Camp Mystic official says he didn’t see flood warnings issued the day before storm hit

The director of the Texas summer camp where 27 campers and counselors werekilled by a devastating floodin 2025 testified Monday he did not see official warnings issued the day before the storm hit, that staff had no meetings about the pending danger and that they did not make the call to evacuate until it was too late.

Over several hours of sometimes emotional testimony at a court hearing packed with families of campers who were killed, Edward Eastland provided the most detailed description yet of how camp staff did or didn’t respond as floodwaters along the Guadalupe River quickly rose to historic levels, trapping children and counselors in cabins before they were swept away in the early morning dark of July Fourth.

“I wish we never had camp that summer,” Eastland said near the end of his testimony. He acknowledged lives could have been saved if camp staff acted sooner, but insisted they could not have anticipated the severity of the storm.

This week’s hearing comes during a legal battle between the camp owners and victims’ families who have filed multiple lawsuits and the families’ demands to preserve the damage at the camp site as evidence.

And it comes as Camp Mystic plans to reopen in less than two months. The camp has applied with state regulators to renew its license so that it can open an elevated area that did not flood. Camp operators have said nearly 900 girls have registered to attend.

Eastland acknowledged the camp had no detailed written flood evacuation plan. He also said more campers would have survived if he and his father, camp co-owner Richard Eastland, as well as a camp safety director had made quicker decisions to evacuate.

By the time they did, the waters were so high and so fast they were producing rapids that swirled around some cabins, he said.

Eastland also acknowledged staff didn’t use simple measures like using campus loudspeakers to tell campers and counselors to leave their cabins and get to higher ground earlier in the storm.

Cici Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Cile is the only camp victim still missing, said after the testimony the state should deny the camp’s license.

“It is so clear they are incapable of keeping children safe,” Cici Steward said.

Eastland attorney Mikal Watts declined comment immediately after the hearing.

Missed warnings and missed chances to evacuate

Eastland said he and other staff were signed up for anemergency warning systemon their phones and used other weather apps. But he said he did not see flood watch social media posts by the National Weather Service and the Texas Department of Emergency Management on July 2 and 3.

Eastland said he thought the local “CodeRED” mobile phone alert system and phone weather apps staff had at the time “was enough.”

A July 3 National Weather Service alert asked area broadcasters to note that locally heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding in rivers, creeks, streams and low-lying areas, all features of the Camp Mystic property.

Eastland said that his father typically monitored weather issues and that he did not believe camp staff held a meeting about the alerts and warnings that day.

The storms would hit in the overnight hours, killing 25 campers, two teenage counselors and Richard Eastland, who had loaded up his large SUV with campers before the vehicle was swept away. None survived.

“We did not expect what was going to happen,” Edward Eastland said.

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“You were warned,” said Brad Beckworth, an attorney representing the Steward family.

Eastland says campus loudspeakers were not used to issue a weather warning

The courtroom heard part of a video of “Taps” played over loudspeakers when the campers went to bed at around 10 p.m. July 3.

Eastland said he went to bed about 11 p.m. and never received a National Weather Service flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m.. He said he slept through a CodeRED alert text at the same time that warned of a flood event that could last several hours.

His father called him on a walkie-talkie shortly before 2 a.m. to tell him about hard rain falling and the need to move canoes and water equipment off the riverfront. They did not move to evacuate cabins at that point.

“It was not reasonable to do that at that time,” Eastland said. “The water wasn’t out of the Guadalupe River. It was pouring down rain and lightning and the cabins were safe at that time.”

Richard Eastland made the call to evacuate cabins about 3 a.m., Edward Eastland said.

Lawyers for the families introduced a signed statement from a counselor who described the horror of the night. She woke up during the storm and could see girls running for shelter.

“The water was rising faster than anything I have ever witnessed,” the counselor wrote. She said Edward Eastland eventually approached the cabin in knee-deep water, told her it was too late to leave and they should ride out the storm there.

The counselor said she tried to keep the children out of the rising water pouring in before she was eventually swept away herself.

Eastland also tearfully described trying to grab two girls and a third who jumped on his back while he stood bracing himself in a cabin doorway before they were washed away. He and a counselor eventually were pushed into a tree.

“The water was over my head very quickly. The water was churning,” Eastland said.

At one point, several family members left the courtroom during a cellphone video taken the night of the flood. Someone could be heard yelling “Help!” in the background.

Flooding killed at least 136 people along the Guadalupe River

All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.

Texas health regulators said last week they are investigating hundreds of complaints filed against the camp owners. The Texas Rangers are also helping look into allegations of neglect, according to the Texas Department of Safety, although the scope of the state’s elite investigations unit was not immediately clear.

The hearing is scheduled to continue Tuesday.

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byVincento Seyarto

in

April 14, 2026

Camp Mystic official says he didn’t see flood warnings issued the day before storm hit

The director of the Texas summer camp where 27 campers and counselors werekilled by a devastating floodin 2025 testified Monday he did ...

