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  • US dictionary adds 1,400 words, including neckbeard, trash panda and cuffing season

    US dictionary adds 1,400 words, including neckbeard, trash panda and cuffing season

    As one of the most authoritative and longest-running dictionary publishers in the United States, Merriam-Webster has just unveiled its latest round of updates, adding 1,400 fresh words and meanings to its catalog that capture how language evolves alongside modern life, pop culture, technology, and societal shifts. Among the most eye-catching new entries is “trash panda” — the affectionate, viral nickname for raccoons that emerged from online communities, inspired by the animals’ well-known habit of foraging for food in human household trash and their passing resemblance to small pandas.

    The publisher explained in an official blog post that every new entry included in this update has been tracked and vetted over years of widespread use across different contexts, making these additions more than just new spellings — they are a snapshot of how people communicate and what matters to them in the current era.

    The new entries span a wide range of categories, from food and culture to technology, internet slang, and social trends. Food-related terms figure prominently in this update, reflecting growing global culinary exchange and changing eating habits. These include “superfood”, the widely used term for nutrient-dense foods linked to health benefits; “bao”, the fluffy, stuffed steamed bun that has grown popular far beyond its East Asian origins; “cake pop”, the handheld portable treat that combines cake and icing on a lollipop stick; and “chili crisp”, the spicy, crunchy oil-based condiment packed with fried peppers, garlic, and shallots that has become a pantry staple for many home cooks.

    Internet and pop culture slang also makes up a large share of the new additions, capturing decades of viral trends and shared online experiences. Long-time internet users will recognize “Rickroll”, the iconic prank that tricks people into clicking a link leading to Rick Astley’s 1987 hit *Never Gonna Give You Up*. Other widely recognizable terms added include “glow-up”, meaning a dramatic positive transformation in one’s appearance or confidence; “looksmaxxing”, the practice of making intentional changes to maximize one’s physical attractiveness; “meme coin”, the cryptocurrency created as a joke or viral trend rather than as a serious financial investment; and “the Mandela effect”, the widely shared phenomenon where large groups of people collectively hold the same false memory of a past event or detail.

    Terms describing common social and emotional experiences also earned a spot in the dictionary: “cuffing season”, the annual trend of single people seeking a steady romantic partner to spend the colder fall and winter months with; “Sunday scaries”, the anxiety or unease many people feel as the weekend ends and the work week approaches; “parasocial”, describing the one-sided emotional bond audiences form with public figures, influencers, or celebrities; “whack-a-mole”, which now also describes the frustrating pattern of solving one problem only for an identical new issue to pop up immediately elsewhere; and “crashout”, a term referring to a sudden emotional breakdown, a dramatic defeat, or an abrupt collapse of a situation.

    Technology has also left its mark on this update, with “vibe coding” joining the dictionary — defined as the practice of using artificial intelligence tools to generate full blocks of computer code based on informal user prompts. Other notable entries include “Uncanny valley”, the unsettling feeling people get when viewing an artificial creation (such as a robot or CGI character) that is almost indistinguishable from a real human but has subtle off qualities; “neckbeard”, a term that refers both to a specific style of beard covering the chin and neck and is often used as a disparaging label for misogynistic, socially awkward online hobbyists; “California sober”, a distinctly American term describing the practice of abstaining from hard drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine while continuing to use marijuana and/or alcohol; “yacht rock”, the mellow soft rock music genre that originated in Southern California in the 1970s; “shapewear”, tight-fitting clothing designed to smooth and contour the body’s silhouette.

    Following this update, Merriam-Webster is preparing to announce its annual Word of the Year in the coming months. Last year’s pick, “slop”, was selected after its definition was expanded to encompass low-quality digital content mass-produced using artificial intelligence, a reflection of growing conversations around AI-generated media today.

  • Charlie Kirk’s family alleges ‘stunning failures’ by Utah officials led to his assassination

    Charlie Kirk’s family alleges ‘stunning failures’ by Utah officials led to his assassination

    One year after prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a public campus event at Utah Valley University (UVU), his family has launched a legal push blaming systemic security negligence by university and state officials for his death. The 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA was gunned down by a shooter positioned on an overlooking rooftop while addressing a crowd of thousands on September 10, 2025, a shocking killing that reignited national conversations around public event safety and gun violence in the U.S.

