Disaster

The Associated Press reports: Hours before leaving port, the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. While the ship was docked in Baltimore, alarms went off on some of its refrigerated containers, indicating an inconsistent power supply, according to the …

The Associated Press reports: Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement related to a fiery train derailment in February 2023 in eastern Ohio. The company said the agreement, if approved by the court, will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, …

NBC News reports: Recovery efforts at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse reached a “critical step” Sunday as crews began removing shipping containers from the vessel Dali. Removal will allow them to access a key portion of the roadway, now perched above the containers on board the 980-foot, Singapore-flagged ship when it lost power and struck the …

“It’s not just a massive impact on Maryland; this has a massive impact on the national economy. We’re talking about one of the busiest ports in the entire country. A port that handles more cars, more heavy trucks, more agricultural equipment than any other port inside this country. “This is impacting the farmer in Kentucky; it’s impacting the auto dealer …

The Associated Press reports: Teams of engineers worked Saturday on the intricate process of cutting and lifting the first section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, which crumpled into the Patapsco River this week after a massive cargo ship crashed into one of its supports. Crews were carefully measuring and cutting the steel from the broken …

CNN reports: A massive crane inched closer to Baltimore’s scene of destruction Friday, tasked with clearing up to 4,000 tons of precarious debris that has hampered search crews after this week’s catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The crane – the largest on the East Coast – was headed to the site in the Patapsco River where a …

Roll Call reports: Federal officials told Maryland lawmakers that it could cost at least $2 billion to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by a malfunctioning freighter. Although a very early estimate, it sets a steep price tag for President Joe Biden’s promise Tuesday to cover the total cost of reconstruction — especially as Transportation …

The Daily Beast reports: Dali, the ship behind the fatal bridge collapse in Baltimore on Wednesday, had suffered from a “severe electrical problem” for days before it lost power during its ill-fated trip out of the Maryland harbor, a port worker told a CNN affiliate on Thursday. Julie Mitchell, co-administrator of Container Royalty, a company tracks the tonnage on container …

The Baltimore Sun reports: Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler said Wednesday evening that divers found a red pickup truck Wednesday morning with two bodies inside. Butler identified the victims as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35 of Baltimore, and Dorlian Castillo of Dundalk. Fuentes was from Mexico, and Castillo was from Guatemala, state police said. “We have exhausted all efforts around …

The Telegraph reports: “Dirty fuel” may have triggered power blackouts that sent a container ship careering into a harbour bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, investigators have said. The investigation into the crash, in which six people are presumed to have died, will look at the possibility that the fuel was contaminated, sources said. The Dali cargo ship was hit …

The Associated Press reports: A senior executive the company that employed the construction workers said six of the company’s workers are presumed to be dead and one worker was hospitalized. Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said the crew was working in the middle of the bridge’s span when the crash happened and crumbled the bridge. The bodies …

The Associated Press reports: A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors. The operators of the ship issued a mayday call moments before the crash that took down the Francis Scott …

CNN reports: The container ship Dali, which had just left the Port of Baltimore and was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, was not being piloted by its own crew, but by local pilots who are used specifically to avoid accidents like the one that occurred early Tuesday morning. “Pilots move ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore,” …

The Baltimore Sun reports: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a support column was struck by a vessel, sending cars and at least one tractor-trailer into the Patapsco River and prompting Gov. Wes Moore to declare a state of emergency. A spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department said a major rescue operation was underway with …

The Associated Press reports: A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. People woken by the quake …

The Daily Beast reports: Even though Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is no fan of President Joe Biden, and vice-versa, the right-wing lawmaker had nothing but praise for the commander-in-chief over the federal government’s response to Hurricane Idalia. With Florida Gov. (and GOP presidential hopeful) Ron DeSantis apparently looking to avoid a Chris Christie-Barack Obama photo-op on Saturday, Scott—a former governor …

The New York Times reports: For the first time, Maui County officials publicly blamed Hawaii’s largest electric utility for the wildfires that killed at least 115 people this month, claiming in a lawsuit filed that “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines had allowed flames to spark. The lawsuit accused the utility, Hawaiian Electric, of failing to respond to ominous …

The Weather Channel reports: Millions of people braced for more flooding Monday as tropical storm H​ilary continues to bring rain to parts of Southern California. On Sunday, the tropical storm left roads underwater and cars stranded, triggered a rock slide that closed a portion of interstate and prompted a state of emergency for much of the region. H​ilary was the …

Hawaii News Now reports: President Biden and the first lady will travel to fire-ravaged areas of Maui on Monday to meet with wildfire victims, first responders and government officials. Maui is preparing for the presidential visit as the grim and difficult work of searching for remains in historic Lahaina continues. Teams armed with cadaver dogs have searched about 78% of …

Hawaii News Now reports: The Lahaina wildfire death toll increased by five on Wednesday — to 111 — more than a week after flames ripped through the historic town. Meanwhile, Maui continued to slowly release the names of those who have perished. Three more victims, all elderly, were identified on Wednesday and authorities said positive IDs were made on others. …