Only miles away from an ancient, foreboding supervolcano known to many for its potential catastrophic power, an earthquake rattled Yellowstone National Park.

According to the US Geological Survey, the tremor, which registered at a magnitude of 3.3, shook the area at 9:20 a.m. ET on Thursday, striking along the Yellowstone River within the iconic Wyoming park.

The epicenter of the relatively mild quake lay a mere seven miles from the Yellowstone caldera. This caldera is a vast, bowl-shaped volcanic depression that has long been a focus of scientific scrutiny and public curiosity.

Adding to the intrigue, scientists last year uncovered tens of thousands of previously undocumented earthquakes. These findings raise questions about whether Yellowstone’s supervolcano could be gearing up for an eruption.

In a collaborative effort, an international team harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to analyze 15 years of Yellowstone recordings. Astonishingly, they identified 86,000 minuscule earthquakes that went unnoticed by human experts. This revelation suggested the seismic activity was about ten times more prolific than researchers had once believed.

In the past three weeks, 11 minor quakes have been recorded by USGS in the area around the caldera.

Thursday’s earthquake reportedly produced only light shaking in the 2.2 million acre park that spans across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

However, since the ancient site has not exploded in about 640,000 years, some experts and locals believe the volcano is overdue for an eruption that could potentially devastate the central US.

A dramatic uptick in seismic activity is often a sign that a volcano may soon erupt. 

Multiple studies have concluded that earthquakes around Yellowstone have been driven by magma movement, hydrothermal activity and regional tectonic stresses in the Intermountain Seismic Belt – an 800-mile active fault region stretching through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

A 2025 study by scientists from the Universities of Utah and New Mexico found that the top of Yellowstone’s underground magma chamber sits just 2.3 miles, about 12,500 feet, below the surface.

A team from Rice University noted that previous estimates often placed the top of Yellowstone’s magma system as far as five miles deep.

Hot, molten material this close to the surface can create pressure and gases that drive volcanic activity, but scientists have said this does not guarantee an eruption is imminent.

In fact, the University of Utah study showed Yellowstone was currently stable, with gases venting through the park’s hot springs and geysers rather than building up dangerously.

‘In terms of large explosions, Yellowstone has experienced three at 2.08, 1.3, and 0.631 million years ago,’ USGS explained in a statement. ‘This comes out to an average of about 725,000 years between eruptions.’

‘That being the case, there is still about 100,000 years to go, but this is based on the average of just two time intervals between the eruptions, which is meaningless,’ researchers noted.

USGS currently registers activity at the supervolcano as ‘normal’ and noted that lava has not spewed from the caldera in 77,000 years.

Still, that has not prevented the agency from preparing for a potentially cataclysmic event in the near future.

In 2014, USGS modeled what the destruction of a Yellowstone supervolcano eruption would look like and found that ash would likely cover the entire US, with the heaviest amounts closest to the epicenter.

The simulation predicted that Yellowstone National Park would be fatally buried under more than three feet of volcanic ash.

Meanwhile, nearby cities such as Denver, Boise and Salt Lake City would likely see as much as 40 inches of ash blanket the area, enough to cave in roofs.

Even major cities as far away as Chicago, St Louis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle would likely be coated in an inch of volcanic ash from the explosion. 

– America’s milestone: ‘J250’ brings Jewish achievements to the forefront
– Mamdani’s map overlooks NYC’s Jewish and Italian legacies
– Jewish House Democrat recalls a colleague’s claim that antisemitism doesn’t exist because “all the Jews are rich”

U.S. antisemitism envoy Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun has introduced a groundbreaking educational initiative highlighting Jewish-American achievements as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. This project emerges at a time when hate crimes are escalating, pivoting from defensive strategies to celebrating the influence of Jewish historical figures such as patriots, scientists, and cultural icons who have been instrumental since the country’s inception.

