The terrifying force of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Caracas, Venezuela on Wednesday became evident during a live broadcast of a professional baseball game.

Footage from the national baseball league’s YouTube channel, LMBP TV, captured players from the Carabobo Mariners and Caracas Senators dashing out of their dugouts, seeking refuge in shallow centerfield to escape the threat of falling debris.

Just moments prior, Mariners’ Bryant Flete had been settling in at the plate when the stadium cameras began to shake violently.

The cables supporting the netting behind home plate could be seen swaying, while the umpire removed his mask and turned his gaze upward toward the press box.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported at the stadium, yet the evident panic was underscored by the announcers’ voices and their hasty exit from the booth.

As was later discovered, that quake was just the first of two to hit Caracas on Wednesday, the second of which was measured at 7.5. There are a high number of casualties expected: Currently the US Geological Survey (USGS) is estimating anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 deaths. 

Not only did buildings collapse in Venezuela, but some buildings in the Brazilian Amazon some 1,000 miles away were reportedly evacuated as a result of the earthquakes.

Late Wednesday, acting president Delcy Rodríguez said she was preparing to address the nation.

Rodríguez’s failure to address the nation within three hours of the earthquake, while her government did not give a report of injuries or fatalities in that time, was criticized by politicians and Venezuelans.

‘The uncertainty becomes yet another layer of anguish,’ Edmundo González, the opposition’s 2024 presidential candidate, said on X.

The USGS initially said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising that to 7.2, and its epicenter was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers.

The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter was 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón.

The quakes, among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, struck shortly after 6pm. People evacuated swaying buildings in the capital Caracas, many visibly shocked as they saw entire walls that had collapsed, making furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could also be seen in two neighborhoods of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are typically busy.

People remained on the streets for hours, even after sunset. Some sat on the ground hugging their pets as dust gathered around them. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets. Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone signal.

‘It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,’ Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.

The lack of cellphone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis.

‘May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time,’ opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said from exile on X.

Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in Brazil’s Amazon were evacuated, according to reports on TV Globo.

The quakes also were felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries. The Colombian Maritime Authority in a statement said the country’s Caribbean coast is at no risk of tsunami.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for Virgin Islands. Authorities in the Dominican Republic also issued one for the island. Another alert for Puerto Rico was quickly lifted.

Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela.

While the country sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates make earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America. Along the Pacific coast — in Mexico and Chile, for example — earthquakes are frequent. 

The two countries sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire,’ which is responsible for 90 percent of earthquakes, according to the USGS.

The quakes also were felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries. The Colombian Maritime Authority said in a statement that the country’s Caribbean coast is at no risk of tsunami.

In Brazil’s Amazon, buildings in the cities of Manaus, Belem and Macapá also were evacuated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scams have become a pervasive issue, affecting most Americans daily. The latest survey by AP-NORC reveals that nearly 30% of individuals in the U.S. have fallen victim, losing either money or personal information.

An exclusive study from Gallup in collaboration with the Stop Scams Alliance, shared with the AP, highlights that last year, around 10% of American adults experienced or witnessed someone in their household being scammed, leading to financial losses or unauthorized access to accounts. Alarmingly, almost half of these individuals reported losing over $500 due to such deceit.

As a result, many feel perpetually vulnerable to scams, often feeling helpless and without effective recourse. Interestingly, both surveys indicate a low level of reports to federal authorities or local police. Gallup’s findings suggest that many victims chose not to report the incident, perceiving it as futile in recovering their losses.

“Scammers are getting more cunning,” noted Adam Pratter, 42, recounting his experiences on dating platforms. He found himself duped into sending money to someone who falsely claimed to be abroad on military duty and in need of funds for food. The continuous nature of the requests eventually tipped him off to the scam.

Pratter advocates for greater responsibility from banks and social media platforms in assisting scam victims, while also calling for increased measures from the government to tackle this issue effectively.

“If federal regulation wanted to step in and make deals with these companies to get these people their money back, they could,” he said.

For many Americans, scam attempts are constant

Americans are flooded with scam attempts, according to both surveys. More than half, 58%, of U.S. adults in the AP-NORC poll said they receive daily text messages, phone calls, emails, online messages or online advertisements that they suspect are scams, while the Gallup survey found last year that about 4 in 10 experienced attempted scams on a daily basis.

