One Dead, Several Injured After Gas Pipe Explodes in Shelby County
Smoke billows from a gas explosion near McCalla. The Colonial Pipeline pipe is now shut down until further notice.
UPDATE: 2:55 p.m.
Officials have restarted one of two gas pipelines after an explosion yesterday near McCalla. The blast killed one and injured a half-dozen others. The other line, which distributes gas to consumers, remains closed.
The blast site was in a rural area of Grey Hill Rd. — residents nearby heard two loud booms and saw flames shooting more than 50 feet high. A fire burned more than 30 acres of drought-stricken terrain.
Officials say a crew was digging near the pipe with heavy machinery and struck the line, which sparked the explosion. This is the second incident for Colonial Pipeline in the last two months.
The same line was found leaking in September, which led to a shutdown that caused a spike in gas prices from the southeast to the mid-Atlantic. Colonial says this latest closure could last for several days and lead to more fuel shortages.
Governor Robert Bentley yesterday ordered all residents within a three mile radius of the blast site to evacuate. It’s not known how many residents this order affects.
Trump says he’s fighting crime. Illinois Gov. Pritzker sees a power grab before 2026
Steve Inskeep speaks with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker about President Trump's threats to send National Guard troops to Chicago and the future of the Democratic Party.
Who is Lachlan Murdoch, the anointed media tycoon?
His position in leading News Corp. and Fox is now secure, as his father ends a dramatic succession battle. Lachlan grew up in New York City but has lived in Australia for much of his adult life.
Trump’s control of the D.C. police is due to expire tonight. Then what?
Trump needs an extension from Congress to control D.C. police for more than 30 days. Some Republican lawmakers are focused on pursuing legislation that would exert power over D.C. in other ways.
33 million voters have been run through a Trump administration citizenship check
Tens of millions of voters have had their information run through the tool — a striking portion of the U.S. public, considering little has been made public about the tool's accuracy or data security.
You’re more likely to reach for that soda when it’s hot outside
People drink more sugary beverages when it's hot, researchers found, significantly increasing their sugar intake. That impact could grow as climate change raises the world's temperatures.
Poland says it shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace
Poland said Wednesday that it and its NATO allies had shot down Russian drones that violated Polish airspace in what it called an "act of aggression" as Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine.