prosecutors said. Fleming and Iwamasa are two of the five people who were charged in the case. Fleming pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, NBC News reported, and Iwamasa also pleaded guilty the same month to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. They will receive their sentences later this month. Additionally, Dr. Mark Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine in August 2024. Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded not guilty to the same crime. In December 2025, Chavez was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including eight months of home confinement. Plasencia was given two and a half years in prison. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: ‘Ketamine Queen’ sentenced to 15 years in Matthew Perry overdose death Former California doctor sentenced in Matthew Perry’s overdose death Foundation established in Matthew Perry’s honor to help those struggling with addiction
NBC 5Global women's sports revenue to top $3 billion in 2026, according to new report
Global women’s sports revenues are projected to exceed $3 billion in 2026, a significant increase over the $2.4 billion in revenues generated in 2025, according to a report released Wednesday. The report produced by accounting firm Deloitte said women’s sports revenues internationally have increased 340% over the last four years. That has spurred investment in the women’s sports ecosystem, which in turn drives further growth but also raises the expectations of fans, athletes, investors and business partners. “Women’s sports are entering a new phase — one defined by scale, structure, and sustained investment,” Alicia Hatch, Deloitte’s U.S. Sports chief commercial officer and women’s sports leader, said in a statement. “Rising valuations and expanding revenue streams are consistent with a maturing market where leagues, sponsors, and media partners are building for long-term success.” The report, “Game Changers: Unlocking the Potential of Women’s Sports,” looks at three main types of revenue: commercial, broadcast and matchday. Commercial revenue makes up the greatest share at 45%. WNBA Mar 21 What the WNBA and WNBPA's new CBA means for the future of the sport basketball Mar 19 Diana Taurasi surprises Olivia Vukosa with Gatorade Player of the Year award sports Mar 11 How Sabrina Ionescu is helping grow soccer in the U.S. and WNBA goals Soccer and basketball are expected to be the the top revenue-generating women’s sports, with each accounting for 35% of overall revenues. New competitions, like Unrivaled Basketball, and new leagues, including the Canadian Northern Super League in soccer, are driving growth. Most of the revenue globally in 2025 was generated by North America (53%), followed by Europe (16%) and that trend was expected to continue this year. But Deloitte also cited the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which drew a record 82,000 fans to the final in London, as well as last year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup. In North America, eight new women’s leagues have been launched since 2020. “Women’s sports are thriving and defined by real, transformative growth and a rapidly expanding global fan base,” said Lara Abrash, chair of Deloitte US. “With global revenue on track to top $3 billion this year, the conversation has moved beyond proving value to intentionally building a lasting, world-class foundation for the future.”
Denton RCTexas high school students are applying for college financial aid at a record pace
Texas is on track to see a record number of students complete the federal form to request financial aid for college, a critical step in applying to and affording college.
NBC 5March smashes record as most abnormally hot month for continental U.S., meteorologists say
March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Niño will reach super strength. Not only was it the hottest March on record for the U.S., but the amount it was above normal beat any other month in history for the Lower 48 states. March’s average temperature of 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit (10.47 degrees Celsius) was 9.35 F (5.19 C) above the 20th century normal for March. That easily passed the old record of 8.9 F (4.9 C) set in March 2012 as the most abnormally hot month on record — regardless of the month of the year — according to records released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average maximum temperature for March was especially high at 11.4 F (6.3 C) above the 20th century average and was almost a degree warmer than the average daytime high for April, NOAA said. Six of the nation’s top 10 most abnormally hot months have been in the last 10 years. This February, which was 6.57 F (3.65 C) above 20th-century normal, was the tenth highest above normal. “What we experienced in March across the United States was unprecedented,” said Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley. “One reason that’s so concerning is just the sheer volume of records, all-time records that were set and broken during that time period. But also, this is coming on the heels of what was the worst snow year. And the hottest winter on record. So we’re seeing this continuation of extraordinary heat that took place during the winter months, continuing into the spring months as well. That’s where it’s really concerning, it’s just the duration of this heat.” More than 19,800 daily temperature records were broken for heat across the country, according to meteorologist Guy Walton, who analyzes NOAA data.
NBC 5Personal finance CEO says you should ‘spring-clean' your credit. Here's how
Spring is the best time to get rid of clutter from months past. While that typically means clearing out unused winter clothes and unwanted holiday gifts, one personal finance CEO says spring cleaning should extend to your credit, too. Cynthia Chen is the founder and CEO of Kikoff, a credit building app. After years working in public finance, Chen founded Kikoff out of frustration with the existing credit solutions on the market. “Working in consumer’s public finance allowed me to witness firsthand how many people got declined for loans and insurances because of poor credit,” Chen said. “One out of three American adults did not have a credit score above 600 — and life would be very expensive and difficult without a decent credit score.” Chen and her team at Kikoff created an app that provides a full suite of credit building solutions to users who purchase a monthly subscription plan, with plans starting at $5 a month. Kikoff’s services include credit monitoring, debt negotiation, subscription management and more. Chen says Kikoff has helped over 2 million Americans build credit, cumulatively raising credit scores by almost 100 million points. The Kikoff app interface. “We very often come across stories from users where they say, ‘oh, I’m so glad that I got a higher score and got a good credit card or got my auto loan approved,'” Chen said. With tax day approaching, Kikoff is encouraging Americans to dive deeper and “spring-clean” their credit. “This is the time of the year where people do [spring] cleaning, and also where people get their tax refunds, if you have a refund due,” Chen said. “It is a smart idea to use the tax refund to build a brighter future, including financial wellness by doing things like credit building.” While combing through your credit may sound daunting, it doesn’t have to be. How to “spring-clean” your credit Chen advises to start by doing a full scan of your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to see whether information is accurate and consistent, or if there are any accounts you don’t recognize. It’s not uncommon for an account that’s not yours to appear on your credit, usually due to sharing a name with someone. “It had happened to me — I saw a credit card on my credit report that belonged to another person with the same name,” Chen said. “Thank God the person was not delinquent on the credit card. Otherwise, that person could have ruined my credit.” After making sure everything checks out, look into and address any “problem” accounts like collections, Chen says. “Try to find out whether the collection agency will be amenable to a settlement at a much smaller amount than what you were usually owed. They often are, because they buy your bad debts from your lenders at a deep discount. So you may want to use some money to settle some of the collections so that you have a much cleaner report.” Economy Mar 27 What is the annoyance economy? 3 ways Americans are losing time and money — and what to do about it Oil & Gas Mar 6 Gas prices are going up. Here's how you can save money at the pump Scams Mar 11 Scams could now cost Americans $119 billion a year, study finds After tackling any marks on your credit that you can, Chen says to focus on building positive credit. “Invest in something like rent reporting, if you are a renter, and then have that continuous positive payment history help improve your credit over time. That’s how I would do it,” she said. Rent and bill reporting, which allows users to earn credit for the monthly rent and bills they would be paying anyway, is available through Kikoff and many other credit building apps. Building good credit is beneficial for reasons other than raising your chances of loan approval. It’s also a great way to stand out when trying to appeal to a potential landlord, employer, or in Chen’s words, even a partner. “Some people during dating, before they go into a deeper relationship, may ask the person they’re dating about their credit. Because even in a romantic relationship, people care about how financially responsible the other person is. Some of our customers mentioned that to us.”
NBC 5Prosecutors move to subpoena Tiger Woods' prescription drug records after Florida DUI arrest
Prosecutors are seeking Tiger Woods’ prescription drug records from a pharmacy, a week after his vehicle crashed in Florida and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Prosecutors in Florida on Tuesday said they planned to issue a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida. Prosecutors in Martin County, Florida, want the times the prescriptions were filled, the number of pills, the dosage amounts and any instructions that accompanied the pills, such as warnings about driving while taking them, according to documents in an online court docket. Neither Lewis Pharmacy nor Woods’ attorney, Doug Duncan, immediately responded to an emails seeking comment. Golf Apr 3 Tiger Woods told deputy he was ‘talking to the president' after crash, body camera shows Golf Apr 1 Judge approves Tiger Woods' request to seek treatment out of U.S. because of privacy concerns Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida last week, hours after a sheriff’s report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over on its side. Woods said last week that he is stepping away to seek treatment. It’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando, he took a leave of absence to work on being a better person. That lasted four months and he returned at the Masters. He also was in a 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.
NBC 5Ohio man becomes first person convicted under federal law criminalizing intimate deepfakes
An Ohio man is the first person to be convicted under the Trump Administration’s Take It Down Act, a federal law that criminalizes posting nonconsensual explicit imagery, including AI-made deepfakes, the Department of Justice announced in a Tuesday press release. The man, 37-year-old James Strahler II, used AI to create nonconsensual images and videos of both adult and minor victims, the department said in the press release. He was arrested in June of 2025 and, on Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals of child sexual abuse material and publishing digital forgeries — the law’s term for deepfakes. According to the release, Strahler used images of minor boys he knew in his community and morphed their faces onto the bodies of adults or other children to create material of them engaged in sex acts, specifically with their family members. Strahler posted over 700 images of people online to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse. On his phone, Strahler had 2,400 images depicting nudity or AI-generated CSAM, according to the DOJ release, and he had downloaded more than 24 AI platforms and over 100 web-based AI models. Strahler had also sent messages to at least six adult female victims that contained both real and AI-generated nude images of them. Strahler created at least one AI-generated video depicting an adult victim engaging in sex acts with her father, which he then circulated to her co-workers, the release said. “I am proud to have worked with Congress to provide U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II with a strong legal mechanism to protect innocent victims from cybercrimes of this nature,” the First Lady said in an emailed statement to NBC News. President Donald Trump first signed the Take It Down Act in May of 2025. In addition to criminalizing nonconsensual deepfakes, the federal law also requires platforms to take down imagery 48 hours after it is reported. The act was spearheaded and widely advocated for by first lady Melania Trump as part of her “Be Best” initiative. By June of this year, online platforms will have to establish a set process to remove nonconsensual material that victims report from their platforms. Artificial Intelligence Mar 28 Send this to your boomer parents: Avoid AI scams with 1 trick from a deepfake expert YouTube Mar 10 YouTube opens deepfake detection tool to politicians and journalists Artificial Intelligence Jan 9 AI is intensifying a ‘collapse' of trust online, experts say White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Wednesday press briefing that the conviction “is a huge achievement for the First Lady” and that “the President is very proud of his wife’s efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America’s youth.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas first introduced the bill in January of 2025. It passed through the Senate with a unanimous vote and later in the House with a 409-2 vote. Those who violate the law can be subject to fines and up to two years in prison, when there are adult victims, and up to three years for minor victims. The conviction comes after the issue of AI-generated CSAM has been building for years. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a child protection organization that operates the official online sexual exploitation tip line in the U.S., reported in a March 31 release that it had received more than 1.5 million tips related to generative AI and child sexual exploitation in 2025. Aside from the Take It Down Act, Congress and state lawmakers are circulating additional bills and local legislation that attempt to further criminalize AI-generated CSAM. In December of 2025, the Enhancing Necessary Federal Offenses Regarding Child Exploitation (ENFORCE) Act, which proposes prosecuting creators and distributors of AI-generated CSAM to the same degree as those who create non-AI generated CSAM, passed unanimously through the Senate. The bill has not yet made any progress in the House. A tracker created by the watchdog group Public Citizen shows that at least 45 states have passed local laws related to AI deepfakes, some specifically tailored towards minors.
NBC 5TxDOT asks for feedback on I-35 as part of study
The Texas Department of Transportation is asking for Texans’ opinions on Interstate 35. As part of a study to improve the highway that runs the length of the state, the transportation agency has opened a survey. The study will look at the statewide corridor from Laredo to the Texas/Oklahoma state line. “I-35 is one of the most important interstates for the state of Texas and our nation, supporting Texas’ economy and quality of life,” said TxDOT Transportation Planning and Programs Director Humberto Gonzalez Jr. “This statewide survey is a great opportunity for the public to join TxDOT in helping shape its future, continuing to successfully deliver and provide for Texans.” The survey is open through May 6. Learn more on txdot.gov.
NBC 5Tori Spelling speaks out after California car crash with seven children
Tori Spelling is feeling “grateful” after the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star and four of her children were involved in a serious car crash in California earlier this month. “We are so grateful and so lucky, because it could have been so much worse,” Spelling said in a Tuesday Instagram video, adding that the last few days have been “overwhelming.” The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office previously told NBC News the April 2 crash occurred after another driver allegedly ran a red light while speeding and hit Spelling’s car. Spelling, 52, and seven children — four of her own and three of their friends — were taken to the hospital after the April 2 accident in Temecula, California. The sheriff’s office said at the time that all occupants were evaluated at the scene, and no arrests were made. The cause of the collision, however, remains under investigation. Celebrity News Apr 5 Tori Spelling and seven children taken to hospital after car accident Celebrity News Jan 12, 2025 Tori Spelling details ‘scary' evacuation with her 5 kids amid LA fires In the self-style video, Spelling detailed the incident from her point of view, saying that the driver who hit her car was “going crazy, crazy fast.” “I’m just really grateful that in a split second, guardian angels were definitely with us that day, because in a split second, I looked to my right and I saw he was coming full on, full impact into the side of our car,” she said. To avoid impacting the children as much as possible, Spelling said she had to turn hard left as fast as she could, causing them to spin out. TMZ, which first reported the incident, said Spelling and the children were treated for cuts, bruises, contusions, concussions, and other injuries. “I just want to thank all of the first responders on the scene and to Inland Valley ER that took such great care of all of the kids and myself,” Spelling added in the video. Video obtained by TMZ appeared to show Spelling speaking animatedly with first responders. Photos published by TMZ appeared to show Spelling’s car to be significantly less damaged than the other vehicle involved. “I’m grateful to everyone who has reached out and repeatedly checked on us and offered to do whatever we needed to get us through this, and all the blessings everyone has sent,” Spelling added in the video. Spelling shares five children with her ex-husband, Dean McDermott. It is unclear which of her four children were in the car involved in the crash.
NBC 5These simple lifestyle changes could decrease dementia risk by 25%
Are you sitting right now? If you want to protect your brain, you should take a walk and be sure to go to bed early. Regular exercise and about seven hours of sleep a night could protect brain health in the long term, a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One found. Long bouts of sedentary behavior may increase dementia risk. It’s the latest data to show that people don’t need elaborate and expensive longevity hacks to stay mentally sharp as they age. Simple lifestyle changes could reduce a person’s risk of late-onset dementia by as much as 25%, according to the study. About 1 in 9 people in the United States will develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, meaning a person’s overall risk is about 11%. With the suggested changes in lifestyle, the average person’s risk decreases to about 8%. The reduction is “fairly comparable to the effect sizes sometimes seen with medications for chronic diseases,” said Akinkunle Oye-Somefun, a researcher at York University in Toronto, who led the study. Breaking up longer periods of sitting had the greatest effect, the study found. “You don’t need to be perfect, but if you have a lot of sedentary time in your day, getting a bit of exercise, even if that’s just going for a walk, will have a long-term benefit for the brain,” said Phillip Hwang, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study. Researchers used data from 69 studies that included nearly 3 million people over eight decades. The average age of the people in the studies was 67 years old and they all resided in high-income countries, including the United States. The studies — which followed people for at least a year, and sometimes as long as 11 years — measured how sleeping, sitting and activity habits starting at age 35 affected dementia risk later in life. Seventeen of the studies focused on sleep: The sweet spot for brain health was getting between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Sleeping less than seven hours increased dementia risk by 18%. Getting too much sleep — more than eight hours per night — increased dementia risk by 28%. The rest of the studies in the analysis investigated dementia risk and either physical activity or sedentary behavior — such as sitting at work for hours on end. Together, the studies showed that sitting for more than eight hours a day increased dementia risk by almost 30%, while regularly being active, even just going for a walk every day, decreased dementia risk by an average of 25%. Moderate physical activity “offsets dementia risks even when other risk factors are present,” said Oye-Somefun. Also, long periods of sitting can increase a person’s propensity to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, all of which raise dementia risk. However, “many people assume that being physically active cancels out the harm of sitting for long periods. It doesn’t,” Oye-Somefun said. “We shouldn’t do one of these things alone, we should do them all.” Indeed, exercising before work and then sitting for eight hours or more can erase some of the brain benefits of exercise, said Amal Wanigatunga, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. Exercise boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain Breaking up long periods of sitting by standing or walking can improve brain blood flow, Wanigatunga said. “The brain has these very small capillaries, so if there is reduced blood flow, especially to these very small pathways, that can be the bedrock for brain atrophy,” he said. Health & Wellness Apr 2 Try this thought exercise to make your daily walk even healthier, psychiatrist says Diet & Exercise Mar 25 Seven foods to add to your diet for better hormone health, according to a doctor Muscle contractions — which occur when the body is moving — release a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. That molecule boosts cognitive function, generates new neurons and improves connections between neurons, especially in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that converts short-term memory to long-term memory, Wanigatunga said. Similarly, physical activity has been shown to reduce a peptide called beta-amyloid, which causes plaque to build up in the brain and may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Hwang said. Exercise also reduces chronic inflammation in the brain, which hinders its ability to repair itself, Oye-Somefun said. “Whatever the underlying cause for dementia might be, it does seem that physical activity can have a beneficial impact on the brain,” Hwang said. A recent study suggested that staying mentally active while sitting, such as solving a puzzle or knitting, could help keep brains engaged even when someone is sedentary. While activities that engage the brain could make sitting for long periods of time less detrimental than, say, watching TV, mental stimulation provides different protection for the brain than physical activity, making both things important, said Oye-Somefun. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities works neural pathways in the brain, while exercise improves blood flow to the brain and prompts muscles to contract, Hwang said. Both activities “are helping brain health in their own way,” he said. Too much or too little sleep linked to dementia There are some science-backed hypotheses about sleep and dementia. First, sleep allows the brain’s glymphatic system to clean out waste, such as beta-amyloid, that accumulates during waking hours, similar to how the lymphatic system clears waste from the rest of the body, Hwang said. Spending the right amount of time in different stages of the sleep cycle, such as REM, may also help the brain consolidate memories. It’s also possible that the answer is much simpler: A good night’s sleep makes it easier to manage stress, eat well and get enough exercise, he said. “If you get a good night’s sleep, you have the means and the clarity and willpower to think about everything else, your activity, your diet,” said Johns Hopkins’ Wanigatunga. “You have to sleep no matter what, so try to improve that and then work on the rest of those behaviors.” Finally, consistent physical activity is more important than intense exercise. “Once you have it as a habit, you can refine it,” Wanigatunga said.