Porschel Smith, 22, gets multiple scam calls every day, and receives even more scam emails. Some of the scams are easy for her to identify. “They mention different types of programs that I know are nonexistent,” she said.

But sometimes she ends up engaging with the scammer before realizing that something is wrong. “Some of them hack your account and pretend as if they’re someone that you know,” she said. “But then I get to asking questions and realize they’re scams.”

Older people are more likely to say they receive scam attempts daily, according to the AP-NORC poll. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults ages 60 and older say they are contacted by a suspected scammer at least once a day, compared to about 4 in 10 Americans under 30.

Among those who have received suspected scam attempts, the AP-NORC poll found that outreach involving package shipments or banking were among the most common methods. About 4 in 10 people who were contacted by scammers say at least one of the attempts they received over the past few years were through Facebook or Facebook Messenger, while about 2 in 10 said they were on WhatsApp, and a similar share said they were on Instagram.

Around 30% of US adults say they’ve been scammed personally

The impact of scams is far-reaching. About half, 51%, of U.S. adults know someone personally — such as a friend or family member — who has ever lost money as the result of a scam, the AP-NORC poll found, while about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they have personally been scammed into giving away money or personal information.

The Gallup survey found that about 1 in 10 U.S. adults said they or a member of their household was scammed out of money in 2025, with 6% saying they had been personally scammed.

About half of people whose household experienced scams last year reported losing between $125 and $2,000, according to Gallup.

About 1 in 10 U.S. adults have been scammed multiple times, Gallup found.

“It’s not easy. They know what they’re doing,” said Towonna Harris, 50. Her son was once contacted by scammers who promised to give him money for tuition if he authorized a nominal credit card charge, which quickly spiraled into a much bigger set of charges.

She’s experienced other kinds of scams on a smaller scale, too. “I ordered some stuff. I never got it,” she said. “I thought it was a legitimate company. And then I saw all these reviews saying it was a scam.”

Few scam victims report to law enforcement

Virtually all U.S. adults believe that scams pose a “major” or “minor” threat to individuals in the U.S., but few think the government is doing enough to solve the problem. About 8 in 10 Americans say the government is “definitely” or “probably” doing too little to prevent scams, according to the Gallup survey, including large majorities of Republicans and Democrats.

When people are scammed, both surveys found that victims are much likelier to reach out to financial institutions than the federal government or local law enforcement. About half, 55%, of people who were scammed last year reported to a bank, credit union or other financial institution, the Gallup poll found, but only 18% contacted state or local law enforcement, while 13% reported to either federal law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.

Many victims don’t make a report because they don’t think it will help, or don’t know where to go, Gallup found. Among people who were scammed in 2025, 75% said they didn’t report because they thought it wouldn’t make a difference in getting their money back, while 58% were uncertain where to report.

More broadly, Americans express very low confidence that they’d know how to report a scam to the government if they needed to. According to the AP-NORC poll, most Americans, 55%, say they are “extremely” or “very” confident that if they were scammed, they’d know how to report it to banks or credit card companies, but only about one-quarter are similarly confident that they’d know how to report to federal or state law enforcement.

Only about one-third of U.S. adults said they would know where to make a report if they lost $5,000 in a scam today, Gallup found.

Max Anderson, 23, said that his parents are small business owners who were the victims of a costly and complex scam. “A scammer successfully imitated one of their employees and changed their direct deposit information. This went on for about 3 months. It went to $15,000,” he said.

Eventually, Anderson’s father got help from the FBI, he said.

“I do like that the government stepped in with my parents, and I feel like that’s the way it should be,” he said. “It’s a big enough problem at this point that it falls to the government and companies to do something about it.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,133 adults was conducted Feb. 19-23 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

The Stop Scams Alliance-Gallup poll of 5,173 adults was conducted Jan. 8-Feb. 18 using a sample drawn from Gallup’s probability-based Gallup Panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.

