3 dead, 12 others injured after tornado strikes Union City, Michigan

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    UNION CITY, Michigan (WWJ) — Three people have died, and 12 others were injured after a tornado ripped through Union City, Michigan on Friday, authorities say.

The Branch County Sheriff’s Office says that three of the people who were injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, CBS-affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo reports.

At least two tornadoes were reported in Southwest Michigan amid severe weather, according to CBS Detroit’s Chief Meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey.

Two of the tornadoes were reported in Union City and Three Rivers, while a possible third tornado may have been in St. Joseph County. Bajjey says the tornadoes caused significant damage, including destroying a roof on a Menard’s in Three Rivers. According to Consumers Energy, more than 3,000 customers are without power as of 9 p.m. on Friday.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the storms in Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties. The department says the center will be supporting local requests for assistance.

“Tonight, I am activating our State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate an all-hands-on-deck response to severe weather in southwestern Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “By taking this action, we can ensure the state can monitor and respond to local requests. I want to thank all the first responders on the ground who reacted quickly to keep Michiganders safe.”

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Jury convicts man of aggravated sexual abuse of autistic child in Camp Lejeune case

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By WTVD News Staff

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    JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) — A federal jury has convicted a man of aggravated sexual abuse against a child.

Court records and trial evidence revealed that David Leonard Mayes, 41, raped a nine-year-old severely autistic, nonverbal child while she was visiting her family on Camp Lejeune. The victim’s mother returned home early, found her daughter’s door closed and caught Mayes in the act.

Investigators discovered a tub of petroleum jelly in the child’s room with Mayes’s fingerprint on it. Forensic testing also confirmed the victim’s DNA on his genitals along with petroleum jelly residue on both.

Mayes faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison.

“This monster preyed on the most vulnerable nine-year-old imaginable. He exploited his relationship with the family to violate this defenseless innocent child in the most inhuman ways imaginable. Rather than admit his heinous crime, he further traumatized the family by forcing them to recount what he did before the jury in open court. We will protect the heroes aboard Camp Lejeune and their daughters. We proudly secured this conviction from a jury of American citizens and look forward to advocating for a sentence that will ensure this predator will never hurt another child ever again,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.

Special Agent in Charge Kelly Parrish of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office added, “Mr. Mayes must be held accountable for targeting and cruelly exploiting a particularly vulnerable child for illicit, selfish gratification.”

The case was investigated by NCIS and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Haughton and Ashley Foxx, with U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepting the verdict.

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Dozen neglected dogs found in DC apartment, investigation continues

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Neal Augenstein

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    WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTOP) — Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details that some readers may find disturbing.

A dozen neglected dogs were discovered Monday in an apartment in the Shipley Terrace neighborhood of Southeast D.C.

According to the Human Rescue Alliance, D.C. police alerted the alliance’s Humane Law Enforcement team of an extreme case of animal cruelty and neglect.

Twelve emaciated dogs were found in the apartment, according to the Humane Rescue Alliance. Two had already died, and the surviving 10 dogs had resorted to eating the remains.

“They would have died,” said Lisa LaFontaine, CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance. “The dogs in this case are receiving intensive crisis care to address both their critical medical needs and the profound behavioral impact of prolonged neglect.”

Investigators are trying to determine who, if anyone, owns or rents the apartment, or whether the unit was just being used as a place to store the dogs. No arrests have been made.

According to the group, the 10 dogs who were rescued from the apartment are doing well.

“The severity of this case and the urgent needs of the surviving dogs have placed a significant strain on shelter operations,” according to a news release from the Humane Rescue Alliance. “Members of the public can make a meaningful difference by fostering animals currently in the shelter who are not part of this case.”

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Rockets, sirens and bedroom bomb shelters: US student describes life in Israel

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Jimmy Alexander

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    TEL AVIV, Israel (WTOP) — Shafner is a 24-year-old college student who lives in Herzliya, which is a suburb of Tel Aviv. She grew up in St. Louis and lived in D.C. before moving to Israel.

“I have friends whose husbands, their children’s father, has been gone for 600 days already, since the war broke out in October 2023,” Shafner said. “It’s just over and over and over.”

Shafner’s parents still live in the District, and she said while they tend to not get upset and worry about her too badly, this week has been tough for them.

“I actually did FaceTime them from the bus stop like two days ago,” Shafner said.

She added her parents yelled when they realized where she was.