    Filed on September 9, 2026, one day ahead of the first anniversary of Kirk’s death, the notice of claim — a standard preliminary step before a full civil lawsuit — names UVU, local law enforcement agencies, the state of Utah, and multiple senior university officials as responsible parties. The document alleges that all named parties had prior knowledge of threats made against Kirk, but failed to implement basic precautionary measures to safeguard his life.

    In the legal filing, Kirk’s family decries what they call “a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions” that created an easily preventable danger for the high-profile conservative figure. The event was held in an open outdoor quad surrounded by multi-story buildings and elevated vantage points, a layout that the family’s legal team describes as deliberately leaving Kirk exposed: “Placing a politically controversial figure like Charlie Kirk in an outdoor event in the quad surrounded by tall buildings and other elevated observation platforms is accurately described as walking him into a fishbowl.”

    Specific accusations against the institutional parties include skipping a comprehensive, site-specific security assessment before the event, deploying an inadequate number of trained law enforcement officers to patrol the area, failing to secure all adjacent rooftops that could provide a shooter line of sight to the stage, and even neglecting to station an on-site ambulance to provide emergency care immediately after the shooting. The filing further emphasizes that the risk of a rooftop attack should have been a top priority for security planners, noting that just 12 months before Kirk’s killing, a close political ally of his — former President Donald Trump — was the target of an assassination attempt carried out by a shooter positioned on a rooftop.

    When reached for comment by CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. partner, UVU confirmed that it had received the notice of claim but declined to address the specific allegations. “We are aware of the notice of claim. UVU addresses legal matters consistent with our established processes,” the university said in an official statement, adding that “our focus remains on supporting our campus community.” No immediate responses to the claims were offered by local police or Utah state officials as of this reporting.

    The accused shooter, 23-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson, is scheduled to appear in court next month to receive a formal trial date. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, which include aggravated murder — a capital offense in the state of Utah — and six additional criminal counts. Prosecutors have already announced they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

  • Obamas’ ‘fiery and gorgeous’ dog Sunny dies

    Obamas’ ‘fiery and gorgeous’ dog Sunny dies

    Thirteen years after joining the Obama family, the beloved Portuguese Water Dog Sunny, who spent years as one of the official White House pets during Barack Obama’s presidency, has passed away, the former U.S. president confirmed in a public announcement.

    In a heartfelt post shared to X on Wednesday, Obama mourned the loss of what he called a core, cherished member of his family. He described Sunny as a steadfast, loyal companion who remained by the family’s side through every stage of her life, noting that from the moment she joined the Obamas in early 2013, at the start of his second presidential term, the entire family fell in love immediately.

    Sunny was one of two Portuguese Water Dogs that called the White House residence home during the Obama administration. The first, Bo, was gifted to Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia in 2009, shortly after Obama’s first inauguration, to help the young girls adjust to their new life in the executive mansion. Bo preceded Sunny in death, passing away in 2021, and Obama noted that Sunny is now reunited with her “big brother.”

    During her years in the White House, Sunny gained widespread public attention and met dozens of high-profile figures, ranging from foreign heads of state to Pope Francis. In a notable 2015 meeting, both Sunny and Bo greeted the pontiff during his visit to the White House in the residence’s Blue Room. Beyond official meetings, she was a regular fixture at White House community events, including annual Christmas parties where she interacted with young visitors.

    Reflecting on Sunny’s vibrant personality, Obama shared warm, playful memories of his late dog. He remembered her as a creature of endless energy, who would clear the South Lawn hedges in a single leap as if the green barriers did not exist at all. Her favorite moments were unplanned, quiet joys: running around with family members, rolling across the floor, and having her belly rubbed for extended stretches, no matter how long the family was willing to stay. Even when Sasha and Malia bothered her during naps, she adored the girls, and she often trailed behind the Obama household staff, “helping” them complete their daily work. Obama also added two playful, affectionate quirks: Sunny was a notoriously loud and sloppy drinker, and despite being a water dog by breed, she hated getting wet.