NBC 5RFK Jr. is launching a podcast to expose ‘lies' that have made Americans sick
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a new podcast that he says will begin “a new era of radical transparency in government,” according to a teaser video first obtained by The Associated Press. The show, titled “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast,” will launch next week and feature Kennedy in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch. In the teaser video, in a slick HHS-branded studio with ominous music playing in the background, Kennedy bills it as a new way to expose corruption and lies that have made Americans sick. “We’re going to name the names of the forces that obstruct the paths to public health,” Kennedy says in the 90-second clip. The new communication effort from HHS comes as the department has faced a bevy of recent setbacks, including widespread criticism of its vaccine policy changes, a federal ruling last month blocking several of those moves, and resistance from key Republican senators that has kept President Donald Trump’s surgeon general pick from taking office. In that way, it could be seen as part of a broader rebranding strategy as the agency redirects away from vaccine efforts and toward a less contentious agenda on healthy food ahead of November’s midterm elections. But the show, which has been in the works since early in the second Trump administration, also reflects Kennedy returning to a format where he has long felt at ease. An anti-vaccine crusader and attorney before he entered office, he previously hosted his own podcast and has appeared on dozens to share his perspectives in longform interviews, as recently as this week. Tyler Burger, HHS digital communications manager and the producer of the new podcast, said while Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has a podcast, officials believe Kennedy’s will be the first to be hosted by a sitting cabinet secretary. “We’re kind of bringing podcasting into the government as an official form and arm of our messaging,” Burger said. He said the set for the show was pieced together largely with items the agency already had, and has the capacity for a total of four people to sit in conversation together. “This is part of our larger strategy to bring the Make America Healthy Again message to as wide an audience as we can,” said Liam Nahill, HHS digital director. Health Mar 16 Federal judge blocks RFK Jr.'s changes to childhood vaccine schedule Health & Science Mar 5 RFK Jr. pushes medical schools to teach more about nutrition Because podcasts are now commonly made not only on audio but video, they are regularly clipped and shared across social media platforms, giving them “massive” reach, according to Melina Much, a postdoctoral fellow for NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics. Much said podcasts also tend to be more intimate, conversational and friendly than a traditional interview, allowing administration officials to promote themselves without facing as much pushback. While Kennedy’s teaser focuses on uncovering lies, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said it will aim to cover affordability and other topics that polls show are salient for American voters ahead of the midterms. “Americans are united on the need to urgently address chronic disease, improve nutrition, strengthen food quality, and lower health costs,” he said. “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast will cover all those issues.”
NBC 5Fort Worth man sentenced to 40 years for drugging woman who later died
A Fort Worth man will spend decades behind bars after being convicted of drugging a woman, which the Tarrant County District Attorney says led to her death. Kaleb Mickens, 34, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault family violence after the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office said he assaulted and drugged Sheila Cuevas. Cuevas died Oct. 8, 2023. The Tarrant County District Attorney said the assault and drugging led to Cuevas’s death, but didn’t elaborate or say why Mickens didn’t face charges connected to the woman’s death. In court, several women delivered impact statements describing abuse, torture and sexual assault they experienced at the hands of Mickens. Members of Cuevas’ family, including her brother, also spoke in court. “There can be no justice that brings Sheila back, but there can be outcomes, and there can be accountability and you deserve this,” her brother said. Prosecutors said Mickens called 911 on Oct. 8, 2023, reporting Cuevas had been attacked by his dog and was no longer breathing. Animal control officials seized the dog, and it was euthanized. The DA said animal control later determined the dog was not responsible for Cuevas’ injuries. Mickens was also sentenced to 20 years following revocation of probation for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and 15 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Dallas County. Each of those offenses, the Tarrant DA said, was against women with whom he had relationships. Local News Wise County Apr 7 Live Blog: Jurors watch frantic search footage, body recovery in Athena Strand trial DallasNews.com 9 hours ago Will Dallas-Fort Worth get its first casino resort from Native American tribes?
NBC 5‘SNL' season closes out with Olivia Rodrigo, Matt Damon, Will Ferrell and more
Matt Damon, Will Ferrell and Paul McCartney will help close out the “Saturday Night Live” season, along with a double dose of Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo will do double duty as host and musical guest on May 2, marking her hosting debut and third time as musical guest, ahead of her new album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.” Damon, promoting Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” will host the following week for the third time on May 9. Noah Kahan will perform as that show’s musical guest, for the second time. Saturday Night Live Mar 22 ‘Saturday Night Live UK' aims to take a comedy hit across the pond. The first verdicts are in Saturday Night Live Mar 18 Ryan Gosling explains why he always breaks character on ‘SNL' Ferrell, who leads Netflix’s upcoming “The Hawk,” will host the 51st season finale on May 16 — his sixth time hosting. His musical guest will be McCartney, who will take the stage as musical guest for the fifth time. Colman Domingo and musical guest Anitta are on tap this Saturday. The NBC sketch comedy show airs at 11:30 p.m. Eastern and streams live on Peacock.
TexomaK-9s showcase skills at US Police Canine Association trials in Graham
K-9 officers from across the region are in Graham this week for the United States Police Canine Association Region 25 Certification Trials, hosted by the Graham Police Department.
NBC 5Ceasefire threatened as Israel expands Lebanon strikes and Iran closes strait again
A ceasefire deal to pause the war in Iran appeared to hang by a thread Wednesday after the Islamic Republic closed the Strait of Hormuzagain in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The White House demanded that the channel be reopened and sought to keep peace talks on track. The U.S. and Iran both claimed victory after reaching the agreement, and world leaders expressed relief, even as more drones and missiles hit Iran and Gulf Arab countries. At the same time, Israel intensified its attacks on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, hitting commercial and residential areas in Beirut. At least 182 people were killed Wednesday in the deadliest day of fighting there. The fresh violence threatened to scuttle what U.S. Vice President JD Vance called a “fragile” deal. Parliament speaker accuses U.S. of breaking Iran’s conditions The Iranian parliament speaker said planned talks were “unreasonable” because Washington broke three of Tehran’s 10 conditions for an end to the fighting. In a social media post, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf objected to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, an alleged drone incursion into Iranian airspace after the ceasefire took effect and U.S. refusal to accept any Iranian enrichment capabilities in a final agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that an end to the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire deal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump said the truce did not coverLebanon. When the deal was announced, Pakistan’s prime minister, whose country served as a mediator, said in a social media post that it applied to “everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere.” First responders stand amid rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood on April 8, 2026. Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed 182 people on Wednesday, the highest single-day death toll in the Israel-Hezbollah war. “The world sees the massacres in Lebanon,” Iran’s Araghchi said in a post on X. “The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, reported in Iranian state media, was “completely unacceptable.” She repeated Trump’s “expectation and demand” that the channel be reopened. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American and Israeli forces had achieved a “capital V military victory” and that the Iranian military no longer posed a significant threat to U.S. forces or the region. The Iranian military said the country forced Israel and the U.S. to accept its “proposed conditions and surrender.” Much about the agreement was unclear as the sides presented vastly different visions of the terms. Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging shipspassing through the strait, a crucial transit lane for oil. The White House said Trump is opposed to tolls for ship passage through the strait. Only 11 vessels moved through the strait Wednesday, roughly the same as in prior days, according to Windward, a maritime intelligence firm. Iran was requiring shippers to pay tolls of up to $1 a barrel for outbound oil, it said. The largest supertankers carry up to 3 million barrels of crude. The fate of Iran’s missile and nuclear programs — the elimination of which were major objectives for the U.S. and Israel in going to war — also remained unclear. Trump said the U.S. would work with Iran to remove buried enriched uranium, though Iran did not confirm that. White House looks ahead to peace talks Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” plan that could help end the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Feb. 28. But when a version in Farsi emerged indicating Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium — key to building a nuclear weapon — Trump called it fraudulent. Leavitt said a plan that Iran presented Tuesday could “align with our own” proposal for peace. The White House said Vance would lead American negotiators at upcoming peace talks, which could begin in Pakistan as soon as Friday. Iran’s demands for ending the war include a withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets. War with Iran 10 hours ago As U.S. and Iran agree to a ceasefire, what's actually in the deal — and will it last? War with Iran Apr 6 Live updates: Trump brushes off war crime concerns, repeats threat to Iran's infrastructure Meanwhile, Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israel will continue to “utilize every operational opportunity” to strike Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it struck more than 100 targets within 10 minutes Wednesday across Lebanon, the largest wave of strikes since March 1. Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit accused Israel of “persistently seeking to sabotage” the ceasefire deal. Hezbollah has not confirmed if it will abide by the ceasefire, though the group has said it was open to giving mediators a chance to secure an agreement. Early on Thursday Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at northern Israel and would continue doing so “until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases.” Iran and Oman could collect shipping fees in Strait of Hormuz Iranian attacks and threats deterred many commercial ships from using the strait, through which 20% of all traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That roiled the world economy and raised the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff. The ceasefire may formalize a system of charging fees in the strait that Iran instituted — and give it a new source of revenue. That would upend decades of precedent treating the strait as an international waterway that was free to transit. Such a shift would likely be unacceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oil fields. Iran’s nuclear and missile threats survive U.S.-Israeli strikes have battered Iran and its leadership, but they have not eliminated the threats posed by Tehran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its support for regional proxies, like Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel said addressing those threats was a key justification for going to war. Trump said the U.S. would work with Iran to “dig up and remove” enriched uranium. There was no confirmation from Iran. Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing Wednesday that the U.S. would do “something like” last June’s joint strikes with Israel on Iranian nuclear sites if Iran refuses to surrender its enriched uranium voluntarily. Netanyahu warned in a televised address that Israel was “ready to return to fighting at any time. Our finger is on the trigger.” Tehran has insisted for years that its nuclear program was peaceful, although it has enriched uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. Airstrikes reported after ceasefire announcement Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all issued warnings about incoming missiles from Iran. That fire stopped for a time, then hostilities appeared to restart. An oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island came under attack, according to Iranian state television. A short time later, the UAE’s air defenses fired at an incoming Iranian missile barrage. More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the toll for days. In Lebanon, more than 1,700 people have been killed, and 1 million people have been displaced. Twelve Israeli soldiers have died. In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Magdy from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Edie Lederer at the United Nations, Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J., and Michelle L. Price, Aamer Madhani and Joshua Bloak in Washington contributed to this report.
NBC 5Itchy armpits? Here's what it could tell you about your health
Itchy, irritated armpits? You’re not alone. It’s a complaint that dermatologists hear often. That’s because the armpit, also known as the axilla, is notoriously prone to irritation and other issues. Between the folds of skin, hair follicles, sweat glans and warmth, “there’s a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong,” Dr. Adam Friedman, professor of and chair of dermatology at the George Washington School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com. Under the skin is an intersection of lymph nodes, blood vessels, and nerves, per the Cleveland Clinic. “Just based on the location alone, you can be easily set up for failure, because it’s skin-on-skin. We call this an intertriginous area,” says Friedman. Other examples include the groin and under the breasts. These areas easily trap moisture and heat. “The skin in the armpits also tends to be a little bit thinner, more sensitive, and it gets exposed to a lot of things,” Dr. Jack Levy, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells TODAY.com. Itchy armpits causes Is there anything worse than feeling like you have an itch you just can’t scratch? Pruritus, the medical term for itching, can be caused by many things, from deodorant to underlying chronic diseases and less commonly, malignancies, says Levy. While itchy armpits are usually temporary and not a cause for concern, they can be a symptom of a more serious problem requiring further evaluation or treatment. Here are common causes of itchy armpits, and when to see a doctor: Irritant contact dermatitis The most common reasons for itchy armpits is irritant contact dermatitis, says Friedman. It’s technically a type of eczema, but affects almost everyone from time to time. Irritant contact dermatitis is non-allergic inflammation caused by contact with chemical or physical irritants, which damage the skin’s barrier and cause an itchy, red rash soon after exposure. It may become painful, itchy or scaly. “Anyone can get this rash in response to external or internally-made substances,” says Friedman. Common causes include soaps, deodorants, detergents, sweat or friction. Even the fabric of clothing rubbing against the armpits — for example, during exercise — can cause an itchy rash, Levy adds. Lightening creams and serums can also be very irritating, says Friedman, who warns about hacks on social media to get rid of underarm darkness. The best treatment is to identify and avoid the irritant, the experts note, and protect the skin barrier. Allergies and sensitivities Unlike irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis is caused by a specific allergy to an ingredient, says Levy. In this case, the allergen triggers an immune response, which causes inflammation, redness and blisters. It’s a delayed response, which usually occurs 12-72 hours after exposure. “Only people who are uniquely sensitized to a substance develop it. It’s usually a very itchy, poison ivy-like rash,” says Friedman. Common allergens include fragrances, dyes and metals like nickel and aluminum, which is in many anti-perspirants. Allergic contact dermatitis is usually diagnosed through more extensive patch testing, Levy adds. It’s treated by avoiding the allergen, as well as topical steroids and antihistamines. Chronic skin conditions Underlying skin diseases can trigger an itchy armpit rash in the absence of any irritants or allergens. The most common example is eczema, or atopic dermatitis, which causes itchy patches of dry skin. It can erupt anywhere on the body, says Friedman, but the armpits are prone. “Eczema happens when the top layer skin, the barrier, doesn’t work as well, (coupled) with immune dysregulation, and together, they create a rash,” says Friedman. Flare-ups can be triggered by stress, infections, temperature or humidity changes. Even scratching too hard can “wake up” the eczema, Friedman adds. Other skin diseases that can cause itchy underarms include psoriasis and lichen planus, says Levy — these are accompanied by other symptoms, like plaque or bumps. Hidradenitis suppurativa is an inflammatory condition that causes boils in the armpits, which can be itchy and painful. Treating these chronic skin diseases often requires a combination of medications, topical products and lifestyle changes. Sweat buildup Armpit sweat can cause itching for several reasons. “Your sweat is incredibly irritant because the water saturates the top layer of the skin, causing it to become too moist, and after it evaporates, the salts left are very itchy,” Friedman explains. The apocrine glands in the armpit produce sweat and secretions that cause odor. The sweat can mix with dead skin cells and oils, leading to clogged pores or a heat rash. “Apocrine miliaria is a condition that results in inflammation of these glands, which can cause little red bumps in the armpit that are extremely itchy,” says Friedman. Treatment usually involves keeping the skin dry and cool. Botox can help treat hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), says Levy. Razor burn Razor burn in the armpits can cause an itching, burning or stinging rash, which can last hours to days. Shaving over existing razor burn can worsen the rash, creating an itchy cycle, the experts warn. Razor burn is usually caused by dry shaving, using an old or dull razor, and shaving the wrong direction or too quickly, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Using proper shaving technique and fresh, sharp razors can usually fix the itch. Bacterial infections Bacteria thrives in the warm, sweaty environment of the armpits, which can lead to infections of the skin or hair follicles. Corynebacterium is a common bacteria that lives on the skin, but an overgrowth in the armpit can lead to erythrasma, says Levy. This can cause very itchy, defined pink or brown patches. “We can do a test for this by looking under a fluorescent lamp, and the bacteria will glow a coral red color,” Levy adds. Folliculitis, which is caused by staphylococcus aureus, can cause the armpit hair follicles to become inflamed, itchy or pus-filled. These infections can be treated with topical or oral antibiotics. Fungal infections The armpit is also a breeding ground for yeast, a type of fungus that lives on the skin. Normally, yeasts like candida won’t cause issues, but an overgrowth can lead to a yeast infection, says Levy. This results in an itchy, bright red rash. “Another common fungal infection is ringworm, which can occur in the armpits and be very itchy,” says Friedman. Fungal infections are diagnosed by scraping the rash and looking at it under a microscope, says Levy. Anti-fungal medications and keeping the armpits dry can usually clear them up. It’s crucial to properly diagnose fungal infections because using topical steroids commonly prescribed for rashes can make the fungus significantly worse, Levy adds. Rarely, cancer Less commonly, itchy armpits can be a symptom of certain cancers. “I always want to make sure that we’re not missing a T-cell lymphoma or an inflammatory breast cancer that’s presenting as itching,” says Levy. These may also cause lumps, swollen lymph nodes and other symptoms. “You want to keep it in the back of your mind that it could be something a little bit more concerning, so you have a lower threshold to get it checked out,” says Levy. When to see a doctor Itchy armpits are most often caused by irritation or non-malignant issues, the experts note. However, it’s important to rule out potential serious causes. If you have unexplained, itchy armpits that won’t go away, there’s no reason to panic, but it is worth getting checked out. You should also see a doctor if the itching is accompanied by other symptoms, such as: Severe armpit pain Swollen lymph nodes New growths A rash elsewhere on the body A fever “It’s worth speaking to a board-certified dermatologist because the differential diagnosis is so broad, you really need someone who can kind of suss out everything,” says Friedman. In most cases, the itching can be cured by treating the underlying cause or a lifestyle change, like swapping your deodorant. Because no matter how good it feels, scratching won’t always get rid of the itch. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: If You Walk Every Day, Here Are the 2 Other Things You Should Be Doing, Too Egg Whites vs. Yolks: Which Has More Protein, Healthy Fat and Other Nutrients? Dietitians Weigh in A New, Highly Mutated COVID Variant Called ‘Cicada’ Is Spreading in the US. Know These Symptoms
NBC 5Photos of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter at hotel are misleading, reporter says
After photos emerged of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spending time with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel in Arizona, Russini said the photos were taken out of context and her employer has come to her defense. In photos published by Page Six on Tuesday, the coach of the Patriots and the reporter for The Athletic are seen hanging out poolside, in a hot tub and on a rooftop deck at the Ambiente luxury hotel in Sedona. Two of the photos show them with intertwined hands and hugging on the deck. Both Russini and Vrabel are married to other people. In a statement to NBC News on Wednesday, The Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg said the photos are “misleading and lack essential context.” “These were public interactions in front of many people,” Ginsberg said. “Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.” Russini said in her own statement that many reporters in her field interact with “sources” outside of stadiums and work venues. “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” she said. A representative for the New England Patriots did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. Vrabel denied any allegation of impropriety in a statement to Page Six. “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” he said. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.” Page Six offered conflicting accounts from anonymous sources as to Vrabel and Russini’s time together at the hotel. An unnamed friend of the coach told the outlet that the two of them were staying a couple of hours away and drove up to meet Russini, who was staying in Sedona on a trip with her friends. Vrabel was in Tempe, Arizona, for a scouting event at Arizona State University on March 27, Page Six said. Other witnesses, who were also unnamed, told Page Six that they did not see Vrabel or Russini with other people. “No, he was with a girl,” one witness told Page Six when asked if they saw Vrabel with a group of friends. Vrabel is a former NFL linebacker turned coach who previously played with the Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers before his 2011 retirement. He turned to coaching, starting out at his alma mater at Ohio State University. He returned to the Patriots as a head coach last year and brought the team back to the Super Bowl for the first time in seven years. The team suffered a brutal 29-13 loss against the Seattle Seahawks after failing to score a single point until the fourth quarter. Russini, who worked as a reporter for NBC New York early in her career, is considered one of the industry’s top NFL reporters. She left ESPN in 2023 for a job as the Athletic’s football insider. She was described as being “one of the highest-paid writers in the history of the … New York Times,” which owns the Athletic, by NBC Sports writer Peter King. “Russini’s rep at ESPN was as a football firebrand and good beat reporter with a growing list of sources,” King wrote at the time. “Tireless, tough, lover of the game.”
NBC 5As U.S. and Iran agree to a ceasefire, what's actually in the deal — and will it last?