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Man drowns in Colorado River trying to retrieve hat that blew away

A 26-year-old man drowned while trying to get a hat from theColorado Riverin Arizona, officials say.

The man, identified as Kristopher Nathaniel Logan, drowned the morning of Monday, April 13, in the Colorado River near Davis Camp, theBullhead City Police Departmentshared in a news release.

Mohave County Parks Park Administrator Bo Hellams told USA TODAY on April 14 that the drowning happened in front of Davis Camp property. Although Logan was rescued in the area, he launched his boat elsewhere.

"They rented the boat to fish," Hellams said. "His hat fell off and he jumped in after it."

Logan was with friends in a pontoon boat around 11:15 a.m. that day when he tried to get the hat, police confirmed to USA TODAY on April 14. He fell into the water and didn’t resurface.

A bystander on the shoreline called police just a minute later. The bystander said multiple people were on the boat trying to start it up so they could rescue him. Logan "was struggling to swim back to the boat," Emily Fromelt, a spokesperson for the Bullhead City Police Department, wrote in an email to USA TODAY.

The Bullhead City Fire Department dive team recovered his body, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It was reported that he was under the water for about 1 hour," Fromelt told USA TODAY.

He was pronounced dead at 12:25 p.m., police said.

Logan is from San Marcos, California, about 39 miles northeast of San Diego, police said. He was not wearing a life jacket, and his drowning appears to be an accident, they added.

USA TODAY has contacted the Bullhead City Fire Department to get more details surrounding the drowning.

Sid Krofft, a puppeteer turned producer of beloved children's programs such as "H.R. Pufnstuf" and "Land of the Lost," died at 96.

Krofft died of natural causes Friday, April 10, at the home of his friend and business partner Kelly Killian, Krofft's publicist, Adam Fenton, told USA TODAY on April 13. Sid and brother Marty Krofft were the minds behind imaginative children's programs beginning in the late '60s, with "H.R. Pufnstuf" debuting on NBC in 1969. The series about a shipwrecked boy Jimmy (played by Jack Wild) was followed by other memorable series such as "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters," "Land of the Lost," and variety shows "Donny and Marie" and "Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Indian actress and singer Asha Bhosle, known for her versatile repertoire and high-energy singing in countless Bollywood movies, died on April 12 at the age of 92. Bhosle had been hospitalized in Mumbai, India, due to a chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, said.

Over the course of her career, Bhosle was nominated for two Grammy Awards and landed the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India's top arts accolade, and also the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian honor.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> DJ and rapper Afrika Bambaataa, who played a seminal role in shaping hip-hop, died on April 9 at age 68, Bambaataa's manager, Naf Aroug, confirmed to USA TODAY. TMZ reported that he died from complications of cancer.

The Bronx-native emcee is best known for his 1982 hit "Planet Rock." He also collaborated with many innovative funk artists, from James Brown and John Lydon to George Clinton.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chip Taylor, the "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing" songwriter whose family members include brother Jon Voight and niece Angelina Jolie, has died. He was 86. The singer – born James Wesley Voight – died Monday, March 23, according to his label, Train Wreck Records.

After British rock band The Troggs recorded his track "Wild Thing," it shot up the Billboard charts, topping the Hot 100 in 1966. In 2019, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its "lasting qualitative or historical significance." It also played a part in an iconic moment in music history when a kneeling Jimi Hendrix doused his guitar with lighter fluid and set it on fire to close out the Jimi Hendrix Experience's set at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Merrilee Rush popularized Taylor's song "Angel In The Morning" with her 1968 recording, but it was Juice Newton's version in 1981 that entered the Billboard Hot 100.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, with his brothers accompanying Taylor at the ceremony.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Valerie Perrine, an Oscar-nominated actress who performed opposite Dustin Hoffman's Lenny Bruce in 1974's "Lenny" and starred in Christopher Reeve's "Superman" films, has died. She was 82.

Perrine "passed away peacefully at her home on March 23, 2026, surrounded by love, exactly as she had wished," according to Stacey Souther, director of the 2019 documentary short "Valerie." Perrine battled Parkinson's disease for 15 years, making her acting career "no longer possible," Souther wrote in a GoFundMe page.

Perrine's role as Honey Bruce earned her a best actress nomination at the 1975 Oscars, and she cinched the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a BAFTA honor for most promising newcomer.

She was perhaps best known for acting alongside the late Gene Hackman, who played Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor in 1978's "Superman" and its 1980 sequel, portraying his girlfriend and assistant Miss Eve Teschmacher.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nicholas Brendon, the actor beloved by fans as Xander Harris on seven seasons of TV’s "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," died March 20. His family said in a statement that star, 54, died in his sleep of natural causes.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son,” the family wrote on Brendon’s official Facebook page, asking for privacy “as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination and heart."