Sandra Smith engages Cornell Law Professor William Jacobson in a discussion about the unsettling increase in antisemitism across the United States. According to a recent survey, this rise is compelling numerous Jewish Americans to hide their identities, spotlighting a troubling trend.

: Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backtracking after his 2026 FIFA World Cup ” sparked outrage for wiping historic communities off the grid. Along with erasing Little Italy and Irish hubs, City Hall somehow “forgot” NYC’s massive, legendary Jewish neighborhoods. Mamdani claims the snub was accidental, but critics slam the socialist mayor’s selective mapping.

Vermont Democrat Becca Balint is “shaken to her core” after a stunning Capitol Hill confrontation. Balint revealed a because “all the Jews are rich.” As progressives now use Israel as a toxic political litmus test, terrified Jewish Democrats warn they are being frozen right out of their own party by hostile, angry grassroots agitators.

: Shahar Azani, former spokesperson of Israel’s consulate in New York, writes that the is a reciprocal strategic partnership built on shared values, not a one-way welfare agreement. Highlighting how Israeli intelligence and military innovations, joint defense systems like Iron Dome and critical warnings that protected U.S. troops from Iranian attacks—directly save American lives, Azani argues that security assistance to Israel is a vital investment.

“Teaching the world about the greatest Jewish contributors to American history gives people the knowledge to counter those who spread hate and lies about the American Jewish community.” – Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

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New York City is bracing for a surge in air pollution, predicted to eclipse even the notorious levels of Delhi’s air quality on Thursday. This alarming prediction comes as sweeping wildfires across Canada send billowing clouds of smoke and haze southward, enveloping the city.

On Thursday morning, New York’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached a concerning Level Red, as reported by AirNow. This classification suggests that the air quality is unhealthy for everyone, posing heightened risks for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, outdoor workers, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions like heart or lung diseases and asthma.

The forecast indicates that New York’s AQI will linger at the Level Red status, with readings ranging between 151 and 200 throughout the day. By evening, the AQI may hit the 200 mark, signaling that New Yorkers are facing harsher air conditions than Delhi.

Meanwhile, Delhi—often ranked as having the worst air quality globally—is expected to see an AQI of less than 150 on Thursday, according to IQAir. This marks an unusual reversal in the air quality standings between the two cities.

In response, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued a call to action for residents, advising them to stay safe by minimizing outdoor activities as much as possible.

“Every New Yorker should take precautions. Limit your time outdoors, especially strenuous activity,” the Mayor said Thursday.

“We have made free KN95 masks available at 100s of locations citywide, including libraries, police precincts, and a number of firehouses,” he said, directing New Yorkers to on.nyc.gov/freemask or call 311 to find out where to pick up a mask.

Compounding the air pollution is the current heatwave, with temperatures in the Tri-State Area feeling like 100 degrees this week.

A heat dome covering much of the Northeast and Midwest is also trapping hot air and preventing the haze from dissipating.

A statewide Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued for Thursday by the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul also urging residents to stay safe.

“We continue to coordinate with local counties to monitor conditions and distribute masks to help protect vulnerable populations,” said Gov. Hochul.

“I encourage all New Yorkers to stay informed about the latest updates and take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves, your neighbors, and your loved ones,” she added.

The air quality is expected to improve Friday morning, before worsening again later in the day into the start of the weekend, ABC 7 reported.

More than 100 wildfires are still burning in southern Ontario and northern Minnesota, with many northern Midwest cities experiencing AQI scores in the 300+ category, considered Hazardous.

North Central Minnesota recorded AQI scores of over 1,400 recently, while other cities such as Toledo, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Milwaukee all seeing AQI figures of near or above 600.

The family of a British man, who was reportedly killed in the United States while attempting to deceive an elderly widower over home construction, has labeled his shooter as ‘scum’.

In an emotional Facebook post, the sister of the 21-year-old victim, Salis Hanrahan, directed her anger at 75-year-old George Barr, a Vietnam War veteran and former firefighter.