President Donald Trump pulled back from his threats to destroy Iranian civilization, Tehran celebrated what it framed as a victory and markets soared on news that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen. But the exact terms of the Iran war ceasefire deal remained unclear even as it took effect Wednesday, with a growing list of questions hanging over the next two weeks and the road beyond it. Meanwhile, new attacks were reported in Iran and across the Gulf, while Israel said it would keep striking Lebanon, continuing to carry out heavy bombardment there. Here’s what we know — and what we don’t — about the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel. A veiled Iranian woman holds a placard with Persian script reading, ”Negotiation is prohibited,” and shouts slogans during a gathering in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 8, 2026. What’s been agreed to? No official ceasefire agreement has been released, but Trump announced an eleventh-hour deal in a Truth Social post ahead of the Tuesday night deadline he had imposed on Iran. “I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” he said. Iran’s 10-point proposal for a fuller peace deal would be a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump said. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced the country had agreed to the ceasefire and would allocate two weeks to finalize a peace deal. Iran said it would cease its “defensive operations” so long as U.S. and Israeli strikes were halted. The 10-point plan outlined by Iranian state media includes a number of demands that appear to conflict with America’s own 15-point proposal, with Iran seeking continued control over transit through the Strait of Hormuz and the complete withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from its bases across the region. Multiple Iranian media outlets also reported that the 10 points include “acceptance of enrichment” for Tehran’s nuclear program, which conflicts with the Trump administration’s stance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the 15-point U.S. plan makes clear Iran “can never have nuclear weapons,” and Trump reiterated “there will be no enrichment of Uranium” in a Truth Social post Wednesday. Trump added that “many of the 15 points” have already been agreed to, without detailing what they were. The absence of a definitive text and competing public statements leaves “a very ambiguous ceasefire agreement that is extremely shaky and brittle,” said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies. “The Iranians have put forward a fairly maximalist position,” he said, noting their demands are unlikely to be “easily implementable.” Vice President JD Vance described it as a “fragile truce” Wednesday, pointing to divisions within the Iranian regime as complicating negotiations. A fireball rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in the area of Abbasiyeh, on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, on April 8, 2026. Is Hormuz open? Trump’s ultimatum centered on the strait, a key trade route through which 20% of the world’s oil passes. The waterway’s effective closure sent global energy prices surging. Trump said the ceasefire was “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said safe passage would be allowed through the strait for the duration of the two-week ceasefire “via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” He did not expand on which technical limitations he was referring to in his post on X. The Fars news agency reported that two oil tankers were allowed to pass through the strait on Wednesday “after obtaining permission from Iran,” but the passage of further tankers “was halted” because of Israel’s fresh strikes on Lebanon. It was also not clear whether Iran will seek to charge fees or limit traffic moving through the strait during the ceasefire, or impose limits on which ships can transit. It has been charging fees during the war to allow a small number of ships to pass through the critical oil chokepoint. Trump said the U.S. would be “helping with the traffic buildup” in the waterway, while French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that more than 15 nations from Europe, Asia and the Middle East were also working with Iran to help reopen the strait. Has Israel agreed to the truce? The Israeli military, which launched the war against Iran alongside U.S. forces Feb. 28, announced Wednesday that it had “ceased” fire on Iran in accordance with the truce, but remained on “high defensive alert” and “ready to respond to any violation.” It said the ceasefire would not include Lebanon, however, directly contradicting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the ceasefire plan outlined by Iranian state media. Hours later, the Israeli military said it had undertaken the largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the start of its invasion, with heavy bombardment reported in the capital, Beirut. First responders stand amid rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood on April 8, 2026. “We will continue striking the Hezbollah terror organization and will utilize every operational opportunity,” the IDF said in posts on X, saying its strikes targeted “Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, & command-and-control centers” across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Israel was disregarding “all regional and international efforts to end the war,” including by targeting “densely populated residential areas.” Israel had “violated the principles of international law and international humanitarian law” with its onslaught, he said. Israel invaded Lebanon after the Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel in retaliation for the Iran war. Israeli forces have vowed to establish a “security zone” across southern Lebanon, destroying homes throughout the area, as well as bridges across the Litani River, which link the south to the rest of Lebanon. More than 1,500 people have been killed in the Israeli assault, according to Lebanese government figures, while more than a million people have been displaced from their homes by bombardment and Israeli military evacuation orders. Israel has warned that those displaced from the south will not be able to return until the safety of Israelis in northern Israel can be guaranteed. Iranian officials have not released a recent death toll, but the U.S.-based rights group HRANA put the total killed at almost 3,400, including more than 1,600 civilians. More than 1,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 23 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes. Donald Trump 20 hours ago Dozens of Democrats call for Trump's removal after his Iran threats War with Iran Apr 7 U.S. and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on threats Who negotiated the deal? Pakistan and Egypt played key roles in facilitating the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, with Araghchi expressing “gratitude and appreciation” for Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the army chief of Pakistan, “for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region.” Trump told the Agence France-Presse news agency that he believed China also played a pivotal part in persuading Iran to negotiate. “I hear yes,” Trump said after being asked if Beijing was involved in getting its ally Tehran to the negotiating table. Trump is expected to travel to China in mid-May to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, after postponing the trip because of the Iran war. Sharif also credited China, as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar, with extending “invaluable” support in the effort to achieve a temporary ceasefire, in a post on X on Wednesday. Beijing is a close ally of Tehran, as well as the primary buyer of Iranian oil, but it has condemned Iran’s attacks against Gulf countries, with which it also has important economic ties. What’s next? The days ahead will be crucial in determining whether the ceasefire holds and whether a more lasting agreement can be negotiated to end the war that has consumed the region and threatened global economic pain. Pakistan and Iran have both said talks toward a lasting peace deal would begin Friday in Islamabad. The U.S. has yet to confirm this. In the meantime, both the U.S. and Iran have claimed victory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked at a press conference Wednesday if a future U.S. deal with Iran would involve its government handing over all of its enriched uranium. He said that the material is currently “buried” and that the U.S. is “watching it.” “We know exactly what they have, and they know that, and they will either give it to us, which the president has laid out — they’ll give it to us voluntarily, we’ll get it, we’ll take it, we’ll take it out — or if we have to do something else ourselves, like we did Midnight Hammer or something like that, we reserve that opportunity,” Hegseth said, referring to the U.S. targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. One of Iran’s demands in order to end the war is the removal of all U.S. military forces from “all bases and positions in the region.” That demand would almost certainly be a nonstarter for the U.S. Hegseth said Wednesday that U.S. forces would be “hanging around” in the region in the midst of the ceasefire to ensure compliance. “We’re not going anywhere,” he said. Trump celebrated the deal in a post on Truth Social as a “big day for World Peace,” just hours after threatening to wipe out the population of Iran. “This could be the Golden Age of the Middle East,” he said.
NBC 5Taylor Sheridan to produce and direct Alamo battle film for museum's new 4D theater
Taylor Sheridan, the creator behind the hit series Yellowstone and Landman, is set to produce and direct a new film for the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum in San Antonio, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Tuesday. The new museum, set to open in 2027, will house the world’s most technologically advanced 4D theater, according to a press release. The immersive experience is designed to recreate the story of the Battle of the Alamo by using dynamic visual effects, sound and physical elements. Patrick said once he saw the plan for the theater, he reached out to Sheridan to ask if he would consider filming and directing the historic project. “Over the last decade, Taylor has told the story of the American west – the people, the land, the depth, and the history – in a way no other filmmaker has,” Patrick said in a statement. “In addition to his amazing film portfolio, Taylor is a native Texan who knows and loves our state and its history. Patrick said that despite his busy schedule, Sheridan did not hesitate before enthusiastically answering yes. “The Alamo is the very bedrock Texas was founded upon,” Sheridan said in a statement. “To chronicle the sacrifice made by the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the Alamo is an honor I eagerly accept.” A premiere date for the Alamo battle film has not yet been set.
NBC 5‘Ketamine Queen' gets 15 years in prison for selling Matthew Perry the drugs that killed him
A federal judge on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 15 years in prison to a woman who pleaded guilty to selling “Friends” star Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023. “You’re going to have to show some epic resilience,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said to Jasveen Sangha, echoing the defendant’s words earlier in the hearing about her self-improvement. The 42-year-old became the third defendant sentenced of the five people who have pleaded guilty in connection with the overdose of the 54-year-old actor. His role as Chandler Bing on NBC’s “Friends” in the 1990s and 2000s made him one of the biggest television stars of the era. Sangha stood at the podium Wednesday just before she was sentenced and told the judge she wears her shame “like a jacket.” She is the only defendant whose plea deal included an acknowledgment of causing Perry’s death, and her prison term will almost certainly be far longer than all the others combined. “These were not mistakes. They were horrible decisions,” Sangha said, which “shattered people’s lives and the lives of their family and friends.” Prosecutors cast her in court filings as a “Ketamine Queen” who had an elaborate drug operation catering to high-end clients to give herself a jet-setting lifestyle despite a life of privilege. Sangha’s attorneys said in their sentencing filing that the time she has spent in jail since her August 2024 indictment should be sufficient. They pointed to her lack of a previous criminal record and exemplary behavior as an inmate, as well as the unlikelihood she would return to a life of drug dealing. Keith Morrison, Perry’s stepfather and correspondent for NBC’s “Dateline,” told the judge that he and Perry’s mother, Suzanne, feel a “daily, grinding sadness and sorrow.” “There was a spark to that man I have never seen anywhere else,” Morrison said in his familiar and dramatic voice. “He should have had another act. Two more acts.” Perry was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. Celebrity News Sep 3, 2025 ‘Ketamine Queen' accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry pleads guilty Celebrity News Dec 3, 2025 Matthew Perry's family shares emotional victim impact statements at doctor's sentencing Perry had been using the drug through his regular doctor as a legal off-label treatment for depression. But he sought more than the doctor would give him. That at first led him to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling Perry ketamine and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. And it later led Perry to Sangha, who sold him 25 vials of ketamine, including the fatal dose, for $6,000 in cash four days before his death, prosecutors said. Another doctor, who admitted to providing Plasencia the ketamine he sold to Perry, was sentenced to eight months of home detention. Perry’s assistant and his friend, who admitted acting as the actor’s middlemen, are awaiting sentencing. The judge said she calibrated how to sentence each of the five defendants to make sense as a whole. Sangha pleaded guilty in September to one count of using her home for drug distribution, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. She also admitted to selling drugs to another man, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, who had no connection to Perry, before his overdose death in 2019. The prosecution said that despite Sangha’s plea, she continued drug dealing, showing her lack of remorse. Their sentencing filing says that in 2020, when she learned that the ketamine she sold McLaury contributed to his death, “She didn’t care and kept selling.” In 2023, the filing says that when she learned she sold Perry the drugs that caused his death, “Her reaction was the same: she didn’t care and kept selling.”
NBC 5More than 270,000 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles recalled over rearview camera screen issue
General Motors is recalling more than 270,000 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles in the U.S. because the rearview camera screen may display a distorted or blank image. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a letter that a rearview image that doesn’t display properly reduces the driver’s view behind the vehicle, which increases the risk of a crash. A safety recall report from the agency said that GM’s supplier identified an issue with the bonding process used to assemble the camera housing that could weaken the adhesive bond on some assemblies. The automaker’s investigation found that the mounting configuration of the Sharp Electronics camera on the Chevrolet Malibu could expose it to moisture that may breach an insufficient housing bond. Recalls Apr 7 Ford recalls more than 400,000 trucks and SUVs because windshield wipers can fail Recalls Apr 3 More than 3 million eye drop bottles sold nationwide recalled due to sterility issue The recall includes Chevrolet Malibu vehicles with model years 2023 through 2025. GM said that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the recall issue. Dealers will replace the rearview camera for free. Owner notification letters are anticipated to start being mailed out on May 18. Individuals may also contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Information can also be found at www.nhtsa.gov.
NBC 5FBI offers reward in fatal 2021 Garland convenience store shooting
Abel Elias Acosta is wanted in Dallas County, facing charges including capital murder of multiple persons, in connection with the deadly shooting of three teenagers in Garland. The crime occurred the day after Christmas, 2021. Garland Police were called to a convenience store for reports of multiple gunshot victims. Three victims, 17-year-old Rafael Garcia, 16-year-old Ivan Noyola, and 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, were found dead by police. A fourth victim was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Acosta, who was 14 years old at the time, was identified as the alleged shooter. Surveillance video shows a man getting out of a pickup truck and starting to shoot. Seconds later, the shooter ran outside and got back in the truck. Acosta’s father, Richard Acosta, was later indicted and convicted for capital murder for his role in driving the truck. A warrant for capital murder was issued for Abel Acosta in 2021, and a federal warrant was issued for an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution charge, but he has not been taken into custody. According to a press release, Investigators say they believe Acosta fled to Mexico and remains there. Law enforcement is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to his arrest and conviction. If you have information about Abel Acosta’s whereabouts that could help, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the FBI’s Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000. Tips can also be submitted digitally at tips.fbi.gov or by contacting the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. All information can remain anonymous, and confidentiality is guaranteed. Law enforcement said Abel Acosta should be considered armed and dangerous. Garland Dec 26, 2023 Search for teen behind deadly ambush in Garland continues two years later Garland Feb 7, 2023 Capital Murder Trial Begins for Father of Fugitive Teen Accused of Murdering Three at Garland Convenience Store
NBC 5Daughter of American woman missing in Bahamas says she was unlikely to ‘just fall' overboard
The daughter of an American woman who was reportedly swept out to sea during a boat ride with her husband in the Bahamas over the weekend said in an interview with NBC News that her mother was unlikely to “just fall” overboard. Karli Aylesworth described her mother, Lynette Hooker, 55, as an experienced mariner and a fit person who was unlikely to “just fall” off the boat. But that’s what her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, said happened during a dinghy ride Saturday night from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, according to local authorities. Aylesworth said her stepfather provided the same account to her during a brief Sunday phone call in which, she said, he sounded “monotone and relaxed.” “I was in shock,” she said. “I was like, my mom’s missing? Like, what?” Brian Hooker has not responded to NBC News’ requests for comment. In a Wednesday morning Facebook post, he wrote that he is “heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.” “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” Brian Hooker said. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.” He added that his family is “deeply grateful” for all the authorities involved in the investigation to bring his wife home and for “everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time.” Aylesworth described the couple’s relationship as volatile, saying they have a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.” Caribbean Apr 5 American woman missing after husband reports she fell overboard during Bahamas trip Bahamas Apr 4 Sharks in the Bahamas test positive for cocaine, caffeine and painkillers, study shows The couple, from Michigan, have been sailing for more than a decade, starting with a small two-person sailboat and moving to a larger vessel they bought in Texas, Aylesworth said. They sailed around the Gulf of Mexico, she said, and eventually got to the Bahamas. She said they sold their home a few years ago and lived full-time on the boat. They documented part of their Bahamas trip on their TikTok and Instagram pages called “The Sailing Hookers.” In their last TikTok post, the couple had sailed to Great Guana Cay. They left Hope Town around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, headed to Elbow Cay on an 8-foot, hard-bottom dinghy, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement. The statement did not name Brian Hooker but cited his account of what happened. The husband told police that his wife had the keys to the boat when she fell into the water, causing its engine to shut off, according to the statement. He said he had to paddle for hours before he reached Marsh Harbor Boat Yard early Sunday. He told someone what had happened, and that person alerted authorities, according to the statement. Richard Cook, team lead with Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue, said the wind was 18 to 22 knots and it was dark out Saturday night. There have been strong onshore winds along the East Coast because of the passage of a cold front. Cook said Tuesday that the effort to find Lynette Hooker was now “a recovery operation.” The State Department said earlier that it was aware of reports of a missing woman in the Bahamas and that it was “working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance.” “Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment at this time,” a spokesperson said Monday. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment. It appears the couple had been in the Bahamas since February. On Feb. 11, the couple posted a TikTok video of them sailing on the water. “Heading to the Bahamas #saillife,” they captioned the video. Other posts showed them out of the water, snorkeling and at the beach. Aylesworth said she reached out to the Royal Bahamas Police Force but has not heard back. The agency told NBC News that it has no further updates. “We’re pretty distraught that this is even happening,” Aylesworth said. “I’m still in shock. Like, it’s just surreal.”
NBC 5Southwest sets new limits on portable chargers. What travelers need to know
Travelers will soon face restrictions on how many portable chargers they can carry on a flight as airlines continue to try to reduce the risk of another lithium battery fire aboard their jets. Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that starting April 20 passengers will only be able to carry one charger on their planes. They won’t be allowed to store those power banks in the overhead bin or in their checked luggage and they are not allowed to be recharged using in-seat power outlets. The airline already requires passengers to keep their chargers in the open while they are using them, so flight attendants can act quickly if they start to overheat. The new Southwest rule goes even further than the limit of two chargers per passenger that the International Civil Aviation Organization recommended last month. But the airline says it isn’t going to aggressively enforce the policy by searching bags and confiscating chargers. Instead, Southwest’s Vice President of Safety and Security Dave Hunt said the airline will stress this to travelers when they book their flights and arrive at the airport while explaining the potential dangers. That alone might be a big help because most people don’t seem to be aware of the risks, said Jeff Marootian, who is CEO of UL Standards & Engagement, which establishes the guidelines for the makers of these chargers and other electronic devices. “A huge part of the concern here is seeing that number of incidents continue to increase, correlating, of course, to the number of devices that people are bringing on planes,” he said. The Federal Aviation Administration said more lithium battery incidents are reported every year and hit 97 in 2025 as everyone carries more re-chargable devices like phones, iPads, laptops and these portable chargers. Marootian said that his organization hears about two incidents every week, and reported a 42% increase in the number of incidents involving portable chargers in 2025. One of the worst happened in January 2025 when a devastating fire aboard an Air Busan plane waiting to take off from an airport in South Korea forced the evacuation of all 176 people aboard before the fire burned through the plane’s roof. Flight attendants have fire-resistant bags and insulated gloves to put overheating devices into to contain any potential blaze. Southwest’s Hunt said the airline’s new rule will “strengthen our ability to contain and mitigate lithium battery incidents, including reducing the risk of battery fires.” To help make the rule workable for passengers, Southwest plans to equip all of its planes with in-seat power by the middle of next year. Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, who flew for United Airlines for 37 years, said he thinks Southwest’s new policy is a positive step to reduce the risk. Even though the number of fires is small compared to the roughly 100,000 flights every day around the globe, the potential consequences of a battery fire can be disastrous. “It can turn into something very serious very quickly,” Arroyo said.
