CNN – National

By Zoe Sottile, CNN The March Madness show-down between Indiana University and Saint Mary’s College on March 17 came to a halt after the ball became lodged between the backboard and shot clock. But two creative cheerleaders from Indiana sprang into action to rescue the ball after several failed attempts to reach it using a

By Zoe Sottile, CNN Justin Blauwet noticed something unusual while working at a construction site in Iowa. At first glance, it appeared to be a block of stone, just under a foot long, covered in ridges. But Blauwet had a better idea of what it was, thanks to a lifelong interest in pre-historic animals: a

By Zoe Sottile, CNN An Iowa woman has gone viral on TikTok, asking for help to make a heartfelt birthday present for her father, a retired firefighter. Allison Marois’ father, Bill Collins, recently retired from the Des Moines Fire Department after serving for more than 38 years. When she started planning for his August birthday,

By Josh Campbell and Elizabeth Joseph, CNN A federal jury has awarded $85 million to the family of a California man who died in 2015 after a confrontation with San Diego County sheriff’s deputies, court records show. The jury’s verdict came in a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Lucky Phounsy

By Jay Croft, CNN Public health officials in Indiana are urging people to take safety precautions after a large fire at a Walmart distribution center in Plainfield this week released thick smoke containing high levels of fine particulate material. The particulates can cause health problems for “sensitive individuals,” the Hendricks County Health Department said. Agencies

By Zoe Sottile, CNN Maryland is one step closer to becoming the second US state to ban the declawing of cats. The Maryland House of Representatives voted on March 10 to pass a bill that would ban declawing, a procedure used to prevent cats from scratching. The bill, HB0022, would prohibit veterinarians “from performing certain

By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN Photographs by Heather Ainsworth for CNN It was not quite 8 a.m. and Ambur Misercola’s first-period history class was still shaking off slumber as she told them of a woman detained in Moscow’s Pushkin Square — not unlike the historic Public Square a short drive north that anchors this American

By Michelle Watson, CNN Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton, who was known as “The Professor” because of his encyclopedic knowledge of the game, died Friday, according to both ESPN, where he was an analyst, and Seattle Sports, where he hosted a radio show. Clayton was 67. “John was a pioneer as an NFL insider but

By Jamiel Lynch, CNN The bridgetender controlling a Florida drawbridge when a woman walking across fell to her death was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence, West Palm Beach police said in a release. Artissua Lafaye Paulk, 43, was on duty February 6 when 79-year-old Carol Wright fell to

By Taylor Romine, CNN After reaching an agreement with labor unions, the Los Angeles United School District, the second-largest public school district in the nation, will lift its Covid-19 mask mandate starting next week. “Union ratification processes have begun and the new policy will be implemented no later than Wednesday, March 23,” officials announced in

By Alaa Elassar, CNN A man was snowboarding in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains when he was buried and killed by an avalanche on Thursday. The 29-year-old, identified as Devin Overton from Telluride, was solo snowboarding in backcountry when he was caught in the avalanche south of Trout Lake, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) said

By Zoe Sottile, CNN A Florida swim team was just about to start practice when they realized their pool was already occupied. Student athletes at Montverde Academy spotted a 3-foot alligator taking a dip where they were supposed to swim laps. To avoid a dangerous confrontation, the school delayed practice and called police. According to