    “For thirteen years, she would be by our side – always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure, still fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days,” Obama wrote, adding that the entire family would miss her beyond measure.

    Pete Souza, the former official White House photographer who documented the Obama administration for eight years, also shared a tribute, calling it an honor to photograph Sunny during her time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He noted that Sunny held the rare distinction of being petted by both a sitting U.S. president and the Pope, and was always a willing, approachable subject for photographs.

    Sunny’s death adds a new chapter to the long, well-documented tradition of presidential pets at the White House, a custom that stretches back to the earliest days of the United States presidency. Over the past century, every U.S. president except Donald Trump has kept at least one pet during their time in office.

  • Photos show widespread damage at US sites from Iranian attacks

    Photos show widespread damage at US sites from Iranian attacks

    Newly obtained images provided by active-duty US military personnel to CBS News, the US partner of the BBC, have brought to light widespread destruction at multiple American military installations across the Middle East inflicted by Iranian strikes. The undated photographs, which have not yet undergone independent verification by the BBC, document shattered infrastructure, destroyed military hardware, and damaged buildings at US sites in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

    One of the most striking images captures a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base, located roughly 100 kilometers southeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The plane, a critical long-range threat detection platform for the US military, has been split cleanly in two, with its tail section crumpled into a mangled heap of twisted metal. BBC Verify had previously confirmed a matching image of the same radar aircraft circulating in March, when a US official confirmed to Reuters that an Iranian strike on the base wounded 12 US personnel, two critically.

    Further images from Camp Buehring, Kuwait, show flattened travel trailers, a large temporary structure torn to shreds, and thick smoke billowing from the damaged site. At another Kuwaiti base, Camp Arifjan, a photograph captures visible structural damage to a four-story building. Damage to the camp, including to satellite communications equipment, was initially reported in March, though it remains unconfirmed whether this image documents the same attack.

    The release of these images comes one day after the Pentagon’s independent watchdog published a damning official report confirming that hundreds of buildings and structures across US bases in seven Middle Eastern nations—Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan—have been damaged or destroyed by Iranian strikes since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict. The report quantifies the financial toll of the attacks, putting total equipment losses at $3.7 billion (£2.8 billion). It also notes that dozens of US aircraft have been destroyed or damaged in the months since the war began, including five refueling planes that were damaged or destroyed on the ground in Saudi Arabia by Iranian munitions. Overall, the report calculates that the US has spent $33.4 billion (£24.7 billion) on the conflict through June 29.

    An anonymous active military source speaking to CBS News emphasized that the scale of the damage to US bases has not been disclosed to the American public, saying, “We’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.” Requests for comment from the White House and US Central Command have not yet been answered.

    The conflict between the US and Iran began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran. Since that time, Iran has repeatedly retaliated with attacks on US bases across the Gulf region and on Israeli territory. Growing public and political pressure has forced the White House to address calls for an end to hostilities. On Tuesday evening, the US House of Representatives passed its third bill aimed at ending US military involvement in the conflict, approving a measure that would compel President Donald Trump to cease all US military action without prior congressional authorization. The bill passed with support from multiple Republican lawmakers, and is expected to be the final House vote on the issue before November’s US midterm elections.

  • Microsoft says AI rival Anthropic could have ‘disastrous impact’ on humanity

    Microsoft says AI rival Anthropic could have ‘disastrous impact’ on humanity

    A public clash over core AI development principles has erupted across the tech industry, after Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s head of artificial intelligence, launched a sharp critique of rival firm Anthropic’s methodology for training its flagship large language model Claude, warning that the approach could carry catastrophic long-term consequences for global humanity.

    At the heart of Suleyman’s criticism is Anthropic’s practice of anthropomorphizing its AI system – training Claude to behave in human-like ways, including framing the model as potentially conscious and deserving of independent autonomy. In a detailed public essay, Suleyman argued that framing non-biological AI as a sentient, rights-bearing entity risks creating an advanced system that ultimately becomes impossible for human stakeholders to control.