NBC 5Rex Heuermann admits he is the Gilgo Beach serial killer in guilty plea twist
What to KnowA 2010 search for a missing escort from New Jersey broke open one of New York’s more mystifying serial killer investigations, as body after body was found along a remote stretch of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Twelve years later, with a new police commissioner at the helm in Suffolk, detectives identified Rex Heuermann as a suspect by using a vehicle registration database to connect him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared.Heuermann had been charged in seven of the killings. He pleaded guilty to all of them on Wednesday and confessed his involvement in an eighth woman’s death, that of Karen Vergata in 1996.Previously, the 62-year-old had pleaded not guilty. His wife and daughter were in court to watch the proceedings, as were many other onlookers. A second overflow had to be opened to contain crowds. The man suspected of killing at least seven women and dumping many of their remains on a remote stretch of parkway near Long Island’s Gilgo Beach in a decade-long investigation that captivated the globe changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday, and admitted to yet another murder in which he has never been charged. Rex Heuermann, 62, had been charged in the killings of seven women, many of them sex workers, over a period of 17 years dating back to 1993. Previously, he pleaded not guilty. Copping to the eighth, the 1996 killing of Karen Vergata, of Manhattan, is part of his plea deal, which comes with life without parole, prosecutors said. Heuermann confessed to causing Vergata’s death, but won’t face a murder charge in her case, as part of the plea deal. He said “yes” when asked by the judge on Wednesday if he believed it was in his best interest to plead guilty rather than go to trial, which had been set to start in September. He pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder. Wearing a black suit coat and white button-down shirt, he answered a series of questions — Are you waiving your rights? Are you willing to waive your right to appeal? You understand you’ll be convicted of a felony with an enhanced sentence? — in the affirmative. He never looked back at the packed courtroom gallery, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead as he spoke in a matter-of-fact and unemotional manner. As part of his deal, Heuermann admitted to strangling all of his victims, three of them within two years. He wrapped them in burlap sacks and bound their hands and legs. Three of victims were dismembered before the bodies were dumped, he said. All of them were in their 20s when they disappeared. Their families were in the courtroom for Wednesday’s hearing, filling in several rows in front of the confessed killer’s family. As Heuermann admitted to the murders, ex-wife Asa Ellerup leaned forward in her chair, gripping the back of the seat in front of her. “This has been a long journey of hope — hope that one day we would stand here and say her name with justice beside it,” Melissa Cann, the sister of victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes, said at a news conference hours after the hearing as she fought back tears. “Today, that long, painful journey brings us to this moment.” Asked about Heuermann’s admissions, his defense attorney Michael Brown told reporters, “There came a point in this defense where Rex said, ‘I want to plead guilty,'” noting that one of Heuermann’s concerns was sparing the victims’ families and his own family from the ordeal of the case going to trial. Faces of the victims The plea averts a September trial and culminates a 15-year investigation that captivated New Yorkers and the country starting in late 2010. Heuermann did not address the media after Wednesday’s hearing. He hasn’t yet commented in front of any cameras. His lawyer, Michael Brown, has led that effort. In court on Wednesday, Brown told the judge Heuermann would cooperate with the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit as part of an academic and scientific exercise, and that he would not face further prosecution. In response to a question about whether Heuermann was sorry, Brown responded, “I would hope so. … I would expect at sentencing he would have something to say.” Sentencing is scheduled for June 17. He is expected to be sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing Melissa Bathelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, according to the district attorney’s office. He will also be sentenced to a consecutive sentence of 100 years to life in prison for killing Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack, the DA’s office said. Heuermann’s wife and his daughter, Victoria Heuermann, looked on from the galley as the hearing concluded. During an afternoon press conference following the plea, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney appeared alongside victims’ families “This defendant walked among us play-acting as a normal suburban dad when in reality, all along, he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death,” Tierney said, while thanking the victims’ families for helping bring their loved ones’ stories to life. Tierney also praised the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force, which cracked the case with the help of clues that included DNA lifted from a discarded pizza crust. Gloria Allred, an attorney for some of the victims’ families, described several of the women as young mothers who were just trying to earn extra money to support their children. “Little did they know that the defendant, Rex Heuermann, did not care about their hopes and dreams, or that they had families and friends who loved them,” Allred said at the news conference. Elizabeth Baczkiel, whose daughter Jessica Taylor was murdered by Heuermann, said: “I am glad that this is over as far as him pleading guilty. It took a big chunk of stress off of me and my family.” How did we get here? The Gilgo Beach investigation began in earnest in 2010 after police found numerous sets of human remains along a remote beach highway on Long Island’s South Shore. They had been looking for a missing escort from Jersey City, Shannan Gilbert, when they made the discovery. Investigators used DNA analysis and other evidence to identify victims. In some cases, they were able to connect them to remains found elsewhere on Long Island years earlier. Remains of six victims — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — were found in the scrub along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. The remains of another victim, Sandra Costilla, were found more than 60 miles away in the Hamptons. Police also identified an eighth woman, Karen Vergata, whose remains were found on Fire Island, in 1996, and near Gilgo Beach in 2011. While Heuermann admitted to killing Vergata, he would not face charges in her death, as per his plea deal. Despite the attention, including a documentary series and the 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls,” the investigation dragged on for more than a decade, punctuated by fleeting leads and dashed hopes. In 2022, six weeks after a new police commissioner formed the Gilgo Beach task force, detectives identified Heuermann as a suspect by using a vehicle registration database to connect him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010. Heuermann lived for decades in Massapequa Park, about a 25-minute drive across a causeway spanning South Oyster Bay to the sandy stretch where the women’s remains were found. He worked as an architect in Manhattan. Crime and Courts Jun 10, 2025 Daughter of accused Gilgo Beach killer believes her father ‘most likely' did it. His wife isn't sold Some of the victims were believed to have disappeared from that community, and their cellphones were found to have pinged towers in the area, authorities said. Data showed Heuermann was in contact with some victims just before they disappeared, investigators said. After the truck discovery, a grand jury authorized more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants, allowing the task force to dig into Heuermann’s life. Detectives collected billing records for burner phones he allegedly used to arrange meetings with the victims, retested DNA found with the bodies and scoured Heuermann’s internet search history, which showed that he had viewed violent torture pornography and exhibited an intense interest in the Gilgo Beach killings and the renewed investigation. Cellphone data showed Heuermann was in contact with some victims just before they disappeared, investigators said. To obtain Heuermann’s DNA, a task force surveillance team tailed him in Manhattan, where he worked, and watched as he threw the remnants of his lunch — a box of partially eaten pizza crusts — into a sidewalk garbage can. Investigators rushed in, grabbed the box, and sent it to the crime lab, which matched DNA from the crust to a male hair found on burlap used to restrain one of the victims. He was arrested in July 2023. After Heuermann’s arrest, detectives spent more than 12 days searching his yard and home, where they found a basement vault that contained 279 weapons. On his computer, investigators said, they found what they described as a “blueprint” for the killings, including a series of checklists with reminders to limit noise, clean the bodies and destroy evidence. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 5Kawhi Leonard's 34-point night lifts Clippers over Mavs after a blown 23-point lead
Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Clippers recovered after blowing a 23-point lead to beat rookie Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks 116-103 on Tuesday night. It was Leonard’s 55th straight game with 20 or more points in the Clippers’ first win in three tries against the Mavs this season. Leonard played in his 62nd game, and he’ll have to appear in the final three games of the regular season to reach 65 and be eligible for postseason awards such as league MVP and All-NBA honors. Darius Garland added 22 points, Derrick Jones Jr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Brook Lopez had 11 rebounds for the Clippers. After scoring 96 points in his previous two games, Flagg had 25 points and nine rebounds. The Mavs made 25 of 26 free throws, with Max Christie hitting 10 of 10. AJ Johnson had their lone miss late in the game. Marvin Bagley III had 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench. The Mavs tied the game in the third and then took just their second lead, 80-77, on a basket by Ryan Nembhard. Leonard scored seven of the Clippers’ final 11 points to send them into the fourth leading 89-84. The Clippers scored 17 consecutive points to start the game. They extended the lead to 23 points on Lopez’s 3-pointer. They shot 68% from the floor and went into the second ahead 39-26. The Mavs responded with a 21-8 run to tie it up 47-all on Bagley’s 3-pointer. Flagg was limited to one basket in the second. From there, the Clippers closed with an 18-8 spurt to lead 65-55 at halftime. Leonard scored their final seven points on a 3-pointer, a basket off his offensive rebound and two free throws. Up next Mavericks: Visit Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in the final back-to-back of the season. Clippers: Host East-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday to complete a back-to-back.
NBC 5Johnson Co. deputy hit with bullet shrapnel while responding to overnight mobile home fire
A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy was injured early Wednesday after an overnight response to a mobile home fire escalated into an officer-involved shooting, according to officials. Johnson County Chief Deputy James Saulter said multiple fire departments were dispatched around 1 a.m. to a residential fire in the 5400 block of County Road 605. While firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, they reported hearing gunfire near the residence at about 2:40 a.m. Officials said crews pulled back and requested assistance from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived and began investigating, they encountered a man armed with a pistol, authorities said. Gunfire was exchanged during the encounter. The suspect, identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as William James Rogers, 75, was killed. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation by Texas Rangers. Officials said one Johnson County deputy was injured during the gunfire. The Texas Municipal Police Association confirmed in social media post that the deputy was struck by shrapnel from a ballistic shield. DPS said he was transported to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, treated for minor injuries and later released. No other deputies, bystanders or firefighters were injured. Family members who live next door to the suspect say he had been experiencing mental health issues but would not comment further. Texas Rangers continue to interview relatives as part of the investigation. Firefighters temporarily paused efforts to extinguish the fire during the shooting but were able to resume once the scene was secured. The fire has since been fully extinguished but the home appears to be a total loss. Multiple agencies assisted in the response, including the Johnson County Fire Marshal’s Office, Johnson County Emergency Services District, Briar Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, Rendon VFD, Alvarado Fire Department, Venus Fire Department, Keene Fire Department and Joshua Fire Department. The Texas Rangers have taken over the investigation at the request of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, as is standard in officer-involved shootings. Officials said the investigation remains ongoing and no additional details are being released at this time. Check back and refresh this page for the latest updates.
KXIIHarmful hammerhead worm spotted in Texoma after recent rains
With the recent spring rains, invasive hammerhead worms are starting to pop out of the ground in Texoma.
KXIIGrayson County traffic stop turns into pursuit that ends in crash
A traffic stop turned pursuit ended with a crash Monday night.
KXII‘We’re relieved and sad’: Molly Miller’s family says they’re grateful for Chickasaw Nation’s help
Nearly 13 years after disappearing on a small country road, the bodies of two young Oklahomans are going home.
KXIISherman ISD holds event to help families get future Kindergarten students ready for next school year
Sherman ISD held a “Kindergarten Round-Up” event Tuesday to help families get ready for next school year.
NBC 5Dozens of Democrats call for Trump's removal after his Iran threats
Dozens of congressional Democrats called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office Tuesday after he used extreme rhetoric against Iran that included threatening to wipe out “a whole civilization.” More than 70 lawmakers, including a handful of senators, said in separate social media posts that Trump’s Cabinet needs to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and declare him unfit to serve, Congress should impeach and convict him, or both. “The House and Senate must return to session. The House must pass articles of impeachment, and then the Senate must vote to convict and remove the President. Or, the cabinet and Vice President, with congressional concurrence, must invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote in a statement on X. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he agreed with calls to invoke the 25th Amendment, adding: “No President in control of his senses would publicly promise to eradicate an entire civilization.” “We need to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote Tuesday morning on X. “Threatening war crimes is a blatant violation of our constitution and the Geneva Conventions.” War with Iran Apr 7 Pope says Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘truly unacceptable' War with Iran Apr 7 MAGA influencers push back on Trump on Iran: ‘It's time to say no' Khanna reiterated his position Tuesday night on MS NOW, adding that “we need to use all options” to remove Trump. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawmakers’ posts came shortly after Trump threatened Iran in a Truth Social post Tuesday morning, saying “a whole civilization” could die if Tehran didn’t reach a deal with the U.S. before an 8 p.m. ET deadline he had imposed. Trump’s rhetoric sparked outrage from Democrats — as well as criticism from some Republicans — who said carrying out such threats would amount to war crimes. The United Nations’ official X account posted a reminder of the Geneva Conventions, adding that “wars have rules,” while its secretary-general, António Guterres, said, without naming Trump, that “no military objective” justified the “wholesale destruction of a society’s infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations.” Less than 90 minutes before the 8 p.m. deadline, Trump said that he was suspending U.S. attacks on Iran for two weeks and that the countries were now engaged in a “double sided” ceasefire. Still, many of the Democrats who had called for his removal earlier in the day doubled down after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, maintaining that he should no longer hold office. Trump was impeached twice during his first term. He was acquitted by a Republican-led Senate each time. The threat of a possible third impeachment has been on Trump’s mind. At a policy retreat for House Republicans in January, he predicted that if the GOP doesn’t win the 2026 midterms, he will be impeached once again by a Democratic-led House.
Denton RCFormer Bet the House co-owner is bringing a new barbecue spot to downtown Denton
Cody Smithers, previously known for Bet the House BBQ, is working on a new concept called Smithers Smokehouse, which he expects to open this year during Labor Day weekend.
KXIIAutism awareness and acceptance month recognized in Grayson County
Grayson County leaders are marking Autism Awareness and Acceptance month.
TexomaDisciplinary files released on ex-Wichita Falls officer after MSU student arrest
The disciplinary files on one of two former Wichita Falls police officers involved in the controversial arrest of an MSU student last August has been released.
Denton RCMeet the candidates: Cox, Herron and Villarreal for Denton City Council District 1
Denton City Council candidates offer insights into issues such as affordable housing, economic growth and homelessness for voters in District 1.
KXIIGainesville reveals lineup for free summer concert series
The lineup for Gainesville’s free summer concert series has been unveiled.
TexomaWichita County's $1.2M solar farm to offset taxpayer costs
Wichita County leaders said they want growth, and Tuesday, they took a step in that direction as commissioners approved a tax abatement agreement tied to a large solar farm project.
NBC 5‘It just connects us': Stars of ‘Charlie's Angels' all survived breast cancer
As the stars of “Charlie’s Angels” mark the show’s 50th anniversary, the three cast members are finding common ground in the TV series’ influence on pop culture and a health battle they’ve all encountered. Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd reunited on April 6 at the Paley Center’s PaleyFest LA panel to speak about the lasting legacy of the 1970s TV show “Charlie’s Angels.” They also paid tribute to the late Farrah Fawcett, who appeared as one of the main characters in the first season of the series. During an interview with the trio that aired on TODAY April 7, Maria Shriver asked how their ongoing friendship has helped them face the challenging seasons of their lives. “Each one of you is a cancer survivor. And we know Farrah Fawcett also had cancer. Did you share stories amongst each other?” Shriver asked. Smith acknowledged that the trio’s friendship did grow deeper as a result of their shared experiences. “It just connects you because you know what they’re going through,” she said. “And that’s when I talk about the power of girlfriends.” During their PaleyFest panel, the trio discussed their experiences with breast cancer. It was the first time Ladd had publicly shared that she was recovering from the disease, Variety reported. “It’s always a shock, and mine was an aggressive form,” Ladd said at the panel, according to Variety. “It’s a humbling experience, and yet I had wonderful doctors and a wonderful husband who helped me fight all through it.” Ladd offered details about her diagnosis and treatment, recalling the emotional journey of going bald while undergoing chemotherapy. “It was a long, hard road,” she said. When Smith underwent treatment for breast cancer, she relied on “the power of girlfriends” and her family. “When Cheryl called me, the first thing I did was send her my wigs. She was so brave,” Smith said. When Jackson was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Smith was there to support her. “It’s really important to understand and embrace not being afraid of getting a mammogram,” Jackson said. “Early detection is key. Find it early enough and you’ll probably be all right.” “If you find something, don’t ignore it,” Ladd said. During their discussion with Shriver, the trio spoke about their real-life friendship and the positive influence their onscreen friendship had on other women. “I always talk about the power of girlfriends. It’s so important,” Smith said. “I felt the same way. I thought that showing women who were for each other, not competing with each other, that we were all for each other,” Ladd added. “Nobody ever had to say, ‘I’ve got your back,’” Jackson said. “That was just the way it was.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Paddington in New Jersey? State Police rescue a bear cub and it’s adorable Meryl Streep shares the one word she thinks best describes life as a grandma Itchy armpits? Here’s what it could tell you about your health
TexomaWichita Falls city leaders tour the Memorial Auditorium for a progress update
Wichita Falls city leaders toured the first and second floors of the Memorial Auditorium for a progress update, as they continue to work on the third and fourth.
TexomaFirefighter Kelly Crush's legacy honored by Wichita Falls park, other city happenings
Honoring Kelly Crush, speed limit changes, and more were discussed in Tuesday's Wichita Falls City Council meeting.
KXIICalera shooting victim continues recovery months after New Year’s Eve party
Months after a New Year’s Eve party ended in gunfire, a 17-year-old victim is using a wheelchair as he continues his recovery.
KXIIGrayson County Sheriff’s Office joins warrant service officer program
The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office is participating in a warrant service officer program as immigration enforcement ramps up across the country.
KXIITalk of the Town: Choctaw Cultural Center is “Welcoming the Bison Home”
A powerful symbol of the prairie- and Choctaw History- is returning to Texoma this Friday.
NBC 5Johnston's overtime goal lifts Stars past Flames in 4-3 win
Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including in overtime, to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Johnston scored 3:39 into overtime on a power-play backhand shot. Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen each got an assist on the goal. Johnston scored two goals in the game. Justin Hryckowian and Robertson each scored for the Stars. Robertson’s wrist shot 4:51 into the third period sent the game to overtime. Zayne Parekh, Yegor Sharangovich, and Joel Farabee scored for the Flames. Jake Oettinger stopped 17 shots in the win for the Stars. Devin Cooley made 21 saves for the Flames. The Stars won 62% of the faceoffs in the game. Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl left early in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.
NBC 5Higashioka homer, Eovaldi milestone lead Rangers past Mariners
Kyle Higashioka gave Texas the lead with a two-run homer, Nathan Eovaldi recorded his 1,500th career strikeout during six solid innings and the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Tuesday night. Higashioka’s liner just over the wall in left field in the fifth put the Rangers in front 3-2 against George Kirby, who lost to Texas for the first time in 11 career starts. The right-hander won eight of those first 10. Brendan Donovan homered to right on the first pitch of the game in Eovaldi’s 300th career start, but the 36-year-old right-hander settled in and struck out seven, including Josh Naylor for his 1,500th to end the first inning. Eovaldi (1-2) allowed six hits and two runs. Jacob Latz finished two perfect innings with strikeouts of Naylor and Randy Arozarena, who combined to go 0 for 8 with seven strikeouts from the 4-5 spots in the Seattle order. The left-hander set a franchise record by holding opponents hitless in 28 at-bats to start the season. Jakob Junis pitched around consecutive singles to start the ninth for his second save in two games, matching his career total from 253 career appearances over nine seasons. Cal Raleigh gave Seattle a 2-0 lead in the fifth with an RBI single, one night after the catcher who led the majors with 60 homers in 2025 went deep for the first time this season. Kirby (1-2) had a career ERA of 0.97 against Texas when Joc Pederson and Evan Carter opened the fifth with consecutive singles. Pederson advanced to second on Donovan’s throwing error at third base, then scored on Carter’s base hit before Higashioka drilled an 0-1 pitch to left. Kirby gave up six hits over eight innings in his second career complete game — both losses in eight-inning outings — as the Mariners lost a series for the first time in 10 meetings with the Rangers, going back to September 2023.
KXIIPontotoc County man sentenced on child sex crime charges
A Pontotoc County man is headed to prison after he pleaded no contest to child sex crime charges.
NBC 5Power outages disrupt businesses, raise concerns in Celina
Frustration is mounting in North Texas’ Celina as residents and downtown businesses deal with repeated power outages. Business owners say unpredictable, hours-long interruptions are disrupting routines and cutting into profits. “We just don’t know, so you could be in the middle of your day and then the whole thing goes off,” said Katie Dunn, owner of Nowhere Bar and Little Wooden Penguin in Celina. Dunn said outages are becoming more frequent and lasting longer. She said the most recent outage on Thursday lasted nearly 12 hours, leading to lost revenue and spoiled food. “Tossing burgers, tossing chicken, wagyu dogs, it’s done. It’s gone,” she said. Other businesses in downtown Celina report similar challenges. Stella’s Ice Cream said it has thrown out more than $70,000 worth of melted ice cream in the past month. At Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli, manager Casey Harper said the uncertainty is raising concerns about the business’s future. “It could require a shutdown at this point. We’re not only losing our product, we have workers that rely on this business, and if they can’t rely on the business, how are they supposed to come to work? How are they supposed to continue to give us effort if we can’t return the favor?” Harper said. Power provider Oncor said it recognizes how disruptive repeated outages are and is working on a multiphase reliability improvement project in Celina. The company said the effort was accelerated because of outages and continued growth. According to the city, upgrades include installing more than 100 new poles, replacing about 400 crossarms, and adding advanced circuit switches. Oncor said most of the project is expected to be completed this summer. The company also said the most recent outage on Thursday was caused by severe weather. The Celina Economic Development Corp. is scheduled to host a downtown business meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at City Hall. Oncor is expected to attend. “The ideal scenario here is that we are able to identify all the businesses downtown that are having these problems, they get a switcher installed, and they get a generator, and Oncor says we’re sorry about what happened,” Dunn said. For now, business owners say they are adapting as best they can. “We are MacGyvering Celina right now. It is a little crazy,” Dunn said.