The actor was nominated for several Saturn Awards during his “Buffy” run and also appeared as FBI technical analyst Kevin Lynch on “Criminal Minds.”

After “Buffy,” Brendon had numerous health difficulties and struggled with substance abuse. He was in treatment to manage his diagnosis and “he was optimistic about the future,” his family wrote.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chuck Norris, the action icon whose martial arts skills became his springboard to a Hollywood career, died March 19 at 86, his family confirmed on Instagram. No cause of death was given. To the world, he was “a symbol of strength,” the statement read. “To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family."

Norris, a martial arts teacher and karate champion, was cast by Bruce Lee as the villain Colt in Lee's 1972 film "The Way of the Dragon." From there, he starred in a lengthy run of box office hits, including “Missing in Action,” “Code of Silence” and “The Delta Force,” and became a huge TV star in nine seasons of “Walker, Texas Ranger” (1993 to 2001).

On his birthday – nine days before his death – he posted video of himself sparring. “I don’t age,” he wrote. “I level up.”

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kiki Shepard, the longtime co-host of "Showtime at the Apollo," died March 16 at age 74, her representative confirmed to TMZ and Variety. No cause of death was given.

Shepard co-hosted the long-running show filmed at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem from 1987 to 2002. Known as the "Apollo Queen of Fashion," the actress and Broadway dancer flaunted her style onstage alongside hosts including Steve Harvey and Sinbad. On TV, she appeared on shows like "Baywatch," "Sirens" and "Thunder in Paradise."

In 2006, Shepard launched the KIS Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at raising awareness for sickle cell, and said she carried the gene for the disease.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, who spent three decades in the hard rock band, died at 64, his family shared March 14 on social media accounts for his band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. His family said he died peacefully after "a complex major operation."

Campbell joined Motörhead in 1984 and went on to be the longest-serving member other than founder Lemmy Kilmister. He recorded 16 albums with Motörhead, including “Orgasmatron,” and the group disbanded after Kilmister’s death in 2015.

“You could not be around him without a chuckle or twenty, because quite simply, Phil loved life and lived it with great joy," his band Bastard Sons posted. "The world has just lost an enormous beam of light, and we are devastated."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rapper and longtime radio host Lord Sear has died, SiriusXM confirmed on March 11. He was 52.

"He was more than a voice on the radio — he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us," the caption of a tribute post on Sears' Instagram page reads. "Lord Sear's legacy in hip hop runs deep."

Sear established a legacy for himself, tracing back to his involvement with the group Kurious in the 1990s and with the underground hip-hop radio show, "The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tommy DeCarlo, a singer who made the leap from fan to touring lead vocalist for the rock band Boston, has died. He was 60.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our dad, Tommy DeCarlo, on Monday, March 9th, 2026. After being diagnosed with brain cancer last September, he fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end," a message shared on his social media accounts — signed by Annie, Talia and Tommy DeCarlo Jr. — read.

Boston founder Tom Scholz paid homage to his bandmate in a statement shared with USA TODAY, which read, "This morning Tommy lost his fight with cancer. Everyone who has heard Tommy sing on stage, or on BOSTON albums, knows what a gifted artist he was, but few know how hard he worked to fill that role of BOSTON's lead vocalist, and to turn himself into a top-tier live performer – or more importantly, what a dedicated father he was to his children."

Scholz noted DeCarlo "appeared out of nowhere to rescue BOSTON in 2007" after singer Brad Delp's death.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Country Joe" McDonald, who became a Woodstock festival legend and fronted the band Country Joe and the Fish, has died at age 84.

The singer, born Joseph Allen McDonald, died March 7, in Berkeley, California, from complications from Parkinson's disease, according to a statement from the band that was shared on Facebook.

McDonald served as the lead singer and co-founder of the 1960s psychedelic folk-rock group Country Joe and the Fish, and he wrote the group's most enduring songs, including the protest song against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, titled "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag." That track became a battle cry and was immortalized, along with an infamous f-word cheer during his 1969 Woodstock performance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oliver "Power" Grant, a founding member of the hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, died at 52. The Staten Island-based hip-hop collective confirmed his death in a Feb. 25 X post. "Rest in Power, Power," the group wrote alongside a video showing interview clips of the foundational member.

Born in Jamaica in the early 70s, Grant grew up in the Park Hill Projects in Staten Island with what would later become the Wu-Tang Clan. He was a childhood friend of Wu-Tang co-founder RZA's older brother Divine, and became a key part of the group's inception and successful run. Though Grant didn't perform in the group, he played a critical role in driving success not only in the music genre but also in transcending the culture into the world of fashion.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Katherine Hartley Short, Martin Short's eldest daughter, was found dead at her home on Feb. 23. She was 42.

The following day, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the licensed clinical social worker's manner of death was determined to be suicide.