DEAR ABBY: I have spent the last 12 years working alongside “Bev,” a coworker whose presence I find insufferable. While I cherish my position and get along well with other colleagues, they all share my sentiment regarding Bev. In her late 50s, she embodies a domineering and bullying disposition, carrying an air of entitlement that alienates most people in the workplace. The odd thing is, despite her abrasive nature, she counts me as one of her two friends here, with the other being our supervisor, “Janet.” I suspect Janet only tolerates Bev as I do.

Throughout the day, Bev bombards me with phone calls, each one a testament to her self-absorption. Conversations quickly delve into her personal life, and she often adopts a demeaning, controlling tone. She frequently claims to be overwhelmed with work, yet manages to offload her responsibilities onto others and brazenly takes credit for their efforts. The mere sight of her number on my caller ID drains me, and I often feel like hurling my phone in frustration.

The underlying issue intensifies because Bev’s other so-called friend is Janet. Bev is notorious for boasting that any criticism will reach the boss’s ears, creating a chilling effect for those of us who dare to speak out about her behavior. Her constant calls, up to ten a day, keep me on the line for extended chats about her life, only to be followed by her claims of how busy she is. It’s impacting my mental health, and I worry about reaching a breaking point without jeopardizing my job. Help is desperately needed. — VAMPIRE VICTIM

DEAR VAMPIRE VICTIM: Are you certain that Janet views Bev as a friend? Regular conversations don’t necessarily equate to mutual enjoyment. Since everyone seems to harbor negative feelings about Bev, it’s unlikely Janet hasn’t picked up on this.

I suggest having a discreet conversation with Janet. Share specific examples of the excessive calls, the belittling tone, and her overall rudeness. Ask Janet directly how she feels about Bev using their supposed friendship as a shield against social repercussions. If Janet aligns herself entirely with Bev — which is questionable — at least you’ll have a clearer picture of your standing in the office dynamics.

DEAR ABBY: I have a male friend I would really like to get to know better. I would love to date him. We are both divorced and have relatives who no longer speak to us. I know he’s single and not seeing anyone.

I haven’t had a relationship in three years. I sometimes wonder what’s wrong with me. I’m a bit overweight but I have a great personality. I can’t understand why I can’t get a man interested in me. What can I do to get this man (or any man) interested in me? — READY IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR READY: You say your personality isn’t the problem. Not every man finds skinny women attractive. However, if you suspect that your weight is what’s keeping him (and other men) away, it may be time to address it. Talk with your doctor about a healthy eating plan and join a gym.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

The U.S. Park Police have turned to the public for help in their ongoing investigation regarding the recent vandalism at the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Captured on camera, the actions of an unidentified individual have led to concerns about the potential destruction of government property.

The incident unfolded in the early afternoon, precisely at 3:36 p.m. on Friday, according to the police reports. Set against the iconic backdrop of the nation’s capital, the Reflecting Pool—a site often associated with historical significance—became the scene of this unexpected event.

Footage released by authorities depicts a person seemingly kneeling at the edge of the Reflecting Pool, with one arm extended into the water. The video offers a glimpse into the moments of curiosity or mischief, urging viewers to help identify the individual involved.

Described as having dark hair, the person in question was seen dressed in a gray shirt paired with black shorts, and was carrying a light-colored handbag, as per the footage details. This distinctive description could aid in recognizing the person and assist law enforcement in resolving the matter.

Police said the investigation follows President Donald Trump’s attempt to resurface the Reflecting Pool, which resulted in peeling paint and algae that discolored the intended “American Flag Blue” appearance of the water to a swampy green.

Trump and other officials said multiple people were arrested and others were cited for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool.

“They went down with probably a box cutter or a very sharp razor of some kind or a knife, and they cut, and then they started ripping it up,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday. “You know why? Because they’re sick people.”

“These people should go to jail for a long time,” Trump said, adding that he believed the pool was damaged because of what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Trump said some water will be released from the pool so that repairs can be made. The president had previously speculated that fertilizer was poured into the pool and caused the algae.

“Around the Reflecting Pool, we have a huge field of grass,” he said. “They poured acid on the grass, the same people, I guess.”

“It killed – you know, acid kills grass quickly – so that’s being fixed,” Trump continued.

On Monday, he said chemicals were “illegally placed in the water.”