“They were like, ‘What are you doing at the bus stop?’” Shafner said. “I was like, ‘I had to go somewhere, but if there’s a siren, I’ll just find a building to go into.’”

During her conversation with WTOP, Shafner said she feels bad for other countries being bombed during this war.

“Countries like the UAE and Bahrain, they don’t have the infrastructure,” Shafner said. “They don’t have alert systems, they probably don’t have shelters in every other building.”

Bomb shelters are something Shafner knows quite well; she has one in her bedroom.

Last Saturday, she found out the war had begun right as she was about to leave for synagogue, “I heard a warning siren.”

If it’s a 10-minute warning, they know the rockets are coming from Iran, but if it’s a minute and a half, they are from Lebanon.

As soon as Shafner heard the warning, she yelled out the window to her friends to come upstairs, where they spent the rest of the day going in and out of the bomb shelter.

“Every 10 minutes we’d be like, ‘OK, let’s sit to eat,’ and then all of a sudden, we’d have a siren,” Shafner said. “’Should we play this game?’ … We should set it up inside the bomb shelter.”

That may sound terrifying to many, but Shafner said she is lucky.

“I really can’t complain. Not everyone has a shelter safe room in their apartment or in their building,” she said. “I’m really privileged that I have that.”

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Homeless man charged after allegedly attacking mother, teenage daughter

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Bianca Buono

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    ANAHEIM, California (KABC) — A man is behind bars after police say he attacked a mother and her teenage daughter in public in Anaheim, threatening to sexually assault them.

Jose Gudino, 59, has been charged with two felony counts of kidnapping with intent to commit rape, according to the Anaheim Police Department. The agency says he was homeless and has no prior history of violent attacks.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon near Lincoln Avenue and East Street, according to police.

A mother and daughter, who asked to remain anonymous, were walking home from a bus stop. They said they began to notice that a man was following them.

Surveillance camera footage eerily shows the man emerging as the women cross the street and he follows behind them. Moments later, police say he attacked them.

“We were screaming for help,” said the 14-year-old daughter. “I felt like that was going to be my last day here and I was just so traumatized.”

The mother and daughter said Gudino tried grabbing them from the sidewalk, first going after the teenage girl. He demanded they go with him to an area behind nearby trees where he threatened to assault them.

“A bag of my pills fell. When I tried to pick it up, he hit me with a bag in his hand and I fell on the street,” the mother said.

The mother was hurt, but she and her daughter fought back – even managing to record video of the suspect.

“She was very brave, she also protected me, the two of us united, thanks to the mercy of God,” the mother said.

A good Samaritan stopped and they jumped into her car. They consider her to be their angel.

When they got home, they called 911 and police say within two hours, they found Gudino and arrested him.

“It’s an isolated incident. It doesn’t happen often in the city of Anaheim. And that’s exactly why we made it a priority to immediately apprehend this suspect,” said Officer Breana Castro, a public information officer with Anaheim PD.

Anaheim police say they want to speak with that good Samaritan.

“We are also very thankful for her input in helping this mother daughter duo. And we would love to get her statement. It would be critical in the case against this suspect,” Castro said.

The family is working on recovering, both physically and emotionally. The mother has scratches across her legs and hands. They hope their story serves as a warning to other women in their community.

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Ye sued for more than $1M by ex-worker as wife, Bianca Censori, testifies in home renovation case

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Carlos Granda

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KABC) — Ye, formally known as Kanye West, is set to appear in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday. He’s being sued by a man who worked on his Malibu beach house renovations.

Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, took the stand Thursday, with her testimony lasting all day.

The case revolves around Tony Saxon, a former employee who sued Ye, claiming he was hired as a project manager but was only paid once. He said that he was fired after seven weeks.

Saxon is suing for more than $1 million for alleged unpaid wages, dangerous working conditions and wrongful termination.

During questioning, Censori said she has degrees in architecture and in 2021 she was lead architect for Ye’s $57 million house. She added that she worked on it for a few weeks before Saxon came on board.

She was asked about the plans for the house and the changes. She said her role was to visualize plans, renderings and concepts that Ye had.

Saxon claimed that Ye’s plans for the property were constantly changing. He said Ye wanted all plumbing, wiring and other items removed.

Saxon claims he was severely injured and was later fired.

Ye is set to testify in court Friday.

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Two charged for hazmat explosion at waste facility

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Daniel Macht

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    MODESTO, California (KCRA) — Two men are facing charges after an investigation into chemical explosions and fires at a waste management facility in Modesto last year.

