CNN – National

By Ray Sanchez, CNN The bloodshed over Easter weekend was emblematic of the alarming and unabated surge in gun violence in the United States. From New York to Pennsylvania to Florida, from Nevada to California to Oregon, eight people were killed and dozens injured during at least 10 mass shootings last weekend alone. The violence

By Paul Vercammen, CNN John Reyna peeled off protective gear at the firefighter Ventura Training Center (VTC), and reflected on dark days in prison. “The worst for me was having that feeling of letting my family down,” said the 40-year-old married father with four children. “That was the hardest part for me. I’m a provider.”

By Michelle Watson, CNN Several teenagers were shot Saturday night near Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, police said. Five people with ages ranging from 15 to 19 were injured but are stable, Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Timothy Peek said during a news conference. Police were called to an intersection of Centennial Olympic Park Drive in downtown

By Sara Smart, CNN One South Lake Tahoe, California, renter had some unknown house guests living underneath their house. For months the renter, who chooses to remain anonymous, had heard occasional noises like that of purring beneath the floorboards. They asked neighbors if they were hearing the same noise, but everything was quiet on their

By Hannah Sarisohn, CNN A man linked to environmental extremist acts in the mid 1990s and early 2000s has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson in California and Oregon, and arson in Oregon, according to a news release Friday from the US Department of Justice. According to the DOJ, as well as court documents

By Abby Bustin, CNN The Tunnel Fire, which has been burning across northern Arizona’s Coconino County for nearly a week, has now charred more than 21,000 acres, according to the US Forest Service. Currently, the department reports only 3% of the Tunnel Fire is considered contained. Strong winds and dry air currents from the north

By Abby Bustin, CNN A California man was arrested this week after he allegedly sent threatening online messages to the Merriam-Webster company over dictionary definitions containing references to gender identity, according to court documents. Jeremy David Hanson, 34, of Rossmoor, was charged with one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence in federal

By Rosa Flores and Hannah Sarisohn, CNN A Texas Army National Guard soldier who went missing Friday during a rescue mission along the border with Mexico has not yet been found, according to a release from the Texas Military Department (TMD). Local law enforcement on Friday said the guard member tried to rescue a woman

By Zoe Sottile, CNN One Illinois man has even more reason to be scared of going to the dentist. Tom Jozsi, 60, was at the dentist for a routine procedure when he accidentally inhaled a one-inch dental drill bit — which soon became lodged in his lung. “Well, I don’t know. I was at the

By AJ Willingham, CNN A censorship battle at an Oklahoma library is calling attention to what critics say is the hypocrisy of legislative attempts to prohibit discussions and materials about LGBTQ issues. Literary circles were up in arms after the Enid Public Library in Enid, Oklahoma, canceled a romance book club and a sexual assault

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN Wild animals in Southern California soon will have more turf to roam thanks to the world’s biggest wildlife crossing, which will span 10 lanes of Highway 101 in northwest Los Angeles to close a crucial gap for habitats. Mountain lions, which typically wander a territory spanning 150 to 200 miles, will

By Zoe Sottile, CNN The “Batman Returns” — at a Florida zoo. The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, announced the birth of a spider monkey in a blog post. But it’s not just any spider monkey: The newborn has a unique marking in the shape of the “Batman” symbol on its nose. The “Bat-Signal,” showing

By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Phil Metzger flew home to California from Ukraine soon after the war broke out, devastated by what he saw. He’d been helping deliver medicine and evacuate families from danger, and the evangelical pastor knew he wanted the church he leads in suburban San Diego to do even more to help