Days before her mysterious disappearance, a fitness instructor from South Carolina, Elana Moore, posted ominous messages about feelings of ‘disgust and resentment.’ This intriguing development came to light on Wednesday, casting a shadow over her sudden and tragic vanishing.

Elana Moore, who was just 39, vanished on June 11 under circumstances that have puzzled many. Her body was later found beneath a bridge, yet the cause of her death remains undisclosed, adding layers to the mystery.

An avid user of social media, Moore had unexpectedly stopped posting about a month prior to her disappearance. On the evening of June 11, she was last recorded on CCTV checking into a Planet Fitness facility in Lexington, just before 7 p.m.

Shortly after, security footage captured her crossing a Publix parking area around 9 p.m. and moving towards a wooded zone behind a Lowe’s store, according to the US Sun. These were her last known movements before the alarming episodes of the night unfolded.

The following day, June 12, Moore was reported missing by her husband, Brannon Slice. It wasn’t until five days later that authorities discovered her body, leaving behind a trail of questions and heartbreak for those she left behind.

On a second Instagram account, however, Moore shared emotional messages, including a recount of how someone let her ‘destroy’ herself to keep ‘us’ alive,’ messages seen by TMZ revealed. 

In the post, Moore said that she felt ‘exhausting hatred’ from the ordeal and added: ‘I never wanted to look at someone I once loved with disgust and resentment.’ 

The heart-wrenching message detailed how a person ‘watched me love you with everything I had,’ only to ‘hurt me anyway.’

‘…you turned love into something painful, something heavy, something I now have to heal from every single day,’ the message continued. 

‘I hate what you did to me. I hate the memories that won’t leave me alone, and more than anything, I hate that a part of me still mourns the person I thought you were.’

A post from December 2025 described a ‘dehumanizing’ heartbreak, according to the outlet. 

Another post, however, indicated that she felt she was healing and wrote: ‘War is over.’

‘You are no longer my first thought in the morning nor the last thought at night. You are not in my heart anymore or on my mind and I don’t think about you like I used to… I feel free now, like I can breathe properly again, like I’m not tied down to something that was hurting me,’ the message read. 

‘I’m moving forward without looking back, and for the first time in a long time, I feel at peace with it.’  

Mendy Miller, a friend of the personal instructor, said she had been aware of Moore’s journey to rid her life of ‘toxic’ people, including friends. 

Miller told the outlet that Moore’s disappearance was ‘absolutely shocking,’ and it was incredibly out of character for her to stop posting on social media and vanish so suddenly. 

The investigation into Moore’s death only grew more baffling after an autopsy revealed no evidence of traumatic injury, including bruising, blunt force trauma, strangulation or lacerations. 

But Miller said she believes someone was behind her friend’s mysterious death, and told the outlet: ‘For her to just to be found dead in the woods makes no sense … anyone who knows her would see this. Someone had to have done something to her.’

Another friend to the personal trainer claimed to TMZ that Moore had been ‘paranoid’ in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and said she had been expressing fear for her life. 

Lauren Beasley, a third friend, told Fox News: ‘She is very active on social media so her going radio [silence] for the last month is out of character.’

Investigators had said they did not suspect foul play in Moore’s death one day before her body was discovered, and said her husband was ‘not a person of interest at the current moment.’

Lee Snell, a close friend to the couple, said they were all ‘deeply saddened and distressed’ by Moore’s death.

‘This amazing couple were married two years ago by my by husband in Columbia, South Carolina. I have been in daily contact with Brannon and his family,’ Snell wrote on Facebook. 

She further asked for respect for Slice’s privacy. 

Sondra Rachelle Campbell, another close friend of Moore’s, however, raised ‘red flags’ concerning her friends disappearance. 

Campbell claimed the pair were having martial problems, and told NewsNation that she thought ‘my friend was struggling for her life.’

‘I think she was literally afraid for her life,’ she told the outlet. 

Moore’s death remains under investigation, as the coroner’s office told the Sun that ‘additional evaluation is required, including histological studies, review of medical records and toxicology testing.’ 

The Daily Mail reached out to the Lexington County Coroner’s Office and the Lexington Police Department for comment. 