Hartley Short was a licensed clinical social worker operating a private practice in Los Angeles and specialized in adoption, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, grief and loss, suicidality, and relationship difficulties. Her mother, Short's late wife Nancy Dolman, died in August 2010 following a battle with ovarian cancer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Neil Sedaka, the legendary singer-songwriter behind tracks like "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "Oh! Carol," has died at 86, his representative Victoria Varela confirmed on Feb. 27.

"Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka," the family said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The Brooklyn, New York, native grew up to become a beloved pop and rock musician with over 700 songwriting credits, including long-lasting, recognizable hits, such as "Laughter in the Rain" and “Calendar Girl."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Lizzie McGuire" actor Robert Carradine died Monday, Feb. 23, by suicide after living for two decades with bipolar disorder, his brother Keith Carradine confirmed to Deadline. He was 71. "In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon [of] light to everyone around him," the family said in a statement.

Carradine starred as Bob Younger in "The Long Riders" alongside his actor brothers Keith and David, as Private Zab in "The Big Red One," and dorky underdog Lewis Skolnick in his breakout role, 1984's "Revenge of the Nerds," as well as its three sequels. Two decades later, he would go on to play Sam McGuire, dad to Hilary Duff in Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" star Eric Dane died 10 months after he revealed his ALS diagnosis. He was 53.

Dane's representative, Melissa Bank, confirmed the news in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Feb. 19. "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world," the statement read. "Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight."

Dane was best known for playing the charismatic and flirtatious Dr. Mark Sloan – aka "McSteamy" – on "Grey's Anatomy" from 2006 to 2012. He continued working in Hollywood after he went public with his diagnosis, playing a firefighter with ALS on NBC's "Brilliant Minds," and reprised his role of Cal Jacobs on HBO's "Euphoria" in the upcoming third season, due April 12, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tom Noonan, the character actor known for roles in "Heat," "Manhunter" and "The Monster Squad," has died at 74, according to a social media post from Fred Dekker, Noonan's "Monster Squad" director.

Noonan became accustomed to playing antagonists on camera after his breakout role in "Manhunter," which was based on Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon," the first of his Hannibal Lecter novels. Noonan also played the main villain, Cain, in 1990's "Robocop 2" and the Ripper in 1993's "Last Action Hero."

Off-screen, Noonan was also a playwright and director who adapted his stage production, "What Happened Was…," into a 1994 indie film costarring Karen Sillas, which received acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival that year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Frederick Wiseman, the prolific documentary filmmaker behind the controversial 1967 film "Titicut Follies" and 2017's "Ex Libris," has died. He was 96.

The director "passed away peacefully at his home" in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the morning of Feb. 16, a representative for his film distribution company Zipporah Films confirmed to USA TODAY.

Wiseman was well into his 30s when he started his filmmaking career, which kicked off with his directorial debut "Titicut Follies" and continued into his 90s. Wiseman's most recent project was 2023's "Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Robert Duvall, the Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in Hollywood classics such as "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now," has died at 95.

Duvall died "peacefully" at home on Feb. 15 in Middleburg, Virginia, a representative for the actor confirmed. He was with his wife, Luciana Duvall.

During a seven-decade stage, TV and screen acting career, Duvall disappeared into a stunning range of strong-willed characters, leading to seven Oscar nominations and a best actor win for his role as a down-and-out country singer in 1983's "Tender Mercies."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Drummer Timothy Very, who performed with the Atlanta indie rock band Manchester Orchestra since 2011, has died, his bandmates shared on social media Feb. 14.

"The entire Manchester Orchestra family has been devastated by the sudden passing of our brother, Timothy Very. The most beloved human being any of us were lucky enough to know in this life. We’ve all been dreading sharing this news as we are all still in absolute disbelief," the band's post read.

"The only thing that Tim loved more than creating music was being with his family. You’d be pressed to find a more joyful dad. We love you Tim, thank you for loving us. You are a force of positivity that will be a constant presence in the rest of our days.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> James Van Der Beek, the actor known best for embodying those formative, angsty teenage years in "Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues," died on Feb. 11 at age 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer.

"He met his final days with courage, faith and grace," read a post on the actor's official Instagram page. "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Catherine O'Hara, the legendary actress known for "Home Alone," "Best in Show" and "Schitt's Creek," died on Jan. 30 at the age of 71, O'Hara's manager confirmed to People magazine. A cause of death was not given.

A veteran in the entertainment industry, O'Hara has been one of the most lauded and respected actors of her generation, winner of two career Emmy awards, a Golden Globe and two Actor Awards (formerly Screen Actors Guild Awards). She was nominated for two Emmys at the 2025 ceremony. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chuck Negron, founding member of "One" and "Til the World Ends" rockers Three Dog Night, has died. He was 83.

The singer died Feb. 2 at his home in Los Angeles' Studio City neighborhood from heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complications, publicist Zach Farnum confirmed to USA TODAY.