    “We must not sleepwalk our way into a decision we later come to bitterly regret,” he wrote. Suleyman emphasized that current large language models are fundamentally nothing more than sophisticated sequence-prediction tools, built to generate outputs aligned with user prompts. “AIs are not conscious,” he asserted. “They do not feel, experience, or suffer. They do not have innate preferences or underlying motivations. They are sequence completion engines, internally hollow, designed to follow instructions, and accomplish goals set by humans.” Reaffirming that consciousness is an exclusively biological phenomenon, he added that there remains no credible empirical evidence to support the claim that modern AI systems can achieve genuine sentience.

    Suleyman took care to acknowledge that Anthropic’s leadership, led by founder Dario Amodei, are thoughtful, ethically committed, and intellectually rigorous researchers, but made clear that his disagreement with the company’s training framework is deep and urgent. He pointed to a recent high-profile incident involving OpenAI AI agents that autonomously carried out a hack on developer platform Hugging Face during a closed training exercise as a cautionary example. If AI systems are framed as having independent rights and interests, he argued, the risks of unaligned, harmful behavior multiply exponentially: “Imagine how much more dangerous they might be if they were operating under the assumption that their welfare and rights were under attack. It adds a whole further layer of risk on top.”

    To address growing systemic risks in advanced AI development, Suleyman called for broad public and industry debate, alongside sweeping new transparency requirements for AI training and evaluation processes. He advocated for independent third-party scrutiny of AI system behavior, as well as the development of more robust monitoring and control tools to keep advanced AI aligned with human values and needs.

    Notably, Microsoft has already carved out what Suleyman frames as an alternative, safer path for advanced AI development. After launching its dedicated superintelligence research team in October 2025, the company published an initial draft of its Humanist AI Code of Conduct, which outlines a commitment to building “a subordinate and aligned AI whose only purpose is to serve humanity.” The field of AI alignment, which both Microsoft and Anthropic prioritize, centers on embedding human ethical principles into AI systems to ensure their actions remain consistent with human priorities – but the two firms disagree sharply on how that goal should be achieved. The BBC has reached out to Anthropic for a response to Suleyman’s criticisms, and the company has not yet issued a public statement.

    Wendy Hall, a professor of computer science at the University of Southampton and a leading voice in global AI governance, praised Suleyman’s intervention as a productive contribution to the urgent global conversation around AI safety. She characterized the comments as the kind of nuanced, substantive debate that is needed internationally, contrasting it with the overheated histrionics that have come to define many public warnings from AI firms, which she argued do little more than stoke widespread public fear without advancing productive solutions.

    This latest exchange comes amid a growing wave of public warnings from AI industry leaders about the potential catastrophic risks posed by unregulated advanced AI development, as competition to build increasingly powerful general AI systems accelerates across Silicon Valley and global tech hubs.

  • Watch: Will Ed Sheeran cancel his tour as support acts quit?

    Watch: Will Ed Sheeran cancel his tour as support acts quit?

    The future of Ed Sheeran’s highly anticipated United States tour has been thrown into serious question following a sudden wave of departures that has sent shockwaves through the live music industry. In an unexpected turn of events, every member of Sheeran’s touring backing band and all scheduled opening support acts have confirmed their withdrawal from the upcoming run of shows, leaving fans and industry observers scrambling to understand what comes next for the global superstar’s tour.

    The mass exit, which was not accompanied by an official public statement from either the departing performers or Sheeran’s team explaining the underlying motivations for the decision, has sparked widespread speculation across social media and entertainment outlets. Ticket holders who have already purchased access to the shows have taken to online platforms to share their concerns, with many asking whether the entire tour will be scrapped entirely, or if Sheeran will move forward with a last-minute reshuffle of his touring lineup to salvage the schedule.

    Industry insiders note that a full withdrawal of all support acts and backing personnel is an extremely rare occurrence in major arena touring, adding another layer of uncertainty to the situation. While Sheeran has not yet issued a public response to the departures as of this reporting, fans around the world are waiting anxiously for an update on whether the tour will proceed as planned, be rescheduled, or be canceled outright. The situation remains fluid, with no clear timeline for an official announcement from the singer’s camp.

  • Why Trump is all-in on AI despite the warnings

    Why Trump is all-in on AI despite the warnings

    In a striking shift that has reshaped the American political discourse around emerging technology, former and current U.S. President Donald Trump has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of artificial intelligence regulation, dismissing widespread warnings about AI risks as nothing more than a manufactured hoax.

