April 5 top stories
It is April 5. Here are today’s top stories.
Thieves stole $30M in cash in a Los Angeles heist
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and FBI are investigating the theft of tens of millions of dollars in cash from a money storage facility in what appears to be the largest heist in LA history.
A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirms with a news outlet that the heist took place at GardaWorld in Sylmar on Easter Sunday, with as much as $30 million stolen. The source says it appears to be a sophisticated operation.
The source told a news outlet that burglars broke through the building’s roof and gained access to the vault without triggering the facility’s alarm system.
The business stores and handles large amounts of cash for other businesses, and the burglary was not discovered until Monday when employees opened the vault.
The LAPD and FBI are doing a joint investigation. No arrests have been made yet and a manhunt is underway for those responsible.
Iran-Israel dispute
According to Iranian officials, top Iranian military commanders were among the seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) officials killed in an airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, on Monday, which blamed Israel for the attack.
The leaders, Iranian officials said, were some of the highest-ranking leaders in the Quds Force, overseeing Iran’s covert intelligence and military operations in Syria and Lebanon. The strike was the deadliest against Iranian officials in recent memory and has shaken the country’s armed forces establishment.
Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday pledged to avenge the deaths of three commanders and four officers in Iran’s armed forces.
The Iranians claim the building was a consulate and said the strike is an attack on its soil in violation of international law.
Israeli officials claim it was not a diplomatic facility but a building used by the IRGC for military operations.
The spokesman for the IRGC said there will be more lethal attacks against Israel soon. Israeli Defense Forces are on high alert, especially air defense and intelligence units. The Israeli military canceled all weekend vacations for its combat soldiers.
US tourist killed in elephant attack while on Zambian safari
Multiple sources reported that Minnesota woman Gail Mattson, 79, was killed on a safari in Zambia. Mattson was vacationing in Zambia when the safari operator said an elephant charged tourists on a “game drive” through Kafue National Park. The incident took place Saturday morning.
“Wilderness,” the safari company, said an aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp, adding that the guide could not get out of harm’s way fast enough.
The safari company said that another guest who was hurt was taken to a local medical facility and four others were treated for minor injuries.
Family told news outlets that the U.S. Embassy contacted them about Mattson’s death and Mattson was killed on scene. Friends also said Mattson was kind, active in her community and very adventurous.
The elderly woman’s remains will be repatriated to her family in the U.S. with support from local Zambian authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka.
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Solar eclipse 2024 guide
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will sweep across North America, blocking out the sun momentarily for millions of viewers along a path stretching from northern Mexico to Maine, including San Antonio, Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Burlington. The path of totality is approximately 115 miles wide.
What will happen during the total solar eclipse? A total solar eclipse is the result of the moon passing between the sun and the Earth, blocking all sunlight in a particular path.
Darkness will last for just a few moments, but a lot more will happen during totality. The temperature will drop, streetlights may briefly flicker on, and birds and plants will even act unusually. Crescent-shaped rays of light can be spotted on the ground.
You can also expect the sky to shine in other ways – stars, planets and even a comet will be visible during the total solar eclipse.
Not since 2017 has the United States experienced a total solar eclipse until Monday, April 8 and we won’t see another until 2044.
See Alex for a news story about H5N1 – it is a bird flu.
Bird flu outbreak
Thanks, Callie.
The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S., Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., said it temporarily halted production at one of its facilities in Texas after detecting bird flu there. The company said it had to depopulate about 2 million chickens.
Bird flu is a very contagious virus that is typically spread by wild birds and is very deadly to birds. The flu can infect humans, but it is rare.
Texas health officials said one person contracted bird flu through an outbreak among dairy cattle.
Federal officials said there were cases of bird flu in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Idaho.
The CDC said the chances of someone getting bird flu by eating contaminated eggs is very low and that a person cannot contract it from eggs that are cooked and stored properly.
An expert in agriculture told NPR that the outbreak may lead to temporary price increases for eggs.
Thanks for that story. That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!
Thieves stole $30M in cash in a Los Angeles heist
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/this-isbad-30m-heist-in-southern-california-under-investigation/
US tourist killed in elephant attack while on Zambian safari
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zambia-elephant-attack-american-tourist-dead-kafue-national-park/
Iran vows revenge against Israel for the killing of its commanders as Israel warns of consequences
Solar eclipse 2024 guide
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/04/04/solar-eclipse-totality-maps-path-explained/
Bird flu outbreak
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/03/1242445372/bird-flu-chicken-eggs