Singers Danny Hutton and Cory Wells invited the New York City native to found Three Dog Night in 1967, going on to lead a successful run through the early '70s. Their 21 Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit singles include "Til the World Ends" and "Joy to the World." But the band is perhaps best known for their covers, popularizing Leo Sayer's "The Show Must Go On," Eric Burdon's "Mama Told Me," "Easy to Be Hard" from the musical "Hair" and Harry Nilsson's "One."

Negron embarked on a solo career, releasing the albums "Am I Still in Your Heart?," "Long Road Back" and the Christmas record "Joy to the World."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rafael Pineda, known to countless viewers as the familiar face of Univision 1, has died. He was 88.

Univision 41 announced the news with a story on its website, confirming Pineda died Jan. 25, in Florida.

Pineda anchored WXTV, or Univision 1, in New York for more than 40 years from 1972 to 2013, when he retired. When he left the network, he was the longest-serving news anchor in the New York market and a pioneering Spanish-language voice.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kim Vō, the celebrity hair colorist behind the blond tresses of stars such as Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Pamela Anderson and Goldie Hawn, has died.

Vō died following a seven-year battle with colorectal cancer that saw him "exceeding all medical expectations," his husband, Adeel Vo-Khan, wrote in a Jan. 24 social media post.

Aside from working with celebrity clients, Vō also appeared on shows like Bravo's "Shear Genius" and the 2022 Paramount+ show "Blowing LA," which featured his flagship salon in West Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rob Hirst, the Australian rock drummer best known for cofounding the band Midnight Oil, has died at age 70 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, Hirst's bandmates revealed on social media on Jan. 20. Hirst had been diagnosed in 2023.

The musician released 13 studio albums with Midnight Oil from 1978-2022, including 1987's platinum-selling "Diesel and Dust." He was also a member of the bands Ghostwriters and Backsliders.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Valentino Garavani, Italian fashion designer to the stars, died at 93.

A post shared Jan. 19 on Instagram by his foundation and his own @realmrvalentino account reads, “Our founder, Valentino Garavani, passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones.” His cause of death was not given.

The founder of the eponymous brand Valentino retired from designing in 2008 after a storied career in fashion that included dressing notable figures, such as Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Joan Collins, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz and Sharon Stone. He also introduced a signature shade of crimson, with a hit of orange, known as “Valentino Red.”

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Roger Allers, the Oscar-nominated animated filmmaker who co-directed Disney's 1994 blockbuster hit "The Lion King," died on Jan. 17, the company's CEO announced. He was 76.

Allers died following "a short illness," a Walt Disney Animation Studios spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter and Animation Magazine. USA TODAY reached out to the studio and his family for additional information.

Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke about Allers' death in a Jan. 18 social media post, calling the director a "creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created the long-running "Dilbert" comic strip, has died at 68 after a battle with prostate cancer. Adams shared his cancer diagnosis in May 2025. In 2023, numerous newspapers dropped his comic strip after he made racist comments saying that white people should "get the hell away from Black people."

Adams' ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced his death during a Jan. 13 livestream. She also read a message from Adams, which he authored at the start of the year. "I had an amazing life," Adams wrote in his New Year's Day letter. "I gave it everything I had. If I got any benefits from my work, I'm asking that you pay it forward as best as you can. That's the legacy I want: be useful. And please know, I loved you all to the very end."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died on Jan. 10 at age 78. Weir's death was announced in a post on Instagram, which said the cause was "underlying lung issues."

"For over sixty years, Bobby took to the road. A guitarist, vocalist, storyteller, and founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music," the post said. "His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Actor T.K. Carter died on Jan. 9 at age 69, representatives confirmed to USA TODAY.

Born Thomas Kent Carter, the actor was known for his roles in films like "The Thing" and TV shows like "Punky Brewster." "T.K. Carter was a consummate professional and a genuine soul whose talent transcended genres," his publicist, Tony Freeman, said. "He brought laughter, truth, and humanity to every role he touched. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans alike."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Grammy-nominated country songwriter Jim McBride, known for cowriting over a dozen Alan Jackson records, including "Chattahoochee," has died. He was 78.

Jackson confirmed McBride's death in an Instagram tribute on Jan. 8.

"Jim and I wrote some of my favorite songs together and I don't know if my career would have ended up quite the same without his help," Jackson wrote, "inspiration, and encouragement in my early years. Thank you Jim, rest in peace." The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer is also credited with helping write Conway Twitty's "A Bridge That Just Won't Burn," among other songs.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hungarian director Béla Tarr, best known for dark dramas such as "Damnation," "Satantango" and "The Turin Horse," died on Jan. 6 following a "long and serious illness," the European Film Academy announced in a tribute to the late filmmaker.

