12 boats destroyed in fire at Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, Massachusetts

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Todd Kazakiewich

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    WINTHROP, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Twelve boats were destroyed early Friday in a massive fire at a yacht club in Winthrop, Massachusetts.

The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Cottage Park Yacht Club on Orlando Avenue near Boston’s Logan International Airport.

Winthrop Fire Department Chief Stephen Calandra said the fire spread from one boat to another from gasoline that was on top of the water.

“Twelve boats were lost — very expensive boats,” Calandra said. “The challenge (was) the amount of hose line we had to get from the street to the furthest point of the marina. A lot of manpower dragging that line out there.”

Two of the boats that were on fire broke free from the marina.

“One is still burning on Snake Island. With low tide, we can’t get at it with the fire boats, and the other one broke free and is on Point Shirley, where it ran aground. That’s dangerous too, because it could have floated into another marina,” Calandra said.

The composite decking at the marina also posed a problem, Calandra said.

“The whole decking is composite Trex, so when that starts burning, it is not like wood — wood you can put out easy,” Calandra said.

Fire crews from Winthrop and Boston continued to douse the boats with water and foam.

“The only way to put that fire out (with) gasoline on top of the water is foam. That is the most effective way,” Calandra said.

“We are heartbroken by the loss, but deeply grateful that no one was injured and that the boats were unoccupied,” Cottage Park Yacht Club Commodore Al Powell said in a statement. “This is a difficult day for our club and for the boating community we are proud to be a part of. Our focus is now on supporting those affected.”

The fire did not impact operations at Logan, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Invasive swamp eels found in Fort Myers, experts warn on how to report them

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Edward Franco

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — Sandy Guess, a Fort Myers resident, was startled during a casual stroll on her ranch when she encountered an unusual creature close to her home.

“As I got up on it, I realized that’s not a snake. And I’ve lived here my whole life. So, it was kind of crazy,” Guess said.

“It was creepy. Yeah, yeah. I’ve grabbed my dog, and we quickly got away from it because I didn’t know if it was poisonous. I didn’t know,” she said.

The creature turned out to be an Asian swamp eel, a snake-like, air-breathing fish that has been spreading through Florida’s waterways.

“It was an eel! And I had no idea anything about them,” Guess said.

The state warns that invasive species like the Asian swamp eel are wreaking havoc on Florida’s ecosystems.

“Swamp eels pose a serious threat,” said Dr. Frank Mazzotti, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida.

Mazzotti explained that these eels are consuming crayfish and small fish, which are essential food sources for wading birds across Florida’s shores and the Everglades.

“Those are main food sources for wading birds!” Mazzotti said.

The problem extends beyond the Everglades, as swamp eels can also be found near homes, ponds, and canals around the Gulf Coast.

“Since all of our waterways are interconnected and Asian swamp eels can travel over land, that makes everything vulnerable around the areas where you see them,” Mazzotti said.

Last month, another invasive swamp eel was captured at Manatee Park, according to Lee County Government.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says these eels can grow up to nearly three feet long, live about 10 years, and are notoriously difficult to track due to their nocturnal habits and tendency to burrow deep into the mud.

FWC and University of Florida researchers are urging residents to help track these elusive invaders. Reporting sightings online at IveGot1.org could aid efforts to protect Florida’s waterways.

“By having people do that, we’re learning so much more about their distribution,” Mazzotti said.

Asian swamp eels have been in Florida since the late 1990s, and their growing presence is a concern for residents like Guess.

“It’s definitely concerning,” Guess said.

She emphasized the importance of public awareness to prevent the species from multiplying further.

“People need to educate so they don’t continue to multiply,” she said.

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Juvenile tries to get away from Arapahoe County deputies on e-bike

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Jennifer McRae

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    Colorado (KCNC) — A juvenile in Colorado tried to get away from Arapahoe County deputies while riding an e-bike. Now, deputies are urging parents to warn their children about reckless e-bike riding.

According to investigators, the rider tried to get away from deputies in a residential neighborhood, reaching high speeds and taking risks they said endangered everyone nearby. Deputies also said the rider narrowly avoided crashing into a fence that they believe could have resulted in serious injury.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said that because e-bikes can travel at high speeds, when operated recklessly, they become a danger to pedestrians, motorists and the riders.