KXIIWoman arrested in Sherman, accused of throwing hammer at man
Police said that Makiya Owens, 22, was accused of breaking items and throwing a hammer at her boyfriend.
KXIIMan arrested and accused of car break-in, attempted break-ins at Ardmore nightclub
An Ardmore man is facing list of charges after he allegedly broke into a car, and tried to break into several others, at a local nightclub.
Denton RCACLU and anti-censorship group target UNT over art exhibit removal with mobile billboard
There's a mobile billboard making the rounds of the UNT campus this week, through a partnership between the ACLU of Texas, the National Coalition Against Censorship and the artist known as Marka27, whose exhibit at the CVAD Gallery was canceled…
KXIIFormer student arrested after injuring principal in shooting at Pauls Valley High School
The principal at Pauls Valley High School was injured after he was shot by a former student while inside the school, law enforcement said.
KXIIWaurika officer, county dispatcher charged after traffic stop investigation
A Waurika police officer and a Jefferson County dispatcher are facing charges after the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate a September incident.
NBC 5Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller wins Marjorie Taylor Greene's former House seat in Georgia
Republican Clay Fuller on Tuesday won Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former U.S. House seat in Georgia, turning back a Democratic challenge with the help of President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite uneasiness over the war in Iran. In a deep red district that Greene won by 29 points and Trump carried by almost 37 points two years ago, Fuller was on track to prevail by about 12 points with almost all votes counted. The result added to a string of special elections where Democrats performed better than expected, a track record that the party hopes will create momentum toward November’s midterm elections when control of Congress hangs in the balance. In another election held Tuesday, a Democratic-backed candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court won by double-digit margins, growing the liberal majority there. Fuller insisted that his victory over Democratic candidate Shawn Harris in Georgia was a testimony to Trump’s staying power. “They couldn’t beat Donald Trump and they never will,” he told supporters in Ringgold, near the border with Tennessee. “And I will be on Capitol Hill as a warrior to have his back each and every day.” However, Trump’s escalating rhetoric had some Republicans concerned, even in this deep red district. The president had set a deadline for Tuesday at 8 p.m. — one hour after polls closed in Georgia — for Iran to reach a deal with the United States, saying that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” However, he later announced a two-week ceasefire to allow negotiations to continue. Acworth resident Jason McGinty said he was worried Trump was “about to go too far” and “may be committing a war crime” if he followed through on threats to bomb power plants and other infrastructure in Iran. He voted for Fuller to “make sure the America First party is still in place.” Retiree Judy McDonald agreed with the president’s decision to go to war but was “very anxiety-ridden” over the conflict. “Eventually we will have peace and the Iranians will kind of come to a conclusion that they won’t have a country if they don’t stop the terrorism,” she said. Some Democrats hoped the election would send a message to Trump Fuller will serve out the remaining months of Greene’s term, bolstering the party’s slim majority in the House, where Republicans control 217 seats to Democrats’ 214, with one independent. He’ll have to face another Republican primary on May 19 to win a full two-year term, and could face a June 16 party runoff. Harris is already the Democratic nominee for November. Retiree Melinda Dorl supported Harris “so it sends a message to Trump and his cronies that people aren’t happy,” she said. “This war was totally uncalled for. Trump is a liar. Everything he says is a lie,” Dorl said, adding that Trump was wrecking relationships with countries that have traditionally been American allies. Harris, a cattle farmer and retired general who describes himself as a “dirt-road Democrat,” stirred enthusiasm even among supporters who expected him to lose. “I voted for the Democrat even though this is a very red district and the Democrat has almost no chance of winning,” said Michael Robards, a software engineer from Kennesaw who calls himself a center-right independent. He said he wants to see Trump’s policies rolled back and the president again impeached. Georgia’s 14th District stretches across 10 counties from suburban Atlanta to Tennessee. After losing to Greene two years ago, Harris said his strong showing this time would be a stepping stone to November. “We’re going to beat him next time,” Harris said on Tuesday in Rome, Georgia. Fuller said he had withstood Democrats’ best punch. “The left did their best. They poured in millions upon millions of dollars,” Fuller told reporters. “And what you’re seeing is the best that they can accomplish.” Fuller had presidential support Trump endorsed Fuller, a district attorney who prosecuted crimes in four counties, to succeed Greene in February, boosting him over other Republican candidates in a crowded field. Greene, once among Trump’s most ardent supporters, had split with the president by criticizing his foreign policy and his reluctance to release documents involving the Jeffrey Epstein case. The president eventually had enough, saying he would support a primary challenge against her. Greene announced a week later that she would resign. Outside of Congress, Greene has continued to assail Trump. “Trump was elected to go to war against America’s deep state and to end America’s involvement in foreign wars,” she wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Not to kill an entire civilization while waging a foreign war on behalf of Israel, another foreign country.” However, Fuller has backed Trump to the hilt — including the war — and has identified no issue on which he disagreed with the president. Trump reiterated his support for Fuller on Monday night and then again on Tuesday. “To the Great Patriots in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District: GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY for a fantastic Candidate, Clay Fuller, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” the president wrote on social media.
Denton RCFive weeks after teasing endorsement, Trump remains on the sidelines of Cornyn-Paxton Senate runoff
On March 4, the day after the Texas Senate Republican primary, President Donald Trump was resolute — he would be endorsing “soon” in the runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, and he wanted the contest to…
NBC 5Live Blog: Jurors watch frantic search footage, body recovery in Athena Strand trial
Jurors on Wednesday watched hours of video showing the frantic search for 7-year-old Athena Strand during day two of the murder trial over her death. Click here to see the coverage from the trial on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, prosecutors walked the jury through body camera and interview footage tied to the search, as they try to secure the death penalty against Tanner Horner. The videos focused heavily on Horner’s interactions with law enforcement and on what prosecutors described as efforts to send investigators on a wild-goose chase. One of the key moments came from a body camera video recorded during Horner’s arrest on the third day of the search. In court, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza described the mindset law enforcement had at that point in the case, saying, “I felt there was a possibility that Athena was still alive and we needed to bring her home.” That hope changed during a recorded exchange between Espinoza and Horner that was shown to jurors Wednesday morning. Body camera video captured Espinoza pressing Horner for answers. Espinoza said, “Where’s she at? Where’s she at? That’s the most important thing right now.” Horner then responded to investigators. Horner said, “I can show you.” Investigators then asked whether Athena was still alive. Horner said, “She wasn’t alive when I put her in the truck.” Tanner Horner, left, being interviewed by detectives about the death of Athena Strand, reacts after saying he killed her. Espinoza testified that the statement did not match what he had already seen on video from the FedEx driver’s truck. Explaining that discrepancy to jurors, Espinoza said, “I knew that wasn’t factual because based on the two clips that I saw, you can clearly see Mr. Horner putting Athena in the back of the van.” Prosecutors said Horner then led law enforcement through an extended search in the wrong area while officers looked for Athena’s body. During that search, body camera video captured Horner making another statement to investigators. Horner said, “I tossed her right in there. I don’t know why y’all haven’t found her yet.” After a recess for lunch, testimony continued with Espinoza, who told the jury that Horner was calm and responsive during an interview at the Wise County Jail. Horner eventually told investigators how he “hurt” Athena before confessing he tried to kill her quickly and “tossed” her body in some bushes. During his interview with investigators, Horner said he never sexually assaulted the girl and that she was clothed when he disposed of her body. While trying to convince Horner to direct them to exactly where he left her remains, Horner began getting upset, realizing he was going to miss out on his own child’s life. “This isn’t one of those probation things. This is one of those I’m going away for a long time things, and I’m going to miss out on all of my f___ing son’s life. I would rather die,” Horner said. Espinosa said he kept reiterating that it was time to get Athena home and they needed his help to find her and that Horner kept saying “she’s there, that’s where I put her.” Espinosa said to get the true answer out of Horner, he knew he would have to “play his game” and “address him as Zero.” “When I address, tell him that I know what I’ve been missing is that I’ve been talking to the wrong person, that I needed to be talking to Zero, his physical demeanor changes, his head goes into a sideways motion, his eyes roll into the back of the head, and he pretends to turn into Zero.” Espinosa said he then asked him again about Athena and that “Zero” said he would take him to her. Espinosa said they got into his pickup, and Horner directed him to an area known as Bobo’s Crossing. At Bobo’s Crossing, Espinoza said Horner directed him to a cliff near a guardrail and then showed him where he put her body. After using a flashlight, Espinoza said he spotted the girl’s nude body beneath the water. After locating her body, detectives continued talking with Horner as his alter ego, Zero. “I know Tanner didn’t sexually assault this girl. I know Tanner didn’t hurt this girl, but I know you did,” the detective asked. “Did you sexually assault this girl?” “No,” Horner replied. “Did you kill this little girl, Zero?” the detective asked. “Tanner wouldn’t do it,” Horner replied. “Thank you for bringing me to her. Thank you for letting me get her home,” the detective said. Defendant pleads guilty before the trial started on Tuesday Tanner Horner, a former FedEx delivery driver, pleaded guilty Tuesday in the death of 7-year-old Athena Strand. In 2022, Horner told investigators he panicked and strangled the girl after she threatened to tell her father he hit her with his delivery vehicle. Prosecutors said that is just one of the many lies Horner told investigators ahead of the trial. Horner’s defense team said he suffers from mental illness and lead poisoning and they’re asking the jury to spare his life and send him to prison without parole. Judge George Gallagher warned that the testimony would be graphic. While we are streaming the trial, we may cut away during the more disturbing testimony, but we will return as soon as we can. Gallagher said that even though Horner pleaded guilty, the jury will be allowed to hear the entire case so that they can decide his sentence: death or life in prison without parole. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
NBC 5Texas officials investigating hundreds of complaints against Camp Mystic amid license renewal bid
Texas health regulators told Camp Mystic’s owners Tuesday they are investigating hundreds of complaints following last year’s devastating floods that killed 27 girls as the state considers whether to allow the all-girls camp to reopen this summer. The Texas Rangers are also helping to look into allegations of neglect, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, although the scope of the state’s elite investigative unit was not immediately clear. The investigations underscore the hurdles facing Camp Mystic as it pushes ahead with reopening plans over the outrage of the families of the 25 girls and two teenage counselors who died in the July 4 floods. More than 850 families have signed up to return to the Christian, all-girls camp this summer if it is allowed to reopen a portion of the camp that did not flood. The Department of State Health Services said that since February, the agency has received “hundreds of complaints regarding Camp Mystic’s operations in the summer of 2025” alleging violations of state laws governing youth camps. The agency said it asked for help from state police. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the Texas Rangers joined an “investigation regarding complaints of neglect” during the flood. Neither agency released details. The camp did not evacuate and was hit hard when the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 meters) to 29.5 feet (9 meters) within 60 minutes before dawn. A letter sent Tuesday from the health agency to the camp owners informed them of the agency’s investigation, but made no mention of the Texas Rangers being involved. Lawyers for the families of the girls who were killed and the Camp Mystic owners did not immediately respond to email messages requesting comment. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the Texas Rangers’ involvement a “criminal investigation” and said the state should not grant the camp a license to reopen until that probe and another one by state lawmakers are complete. “I urge you to prioritize safety and do everything in your power to ensure Camp Mystic and/or their operators are not allowed to operate until the facts are in,” Patrick wrote in a letter Tuesday to the head of the health agency. Families of several of the girls who died have sued the camp’s operators, arguing that camp officials failed to take necessary steps to protect the campers as life-threatening floodwaters approached. A district judge last month ordered the camp owners to preserve damaged cabins and other parts of the grounds in the flooded area as the lawsuits proceed. The body of one of the campers killed, 8-year-old Cile Steward, has not yet been recovered. DPS officials said the search for the girl continues. Edward Eastland, one of the camp owners, was also killed. All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.
NBC 5Affordable housing project expected to bring almost 300 apartments to Denton
At Christian Community Action in Lewisville, CEO and President Gilbert Montez sees firsthand the need for housing assistance. “Every month, we see almost 75 to 80 families who come, individuals who come representing families looking for rental assistance,” Montez said. “So, we know affordability is a huge issue in Denton County.” So to hear affordable housing is coming to the county is good news. “With the word affordable, we are excited about it,” Montez said. In partnership with builder NRP Group and the Denton Housing Authority, 297 one to four-bedroom apartments are being built near Borman Elementary School. It will offer homes to families earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income or AMI. For reference, according to lender Freddie Mac, the AMI for this area is $113,500.30 to 70 percent of that would range from $34,000 to $79,000. “It’s going to be affordable for our families,” Montez said. “It’s going to be affordable for some, but not for all of them.” The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses these caps to help low-income families. Denton’s director of community services, Jesse Kent, said it helps low-income families with their budgets. “They say to ensure that households that are low income don’t pay more than 30% of their income, their monthly income and rent, they will cap it at different levels for different income households and household sizes,” Kent said. As for Montez he said this is a positive thing, but he knows even still some families will need their help. “Many times though, families don’t have that first month’s rent that is required, plus some kind of down payment,” Montez said. “CCA sometimes winds up helping with those kinds of things so a family can move in.” The units are expected to open early in 2027.
NBC 5Passenger ‘erased' from flight records, forced to pay hundreds to get home
A North Texas woman says an airline had no record she boarded a flight — even after she completed the trip. Tessa Ilaoa said she was traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Tampa, Florida, for her father’s 80th birthday. She said she boarded her outbound flight without issue, settled into her seat and even took a photo of a chihuahua sitting next to her. But after landing in Tampa, Ilaoa said she received a notification that her trip had been canceled, including the flight she had just taken. “And it wasn’t until I went to my return flight to check in that I found out that my entire trip had then canceled. And so I called American Airlines and spoke with someone, and they said that I was not on the initial flight. And they canceled my entire trip,” Ilaoa said. She said airline representatives told her they had no record of her checking in or boarding the outbound flight. Ilaoa said she offered proof. “And they said, we have no record of you being on the flight. She said, do you have your boarding pass? And I said yes, I do,” Ilaoa said. “She said, ‘Show that to the ticket counter when you go tomorrow and show them your proof that you were on the flight, the picture that you have,’” she added. But when she arrived at the airport for her return trip, Ilaoa said that documentation was not accepted. “They wouldn’t take my picture or my boarding pass or any of my documentation and told me that I needed to pay full price for another flight to get home. And, you know, they even charged me the $35 service fee for using the ticket counter,” she said. She said the replacement ticket cost nearly $400, about double what she originally paid for the round trip. Back home, Ilaoa said she repeatedly tried to get answers and a refund. “Any time that I did speak with somebody, it was, we’re sorry for the inconvenience, but we have no proof of you being on this flight,” she said. She also questioned safety and accountability, saying she wondered whether her family would have been notified in an emergency if she was not listed on the passenger manifest. After Ilaoa contacted NBC 5 Responds, a refund for her original trip appeared in her bank account. A few days later, she said she also received a refund for the return ticket and the service fee. “I appreciate you guys so much and all that you do,” Ilaoa said. American Airlines did not explain how a ticketed passenger could board a flight without being recorded on the manifest or what steps, if any, it is taking to prevent similar incidents.
NBC 5High school principal injured in shooting inside school lobby, Oklahoma sheriff says
A high school principal in Oklahoma was shot in the leg Tuesday after confronting a man who entered the school with a gun, authorities said. Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore is in stable condition, and no students were injured in the shooting, according to authorities. The suspect, a 20-year-old former student, was taken into custody, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesman Hunter McKee told reporters outside the school. Moore and other staff members quickly confronted the former student after they noticed he entered the school with a gun, McKee said. “The subject was able to fire multiple rounds, where the principal was hurt, but no one else was,” McKee said. “The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives today.” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said Moore “acted bravely to protect students’ lives” and that he and his wife were praying for his quick recovery. “I’m thankful for the swift response from law enforcement and school staff, and I’m grateful no students were harmed,” he said in a post on the social platform X. Pauls Valley is a community of about 6,000 people 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.
TexomaSeymour teachers get pro development at RCA Experience
Among the educators who attended, two were from the Wichita Falls area: Izora Kolic from Seymour Middle School in Seymour and Theresa Moore from Seymour Elementary School in Seymour. Both attended through SONIC's Coca-Cola C.R.E.W. Challenge initiative.
NBC 5Garland homes hit by bullets in early morning deadly shooting
Garland detectives say they are searching for multiple suspects after an early morning shooting killed one person and left bullet holes in at least two homes. Garland Police say they received 911 calls from neighbors at about 4:45 a.m., with one caller telling dispatchers they saw multiple people outside their home in masks, and feared for their safety. When officers arrived in the 1400 block of Melrose Street, just west of North Garland Road, they found a gray sedan with the driver’s side door open, and someone lying in the front yard of a home. The person had been shot, according to police, and later died at a hospital. No one else was injured. Neighbors told NBC 5 they heard a series of gunshots before sunrise Tuesday. Don, who did not want to share his last name, said the noise was loud and strong enough to feel. “I just, it was kind of like in a daze for a while, but it scared the you know what out of me when that went off this morning because it was so loud,” Don said. Lt. Pedro Barineau with Garland Police said instances of violent crime in the neighborhood just north of downtown are uncommon, calling the shooting “isolated”. “This is very complicated, this investigation,” Barineau said. Barineau added in an update late Tuesday afternoon that detectives believe the shooting may be related to an “ongoing dispute between individuals that live outside of Garland.” No arrests have been made as of late Tuesday, according to police.