2011's "The Turin Horse," Tarr's final feature film, won best foreign language film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, as well as the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Passages 2026 – Sid Krofft, John Nolan, more stars we lost

Sid Krofft, a puppeteer turned producer of beloved children's programs such as "H.R. Pufnstuf" and "Land of the Lost," died at 96.Krofft died of natural causes Friday, April 10, at the home of his friend and business partner Kelly Killian, Krofft's publicist, Adam Fenton, told USA TODAY on April 13. Sid and brother Marty Krofft were the minds behind imaginative children's programs beginning in the late '60s, with "H.R. Pufnstuf" debuting on NBC in 1969. The series about a shipwrecked boy Jimmy (played by Jack Wild) was followed by other memorable series such as "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters," "Land of the Lost," and variety shows "Donny and Marie" and "Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters."

Another Colorado River drowning in 2026

There was another drowning that happened earlier this year on the Colorado River, according to aNational Park Service news release. The incident happened on Feb. 19, around 11:15 a.m., the park service said.

A group on a noncommercial river trip contacted Grand Canyon National Park and said they were near Hance Rapid on the Colorado River when the man, Aaron Benjamin, 30, of Post Falls, Idaho, fell into the water. Group members pulled him from the water, found him unresponsive, and began CPR.

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Park rangers flew to the location via helicopter and tried to help, but Benjamin later died. The National Park Service said the agency and the Coconino County Medical Examiner were investigating the incident.

Officials offer boating safety tips, tips for being on the Colorado River

Bullhead City officials haveboating safety tipson the city’s website, including requirements for life vests.

According to the city, all boats must have a personal flotation device for each person on board, children 12 and under must wear a life jacket, and everyone riding a jet ski or personal watercraft must wear a secured life jacket.

Officials also encouraged visitors to make sure they are sober while boating, keep a good amount of distance between themselves and others and slow down.

Another tip experts previously provided for those enjoying the Colorado River is being mindful of just how cold the water can be.

According to the Arizona Game & Fish Department, when people suddenly enter cold water, they have:

• About one minute to get their breathing under control.

• About 10 minutes before losing muscle control in their arms and legs.

• About one hour before hypothermia shuts their bodies down.

When people suddenly enter water temperatures below 60 degrees, cold water shock can set in. They may experience an automatic gasp reflex, and if they are underwater when automatically gasping, they could drown.

"Wearing a life jacket keeps your head above water should the gasp reflex hit," theArizona Game & Fish Department said last spring.

Cold water can also lead to increased breathing rate, whichcan cause hyperventilationleading to fainting and then drowning. The coldness of the water constricts arteries, requiring the heart to work harder than normal to function.

"This can cause cardiac arrest," the Arizona Game & Fish Department said.

This story has been updated with information.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Man drowns trying to retrieve hat from Arizona's Colorado River

byVincento Seyarto

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April 14, 2026

Man drowns in Colorado River trying to retrieve hat that blew away

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What is the most expensive housing rental market in the DC area?

The Washington DC area is known as one of the most expensive parts of the country to rent a home, and renters across the region are feeling the squeeze as prices climb.

Where you live in the DMV can significantly impact your monthly rent, with some cities commanding far higher prices than others.

Zumper, a digital marketplace for rentals, recently released its report of the most and lease expensive cities in the DMV to rent a 1-bedroom home.

Here's what to know.

What are the most expensive cities to rent in the Washington DC area?

It's not DC, but rather Arlington, Virginia, that is the most expensive rental market in the area.

Zumper says the average 1-bedroom rent inArlingtonis $2,459, around $200 more thanDC, which has an average rent of $2,253 as of April 10.

Arlington's price is actually down, according to Zumper. The April 2026 average rental cost is a 3% improvement from last year.

The most expensive neighborhood in Arlington is Clarendon Courthouse, the website says.

Two other Virginia cities — Alexandria and Falls Church — also have an average rent above $2,000. InAlexandria, renters can expect to pay around $2,255 monthly andFalls Churchrenters pay about $2,270 for 1-bedroom homes.

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The average price inBethesda, Maryland, nearly matches Arlington's. At $2,447, it is the highest 1-bedroom average of DC's Maryland suburbs.

Just outside Bethesda, the average rent inChevy Chasefor a 1-bedroom is $2,386.

What are the most affordable cities to rent in the Washington DC area?

Hagerstown, Maryland — about a 70-mile drive northwest from DC — is the most affordable city in the DMV, with average rent for a 1-bedroom at $995.

Winchesteris the most affordable of DC's Virginia suburbs with an average 1-bedroom rent of $1,400.

If you're looking for an affordable rental in DC, Zumper says the Congress Heights, Brookland and Anacostia neighborhoods are the best options.

What are the rental trends nationally?

Apartmentlist.comsays rent prices are down 1.7% from this time a year ago, a sign the market may be cooling slightly after years of steep increases.

Nationally, the median rent sits at $1,363.

This year was expected to be a good year for rent affordability, according toZillow, which said in its 2026 housing market predictions that renters should see improvements.