They also want to remind everyone that if a deputy tries to stop you, running from law enforcement is serious and can result in consequences like felony eluding charges or other offenses.

Deputies urge all e-bike riders to ride responsibly.

Many communities across the Denver metro area have taken action to curb illegal e-bike activity. The Parker Police Department has launched a new online reporting link as part of its crackdown on illegal e-bike and dirtbike use.

The Erie and Boulder police departments said they are cracking down on high-powered electric bikes after recent dangerous incidents involving teenagers.

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Colorado Mounted Unit heading to Missouri for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Aspen Andrews

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    ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colorado (KKTV) — The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) announced its mounted unit will be heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to help out the Kansas City Police Department.

On June 9, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol Unit deputies will travel to Kansas City to assist with security and crowd control during the tournament.

According to the sheriff’s office, the entire task force dedicated to the tournament will consist of officers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio and Colorado.

They said three ACSO deputies and four horses will make the trip and assist in maintaining order and enhancing public safety outside Arrowhead Stadium during the following matches:

Argentina vs. Algeria – June 16 Ecuador vs. Curacao – June 20 Tunisia vs. Netherlands – June 25 Algeria vs. Austria – June 27 Playoff game – July 3 Quarterfinal game – July 11 The unit will also assist with the FIFA Fan Festival.

“Our mounted unit will serve as a highly visible law enforcement presence during the World Cup,” Lt. Rich Anselmi said. “Mounted deputies have an elevated vantage point that allows them to monitor large crowds and quickly identify potential security concerns. Our horses are highly trained and can move effectively through congested areas, help guide large groups of enthusiastic fans, and serve as friendly community ambassadors.”

ACSO said the horses have undergone training to simulate situations they may be in during the tournament, including exposure to smoke bombs, fireworks, flares and other loud noises. This training helps the horses remain steady, effective and safe during crowd control situations.

“We were honored to be invited to participate in the FIFA World Cup event. Our horses truly enjoy this type of work. By nature, horses like having a job, and we can see how much they enjoy the teamwork and interacting with people,” Lt. Anselmi said.

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Brooklyn man stuck in cave for hours in upstate New York recounts ordeal: “I couldn’t pull myself out”

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Kristie Keleshian

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    BROOKLYN, New York (WCBS) — Not many people can say they were rescued out of a cave, but Brooklyn resident Aidan Kaminer sure can.

Now in good health, he spoke out Thursday about last month’s lengthy rescue mission in upstate New York.

Aidan Kaminer’s ordeal

For six hours on May 17, during a trip to Merlin’s Cave in Columbia County, Kaminer, of Bushwick, was stuck in an awkward position. He was with at least six other explorers when he slipped into a slim crevice just before the cave’s exit.

“I was sideways, 90 degrees, one arm under the rock shelf, one arm above with my legs out,” Kaminer said.

It took six hours, but Bushwick, Brooklyn resident Aidan Kaminer was eventually freed from a crevice he got stuck in inside Merlin’s Cave in Columbia County back in mid May.

Those who were with him called 911 immediately. Firefighters showed up within minutes, but more was needed to get him out.

“Basically, I was pinned at the chest and the hip and I had energy, but I couldn’t pull myself out,” Kaminer said. “I was shivering at some points, but, again, I was okay because I had a lot of great people with me.”

Forest Rangers to the rescue

John Gullen, a lieutenant Forest Ranger with the Department of Environmental Conservation, who is familiar with caves and rescues, helped get Kaminer out of the cave. He said the 50-degree, 100% humidity conditions exposed Kaminer to risks of hypothermia.

“He was really jammed in there more than I had expected. Like, his full body was stuck in a crevice that was basically in the shape of him,” Gullen said.

What took all those hours was getting the right equipment to cut out the rock around Kaminer without injuring him. Gullen said it ended up being 20 minutes of drilling, but could’ve taken much longer.

“I had even told my wife, ‘Hey, not sure when I’m gonna be back. This could be a multiple-day event,'” Gullen said. “[Kaminer] did a phenomenal job of staying calm. I don’t know if there are many people who could stay calm.”

Kaminer said he was able to do so because he never really felt like his life was in danger.