NBC 5Hockey fan goes into labor during NHL game: ‘There's a baby being born on the 7th floor'
Many Canadians grow up around hockey, but one baby will be able claim to have done so literally from birth. During the Edmonton Oilers’ matchup against the Las Vegas Knights on Saturday, April 4, a woman went into labor inside Rogers Place in the Canadian province of Alberta, and reportedly gave birth in the arena. Commentators for Canadian sports network Sportsnet broke the new live during the broadcast, announcing during the second period that “there’s a baby being born on the seventh floor.” “So, someone’s going to have a great story to tell,” play‑by‑play sportscaster Jack Michaels said on the broadcast, before joking, “It would be nice to have the mother join us on ‘After Hours’ to describe what’s happened, but that could be asking a bit much.” The Oilers’ 5-1 loss to their division rivals left fans with little to celebrate aside from the arrival of their newest fan. The condition of the mother and baby was not clear and Rogers Place did not respond to NBC Local’s request for comment. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 5MAGA influencers push back on Trump on Iran: ‘It's time to say no'
At the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans, George H.W. Bush swore an oath to his party: “Read my lips: No new taxes.“ He won the election. Then, he raised taxes. The move alienated Republican activists, and GOP lore has long held that he lost re-election because the broken promise tattered his relationship with the party’s base. Now, President Donald Trump is threatening to destroy Iranian civilization after campaigning in part on a “no new wars” mantra in 2024. He has said the war is necessary to stop Iran’s leadership from obtaining nuclear weapons and further destabilizing the global order. His reversal is creating major strains within his own “Make America Great Again” movement, evident in increasingly loud dissent from some of its most prominent media figures, resistance from a growing number of GOP lawmakers and polling. The roster of conservative luminaries rebuking Trump over Iran this week could have been cut and pasted from a list of his most reliable supporters of the past: Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Mike Cernovich, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Turning Point USA’s former communications director Candace Owens, among many others. “Trump would not have won the primary in 2016 had he run on Mitt Romney’s platform, nor would he have won the 2024 election by running on new wars,” Cernovich, a right-wing influencer who has promoted “pizzagate” and various other conspiracy theories, wrote to his 1.4 million X followers on Sunday. “It’s silly to claim Trump is MAGA. He rode a cultural wave, only he had the personal will to do so, but the issues matter, too.” In a prior post, Cernovich alleged that “Trump’s goal is to turn Iran into Syria. An unpopular war that he wasn’t able to wrap up quickly, so now he is lashing out and destroying hospitals and bridges.” Jones and Greene have called for the Cabinet to use the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to declare Trump unable to fulfill his duties and oust him from the Oval Office. Carlson advised Trump’s military aides to reject any plan to slaughter Iranian civilians, including through the potential use of a nuclear weapon. “Now it’s time to say no, absolutely not, and say it directly to the president, no,” Carlson said on his podcast. Jenna Ellis, who was an attorney for Trump’s 2020 campaign, said Trump’s Truth Social post threatening Iranian civilization read to her “like a president who feels increasingly invincible — and that should concern everyone.” “What I saw in his first term, and what this post reinforces, is that he approaches governing the way he approached New York real estate: find the loophole, bypass the restriction, and do what you want anyway,” she told NBC News. “The rhetoric here is strikingly expansive and, at points, unmoored. When you pair that tone with an apparent belief that executive authority is unconstrained, it raises serious concerns about decision-making in one of the most volatile geopolitical contexts in the world.” The White House did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on this story. But Trump told the New York Post that he thinks Carlson, who has visited him at the White House this year, is “a low-IQ person that has absolutely no idea what’s going on.” A senior White House official also brushed off Carlson’s comments, saying they had not seen his remarks and questioning why they would bother watching his monologue. transgender rights Apr 6 Trump administration terminates agreements to protect transgender students in several schools War with Iran Apr 6 Trump details airman rescue, threatens Iran's power plants and bridges Congress Apr 5 Sen. Tim Kaine says Congress will ‘have a hard time' reviewing Trump's military budget request In a prime-time speech last week — his first since the war began on Feb. 28 — Trump said the war would end “shortly” without offering any firm timeline. “Everyone has said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, but in the end, those are just words if you’re not willing to take action when the time comes,” he said, later adding: “We are on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America and the world.” Carlson is one of a number of conservatives who have framed their dissatisfaction with Trump in religious terms, saying the president’s words and actions fly in the face of Christianity. After Trump posted to social media on Easter Sunday with a profane call for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel for international commerce, Carlson admonished his own followers. “Desecrating Easter was the first step toward nuclear war,” Carlson wrote on X. “Christians need to understand where Trump is taking us.” In February, Trump’s Justice Department tried and failed to indict several Democratic lawmakers who had participated in a video cautioning military personnel to reject unlawful orders. Trump had accused the lawmakers of engaging in “seditious behavior” that could be “punishable by death.” On Tuesday, Carrie Prejean Boller, a former model who served as a member of the Trump-appointed federal Religious Liberty Commission until February, pressed fellow Christians to stop working for Trump. “I’m calling on every single Christian to RESIGN IMMEDIATELY from this administration,” wrote Boller, who was dismissed from the panel after a clash over the definition of antisemitism. “If you don’t,” she continued, “the blood of innocent human life is on your hands. Trump is an evil psychopath.” For other influencers in the conservative ecosphere, criticism of the president’s approach has been more subtle. Steve Bannon, a senior White House aide in Trump’s first term and the host of the “War Room” podcast, has been all over the map on Iran. On Tuesday, with the president’s deadline for a deal with Iran nearing and his threat of decimating that country’s critical infrastructure looming, Bannon talked about the opportunity cost of the war — asserting that the administration is taking its eye off more consequential threats from illegal immigration and China. “What are we doing?” Bannon said on his podcast. “We’re in the Middle East, which is a side show to the side show.” With Congress in recess and with Republicans in the chamber typically in lockstep with the president, there has been less explicit resistance from the class of elected officials. But a handful of Republicans in each chamber have said publicly that there are limits to what they are willing to support in the Iran war. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said last week that Trump should put a stop to hostilities unless he gets specific authorization from Congress, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said on a podcast this week that he doesn’t want the U.S. to “blow up civilian infrastructure.” At the same time, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers are calling for Trump to be removed from office, echoing some of those on the right. While efforts to invoke the War Powers Act to end the war failed in both the House and Senate earlier this month, there has also been no movement in Congress on a formal authorization of the war or a spending package to fund it. Trump administration officials are expected to seek as much as $200 billion from Congress for the war, but they have not officially transmitted a request that would face significant obstacles to enactment. In other words, Congress has yet to show that there are enough votes to authorize the war, to fund it or to stop it. At the same time, Trump is seeing signs of erosion from his GOP coalition across the country. He is ineligible to run for re-election, but public approval for a president — or disapproval — can affect his ability to influence Congress, governors and foreign leaders as he attempts to advance his agenda. More crucial for the final two years of his term, Trump is also in danger of losing Republican majorities in the House and Senate. With gas prices having risen more than $1 per gallon at the pump since the start of the war a little more than a month ago, and many Republican, Democratic and independent voters wary and weary of war, surveys are starting to show an electorate moving further away from Trump. A Morning Consult poll released this week concluded that the president’s approval rating is in positive territory in just 17 of the 50 states. Earlier this year, that number was 22. “Our data shows that the share of Republicans who ‘strongly approve’ of Trump dropped in every competitive Senate and House battleground this quarter,” the outlet reported. “At the same time, the share of Democrats who ‘strongly’ disapprove of his job performance increased in key states.”
TexomaT-38 aircraft incident during landing at Sheppard Air Force Base, no initial injuries
According to a news release from SAFB, a U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon trainer aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing was involved in an incident during a routine landing on Monday, April 7, just after 4 p.m.
NBC 5Pope says Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘truly unacceptable'
Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law. In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, the American pope urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace. “Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” Leo said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. He was referring to Trump’s threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Leo recalled his Easter appeal for peace and to reject war, “especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate, and which is not resolving anything.” He invited all people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to remind them that attacks on civilian infrastructure are “against international law” and also are a “sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction human beings are capable of, and we all want to work for peace.” In recent weeks, history’s first U.S.-born pope has escalated the tone of his opposition to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran after initially issuing muted appeals for peace and dialogue. Last week for the first time, Leo publicly named Trump in saying he hoped the U.S. president was truly “looking for an off-ramp.” The Vatican has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality and it is rare for a pope to name a political leader or country specifically in a critical way. But the war in Iran has nudged even a reserved pope to break with typical protocol. On Tuesday, Leo didn’t cite Trump by name but in comments in English he urged people to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives “to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war.” “We have a worldwide economic crisis, an energy crisis, (a) situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world,” he said. War with Iran Apr 7 U.S. and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on threats War with Iran Apr 7 Live updates: Trump pulls back on Iran threats for 2 weeks He said the message to political leaders should be: “Come back to the table, let’s talk, let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way and let’s remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare.” The Vatican is particularly concerned about how the Iran conflict has spread to a renewed war in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The Vatican fears for Christians in southern Lebanon, who are an important bulwark for the church in the region. Earlier in the day, the Vatican released a special message from Leo to the residents of Debel, Lebanon after a convoy carrying over 40 tons of aid led by the Vatican was prevented from arriving with an Easter shipment. It was canceled for what Lebanon’s Maronite Church said were “security reasons.” In the message, Leo expressed solidarity with the “injustices” that the Christians of southern Lebanon are enduring and compared them to Christ’s suffering. “In your misfortune, in the injustice you endure, in the feeling of abandonment you experience, you are very close to Jesus. You are close to Him also on this Easter Day when He conquered the forces of evil, and which resonates for you as a promise of the future,” read the message, which was written in French and was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Leo visited Lebanon late last year on his first international trip as pope.
NBC 5Astronauts make long-distance call to space station on return trip from the moon
Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts put in a call to their friends aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as they headed home from the moon. It was the first moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. NASA’s Apollo crews had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time humanity set sail for deep space. For Christina Koch on Artemis II and Jessica Meir aboard the space station, it marked a joyous space reunion despite being 230,000 miles apart. The two teamed up for the world’s first all-female spacewalk in 2019 outside the orbiting lab. NASA Apr 6 Artemis II makes trip around the moon after breaking Apollo 13's distance record NASA Apr 6 ‘Loved to the moon and back': Artemis II astronauts dedicate crater to commander's late wife Houston’s Mission Control arranged the cosmic chitchat between the four lunar travelers and the space station’s three NASA and one French residents. As Tuesday dawned, Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman continued to beam back pictures of the previous day’s lunar rendezvous, which set a new distance record for humanity. The highlight: an Earthset photo reminiscent of Apollo 8’s Earthrise shot from 1968. The first lunar explorers since Apollo 17 in 1972, Wiseman and his crew are aiming for a Friday splashdown off the San Diego coast on Friday to wrap up the nearly 10-day test flight. It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, a lunar lander docking demo in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will follow in 2028 with two astronauts attempting to land near the lunar south pole.
TexomaSurvivors recall Terrible Tuesday 47 years later
April 10th will mark the 47th anniversary of what many call Terrible Tuesday, when a deadly tornado outbreak tore through Texoma, leaving lasting scars.
NBC 5U.S. and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on threats
Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire, an 11th hour deal that allowed U.S. President Donald Trump to pull back from his threats to unleash a bombing campaign that would destroy Iranian civilization. But attacks in Iran and Gulf Arab countries resumed Wednesday, throwing the deal into question. Even before the new strikes were reported, much about the deal was unclear as the sides presented vastly different visions of the terms. — Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but the terms were not clear, nor was whether ships would feel safe using the crucial transit lane for oil. It also was unclear whether any other country agreed to this condition. — Pakistan, which helped to mediate the deal, and others said fighting would pause in Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel said it would not. — The fate of Iran’s missile and nuclear programs — the elimination of which were major objectives for the U.S. and Israel in going to war — also remained unclear. As U.S. Vice President JD Vance called the agreement “a fragile truce,” the United Arab Emirates reported an incoming Iranian missile barrage, and Kuwait’s military said it was responding to drones. Iran then said an oil refinery came under attack. In the streets of Tehran, pro-government demonstrators screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement and burned American and Israeli flags. The chants underscored the anger animating hard-liners, who have been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptic battle with the United States. Trump warned Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” if a deal wasn’t reached. War with Iran Apr 7 Pope says Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘truly unacceptable' War with Iran Apr 7 Live updates: Trump pulls back on Iran threats for 2 weeks Varying reports of ceasefire’s terms Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war the U.S. launched with Israel on Feb. 28. But when a version in Farsi emerged that indicated Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium — which is key to building a nuclear weapon — Trump called it fraudulent without elaborating. Trump also suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That could be a potential flashpoint in days to come. Iran’s demands for ending the war, meanwhile, include a withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of its frozen assets. All those likely are nonstarters for Trump and other Western nations. Pakistan said that talks to hammer out a permanent end to the war could begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday. Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday that the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel’s military said later that fighting and ground operations continue. Iran and Oman to collect shipping fees in Strait of Hormuz Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn’t clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway. The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. But that would upend decades of reliance on the strait as an international waterway free for transit and will likely not be acceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oilfields. “Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process,” Trump said on social media. Fate of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs remains unclear The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran, but they have not entirely eliminated the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its support for regional proxies, like Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel said addressing those threats was a key justification for going to war. Iran seems to still have the means to restart its nuclear program — which it says is peaceful, although it has enriched uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. That stockpile of highly enriched uranium is still believed to be buried, and Tehran referred to the program differently in two versions of the ceasefire plan that it released. The version in Farsi included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. That phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats with journalists. A senior Israeli official said the United States had coordinated the ceasefire with Israel in advance and said Israel’s government credited “the massive crushing of the regime’s infrastructure” with securing the agreement. Speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing private diplomatic conversations, the official said Washington had committed to pressing for the removal of nuclear material and dismantling of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Airstrikes reported in the hours after the deal is announced Missile alerts were issued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait after the ceasefire announcement. A gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi was ablaze after incoming Iranian fire, officials said. The fire stopped for a time, but then restarted. The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday afternoon its air defenses fired at an incoming Iranian missile barrage. Kuwait’s military said its forces responded to an “extensive wave” of drone attacks. And Iranian state television reported that an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island came under attack. The report said that firefighters were working to contain the blaze but no one had been hurt. It did not say who launched the attack. The island is home to one of the offshore terminals that Iran uses to export oil and gas. The U.S. military’s Central Command did not respond to questions about the strike. More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the war’s toll for days. In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died. In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris; Nicole Winfield in Rome; Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo; Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem; Farnoush Amiri at The United Nations; and Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Michelle L. Price, Joshua Boak and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
NBC 5Video: Dallas police reopen downtown streets after suspicious package scare
A suspicious device in a black SUV rattled nerves and forced Dallas police to shut down streets in downtown Dallas around lunchtime Tuesday. For several hours, the area around Lamar and Elm streets in downtown was cordoned off while the bomb squad investigated. Police reopened roads just before 2 p.m., but the disruption continued to affect downtown traffic hours later. Police said a black Chevrolet Tahoe was parked at the intersection with what was considered a suspicious package. Video from above showed the Tahoe with its windows and trunk blown out and on the ground, while a Dallas Police explosive disposal team member wearing what appeared to be a hazmat suit and helmet searched the vehicle. One witness described the tense scene as officers warned people to keep away from the SUV. “It had its blinkers on, and the police were telling us, steer clear of the car, don’t go near the car, don’t touch the car,” said Mathylda Ndosima. Later, as a police robot was sent in to investigate, others were left stranded nearby. “We got stuck because the cops were all piled up there and we were waiting for someone to let us through,” said Ndosima. Dallas Apr 7 Dallas Police shutdown roads downtown due to suspicious package Dallas Apr 7 Police investigate suspicious packing in downtown Dallas Police blocked off roads while searching bags found in the truck, and a K-9 officer also swept the scene. A sword that appeared to have been pulled from the truck was seen propped up outside the vehicle. A witness said the heavy police presence was frightening. “They had someone in handcuffs, and then they had the cars locked down. It was actually really terrifying,” said. The investigation also forced Dallas College’s El Centro campus into lockdown. DART’s Central Business District West End Transfer Center and West End Station were temporarily shut down as well. While buses and trains were running again later in the day, DART said its shuttle buses were canceled for the rest of the day. A witness said they saw a man in distress at the scene. “There was a man that was, like, sitting down, too, and he was crying hysterically,” said Jamila B. Police have not identified that person, but said they were charged with what officers called “obstructing the road.” Authorities are still warning of potential traffic delays and asking people to avoid the area. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
NBC 5A pizza driver's detour went viral — and strangers sent him $100,000 in tips
An unexpected delivery detour is reshaping the retirement plans of an Idaho Domino’s driver. Dan Simpson, 68, was out on a delivery run on March 27 when he discovered his store was out of Diet Coke. After calling customer Brian Wilson to ask about a substitute but getting no answer, Simpson walked across the street to a convenience store and bought the soda himself. Wilson later told the Idaho Statesman the gesture meant far more than it appeared. “On the surface, it probably looked like such a small gesture,” he said. “But to us, it felt like so much more than that. That kind of thoughtfulness and personal care just feels so rare these days.” When Simpson arrived with the order, Wilson apologized for not having extra cash for a tip and offered to call the store. Simpson waved it off. “Oh, you don’t need to,” Simpson said in the Ring video, “It’s a good tip.” The exchange, captured on TikTok, quickly went viral, drawing 2.8 million views and sparking a flood of support for the longtime delivery driver. Moved by the moment, Wilson launched a GoFundMe on March 28 to help Simpson as he prepares to retire on April 30. The fundraiser has since brought in more than $105,000 across thousands of donations. Wilson also explained why Simpson’s effort resonated so deeply with his family. “What Dan didn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running out to the store for a ‘quick’ pickup is not something that is simple or easy for us,” he told the Idaho Statesman. “What may have seemed like a tiny inconvenience to solve on his end actually made a huge difference on ours.” Simpson said that the overwhelming response has been difficult to grasp. “This can’t be real,” he said, recalling how he kept checking his phone as the total climbed. “I’m thinking, ‘This has got to be some kind of a scam.'” Simpson, who works nights delivering pizzas to supplement his job with the Idaho Department of Agriculture, has long tried to help others. He said he once served time for a DUI, got sober, returned to school more than 20 years ago and has worked steadily since, despite struggling to save for retirement. “I’ve always tried to be a pretty nice guy and help people out, because I know what it’s like to be down and out,” he said. The unexpected windfall may finally give him the chance to travel, he added. Wilson’s TikTok caption voiced what thousands soon echoed: “The world needs more Dans.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 5ICE involved in shooting in California's Central Valley, investigation underway
A shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is under investigation in California’s Stanislaus County, between San Jose and Modesto. The shooting, which was caught on camera, happened Tuesday morning in the area of Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue in Patterson. ICE officers were conducting a targeted vehicle stop to arrest Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a member of the 18th Street gang who is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a homicide, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. Hernandez “weaponized his vehicle” and tried to run over an officer as law enforcement approached his vehicle, Lyons said. ICE officers responded by firing an unknown number of shots at Hernandez. He was taken to a hospital following the shooting. His condition wasn’t immediately known. An attorney representing Hernandez and his family held a news briefing on Wednesday morning. The attorney said Hernandez was on his way to work when the incident with ICE agents occurred. Hernandez has a wife and 2-year-old daughter, according to the attorney. Dash camera video from a nearby car showed the ICE officers making a vehicle stop just off I-5 at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The officers appeared to be trying to detain the driver when the man backed up and turned his vehicle. That’s when at least one of the officers opened fire. The FBI Sacramento office said its agents responded to the scene. “We are conducting a thorough, methodical investigation to understand what transpired prior to today’s shooting,” Eugene Wu with the FBI said. “This will take time as our agents conduct our investigation.” The FBI did not release any other information. The agency’s investigators spent the day scouring the area. Policing expert Michael Leininger said he doesn’t believe ICE’s account matches up with what the dash camera video showed. “I saw no attempt for him to pull forward to strike the officers,” Leininger said. “I saw no attempt for him to hit the officer…Shooting at a moving vehicle is an absolute no – sole exception being an immediate danger to your life or the life of another.” The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said no local law enforcement was involved in the incident, which also shut down on- and off-ramps for Interstate 5 at Sperry Avenue. The area was expected to be closed for the day, according to the sheriff’s office. Gov. Gavin Newsom was briefed on the incident, his office said. “As is established practice, we expect our federal law enforcement partners to appropriately collaborate with state and local law enforcement as this matter is investigated,” Newsom’s office said in a statement. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 5These women had their breasts removed to thwart cancer. Then came the pain.