"Rent affordability is expected to continue improving in most of the country after a year in which 37 of the 50 biggest markets saw incomes grow faster than rents," Zillow said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is the average rent price in the Washington DC area? What to know

byVincento Seyarto

in

April 14, 2026

What is the most expensive housing rental market in the DC area?

The Washington DC area is known as one of the most expensive parts of the country to rent a home, and renters across the region are fee...

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Lynette Hooker disappeared in the Bahamas over a week ago. Here’s a timeline of the key developments

It’s been over a week sinceLynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother and sailor, vanished at seain the Bahamas, setting off an urgent search that has since shifted into a complex investigation with one person at its center: her husband of 25 years.

Brian Hooker, 58, was taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Wednesday inconnection with her disappearanceand remains in custody after an extension was granted until Monday evening, his lawyer confirmed to CNN.

Brian Hookerhas not been charged, and his attorney says he “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.”

What happens next remains uncertain. Police have requested another interview with Hooker on Monday, his attorney, Terrel Butler, told CNN. By evening, authorities could choose to release him or formally charge him. It is not yet clear whether he could be held longer under Bahamian law.

Here’s a timeline of the key developments:

Saturday, April 4

Disappearance at sea:Days after her last social media post, Lynette Hooker and her husband, Brian Hooker, travel by an 8‑foot hard‑bottom dinghy near Elbow Cay as they return to their sailboat, “Soulmate,” according to Brian Hooker’s account to police.

He tells authorities rough conditions – including high winds and choppy waves – caused his wife to fall overboard.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away,” and “he lost sight of her,” police say Brian Hooker told them. Lynette Hooker was wearing the keys, also known as an engine’s safety lanyard — a cord designed to cut power if the operator is thrown overboard — according to his account shared by police.

He says he last saw his wife swimming toward the shore, according to Richard Cook, fire team lead with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

Early Sunday, April 5

Report to authorities and search begins:Without power on their dinghy, Brian Hooker attempts to paddle to shore and the little boat eventually drifts away, hours later washing ashore near Marsh Harbour, according to his account shared by police.

He eventually makes his way through brush until he reaches a boatyard, where he contacts police, according to Cook.

Bahamian authorities and local fire and rescue crews launch a search by sea. The US Coast Guard later joins with aerial assets.

Sunday night, April 5

Family notified:Karli Aylesworth, Lynette Hooker’s daughter, told CNN her stepfather calls her Sunday evening “around 8:00 to 8:30” and says her mother is missing.

“He said … like matter of fact, ‘Hey, your mom is missing. We don’t know where she is. She’s been missing since last night, but we’re gonna come up there soon to see you,’” Aylesworth told CNN.

Aylesworth said she was processing what he said and felt like “he just dropped a bomb on me,” and then he began talking again before suddenly ending the call. “And I was just like, ‘OK, like, what?’ How do you just lose my mom?”

Tuesday, April 7

Voicemail about flotation device:Aylesworth tells CNN on Tuesday that Brian Hooker left her a voicemail saying authorities found a flotation device he says he had tossed to his wife.

“Hello, honey, I just got a call from Hope Town Search and Rescue, and they have found a flotation device that I threw to mom when she fell overboard,” Brian Hooker says in the voicemail shared with CNN. “They haven’t found her yet, but they can now focus all of their efforts in a smaller area.”

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Search shifts toward recovery:After days without locating her, officials confirm Tuesday the effort has shifted from an active rescue to a recovery mission.

Wednesday, April 8

Husband taken into custody:Bahamian police take Brian Hooker into custody for questioning. A Royal Bahamas Police Force official tells Reuters the detention is based on “some probable cause.” Authorities announce no charges. Hooker’s attorney says he “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.”

Before his arrest Wednesday, Brian Hooker describes the incident in a statement to CNN as a boating accident unfolding in rapidly deteriorating conditions.

“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy,” Brian Hooker says in a statement. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”

US criminal investigation confirmed:The Coast Guard says it has opened a criminal investigation into the case. The same day, the agency interviews Aylesworth for two hours, according to her attorney. The US State Department says it is aware of reports regarding a missing American near Elbow Cay and is providing consular assistance while working with Bahamian officials.

Thursday, April 9

Past domestic violence allegations are raised:Lynette Hooker’s daughter, in an interview with CNN, raisesallegations of abuse. The couple cares for one another, she says, but they have had a turbulent marriage that has at times become violent. Aylesworth says her mother previously confided that Brian Hookerchoked her.

CNN has been unable to confirm the incident with law enforcement.

In 2015, Lynette Hooker wastaken into custody in Michiganon suspicion of “assault & battery/simple assault,” according to a Kentwood police report. Brian Hooker told an officer he had been assaulted by his wife, who struck him multiple times, according to the report, which said he was found with a swollen, bloody nose.

Lynette Hooker, who an officer said was “highly intoxicated,” told police she had been “struck in the forehead by her husband Brian” as well, though no visible injuries on her were documented.