“At no point was I thinking, ‘Shoot, this is the end of my days,'” Kaminer said. “You just sort of get into that mode and do what you need to do to make sure that it turns out the best way that it can.”

“I would go again this weekend” An experience like the one he went through might deter many people from going caving again, but not Kaminer.

“I would go again this weekend if there was a trip full of experienced cavers I could go with as friends. I would do it in a few days, maybe just not that specific cave,” Kaminer said.

After some warm Gatorade and Reese’s chocolate, and, eventually, a bagel, Kaminer, a vegetarian and intermediate caver, stayed at the local fire captain’s house overnight. Kaminer said the best takeaways from his experience was making new friends with his rescuers and remembering to always go with a group of experienced cavers.

“In a sense, I had the easiest job there, essentially had to be patient. I had to freeze. I had to trust that the rescue was going to get done and, thankfully, they did,” Kaminer said.

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Stockton homeowner warns of scam after finding men claiming to be property management inside home vacant home

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Nina Burns

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    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — A Stockton homeowner says he found two strangers inside his rental property Tuesday morning, allegedly changing the locks and claiming to be property management.

The homeowner, who wanted to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, says he stopped by the property after his tenants moved out last week and found the men replacing the front door hardware.

“The old doorknob was brass, and so they changed it, and they were in the process of screwing it in,” the homeowner said.

He says the men told him they were there to secure the property.

“And they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re property management, and we’re here to secure the building,’ ” he said. “So I’m like, ‘Who sent you?’ “

The homeowner says there is no property management company connected to the home. He says the men questioned whether he owned the property.

“I go, ‘I own this house,’ and then they’re like, ‘Can you prove you own it?’ ” he said.

A Stockton homeowner says he found two strangers inside his rental property Tuesday morning, allegedly changing the locks and claiming to be property management.

The homeowner, who wanted to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, says he stopped by the property after his tenants moved out last week and found the men replacing the front door hardware.

“The old doorknob was brass, and so they changed it, and they were in the process of screwing it in,” the homeowner said.

He says the men told him they were there to secure the property.

“And they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re property management, and we’re here to secure the building,’ ” he said. “So I’m like, ‘Who sent you?’ “

The homeowner says there is no property management company connected to the home. He says the men questioned whether he owned the property.

“I go, ‘I own this house,’ and then they’re like, ‘Can you prove you own it?’ ” he said.

According to the homeowner, the men claimed the back door had been left unlocked. However, he believes they entered through a back window instead.

The homeowner says the men also left behind a “No Trespassing” sign and a flyer for a company called “Urban Hood Home Management.”

CBS News Sacramento attempted to contact the phone numbers listed on the flyer, but the lines were disconnected.

The homeowner says he immediately contacted Stockton police but was frustrated by the response.

“It’s basically, ‘Here’s your report. If you need a copy, that’s it,’ ” he said.

In a statement, Stockton police said officers “determined no crime had been committed” and that the reporting party “was given options for his unoccupied home.” Police said the incident appeared civil in nature.

Under California law, disputes over who has the legal right to possess a property are often handled through a civil court process known as unlawful detainer.

The homeowner says that because he arrived before the deadbolt was replaced, he was still able to secure the property himself.

“Had I not come when I did, the whole house would have been secured,” he said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Garden Grove residents demand city close GKN Aerospace facility after chemical leak

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Nicole Comstock, Matthew Rodriguez

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    GARDEN GROVE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Garden Grove residents urged their city council to close the GKN Aerospace facility at the center of a chemical leak that forced tens of thousands of people out of their homes for almost a week in late May.

“If the city can prohibit commercial cannabis businesses or implement an ordinance against the production of pickles and sauerkraut, surely you can do the bare minimum to protect your constituents from a dangerous weapons manufacturer and the hazardous chemicals they employ,” said Logan Smith, a policy specialist at the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.

The hazardous material incident started on May 22 after a tank containing methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic substance, failed to cool and leaked at GKN Aerospace’s facility. The self-heating substance was at risk of a “catastrophic explosion” or leak, which would have affected neighboring residents.

The Orange County Fire Authority crews spent Memorial Day weekend trying everything they could to stop the BLEVE, or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. By the time they “eliminated” the threat of a potential explosion, 50,000 residents had been forced to evacuate their homes.