Former “Who’s the Boss?” actor Danny Pintauro finds himself juggling five jobs to stay financially afloat, despite the fame he earned from the popular sitcom. Surprisingly, Pintauro reveals that he receives no financial benefit from the show’s residuals.

The actor, known for his role as Jonathan Bower on the ABC series that ran from 1984 to 1992, recently shared insights about his current financial situation, months after an image of him delivering Amazon packages caught widespread attention online.

Pintauro, now 50, discussed his circumstances on the “Pod Meets World” podcast, stating, “[Amazon is] one of the five different gig jobs that I’m doing right now.” He went on to explain that acting is merely one of several gigs he relies on to make ends meet.

“We’re gig actors. Acting is the gig. It’s one of the six gigs,” Pintauro stated, highlighting the reality many entertainers face today.

The former child star represents an increasing number of performers who need to pursue various jobs outside the entertainment industry to support themselves financially. He emphasizes that relying solely on acting often doesn’t suffice to cover living expenses.

“We have to do what we have to do to survive,” he told hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, who starred on the ’90s sitcom “Boy Meets World.”

“We have got to keep moving as humans. And I know you can all relate to what that looks like. We’re all doing it. I am not different from you in that sense.”

Pintauro, who starred alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light and Alyssa Milano during the eight-season run of “Who’s the Boss?,” also revealed he does not rely on residual checks from the show.

“I don’t make money from residuals,” Pintauro bluntly stated.

The actor said public reaction to his Amazon job shifted after he explained the financial realities many working actors face.

“The flack just disappeared,” he said.

Still, he recalled being ridiculed years ago for taking a summer job at Gap near the end of his run on “Who’s the Boss?”

“For a long time, it was they love to see the downfall,” Pintauro said. “There is something about that. Just humans love to see other people being miserable … and especially someone that they have placed on such a pedestal to see that person come down a bunch of levels.”

In addition to delivering packages, Pintauro said he works as an acting coach, teaches classes and workshops, and builds and sells dioramas.

“I’ve got Amazon and then I’m an acting coach,” he shared. “So that developed because I’ve been teaching acting for the last almost 10 years. In Austin, I was teaching eight classes at this conservatory.”

“You want to wake up in the morning with something to do,” he added. “Most people are raised with, or you hope are raised with, a decent work ethic, and it’s like, ‘I want to get up and be productive today.’”

Pintauro most recently appeared in the 2022 film “A Country Christmas Harmony” and the 2025 TV series “The Comeback Kids.”

TOKYO — An intense earthquake shook the northern coast of Japan on Thursday, but authorities confirmed that there was no tsunami threat.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 7.2, occurring just off the eastern coastline of Iwate, an upgrade from initial estimates of 6.9. The tremor originated approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) below the surface. A similar magnitude of 6.9 was observed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This latest seismic activity took place in a region familiar with powerful quakes, following several such incidents in recent months, including a significant tremor in December that resulted in a prolonged advisory for mega-quake precautions.

On Thursday morning, during typical rush hour, the quake mildly rocked Tokyo and Japan’s northeastern territories. No immediate reports of injuries or infrastructural damage were noted, as confirmed by Minoru Kihara, the chief government spokesperson.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressed the media in Tokyo, emphasizing that the government’s emergency response team prioritizes citizen safety while gathering information and preparing for potential relief efforts. She advised those in impacted areas to remain vigilant for aftershocks.

Tomoko Nagane, a primary school principal in the town of Hashikami in Aomori prefecture, told NHK that she was driving when the quake alert went off and that she felt moderate sideways shaking. Children already gathered at the school were safe, she said, though some were crying in fear. Classes were canceled for the day, and children have all returned home safely, Nagane said.

Footage on Japan’s NHK public television quoted its journalists from a number of strongly-hit towns, including Sendai and Morioka, saying they felt the shaking for a couple of minutes but have not seen any damage. Footage showed people commuting as usual.

The East Japan Railway Co., which operates trains in northeastern regions, said some bullet trains and other local lines have been suspended for safety checks.

Nuclear power plants and facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi plant which was damaged by the 2011 massive quake and tsunami, and a spent fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, have not reported any abnormalities from Thursday’s earthquake, Kihara said.

Japan, which sits on what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone areas.