A prosecutor reviewed the case and determined there was “insufficient evidence as to who started the assault,” the police report said. The case was dismissed without charges being brought.

Friday, April 10

Second round of questioning:Brian Hooker is questioned again by investigators. Butler, his attorney, tells CNN police focused on the couple’s personal life and did not ask about evidence from the boat or electronic devices.

“He was overwhelmed, he was upset, and he kept reiterating that ‘I need to know what’s happening with the search of my wife,’” Butler says Friday.

A magistrate approves an extension allowing police to continue holding Brian Hooker through Monday evening under Bahamian law, his attorney says. He is not charged.

UnderBahamian law,a magistrate can authorize up to 72 additional hours of detention if investigators need more time to gather or preserve evidence, prevent interference or advance the investigation.

Butler has pushed back on growing public speculation, arguing that without finding Lynette Hooker, conclusions about foul play are premature, she says Friday.

In a statement earlier that day, Butler says her client “appears completely heartbroken and deeply distressed,” and the trauma of his wife’s disappearance and his detention as a suspect has left him in an “extremely fragile state.”

Sunday, April 12

Brian Hooker remains in custody and uncharged. Lynette Hooker has not been found. Bahamian authorities say the investigation remains active, with a parallel US Coast Guard criminal probe underway.

CNN’s Dianne Gallagher, Martin Goillandeau, Elizabeth Wolfe, Chris Boyette, Meridith Edwards and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byVincento Seyarto

in

April 14, 2026

Lynette Hooker disappeared in the Bahamas over a week ago. Here’s a timeline of the key developments

It’s been over a week sinceLynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother and sailor, vanished at seain the Bahamas, setting off an urgent search...

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Trump administration agrees to fly pride flag over Stonewall monument

WASHINGTON – The federal government will keep flying thepride flagover the Stonewall National Monument in New York City.

The Trump administration agreed in a decision announced Monday, April 13, to continue flying the rainbow-colored flag over the monument, which recognizes one of the most significant events in LGBTQ+ history.

The flag had flown for years atop a flagpole in a park across the street from the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village that was the site of a 1969 clash between bar patrons and police that has come to be regarded as the start of the modern LGBTQ+ movement.

But the government quietly removed the flag in February, just weeks after the National Park Service issued federal guidance on the types of banners allowed to be flown in national parks. The government claimed the flag did not comply with that policy, which the park service said permitted only the U.S. flag and other approved flags on flagpoles managed by the agency.

A week later, a coalition of nonprofit groups sued, demanding the flag be returned.

As part of the settlement, the administration agreed to return the flag atop the monument’s official flagpole within seven days and maintain it permanently. The government also conceded in the settlement that the flag falls within federal law and park service policy.

'We will not be erased':Stonewall pride flag raised in defiance

LGBTQ+ advocates applauded the settlement and accused the Trump administration of trying to erase LGBTQ+ history.

“The sudden, arbitrary, and capricious removal of the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument was yet another act by this administration to erase the LGBTQ+ community,” said Karen Loewy, co-counsel for the groups that sued.

With the settlement, “the government has pledged to restore this important symbol back to where it belongs,” said Loewy, senior counsel and director of Constitutional Law Practice for Lambda Legal, a civil rights group that advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

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The Gilbert Baker Foundation, which honors the legacy of the flag’s creator, also praised the ruling.

“Gilbert Baker created the Rainbow Pride flag as a symbol of hope and liberation,” said Charles Beal, the foundation’s president. “Today, that symbol is restored to the place where it belongs, standing watch over the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.”

The flag has become an internationally recognized symbol of the push for LGBTQ+ equality and the hard-fought gains the community has won through decades of struggles.

More:Stonewall veterans sound alarm over Trump's attempt to erase trans history

The Stonewall National Monument commemorates a clash between police and members of the LGBTQ+ community after officers raided the Stonewall Inn in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. For six days, gay men and women, transgender people, bikers, street kids and others fed up with police harassment fought back. The riots are considered the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement

The uprising is regarded as such a significant chapter in American history that President Barack Obama designated the bar’s exterior, the adjacent park and the surrounding streets as a national monument in 2016 so that what happened there and the people involved in its history would not be forgotten. The bar itself remains privately owned.

Days after the government removed the flag in February, New York City officials and activists held a ceremony at the site and hoisted it atop the flagpole again in defiance of the Trump administration.

The settlement means the flag will continue to fly over the monument.

Michael Collins writes about the intersection of politics and culture. A veteran reporter, he has covered the White House and Congress. Follow him on X: @mcollinsNEWS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Stonewall's pride flag to fly permanently after Trump admin OK

byVincento Seyarto

in

April 13, 2026

Trump administration agrees to fly pride flag over Stonewall monument

WASHINGTON – The federal government will keep flying thepride flagover the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. The Trum...

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