While the immediate danger had been averted, crews needed to clean up the toxic chemical, which could cause severe respiratory illness.

Some residents argued that GKN Aerospace had a history of safety violations, believing that paying fines or compensating families wouldn’t even be a slap on the wrist for the company.

“Since this incident, I looked them up, and there have been a lot of violations they have been fined for,” resident Kevin Nguyen said. “If they’re irresponsible about how they operate, they shouldn’t be allowed to operate.”

The Garden Grove City Council ultimately decided to send a letter to GKN Aerospace demanding that the company send a representative to a future council meeting.

“The community should not be left to absorb the consequences of this incident without answers, support and a clear commitment from GKN to prevent future harm,” Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said.

GKN Aerospace officials have announced a series of community support initiatives intended to help residents affected by the leak, including a $3 million donation to Orange County United Way’s OC Community Resilience Fund “to provide assistance to those affected by the recent evacuation of areas surrounding GKN’s Garden Grove facility.”

“The company is also committing an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives across Orange County,” the company wrote in a press release. “GKN earlier funded $1 million to the American Red Cross to support residents directly impacted by evacuation orders when those orders were in effect.”

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said his office launched a probe into GKN Aerospace and urged any whistleblowers to report any wrongdoing.

The Orange County Health Care Agency is overseeing the removal of the chemicals in the two remaining tanks. The project will happen on Friday if the equipment arrives on time.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Cost of Minneapolis ShotSpotter system at center of City Council debate

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Ubah Ali

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Technology that listens for gunfire is once again at the center of a debate in Minneapolis. Supporters say it helps officers respond quickly. Critics question whether it’s worth the cost.

ShotSpotter uses acoustic sensors and picks up the sound of gunshots and potentially the kind of weapon. It sets off an alert to 911 dispatch, which then passes that information to police.

According to ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, the system is critical to detecting many possible gun crimes that could otherwise go unreported.

The devices are mounted on poles in north and south Minneapolis. But after decades in use and millions of dollars spent, some council members believe it is time to make other public safety investments.

During a City Council meeting, the Minneapolis Police Department asked for a three-year extension and expansion of the program to other parts of the city — a deal totaling more than $3 million.

Supporters say the system helps officers respond to shootings faster, locate victims and recover evidence.

Council member LaTrisha Vetaw, whose Ward 4 is outfitted with ShotSpotter sensors, has been among those in favor of this critical tool.

Technology that listens for gunfire is once again at the center of a debate in Minneapolis. Supporters say it helps officers respond quickly. Critics question whether it’s worth the cost.

ShotSpotter uses acoustic sensors and picks up the sound of gunshots and potentially the kind of weapon. It sets off an alert to 911 dispatch, which then passes that information to police.

According to ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, the system is critical to detecting many possible gun crimes that could otherwise go unreported.

The devices are mounted on poles in north and south Minneapolis. But after decades in use and millions of dollars spent, some council members believe it is time to make other public safety investments.

During a City Council meeting, the Minneapolis Police Department asked for a three-year extension and expansion of the program to other parts of the city — a deal totaling more than $3 million.

Supporters say the system helps officers respond to shootings faster, locate victims and recover evidence.

Council member LaTrisha Vetaw, whose Ward 4 is outfitted with ShotSpotter sensors, has been among those in favor of this critical tool.

Council member Robin Wonsley is critical of it, saying she doesn’t believe the technology has reduced crime or improved public safety.

“Over 12 years now, MPD solve rates for homicides and nonfatal shootings were some of the worst in the country,” Wonsley said.

Minneapolis isn’t the only city rethinking it. Chicago ended its use of ShotSpotter in 2024, and response times improved by about four minutes, according to a University of Chicago study.

Across the Mississippi River, the St. Paul Police Department doesn’t use ShotSpotter. Instead, they are driving down gun violence through specialized teams like the non-fatal shooting unit. So far this year, they’ve solved 73% of nonfatal shootings. Minneapolis police announced the start of a similar team weeks ago.

Last month, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the homicide clearance rate in 2025 was 80%, while the clearance rate for non-fatal shootings was less than 50%.

The Minneapolis City Council will revisit this topic in the coming weeks. However, police will now return to the council with a one-year proposal.