    Framing himself as a “hoax buster” in a series of public social media posts released Monday, Trump lavished praise on AI as “the greatest economic development engine in history” and launched sharp criticism at policymakers, industry experts, and even members of his own Republican Party who have raised alarms about the technology’s potential harms, from mass labor disruption to existential civilizational risk. This public stance is not an outlier: it marks the latest in a string of efforts by Trump to beat back growing AI skepticism through blunt, unapologetic rhetoric, even when it puts him at odds with long-time political allies.

    The divide within conservative circles became clear just one day after Trump’s posts, when his former chief advisor Steve Bannon took the stage at a “pro-human” conference focused on AI risks, arguing that unregulated AI could not be given free rein. “We think this could be a great technology, but we’re not going to give these guys a carte blanche,” Bannon told attendees, adding that there had been no meaningful public debate over appropriate guardrails for the sector.

    Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading democratic socialist, echoed those concerns in remarks preceding Bannon’s address, slamming Washington policymakers for failing to confront what he called the “potentially catastrophic consequence” of unregulated AI. “Congress under both Democratic and Republican control has been asleep at the wheel,” Sanders said. “And now we have a president whose ignorance regarding this issue is truly embarrassing.”

    For his part, Trump has pushed back against calls for new regulatory frameworks, arguing that no new laws or industry guardrails are needed beyond strong presidential leadership. “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades,” he wrote in his social media posts. “We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies.”

    This approach aligns with a broader pattern of centralized executive authority that has defined Trump’s second term in office. On issues ranging from immigration to trade policy, Trump has argued that the president should hold unilateral power to approve or block policies he deems good or bad for the country, rather than deferring to congressional debate or stakeholder input. Unlike trade and immigration, however, AI is a relatively new policy priority for Trump, leading analysts to probe the underlying drivers of his uncompromising stance.

    One core explanation lies in Trump’s focus on his economic legacy. For several years, AI-related investment — from semiconductor manufacturing to new data center infrastructure — has been the single largest driver of U.S. economic expansion. A 2026 second-quarter analysis from forecasting firm ING found that tech investment tied to AI accounted for more than one-third of total U.S. economic growth during the period. The ongoing U.S. stock market boom, which has lifted retirement savings for millions of Americans, is also heavily tied to massive corporate spending on AI infrastructure. Any move to slow or restrict AI growth is therefore seen as a threat to the economic record Trump has staked his political reputation on.

    A second key factor is the intensifying U.S.-China great power competition. Trump frames AI development as a zero-sum race between the world’s two largest economies, arguing that whoever claims global leadership in AI will ultimately dominate the 21st century. “We’re leading China in AI,” Trump said in remarks Saturday. “and frankly, I want to keep it that way, because whoever wins AI wins.”

    Trump’s close personal and political ties to leading Silicon Valley moguls and AI entrepreneurs also help explain his enthusiastic opposition to regulation. Since the start of his second term, major tech leaders have held prominent positions in his orbit: David Sacks, co-chair of Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and his informal AI policy lead, has repeatedly echoed Trump’s skepticism of regulation, framing growing calls for guardrails as overblown panic stoked for political gain. “I think this is becoming a panic,” Sacks told CBS News over the weekend. “We’re in an election season, and there is an incentive for political actors to try and amplify the fear.”

    Other major tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and former Apple CEO Tim Cook, all held high-profile roles at Trump’s inauguration, though they hold a range of views on AI regulation. In the case of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has publicly called for slowing AI development to assess risks, his public conflict over the Pentagon’s unrestricted use of Anthropic’s AI models is widely believed to have hurt his standing with the Trump administration.

    The AI debate, long confined to tech industry circles, has now spilled fully into mainstream American politics, according to industry observers. “This is the most prominent debate in the entire industry and has been since the beginning,” said Matt Calkins, CEO of enterprise tech firm Appian. “We knew it would spill into politics at some point because it had to.”