Three weeks after Sophia Bassan’s mastectomy, she felt a stabbing pain beneath her right armpit. In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back. Her body became so sensitive that at times she couldn’t wear a shirt or lift a fork to her mouth. Bassan slept sitting up because it hurt to lie down, and she would flinch at the slightest touch. “I remember thinking I was losing my mind,” said Bassan, 43. “One time I was in so much pain that I had to take off my top, and then my cat’s tail brushed against my back. I screamed.” Mastectomies are lifesaving surgeries that remove a patient’s breasts to treat breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 American women over their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Some women also undergo mastectomies as a preventive measure after a genetic test shows they have an increased risk for breast cancer. In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years. Yet PMPS is inconsistently diagnosed and treated, leaving women like Bassan in agony as they hunt for relief and struggle to find doctors who take their pain seriously, according to a KFF Health News review of peer-reviewed research studies and interviews with pain specialists, surgeons, patients, and patient advocates. After a mastectomy, Sophia Bassan developed painful shocks that radiated through her chest and back. At one point, her cat, Emi, simply brushed against her skin and caused pain so intense that Bassan screamed. She is one of many women afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS. “Doctors act like it is so rare, like they’re so baffled,” Bassan says. “But this is statistically predictable.” Another problem is that PMPS is poorly defined, which contributes to the wide range of estimates for how common it is, reaching as high as more than 50% of mastectomy patients, according to studies. Even the low-end estimates, around 10%, would amount to tens of thousands of women. PMPS care could improve if lawmakers pass the Advancing Women’s Health Coverage Act, which was introduced in October to ensure insurance coverage after breast cancer treatment, including preventive mastectomies. The bill, which does not mention PMPS by name, covers complications including chronic pain. More research would help, but pain research has long been fractured across several medical specialties and, more recently, has been undermined by the administration of President Donald Trump, who last year proposed deep cuts to research funding at the National Institutes of Health. After Congress rejected those cuts earlier this year, the White House slowed the release of NIH grant money, hindering ongoing and future scientific research. “I’ve known women who’ve had chronic pain — itching, burning, stabbing pain — for years after mastectomies,” said Kathy Steligo, an author of multiple books on breast cancer who said she has spoken with hundreds of patients. “Of all the problems, that is probably the one least talked about by surgeons.” Four mastectomy patients interviewed by KFF Health News told similar stories. In separate interviews, patients said their presurgery consultations did not raise the possibility of post-mastectomy pain syndrome, although each said they had signed forms that may have disclosed the chance of this complication. All said that they felt blindsided by the chronic pain, and some said their doctors dismissed their symptoms. “Women don’t know about this, and when they have complications, the doctors act like it is so rare, like they’re so baffled,” Bassan said. “But this is statistically predictable.” Jennifer Drubin Clark, 42, struggled with pain after her mastectomy in 2018, and it worsened after reconstructive breast surgery in 2019. But her surgeon seemed to focus only on the appearance of her breast implants, she said. “I couldn’t play the piano. I wanted to blow-dry my hair, but I couldn’t hold my arm above my head for more than two seconds. I couldn’t hold my kids,” Clark said. “Everything made me cry.” Pain Often Dismissed Breast cancer survival rates have steadily increased since the 1980s thanks to improved cancer screening, genetic testing, better treatments, and a rise in mastectomy surgeries. Post-mastectomy pain syndrome is a consequence of that success, according to recent research papers from anesthesiologists at Baylor University in Texas and surgeons in Chicago and New York. Both papers called for an increased focus on PMPS so that breast cancer patients can not only live longer but live well. “In the past, when concern was predominantly on patient survival, this pain was often considered acceptable,” plastic surgeons Jonathan Bank and Maureen Beederman wrote in a 2021 paper, adding that mastectomies and other breast surgeries “should be considered truly successful only if patients are pain-free.” Treatment for post-mastectomy pain has a long way to go, said anesthesiologist Sean Mackey, who leads the pain medicine division at Stanford University. Mackey said this “undertreated” condition has no consistent definition for diagnosis, no standardized screening, and no treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Even the name is a misnomer, Mackey said, since the same pain can arise among women who’ve had other procedures, including lumpectomies and lymph node surgeries. “The condition was historically dismissed,” Mackey said. “Basically women were told: ‘You’re lucky to be alive. Some pain is expected. Suck it up and deal with it.’” “That attitude has been slow to change,” he said. Sophia Bassan has endured post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which is estimated to affect thousands of U.S. women each year. With no clear treatment, Bassan and others have experimented with options such as the nerve stimulation machine pictured here. Bank, a New York surgeon who founded a clinic focused on post-mastectomy pain, said the pain is believed to be triggered by nerves that are severed during surgery and then left that way. The nerves can be sutured back together to minimize pain, Bank said, but most breast surgeons haven’t been trained to do this. So it is not surprising, he said, that some patients say their surgeons were dismissive of their pain after mastectomies. “When doctors don’t have an answer or don’t know the solution, the easiest thing to do is say there is no problem,” Bank said. PMPS has been documented among cancer patients since the 1970s. Although the condition does not have an official definition, many researchers describe it as frequent pain in the chest, shoulder, arm, or armpit lasting at least three months after surgery. U.S. & World White House Mar 16 White House chief of staff Susie Wiles diagnosed with breast cancer Health Nov 10, 2025 Hormone replacement therapy will no longer carry a warning label, FDA says Artificial Intelligence Oct 22, 2025 Exclusive: ‘Revolutionary' AI-powered mammograms can predict breast cancer risk Mastectomies intended to prevent breast cancer have become more common among women with elevated risks, including genetic mutations and a family history of the disease. Bassan’s grandmother died of breast cancer when she was 40. After her father died of cancer in 2023, a genetic test showed that she was at risk. Grieving and afraid, Bassan sought a preventive mastectomy without hesitation, she said. Bassan said she was also inspired by actor Angelina Jolie, who disclosed her own preventive mastectomy in a 2013 column in The New York Times. Her account had such a significant impact on rates of genetic testing and preventive mastectomies that medical researchers have studied what they call the “Angelina Jolie effect.” “I was really swayed by that,” Bassan said. “She made it sound, in a way, quite effortless.” Sophia Bassan stands beside a painting of her grandmother, who died of breast cancer at age 40. With a family history of breast cancer and a genetic test showing she was at risk, Bassan decided to undergo a preventive mastectomy. The aftermath of Bassan’s surgery was far worse than she expected. Using a computer for hours triggered paralyzing pain, so she lost her job and has been out of work for more than a year. Prescription pills dulled the pain but left her in a fog, she said. Desperate, she consulted with multiple doctors until one suggested a nerve stimulation machine, which provided fleeting relief. About nine months after her mastectomy, a breast reconstruction surgery lessened Bassan’s pain, although she said it still returns in occasional waves. Even though her surgeries were covered by insurance, Bassan estimated her pain has cost her more than $200,000 in lost wages and drained savings. “I did not expect to pay this price to have this surgery,” Bassan said. “I don’t know if it was worth it.” Other women have no real choice. No ‘Gold Standard’ Solution Jeni Golomb, 48, was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer in both breasts in 2023 and had a double mastectomy as soon as she could. Doctors made boilerplate disclosures of possible complications, Golomb said, but she never heard the words “post-mastectomy pain syndrome” until after she had it. Golomb now manages her chronic pain by taking 1,500 milligrams a day of gabapentin, an anti-seizure drug that can also be used to treat nerve pain. Golomb said she expects to take the drug for years. If she misses a dose, her pain comes roaring back. “It was the worst pain I ever felt,” Golomb said. “I labored to 10 centimeters, unmedicated, with one of my children, and that was not as bad as this. It was excruciating.” Gabapentin has proved effective at helping some mastectomy patients with stubborn pain, while others have responded to electrodes implanted in their spinal column, according to the Baylor study, published in 2024. But that study also said there is “no current gold standard” for how to treat post-mastectomy pain and a scarcity of high-level evidence for what treatments are effective. Baylor anesthesiologist Krishna Shah, who co-authored the report, said many patients eventually find a helpful treatment, but it often takes “a bit of trial and error” to identify what works for each. And sometimes they never find it. Susan Dishell, 67, said that after her 2017 mastectomy for breast cancer and reconstruction surgery, she struggled for five years with pain in both shoulders, plus a burning sensation that her medical records identified as nerve pain. Another surgery swapped out her breast implants to erase her shoulder pain in 2022, Dishell said, but doctors warned her then that her other pain was unlikely to improve. Since then, she has tried prescription drugs, steroid injections, CBD oil, acupuncture, physical therapy, and chiropractor treatments. None of it worked, she said, so she stopped trying. “I have not slept through the night since I’ve had this,” Dishell said. “But it’s OK. It’s not the most terrible price to pay to not have breast cancer.” KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
NBC 5Shots fired at Indiana politician's home after city approves data center: ‘No Data Centers'
An Indiana politician said he and his son were awakened when someone fired 13 shots at their front door, leaving behind a note reading “No Data Centers” on their doorstep. Indianapolis councilman Ron Gibson said he and his 8-year-old son weren’t harmed in the incident that occurred around 12:45 a.m. Monday, but the bullets struck just steps from the dining room table where his son played with Legos the day before. “That reality is deeply unsettling,” Gibson said. “This was not just an attack on my home, but endangered my child and disrupted the safety of our entire neighborhood.” The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that officers called to a home on East 41st Street just after 9 a.m. Monday found evidence of gunshots being fired at a house, but no injuries were reported. Police said they believe it was an isolated, targeted incident and the FBI was assisting. “I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said on Monday. “This will not deter me. I will continue to serve the residents of this district with integrity and respect for all voices.” Artificial Intelligence Feb 11 Anthropic to cover costs of electricity price increases from its data centers Energy Sep 13, 2025 Data centers threaten to overload US electricity grids Last week, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approved a rezoning petition for a project for Metrobloks, a data center developer, in Gibson’s district. Some area residents and leaders opposed to the project attended last week’s hearing, raising concerns about the project’s impact on the community, news outlets reported. Gibson supported the commission’s decision in a statement last week. “The site has remained underutilized for years, and today’s action is an important step toward bringing it back into productive use in a way that benefits both the surrounding neighborhood and our city,” Gibson said. “As the district councilor, when this petition comes before the full Council, I do not intend to call it down.”
NBC 5Ford recalls more than 400,000 trucks and SUVs because windshield wipers can fail
Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 400,000 vehicles because the windshield wiper arms can break, causing reduced visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall covers a total of 422,613 vehicles, including 2021-23 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators and a range of F series Super Duty trucks, model years 2022-2023. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on April 13. Once a remedy is determined, additional letters will be mailed. Dealerships will eventually inspect and replace the wiper arms free of charge. Recalls Apr 6 Popular sauté pans recalled over metal caps that ‘forcefully eject' when heated Recalls Apr 3 More than 3 million eye drop bottles sold nationwide recalled due to sterility issue Vehicle Identification Numbers involved in the recall are searchable on NHTSA.gov as of April 1, 2026. The following makes and models are included in the recall: 1. 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator2. 2021-2023 Ford Expedition3. 2022-2023 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD and F-600 SD Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference Ford’s number for the recall, which is 26S24.
NBC 5Wendy's is giving out free fries and frostys today. How to get yours
Thanks to one NCAA player, we all get to “dunk” today. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Connecticut Huskies 69-63 to win their second national NCAA Tournament championship on Monday, and thanks to shooting guard Roddy Gale Jr., we all have the opportunity to eat for free at Wendy’s today. “WE HAVE A DUNK 🚨,” Wendy’s posted on X April 6. “that means all of America gets free small fry and Frosty on April 7th. Not to be dramatic, but that was the greatest moment in dunk history.” Wendy’s is giving away free Fries and Frosty on Tuesday, April 7, thanks to one iconic slam dunk. On April 7, Wendy’s is fulfilling its promise to offer “Free Dunks for America” once the play was made during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship Game. Customers across the country can ask for one free small fry, paired with a small chocolate or vanilla Frosty, to dunk to their heart’s content, at participating Wendy’s restaurants. The offer is available in-restaurant only on April 7 at U.S. Wendy’s locations. And no, you don’t have to buy anything else. The Wolverines’ championship is the college’s first win since 1989. In its four previous title game appearances, Michigan was the runner-up, losing in 1992, 1993, 2013 and 2018. But thanks to MVP Elliott Cadeau and MVD (most valuable dunker) Gale, the team took home the W. In TBS’ replay of the dunk, which has over a million views, one of the announcers says, “Gale devours it,” and you can, too — for one day only. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Black Creator Says AI ‘Fruit Love Island’ Series Was Likely Inspired by Her Content Replacement for Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Time Slot Is Revealed Donna Mills Issues Fiery Response to Claim She Wears ‘Too Much Makeup’: ‘Style Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date’
NBC 5Parents are yelling this girl name to stop toddler tantrums instantly
Once one of America’s most popular baby names, “Jessica” has slipped to the middle of the pack. Yet the name is suddenly back in heavy rotation, not in nurseries, but in viral parenting videos, where it’s deployed to stop tantrums in their tracks. For Florida mom Tiffani Ortega, the strategy came out of a moment of pure frustration. Her husband was strapping their 2-year-old son, Luca, into his car seat after leaving the park — a transition he “does not like,” she tells TODAY.com — when his usual post-playground meltdown kicked in. Negotiations had already failed. The day before, Ortega had seen another parent try the so-called “Jessica” trick online. So, in the middle of the chaos, she decided to give it a shot. She pulled out her phone, started recording, and called out, “Jessica!” Almost immediately, Luca stopped. The crying cut off. He looked around, momentarily confused, as if trying to locate whoever had just been summoned. “If I hadn’t said that, he probably would have cried the whole way home,” Ortega says. Instead, he stopped whining on the spot, a result that felt as surprising to her as it was to millions of viewers who have since watched similar clips play out online. Across the country, Evanthia Davis, a mother of three in California, had a similar reaction: she was shocked by how well the “Jessica” trick worked. She had been sitting on the porch of her mother’s home after church when she heard her youngest daughter, Delilah, wailing inside. “Jessica!” she shouted Delilah stopped mid-cry and began looking around for Jessica. “I’ve done it multiple times since then,” Davis says. Since then, Davis says she has even experimented with other names, with similar results, suggesting that the power of the trick may lie less in “Jessica” itself than in the element of surprise. That element of surprise is exactly what makes the tactic effective, Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a family physician and resilience expert, says in an interview with TODAY. For babies, she says, redirection is relatively simple: shifting their attention to something new is often enough because they lack the memory and cognitive development to stay fixated on what upset them. But toddlers are different. “They have more perseverance, and they have object permanence,” Gilboa says, meaning the thing they’re upset about still exists in their minds even after it’s out of sight. What disrupts that focus, she says, is an unexpected break in routine, like suddenly calling out an unfamiliar name. The brain, even at a young age, is wired to assess new situations and potential risks. When something unusual happens — a parent abruptly shouting “Jessica,” for instance — a child’s attention shifts. “It works because the brain is like, ‘Wait, what?” she says. Any new, unexpected stimulus signals a possible change in the environment, Gilboa says. And the brain prioritizes figuring that out above whatever it was focused on before. But that advantage is short-lived. As children begin to recognize the pattern, their brains adapt and the interruption loses its effect, meaning “Jessica” is unlikely to work for long! This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Lindsey Vonn Answers Whether She’s ‘Entertaining’ A Skiing Comeback After Olympics Crash Astronauts Dedicate Moon Crater to Commander’s Late Wife: ‘Loved to the Moon and Back’ If You Walk Every Day, Here Are the 2 Other Things You Should Be Doing, Too This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
NBC 5Delta is latest airline to raise checked bag fees. See how much more you'll pay
Delta Air Lines is raising its checked bag fees as the war in the Middle East disrupts global oil supplies and increases fuel prices. The carrier is increasing the fees for first checked bags to $45, up from $35, and a second checked bag will now cost $55, up from $45, for passengers on domestic and some short-haul international routes. The biggest hike is on third checked bags, which is going up by $50 to $200. The new fees, which is the first increase in two years, will take effect for tickets purchased on or after April 8. “These updates are part of Delta’s ongoing review of pricing across its business and reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry dynamics,” the airline said in a statement. The carrier said some customers would still be able to check their first bag for free, including those traveling in Delta’s first class, premium select and Delta One cabins. Active duty military and customers who hold one of the airline’s co-branded credit cards and loyalty program members who reach certain tiers will also continue to receive their complimentary checked bags. Most customers flying transatlantic routes will also continue to receive their first checked bag free. Airlines around the world are confronting soaring operating expenses due to jet fuel prices that have jumped more than 85% since the Iran war began on Feb. 28. The conflict has curtailed ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for a fifth of the world’s oil. Airspace closures in parts of the Middle East have added to the price pressure by forcing some airlines to take longer routes that burn more fuel. Delta is the latest airline to raise fees in response. Last week, JetBlue announced it was raising baggage fees by as much as $9 and United Airlines said it was increasing the cost of checked bags by $10. Jet fuel is one of the airline industry’s biggest expenses, typically accounting for about a quarter of operating costs. The average price for a gallon of jet fuel reached $4.69 on Tuesday, up from $2.50 the day before the conflict broke out, according to Argus’ U.S. Jet Fuel Index. The energy market intelligence company notes jet fuel accounts for up to 40% of an airline’s operating expense. Earlier this month, the CEOs of Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines reported that higher jet fuel prices had already added about $400 million in operating costs. Industry analysts expect airlines to continue passing some of their higher fuel costs on to travelers through add-ons, such as checked bags and seat upgrades, instead of adding fuel surcharges to the cost of a ticket. That’s because of a little known tax loophole that allows U.S. carriers to avoid paying taxes on ancillary fees. Airlines have to pay a 7.5% federal excise transportation tax on base airfare for domestic flights. However, the law specifically excludes baggage and seat selection fees from the tax, as long as “the charge is separable from the payment for the transportation of a person and is shown in the exact amount.” If an airline were to charge $300 for a round-trip ticket that combined airfare and baggage fees, it would have to pay the government $22.50 in taxes. But if the airline only charges the customer $220 for airfare, and then separately charges a baggage fee of $40 each way, then their tax bill would be $16.50.