Council members say the city auditor is conducting a study into the technology’s effectiveness. The findings of that study could ultimately help determine if ShotSpotter stays in Minneapolis.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Feds take aim at Hawaii’s Medicaid waste, cutting millions in fraud funds

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Kristen Consillio

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services took bold action today taking away $3 million a year to fight fraud and decertifying Hawaii for what it calls a failure to stop Medicaid waste in the islands.

The Trump administration’s war on Medicaid fraud is taking aim at Hawaii — the feds claiming the state has failed to get a single conviction despite receiving millions in federal taxpayer dollars to fight waste and abuse.

After the pandemic, the feds said Hawaii’s Medicaid funding rose almost 30%, while enrollment went up 40%.

“And they did not produce a single conviction or obtain a single indictment of a fraudster from 2021 to 2025,” said Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.

Hawaii has about 400,000 residents on Medicaid — almost 30% of the state’s population.

“The reason this is important is because one of the requirements for getting Medicaid money for your state is to have an effective Medicaid fraud control unit and if you don’t have one, it can jeopardize the state’s access to Medicaid money generally,” Ferguson said.

The state’s $2.3 billion Medicaid program gets about $1.4 billion a year from the federal government.

“For more than a decade, Hawaii’s Medicaid fraud control unit has received millions and millions of dollars to fight fraud and is consistently been one of the lowest performing fraud units in the country,” Ferguson added.

In response, Gov. Josh Green has created an independent Medicaid Fraud Strike Force within the state Department of Human Services (DHS) to improve oversight and accountability in Medicaid waste and abuse.

“Hawaii does a better job with Medicaid than probably any other state, so I refuse to get into a conflict with the president’s team,” Green said. “I just won’t do it. I’m going to keep making sure that we do our very best to not waste. We’ll do our very best if someone’s breaking the rules, but I won’t take the political bait and get into a fight.”

Since 2021, state Attorney General Anne Lopez said the Medicaid fraud unit has recovered more than $14 million and investigated provider fraud and prosecuted cases involving the abuse and neglect of vulnerable residents.

In a statement, Lopez said, “Medicaid fraud enforcement is not measured solely by convictions. It includes preventing fraud, recovering taxpayer dollars, protecting beneficiaries, and pursuing appropriate civil and criminal remedies… We strongly disagree with any suggestion that Hawaii has failed to take Medicaid fraud seriously.”

Lopez plans to ask for reconsideration of the federal government’s decision. In the meantime, the state is reassuring Medicaid recipients that health insurance benefits will not be impacted.

“Of course, we can’t ever ensure that there won’t be future cuts,” said DHS director Joseph Campos. “Right now, we know that the current federal cuts are to the Medicaid fraud control unit only and we do not anticipate that there will be any adverse effect on the Medicaid insurance population.”

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Helene’s impact on homelessness in North Carolina will take time to resolve, advocate says

CNN Newsource on June 5, 2026

By Marc Liverman

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    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — After a new federal report found that Helene contributed to a 33% increase in North Carolina’s homeless population, western North Carolina advocates say the problem could persist for years.

According to the annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), North Carolina experienced a 33% increase in homelessness year-over-year in 2025, the highest annual jump of any state in the country. That alarming increase comes as the nationwide number of people experiencing homelessness experienced a slight decrease.

The report cited Helene as a major reason for the statewide increase.

Buncombe County was just one of the many western counties that were hit especially hard by the September 2024 storm.

“Our unsheltered population increased 50%. That’s still taking time to resolve itself,” said Eric Jackson with the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, adding that the most vulnerable to homelessness were certainly not spared by the storm.

“Anybody who is already on the edge, that is a devastating blow, and so we’ll see that playing out over years,” he said. In Buncombe County, Jackson said that more than 30% of residents are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

“You’re talking about people who are already on the edge,” he said.

As for a solution, Jackson explained that the first part is prevention: catching people before they fall.

Number two is how a community and its social programs respond after a major event like Helene.

“There are assistance kinds of things that we can do to keep people from becoming unhoused and to make sure that we’re able to help them get rehoused as quickly as possible if we can’t catch them,” Jackson said.

But he added that that’s more of a reactive remedy. Instead, he’d still rather see a substantial focus on solving the real problem.

“Which is to try to have more affordable housing,” Jackson said.

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