Lisa-Marie Hanrahan shared a photo of Barr, lamenting on social media, ‘The scum that took my baby brother, lord please why us’.

A further statement from the Hanrahan family called Barr ‘evil’, accusing him of murder during a confrontation at his residence in Philadelphia, reportedly stemming from a disagreement over construction costs, according to police sources cited by the Daily Mail.

Despite these claims, Barr’s associates have defended his character, with a senior representative from a Philadelphia firefighters’ union describing him as an ‘exceptional firefighter’, noting that such a situation was ‘entirely uncharacteristic for him’.

Hanrahan – who the Trump administration claimed was in the US illegally and was in a gang of conmen construction workers – walked out of the home in the Roxborough neighbourhood of Philadelphia on July 8th and collapsed on the pavement with a gunshot wound to the chest.

He died from his injuries in hospital.

Local outlet KYW said that Hanrahan tried to charge $70,000 (£51,800) for the repairs on the 1,200 sq ft home, which is worth around $258,000 (£190,000).

That appears to have been far more than the original price with one neighbour saying Hanrahan and the others he was with were ‘asking for more money’ every day.

A spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security said that Hanrahan was an ‘illegal alien from the United Kingdom’.

The spokesman said: ‘He entered the country illegally on an unknown date and location and was denied Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) as he was determined to have affiliation with ‘The Traveling Conman Fraud Group’, a transnational criminal organization’.

Barr’s case does indeed bear striking similarities to the modus operandi of the Traveling Conman Fraud Group, as outlined by US prosecutors in a case out of Rhode Island last February.

In that case a British man was accused of running sham construction companies to fool people into hiring them for work which didn’t need to be done, then charging them far more than the agreed fees.

Barr has been charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.

He has not entered a plea yet and is awaiting being assigned a publicly-funded lawyer.

Currently he is in a local prison having been remanded in custody after his initial appearance in court.

Hanrahan was married to his wife Roseann and appears to have wed her recently: a picture she posted on Facebook in January shows them sitting in a car in wedding attire.

Her Facebook page indicates that a daughter was born in December, meaning she is six months old.

His family, who are from Braintree in Essex, were blunt in the comments on social media.

A relative called Paddy Hanrahan posted a news story about the incident on Facebook, including a mugshot of Barr, and said: ‘Please look at the evil in he’s (sic) face he couldn’t even give a reason why he done it he cold bloodedly killed him for nothing’.

Friend Martina McCarthy responded: ‘I said the same u can see the evil behind his eyes rip salis’.

Another friend, Michelle Bas, wrote: ‘He needs to rot in jail!!!’

Hanrahan’s sister Lisa-Marie posted a picture of Barr and wrote: ‘The scum that took my baby brother lord pls why us’.

But others came out in support of Barr and said he was a good man.

One man, Jack Cleary, who claimed he was a friend of Barr’s wrote: ‘Free George Barr, NOW! He is a retired Philadelphia Firefighter and a hero from Vietnam War’.

Another local woman posted: ‘I have known George for a very long time. Frankly, I can’t believe this. Always been so kind to me and my daughters’.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Tommy McKiernan, the vice president of Local 22, the Philadelphia firefighter’s union. said that Barr joined the city’s Fire Department in 1989 and retired in 2015 having last served at Ladder 11 in the South of the city.

McKiernan said that Barr’s wife Angela, who he married years after they began dating, had died in September.

He said: ‘He was an exceptional firefighter and this is something that’s way out of character for him.

‘I don’t know if he was diagnosed with PTSD from Vietnam but it’s likely something from being a firefighter, maybe a combination of the two.

‘I wasn’t there when it happened so I don’t know if any of that was triggered

‘George isn’t the kind of guy who would just pull a gun out and shoot somebody. I’m wondering if there was a confrontation, maybe it got physical. I’m hoping it’s a self defence,

‘I’ve never seen him angry or argumentative. He was in control. That was not his character to get mad or confrontational.