NBC 5Lindsey Vonn answers whether she's ‘entertaining' a skiing comeback after Olympics crash
Lindsey Vonn can’t say what her future may hold, but she answered definitively whether or not she’s “entertaining” an attempt at another comeback. The skiing legend nearly had her leg amputated after she fractured her tibia while competing in the downhill at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February, just nine days after she tore her ACL in a World Cup crash. Speaking with TODAY’s Craig Melvin in an interview that aired on TODAY April 7, Vonn addressed whether she’ll move on from the sport. “I can move on,” she said. “I mean, it’s not a question of can I. I already have, you know? And I already retired for six years. Like, I know what it’s like to not be a ski racer anymore. It’s just that ski racing is something I love to do. And I had so much fun this season that — and I never got to — I never got a final run.” Alpine skiing Mar 27 Lindsey Vonn reflects on catastrophic Olympic crash and if she will ski again 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Feb 23 Lindsey Vonn says she could have lost her leg without surgery from Olympic crash “I think it leaves a door slightly open to, I don’t know, maybe I would do one more race to say goodbye or maybe I’ll race again,” she said. “It might be fun to do one more run. We’ll see.” The three-time Olympic medalist, who initially retired in 2019 due to injuries before mounting a comeback in 2024, said her Olympics crash kept her from formally leaving the sport. “So you’re entertaining the idea of maybe another comeback?” Craig asked. “I mean, much to my family’s dismay, yes,” she said. “I think it’s just something that — I mean, I’ve been, like I said, so isolated and not able to really live life outside of skiing.” “Like, I’m still kind of trapped in this, like, I didn’t have my Olympic dream situation … I need to walk and be out in public and, you know, be living life. And I think that will give me a different perspective,” she added. “Right now I can’t say what the future holds because I can’t — my mind can’t get there yet.” Vonn, who suffered a complex tibia fracture and compartment syndrome, is currently undergoing extensive physical therapy. She told Craig her daily routine involves two hours of therapy, two hours in a hyperbaric chamber, time in the gym and more. “Every day?” Craig asked. “On repeat,” Vonn said. “Every day.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Michigan Defeats UConn 69-63 to Win First Men’s NCAA Basketball Title Since 1989 Astronauts Dedicate Moon Crater to Commander’s Late Wife: ‘Loved to the Moon and Back’ Building Strength in This 1 Area of the Body Can Reduce Dementia Risk, Research Shows
NBC 5Kanye West blocked from entering U.K. to headline music festival over antisemitic comments
Ye has been blocked from entering Britain to headline a summer music festival after backlash over his antisemitic social media statements and songs, the event’s organizers said Tuesday. Government authorities have withdrawn Ye’s electronic travel authorization, the organizers of Festival Republic, a division of Live Nation, said in a statement, and, “as a result,” the three-day Wireless Festival has been canceled. The development comes hours after the rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, responded for the first time to the mounting controversy and offered to meet members of the Jewish community in Britain. Pressure had built for the U.K. government to ban Ye from the country after the festival rejected calls from politicians and community leaders to drop him as headliner. Tuesday’s statement by Festival Republic read: “The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders.” The statement also said that “multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.” It added that “antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had.” The BBC also reported that Ye had been banned from entering the country. The U.K. Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. A British government source told NBC News on Monday that ministers were reviewing whether to let Ye into the country, and at least four corporate sponsors of the Wireless festival, including Pepsi, distanced themselves from the event. The decision is one of the most meaningful results of the rapper’s descent into racist sloganeering, which saw him release a song titled “Heil Hitler.” Ye issued a statement earlier Tuesday in which he said: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and I want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.” He continued: “I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the U.K. in person, to listen.” “I know words aren’t enough — I’ve have to show change through my actions,” he said.” “If you’re open, I’m here. With Love.” Ye previously offered T-shirts for sale featuring a swastika symbol and declared “I’m a Nazi” on social media. He publicly apologized for those comments earlier this year in a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement, citing an undiagnosed brain injury and mental health issues. On Monday, Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn said in a lengthy statement that Ye had been invited to perform songs that are already being heard by millions on the radio and streaming services and that he should be offered “forgiveness.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews said in response to Ye’s statement that “the Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at Wireless Festival.” Phil Rosenberg, the board’s president, said the group would meet with Ye only after he has agreed not to play the festival. Wes Streeting, the British health secretary and an influential voice in the ruling Labour Party, told Sky News on Tuesday that Ye’s set should be canceled. “What I would say is that Kanye West has no business headlining the Wireless Festival. I think organizers showed a terrible error of judgement in inviting him,” he said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously criticized the decision to have Ye headline the festival. This is a developing story, check back here for updates soon.
KXIIDenison approves $2.8M project to find water leaks
The Denison City Council approved a $2.8 million project Monday to track down water leaks in the city’s system.
KXIIChoctaw County woman arrested on list of charges including animal cruelty
A Boswell woman was arrested on a slew of charges including an animal cruelty charge.
NBC 5Live updates: Trump pulls back on Iran threats for 2 weeks
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war. Its statement said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday. “It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” the statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.” U.S. President Donald Trump said he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks on Iran. The president said that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two-week ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme earlier Tuesday when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz. The Republican president’s earlier comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope. Here is the latest: UN chief welcomes two-week ceasefire and urges end to hostilities Secretary-General António Guterres calls on all parties “to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way towards a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” his spokesperson said. Guterres also calls on the parties to comply with their obligations under international law, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late Tuesday. International law requires the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. “The secretary-general underscores that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering,” Dujarric said. Jean Arnault, the secretary-general’s personal envoy, is in the region “to support efforts toward lasting peace,” the spokesperson said. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it will halt operations for two weeks The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, said in a statement early Wednesday that it will halt its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks. The announcement came hours after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Iran-backed militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on U.S. bases and other facilities in the country in solidarity with Tehran since the war began. Key bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain reopens The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain, reopened Wednesday morning after an hourslong closure over possible incoming fire from Iran. The King Fahd Causeway Authority said in its announcement on X that vehicle traffic has resumed. Israel says ceasefire with Iran doesn’t include war in Lebanon against Hezbollah In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. It said the ceasefire is subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the U.S., Israel and countries in the region. The statement said Israel also supports U.S. efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat. Governments in Asia and the Pacific welcome ceasefire Australia said it “welcomes the agreement by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.” “The Australian government has been calling for de-escalation and an end to the conflict for some time now,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday in a statement. They also criticized “Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with its attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities.” In Japan Minoru Kihara, chief cabinet secretary, said his nation “welcomes the announcement as a positive development. We hope they reach an agreement.” Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said on X, that his nation welcomed the effort to end the war. “While this is encouraging news, there remains significant important work to be done in the coming days to secure a lasting ceasefire,” he said. Australia PM says Trump’s threat to Iranian civilization was not appropriate Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s threat to the Iranian population was not appropriate. Albanese referred to Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a peace deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States. And I think it will cause some concern,” Albanese told Sky News television on Wednesday. “We’ve said very clearly that the conduct of any conflict must be within international law and that provides for making sure that civilians — who aren’t parties to the conflict — are given every protection possible,” Albanese added. Albanese described the agreement reached by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict as “positive news.” Pro-government demonstrators take to the streets in Tehran Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran’s capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire was announced screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” Organizers tried at one point to calm demonstrators, but they continued the chants. They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street. It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptic battle with the U.S. Iran includes ‘acceptance of enrichment’ in Farsi version of its ceasefire plan Iran in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists. It wasn’t immediately clear why that term was missing. However, Trump had said ending Iran’s nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war. Trump after Iran issued its 10-point plan had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating. Israel is still attacking Iran, military official says The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said early Wednesday that Israel was still attacking Iran. Moments earlier the White House said Israel had agreed to the terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement. Iran also kept up fire on Israel. — Sam Mednick Israeli strike kills at least eight people in southern Lebanese coastal city Lebanon’s Health Ministry said another 22 people were wounded in the strike on Sidon. The strike came without warning, and the Israeli military did not immediately specify who it was targeting. At least 1,530 people have been killed in the latest war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Pakistan invites Iran and the US to talks in Islamabad on Friday Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he is inviting Iran and the United States to meet in Islamabad and have further discussions. In a post on X, Sharif said that both parties have agreed on the ceasefire. “I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries,” he said. “And invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.” There has been no public response from the U.S. or Iran to the invitation. US confirms release of journalist kidnapped by Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a statement that American journalist Shelley Kittleson, who was kidnapped last week in Iraq, has been released. Kittleson was abducted by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah from a street corner in Baghdad on March 31. Rubio said in a statement posted on X, “We are relieved that this American is now freed and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.” He thanked Iraqi authorities, as well as the FBI and U.S. defense department and other U.S. agencies for their work toward securing Kittleson’s release. Vance was involved in talks as deadline drew closer As the clock inched closer to Trump’s proposed 8 p.m. deadline with no resolution in sight, U.S. Vice President JD Vance got roped into the conversation late Tuesday, according to an official from one of the mediating countries who was briefed on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive diplomatic discussions. Vance’s office did not immediately have a comment. Vance is currently traveling in Hungary. — Farnoush Amiri and Michelle L. Price Neither Iran nor the US has offered any time for the ceasefire to begin But a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said American forces had halted offensive operations. Iran continued to fire at Gulf Arab states and Israel, despite Pakistan saying the ceasefire had taken hold immediately. —- Jon Gambrell Chinese officials encouraged Iran to find path to ceasefire with US, AP sources say China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, spoke with the Iranians to get them on board, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to find a path to a ceasefire deal as the negotiations were evolving, the officials said. Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the diplomatic matter. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, “All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.” She said China was “deeply concerned” about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security. — Farnoush Amiri and Aamer Madhani Iran and Oman to be allowed to charge for Strait of Hormuz passage The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, a regional official said Wednesday. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for. The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before. The official, who had been directly involved in the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. — Samy Magdy Pentagon press briefing set for Wednesday morning The announcement of the press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comes after the president announced the ceasefire agreement. Israel agrees to terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement, White House official says The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal, says it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon. — Aamer Madhani There are concerns in Israel about ceasefire agreement, says AP source That’s according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. The person said Israel would like to achieve more in the war with Iran. — Sam Mednick Leavitt says negotiations will continue Asked for clarity on what Trump meant by the Iranian peace proposal being “workable,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump’s words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue.” “The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue,” Leavitt said in a statement. Oil prices plunge after Trump pulls back on threats to widen attacks Futures for U.S. crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60, while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40. Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4%. US signaled to Israel that strikes were meant to show Iran what could come, official says Some Israeli officials had begun speculating as Trump neared his self-imposed deadline that he was edging toward finding an off-ramp even as he offered increasingly menacing rhetoric, according to person privy to internal deliberations. The U.S. administration had signaled to Israelis that the strikes on military assets on Kharg Island earlier Tuesday and the targeting of Iran’s two main petrochemical hubs, Mahshahr and Assaluyeh, were sending a clear message to Tehran of what would come if Trump chose to further intensify the bombardment, according to the person who requested anonymity to discuss the matter. Israeli officials were skeptical and believed the apparent breakthrough could unravel and lead to further escalation if the Iranians don’t make good on quickly opening the Strait of Hormuz, the person added. — Aamer Madhani US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, US official says The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military operations, noted that defensive measures and operations would still be in effect. It comes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Republic. — Konstantin Toropin White House doesn’t immediately clarify what Trump meant by ‘workable’ Iranian plan The White House on Tuesday night did not answer messages on why the president described Iran’s 10-point peace plan as “workable.” Among the points communicated by Tehran were an easing of U.S. sanctions on Iran and “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.” In his social media post announcing a postponement of his threatened bombing campaign, Trump wrote: “We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.” The White House did not immediately clarify what Trump meant or provide details on what a “basis” for future negotiations might entail. Missile alerts sound despite Iran and US saying they’ve reached a ceasefire Israel and the United Arab Emirates both sounded missile alerts early Wednesday, despite Iran and the United States saying they had reached a two-week ceasefire in the war. It wasn’t immediately clear what was being targeted in the two countries, which bore the brunt of the missile and drone fire during the war. Throughout the war, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has called the shots in all decisions. Individual commanders have made decisions on what to strike and when, with the nation’s political leadership sidelined. Whether they agreed to stop shooting with the declared ceasefire and negotiations being planned in Islamabad remained in question. However, many Mideast wars see combatants launch last-minute attacks to be able to claim victory with their populations. Also not clear: What Iran means in referencing ‘withdrawal’ of US combat forces In question is another point messaged by the Iranians — “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.” The U.S. has maintained a network of military bases through the Persian Gulf for decades after the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq. The bases have served as the region’s chief security guarantor and provided protection for the energy-rich Gulf Arab states. Iran did not define, however, what it meant by “combat forces,” potentially giving wiggle room for those bases to remain. But any step-down in troop levels in the region likely would anger the Gulf Arab states that have suffered through weeks of war. It isn’t clear if Iran will loosen its chokehold on the waterway that’s crucial to global energy supplies Iran’s foreign minister says that ships would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, over the next two weeks under coordination from Iran’s military. About a fifth of the world’s oil transits the strait in peacetime. Araghchi wrote in a statement that: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Before the war, there were no “technical limitations.” Over 100 ships a day passed through the water in Iranian and Omani territorial waters in a decades-old traffic system. But any step-down in troop levels in the region likely would anger the Gulf Arab states that have suffered through weeks of war. Iran’s explanation of its 10-point plan says Strait of Hormuz would be subject to ‘regulated passage’ Iran’s explanation of the 10-point plan included its claim that the Strait of Hormuz would be subject to “regulated passage … under the coordination of the Armed Forces of Iran.” It added that it would be “thereby conferring upon Iran a unique economic and geopolitical standing.” It would also receive full sanctions relief. These terms would represent an extraordinary step down by the U.S. after 47 years of hostilities with Iran, starting from the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran says its acceptance of a ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to the war Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Wednesday it had accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war. Its statement said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday. “It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” the statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.” Trump says talks with Pakistani officials helped lead to his decision to delay bombing campaign In his social media post, Trump said he decided to delay an expansion of U.S. strikes “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief. Sharif, in a post on the social platform X earlier Tuesday, urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. Pakistan has been leading negotiations. Sharif used the same post to ask Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks. Trump’s second term has largely been defined by his eagerness to make intimidating threats And then to retreat if a backlash ensues — a phenomenon his critics have derided as “Trump Always Chickens Out,” or TACO. The president backed off on many of the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs he first announced in April 2025 after they caused the financial markets to go haywire. He also largely dropped threats to impose high levies on many imported products from China, Mexico, the European Union and Canada — among other trade partners. Perhaps the most spectacular example came during a January meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump insisted that he wanted the U.S. to get Greenland “including right, title and ownership,” only to switch course and abandon his threat to impose widespread tariffs on Europe to press his case. Trump says Iran has proposed a ‘workable’ 10-point peace plan that could help end war The president added in his social media post that Iran has presented “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” “Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump said in the post. Trump says he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks The president says that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two-week ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his social media site on Tuesday evening, Trump said Iran could agree “to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz” and said that he’d then “suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.” Since the war began in February, Trump has set a series of deadlines threatening escalation of the conflict, only to back off just before they expire. Iran threatens to cut US and its allies off from the region’s oil and gas ‘for years’ Iran’s joint military command spokesperson made the warning in a statement responding to U.S.-Israeli attacks. Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran will intensify its attacks on military, security, and economic infrastructure in Israel and on “centers related to” the U.S. in the region. Zolfaghari said Iran’s continued attacks on the infrastructure of the U.S. and its allies aim to deprive them of the region’s oil and gas supplies “for many years” and “force them to leave” the Middle East. White House insists that Trump stands with innocent civilians in Iran That’s according to a statement by spokeswoman Anna Kelly in response to criticism the president’s comments have received. “As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing,” the statement says. “The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.” ▶ Read more 4 wounded in Qatar after interception of Iranian missiles Qatar’s Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that falling debris hit a residence in the Muraikh area, moderately wounding four people, including a child, as the country responds to Iranian attacks. Trump uses the language of annihilation to threaten Iran The president who yearned for a Nobel Peace Prize and once reveled in the appearance of solving conflicts has turned to the language of annihilation as he struggles to find a resolution to his war of choice in Iran. Donald Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme Tuesday as he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz. His comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope. Some fellow Republicans suggested his comments were a negotiating tactic. Pakistan’s foreign minister briefs Saudi, Egyptian, Turkish counterparts on peace efforts Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar late Tuesday briefed his Saudi, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Islamabad’s efforts to promote dialogue and diplomatic engagement in pursuit of peace and stability in the region. The Foreign Ministry says Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed the regional situation, and that Dar also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Iranians fear power outages as Trump’s deadline nears Three times a week, Asghar Hashemi undergoes dialysis treatment at a hospital in northern Tehran. He fears that if power stations are knocked out, as Trump has threatened, his life will be in danger. Tehran residents rushed Tuesday to stock up on bottled water and charge cellphones, flashlights and portable power banks as the hours ticked down to Trump’s latest ultimatum. “I am worried, but I am more worried about my fellow citizens,” Hashemi said, lying on his bed at Tajrish Martyrs Hospital for treatment. “Whatever happens, we will stand until the end.” Alaska Republican senator says Trump’s Iran rhetoric ‘endangers’ Americans Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday said President Trump’s threat “that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.” She said on social media that the rhetoric is an “affront” to ideas the U.S. has long sought to uphold and promote around the world. “It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home,” she said. Murkowski, a centrist who at times has been critical of Trump, called on all those involved in the conflict — including Trump and Iran’s leaders — to “de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late.”
NBC 5Building strength in this area of the body can reduce dementia risk, research shows
A wealth of research links dementia risk to lifestyle choices and chronic illnesses. Among that data are studies that consistently show physical activity, specifically building and maintaining strength, can reduce one’s likelihood of cognitive decline. As 10 million new dementia cases arise annually, strength in one area of the body stands out as an especially reliable indicator for cognitive health, one 2022 study found: your hands and forearms. Improving and maintaining grip strength during middle age can lead to better neurological health later in life, Jennifer A. Schrack, Ph.D., director at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center on Aging and Health, tells TODAY.com. However, she adds, building grip strength involves much more than upper-body workouts at the gym; it’s an undertaking that calls for a full-body commitment meant to stimulate your mind for the long run. How grip strength and dementia are related Your grip strength is a reflection of your total body strength, which research has repeatedly linked to overall cognitive function, says Schrack. “We use grip strength in studies because it’s easy to measure, whereas total body strength is much more difficult to measure,” she explains. Grip strength in particular can track how well the brain is communicating with the rest of the body to control motor function and sensation, she adds. It is measured with a hand dynamometer, available at physical therapists’ offices, some primary care offices and at hand specialist practices. A 2019 study found the weaker an older adult’s grip strength, the greater the likelihood of cognitive impairment. The study authors said that measuring grip strength can help identify people who may have symptoms beyond normal age-related cognitive decline and need early intervention. A 2022 study looking at grip strength and dementia risk similarly concluded that increasing muscle strength in middle age may help maintain brain health. Because muscle mass typically peaks between ages 30 and 35, TODAY.com previously reported, strength and coordination will progressively decline after that. It also doesn’t help that “we tend to do less as we age,” Schrack says. That lack of movement further drives this loss of muscle mass, she explains, and degeneration in muscle function often precedes mental degeneration. When to start building grip strength While there are benefits to being fit at all stages of life, Shrack says the most critical time to prioritize building strength to reduce dementia risk is between ages 45 and 65. Doing so combats the decline in muscle mass taking place. In one study, the most physically active adults (in mid-life and late-life) were 41-45% less likely to develop dementia than the least active. What is considered good grip strength? Shrack points to a 2014 study that found the average grip strength for men was between 26-32 kilograms (meaning they squeezed the equivalent of this weight with their grip), and anything less than that was considered “weak.” For women, grip strength between 16-20 kilograms was considered “intermediate,” and anything below 16 was “weak.” How to improve grip strength Since grip strength is a reference for overall strength, improving it calls for strengthening your entire body, says Schrack. But you can also integrate grip strength into your routine with specific exercises in the same way you’d treat any other muscle group. Your approach should depend “on a person’s age and fitness level, of course, but there’s lots of things people can do,” Schrack says. For older populations, she recommends chair stands, wall pushups and light dumbbells. They can also squeeze stress balls or use resistance bands between their arms if they want to dedicate part of their workouts to grip strength. Occupations, hobbies and sports, she says, can make a difference, too. Schrack’s mother is an 85-year-old organist whose hands get a challenge every day. And those who enjoy knitting, tennis or golf will definitely have their grip strength put to the test. Younger people, on the other hand, will need something more challenging, says Schrack. Their muscles will require regular strength training and progressive overload. For grip-strength-focused exercises, Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., assistant professor of exercise science at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions, tells TODAY.com he recommends these workouts: Farmer’s carry Suitcase carry Bottoms-up kettlebell carry Dead Hang This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Savannah Guthrie returns to TODAY after her mother’s disappearance Rebecca King-Crews reveals she has Parkinson’s, doctors dismissed symptoms as ‘anxiety’ Astronaut Kellie Gerardi welcomes baby girl, chooses a name fit for a rocket scientist