In announcing the charges, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office also released dramatic video that showed the moment 55-gallon drums alleged to be filled with hazardous waste exploded on March 27.

It happened when waste from Riverbank-based Advanced Materials Manufacturing Technologies, LLC, (AM2T) was being offloaded at Gilton’s Resource Recovery Facility in Modesto.

One Gilton worker suffered minor injuries in the initial explosion.

According to the DA’s office, Gilton employees did not know the drums were filled with hazardous material, highly flammable powdered magnesium and aluminum.

Later, firefighters who tried to put out the fire also put themselves in danger because the hazardous materials reacted with water to produce flammable hydrogen gas, which then led to a secondary explosion, the DA’s office said.

No one was hurt in the second explosion and the fire was ultimately put out after being covered with dirt, the DA’s office said.

Investigators also found additional 55-gallon drums filled with hazardous waste that were being illegally stored at AM2T’s facility, according to the DA’s office.

AM2T owner Henry Meeks and AM2T manager Phillip Whitmore are accused of illegal storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste.

Whitmore was arrested and booked into jail in connection with the alleged illegal dumping. An arrest warrant has been issued for Meeks.

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Six charged after narcotics found at New Mexico detention center

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Nick Catlin

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    ESTANCIA, New Mexico (KOAT) — An ongoing police investigation at the Torrance County Detention Center led to half a dozen people being charged.

The Estancia Police Department said it began investigating controlled substances entering the facility in January. Several people were identified, which led to six people being charged.

Court documents show the controlled substance was identified as suboxone.

The named suspects are Delanie and James Kayser, Ronald Moorhead, Aaron Baca, Erik Pizarro and Ryan Klein. Each are facing a charge of trafficking of a controlled substance.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing on Thursday, March 5. Anyone with information on related drug activity has been asked to contact Estancia police.

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Man arrested for alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Ricardo Tovar

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    MORGAN HILL, California (KSBW) — Morgan Hill police said they arrested a Santa Cruz County man on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child.

Police said they responded Feb. 12 to reports that a 12-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted by a 21-year-old man.

Officers learned the two had been communicating through the social media app Snapchat before the alleged assault.

Detectives said the suspect arranged to meet the victim and picked her up at her home in Morgan Hill.

The suspect was later identified as Alexis Javier Mendez-Gallardo of Freedom in Santa Cruz County.

Police said an arrest warrant was obtained for Mendez-Gallardo and, with the help of Watsonville police, he was located and arrested.

Police said he will be booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of rape of a child under 14, oral copulation of a child under 14, sexual penetration of a child under 14, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, and arranging to meet a minor for lewd purposes.

“The Morgan Hill Police Department reminds parents and guardians to remain vigilant about their children’s online activity and to speak with them about the potential dangers of communicating with unknown individuals through social media platforms,” police said in a social media post.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Sean Bayard at 408-607-3032 or sean.bayard@morganhill.ca.gov.

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School district considers random drug tests for student athletes

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By TJ Dysart

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — The Waukesha School District is considering a proposal to randomly drug test student athletes, following concerns raised by the board clerk about marijuana’s impact on students’ mental health.

The proposal, discussed at a committee meeting on Tuesday night, aims to identify students using cannabis and provide them with necessary help.

“I am not interested in punishing students who use, I am interested in identifying them.” Board Clerk David Wadd said.

He emphasized the importance of addressing cannabis use among adolescents.

“As cannabis use is legalized and the message continues to be ‘Well, this is harmless,’ the fact of the matter is, at least for adolescents, it is definitely not harmless,” Wadd said.

Marijuana usage is not legal in Wisconsin. Under the Waukesha School District’s proposal, student athletes who test positive for marijuana could be benched. However, some board members are advocating for a policy that extends beyond random testing.

Board Member Karrie Kozlowski expressed concerns about enforcement, saying, “Candidly, we have coaches today who know that their players are using it and don’t darn thing about it.” Kozlowski suggested that students should sign a consent form agreeing to the drug tests voluntarily.

Kozlowski also raised questions about the logistics of the proposal.

“Where are these random drug tests done? Do we require parental authorization to drug test children?” Kozlowski said.

Other school districts, including Arrowhead, Mukwonago, and Pewaukee, have already implemented similar random drug testing policies. Oak Creek’s policy applies to both student athletes and students who park on school grounds.

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