Brad Matthews

Possible Rembrandt portrait of young girl, found in Maine attic, sells at auction for $1.4 million

A portrait of a young girl possibly painted by 17th-century Dutchman Rembrandt van Rijn, found in an attic of an estate in Maine, was recently sold at auction by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries for $1.4 million.

September 6, 2024

Hidden chamber found under National Mall’s Smithsonian Castle, dates to 1847

Work crews at the District of Columbia's Smithsonian Castle uncovered a cistern dating to 1847 that was sealed for well over a century.

September 6, 2024

Python moved from New York home to zoo after growing too long

An illegally owned albino Burmese python was moved from a New York household to a local zoo last month after the owner realized the snake was too big and untenable.

September 6, 2024

North Carolina man used bots to generate streams, royalties for thousands of AI songs, feds claim

A North Carolina man is accused of using bot accounts to trick streaming platforms into paying him over $10 million in royalties.

September 5, 2024

Animal rights groups claim Hvaldimir, beluga once thought a Russian ‘spy whale,’ killed by gunshots

Animal rights groups are claiming someone shot and killed Hvaldimir, the beluga whale found in Norwegian waters in 2019 who won brief fame after being accused of being a former agent of a Russian spy program.

September 5, 2024

Drone impedes Life Flight helicopter from airlifting car crash victims in Oregon

A Life Flight medical helicopter had to leave the scene of an Oregon car crash on U.S. Interstate 5 last week after a civilian drone got in the way.

September 5, 2024

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to make Olympic rings permanent on the Eiffel Tower

Icon or eyesore? Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to display the five Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower permanently to commemorate the 2024 Paris Games.

September 4, 2024

Brian Stelter returning to CNN, will assume analyst role and write newsletter

Former CNN TV personality Brian Stelter, who hosted "Reliable Sources" on Sundays from 2013 to 2022, is returning to the cable news network as its chief media analyst.

September 4, 2024

Phoenix scorches through 100 straight days at 100 degrees

Phoenix has had temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more for 100 consecutive days, with triple-digit heat continuing into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

September 4, 2024

Almost 150,000 drivers fined $100 for stopping in D.C. bus zones, lanes

Since January, more than 147,000 drivers have been hit with $100 fines and citations for stopping or entering District of Columbia bus zones and lanes.

September 4, 2024

Competitive eater Chestnut sets new world record, beats old rival Kobayashi in Netflix contest

Joey Chestnut hit new heights in competitive eating Monday, scarfing down 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes to decisively beat old rival Takeru Kobayashi in Netflix's "Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef."

September 3, 2024

Electric scooter catches fire in D.C. apartment; no one hurt

An electric scooter powered by a lithium-ion battery caught fire in a District of Columbia apartment Sunday, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services said on social media. No one was injured.

September 3, 2024

Oakland cop sidelined for growing marijuana at his house

An Oakland Police Department officer accused of illegally growing cannabis at his suburban Antioch home is on administrative leave.

September 3, 2024

New Hampshirite tests positive for three mosquito-borne viruses

A New Hampshire man has tested positive for three mosquito-borne viruses, including eastern equine encephalitis. Another man in the state contracted EEEV and died last month.

September 3, 2024

Elderly Arlington man arrested, accused of making firebombs

A Virginia man was arrested Friday after he made and set off multiple firebombs, according to the Arlington County Office of the Fire Marshal.

August 31, 2024

Turbulence jars United flight; 7 injured

Turbulence over Louisiana forced a United Airlines flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Chicago to make an emergency landing in Memphis, Tennessee, this week.

August 31, 2024

Toronto Zoo pauses orangutan exhibit after an escape

The orangutan exhibit at the Toronto Zoo has been closed to the public indefinitely after the male Kembali fled this week.

August 31, 2024

Toymaker Lego aiming to swap oil for renewable plastic in producing its bricks by 2032

Danish toy giant Lego wants to entirely replace the use of oil in making its iconic building bricks by 2032 by using renewable and recyclable plastics instead.

August 31, 2024

Wells Fargo employee in Arizona found dead in office cubicle four days after clocking in

A Wells Fargo employee was found dead in her cubicle at a Wells Fargo office in Tempe, Arizona, four days after she had last checked in for work.

August 30, 2024

Medical debt canceled for 62,000 D.C. residents

The medical debts of 62,000 District residents, $42 million in total, were canceled through the use of city taxpayer dollars and a national nonprofit fund.

August 30, 2024