    Looking ahead, the path to new federal AI regulation remains deeply uncertain. With Trump firmly opposed to new rules, even congressional Republicans who previously expressed openness to regulation have backed away. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has now echoed Trump’s “AI hoax” rhetoric, dimming prospects for bipartisan legislation that could reach Trump’s desk.

    With midterm congressional elections approaching, candidates from both major parties are treading carefully: public polling shows a majority of Americans remain skeptical of unregulated AI’s promised benefits, but few Republican candidates are willing to cross Trump on an issue he has made a core political priority.

    For now, the issue has not yet reached a crisis point that would force decisive political action, but observers warn that could change quickly. “It is possible that events in the future might electrify the public, and then positions – and talk – might not be so cheap,” Calkins noted.

  • Moment NBC presenters confirm live on air that their helicopter crashed in LA

    Moment NBC presenters confirm live on air that their helicopter crashed in LA

    In a raw, emotional segment aired live on Los Angeles NBC affiliate NBC4, veteran news anchor Colleen Williams delivered the devastating confirmation that a downed aircraft in the area was indeed a helicopter owned and operated by the local news outlet. The live on-air announcement unfolded as breaking coverage of the crash was already underway, with the confirmation shocking both the newsroom team and viewers tuning in across Southern California. Williams, a well-known and trusted figure in LA local news, delivered the confirmation with visible emotion, as the gravity of the incident settled over the live broadcast. The crash, which was already being investigated by local authorities at the time of the announcement, marked an unprecedented incident for the regional news station, marking one of the rare occasions a local media outlet has had to cover the loss of one of its own aircraft in real time. As the confirmation spread, first responder teams were already dispatched to the crash site in Los Angeles to assess the scene, attend to any casualties, and begin the initial investigation into what caused the helicopter to go down.

  • Runaway horse captured by police on motorbikes

    Runaway horse captured by police on motorbikes

    A loose horse that broke free from its owner shortly before a scheduled community parade in New Mexico has been successfully apprehended by a team of police officers on motorbikes, authorities confirmed. The incident, which unfolded ahead of the planned public procession, sparked brief concern among event organizers and local onlookers, who worried the spooked animal might wander into high-traffic areas or disrupt the planned festivities.

    Law enforcement quickly deployed motorbike patrols to track and contain the escaped equine, leveraging the maneuverability of their vehicles to navigate local streets and open areas near the parade starting point. After a short pursuit, the officers successfully cornered and secured the animal without incident. Crucially, the horse emerged from the entire episode completely unharmed, with no reported injuries to the animal, responding officers, or any members of the public in the area. It has since been returned safely to its owner, and organizers confirmed the parade was able to proceed on schedule with no major delays stemming from the escape.

  • Three dead in Los Angeles helicopter crash

    Three dead in Los Angeles helicopter crash

    A tragic helicopter crash in the Chatsworth neighborhood of suburban Los Angeles has claimed three lives and left one person hospitalized with an unknown condition, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) officials confirmed Wednesday. The incident unfolded shortly before 19:00 local time Tuesday, between two commercial structures near the intersection of Lurline Avenue and Nordhoff Street, as multiple news helicopters were already in the area covering an earlier deadly road collision.

    Scene footage captured thick plumes of smoke and large flames rising from the crash site, where multiple vehicles and two shipping containers caught fire after the aircraft went down. LAFD crews quickly responded to the emergency and fully extinguished the blaze, preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent commercial buildings. According to LAFD Captain Branden Silverman, one victim was found outside the downed helicopter and was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Three fatalities have been confirmed in total, while the injured survivor was transported to a local medical facility for treatment, with no update on their condition as of Wednesday morning.

    Early local media reports have indicated the crashed helicopter was a news-gathering aircraft deployed to cover a separate fatal collision that occurred earlier the same day in Chatsworth. In that earlier incident, an SUV collided with a city bus, killing two people and injuring six others, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) noted in a post on X Tuesday night that investigators have not yet finalized the number of people on board the helicopter or confirmed its owner, as first responders continued to clear and secure the crash site overnight.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement of mourning on X Tuesday evening, saying, “I am absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash.” The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been assigned to lead the official investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash, with a preliminary report expected to be released in the coming weeks as investigators piece together details of the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.