US student goes missing while on holiday in Dominican Republic
The 20-year-old college student was last seen on surveillance cameras enjoying a vacation with friends at a resort in the Dominican Republic before she mysteriously disappeared, Fox News reports. Sudiksha Konanki, a third-year pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh, was last…
Florida weather presenter broadcasts live from tornado site
A weatherman went live on air as a tornado ripped through his station's studio in Lake Mary, Florida, near Orlando. Meteorologist Brooks Garner warned staff to take cover. Power went out intermittently during the broadcast. When it was over,…
Evacuations ordered over 175 wildfires in South and North Carolina
175 wildfires broke out overnight in South and North Carolina amid windy, dry weather. The flames are threatening homes, prompting state officials to order evacuations, ABC News reports. The South Carolina Fire Marshal’s Office said on March 2 that firefighting operations are underway…
Measles outbreak in Texas: First US resident dies from virus in 10 years
A measles outbreak in West Texas has resulted in more than 120 cases and the first measles-related death in the U.S. since 2015, U.S. News reports. One child has died. The Texas Department of Health Services on Feb. 26 reported the death of a school-age child who…
More than 50 people have died from a mysterious illness within 2 days of symptoms appearing: doctors are sounding the alarm
A mystery illness has killed more than 50 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo just hours after symptoms appeared. The WHO is describing the outbreak as a “significant public health threat,” the Daily Mail reports. The World Health Organization and doctors in Congo have reported that most…
Spouses sat on plane next to corpse for 4 hours: they were refused to be moved despite there being free seats
A couple flying from Australia to Italy on a Qatar Airways flight were seated next to the body of a passenger who died on board. The Australians said they were “traumatized,” Global News reports. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were flying from Melbourne to Venice when one of the…
11-year-old girl commits suicide after being bullied and threatened with deportation
An 11-year-old girl from Texas committed suicide because of bullying. Other students bullied her because of her family's immigration status, writes Law & Crime. On February 3, Jocelyn Rojo Carranza fatally injured herself in her home in…
A woman had someone else's embryo implanted during IVF; the biological parents sued her for the child
A Georgia woman has filed a lawsuit against a fertility clinic. She claims that an error during in vitro fertilization (IVF) led to the clinic implanting the wrong embryo into her and she gave birth to another couple's biological child, ABC News reports. Christina Murray, 38, of Savannah…
Plane Loses Wing, Flips Over, But All Passengers Survive: How Airplane Design Saved People in Toronto Air Crash
On February 17, a Delta Airlines flight flipped over while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. Horrified onlookers feared the worst. Fortunately, all passengers and crew survived thanks to the plane’s robust design and the professionalism of its flight attendants, CNN writes. “It’s just phenomenal to see…
FBI arrests cult members linked to at least six murders in US
On February 17, Maryland police arrested 34-year-old Jack "Ziz" Lasota, 34-year-old Michelle Zajko, and 32-year-old Daniel Blank. They call themselves "Zizians." The group resembles a destructive cult, and its members are suspected of committing at least six murders, USA Today and…