‘The only time I saw him angry is if we had jobs back in the day and somebody got killed on the job’.

McKiernan said that he worked a number of jobs with Barr while they both served: McKiernan is still an active duty firefighter but is due to retire in a few months.

Among the citations that Barr was given for bravery was one from September 1999 for making ‘numerous rescues’ for people trapped in a flood in Philadelphia during Hurricane Floyd.

Another citation was from December 2000 where he helped with four rescues of people trapped on the 3rd and 4th floors of a building.

Citations are for teamwork and Barr was ‘always a team player’, McKiernan said

He said: ‘I’m shocked he shot somebody. I’m hoping PTSD kicked in and he freaked out, that would make more sense than George just shooting somebody for no reason’.

The Daily Mail previously reported that Barr paid a $5,000 (£3,700) down payment on the construction work to install new vinyl siding panels on his home.

Hanrahan is then said to have continually demanded further sums of cash from Barr, with the roof of the property suffering unexplained damage as tensions escalated.

A neighbour said: ‘My mom was his friend and we are watching (Barr’s) dog. Days before (the shooting) he was complaining that he paid $5,000 as a down payment and every day after that they were asking for more money.

‘He called his brother a couple days ago saying (the workers) put a hole in his roof, his brother told him to get them off the property and I guess that is when the dispute happened’

In the previous case from Rhode Island, a 78-year-old woman paid more than $850,000 (£629,000) for unnecessary basement and foundation repairs to her home.

The court documents state that the Traveling Conmen Fraud Group is made up of UK or Irish nationals who enter the US on tourist visas and overstay, or they just come to the US illegally.

The documents state: ‘Once in the United States, Travelers go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work.

‘This is sometimes done door-to-door, by knocking and introducing themselves to homeowners, usually elderly individuals, claiming to have extra materials left over from a prior job or noticing a defect or damage to the home that needs to be repaired immediately.

‘The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money.

‘Travelers usually start with a small job (such as fixing brick entry steps or re-pointing chimneys) and then convince homeowners that their homes need major repairs, such as foundation work or waterproofing.

‘At this point, the Travelers overcharge homeowners and sometimes intimidate homeowners into paying them up front for work that is not completed’.

Barr’s family did not return calls and texts asking for comment.

In a statement the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed that Barr had been charged and that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

The statement said: ‘The investigation remains active and is being conducted by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit’.

In the first half of this year, the U.S. witnessed a significant surge in foreclosures, highlighting the growing financial pressures confronting homeowners across the nation.

According to recent data from ATTOM, a leading real estate data firm, nearly 228,000 foreclosure filings were recorded from January through June. This figure marks a 21% increase from the previous year and a 28% rise from two years ago.

Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, noted in a statement that the upward trend in foreclosure rates suggests a deepening financial distress among homeowners. Foreclosures typically occur when individuals fall significantly behind on their mortgage payments, often due to unforeseen life events such as losing a job. ATTOM categorizes foreclosures as encompassing default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions.

Several states reported the most significant spikes in foreclosure activity during the first six months of the year:

When it comes to the highest overall foreclosure rates, Florida dominates. In June alone, one in every 2,106 housing units in the state had a foreclosure filing.

Foreclosures dipped during the pandemic and are now creeping back up to 2019 levels, when filings totaled 640,864, per ATTOM data. 

With the data showing that foreclosure rates are returning to their pre-pandemic levels, “the increases also suggest that some homeowners may be facing greater financial strain than they were a year ago,” Barber said.

In another sign of strain for American homeowners, new data from Realtor.com reveals that short sales — when a homeowner sells a home for less than what they owe on their mortgage often to avoid foreclosure — are climbing. 

While the measure is less drastic than a foreclosure, it indicates the homeowner is in some sort of financial crunch. Short sales rose 16% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same time last year, according to Realtor.com.

Edited by

Aimee Picchi