A United Airlines copilot acknowledged recognizing that their aircraft was descending too low during a landing at a New Jersey airport last month. However, he reported to investigators that he realized this issue too late to suggest aborting the landing, as per a report released Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared that crew members experienced a loud “thump” and a “mild jolt” just before the plane touched down at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 3. The flight originated from Venice, Italy.

The first officer remembered saying, “you are still slow and a little low,” as the aircraft was coming in. He then noted that upon looking outside, he perceived the plane was low but nearly ready to land.

This preliminary report offers the first insight into the crew’s perspective during the landing. However, it does not specify why the plane descended too low, nor does it offer recommendations to avoid future incidents. These details are anticipated in the NTSB’s final report, expected next year.

Significantly, the report clarifies that debris from the impacted light pole, rather than the aircraft itself, struck a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. Initially, law enforcement had reported that the plane hit the top of a bakery truck, resulting in minor injuries to the driver.

The report says the truck’s windshield was damaged and its trailer punctured, but that there was no evidence of tire marks on either the tractor cab or trailer.

The Boeing 767 was able to land safely, though it sustained “substantial” damage to its fuselage and one of its landing tires had evidence of slash marks, according to the NTSB report. None of the more than 200 people aboard the plane were hurt.

Regular drivers on that stretch of Interstate 95 near the Newark airport are likely used to seeing planes coming in low as they cross the highway in preparation for landing.

Dashboard camera video from inside the truck showed the moment of impact. The driver is seen singing happily to himself, then glancing out his window with a slight look of concern as the sound of the jet’s whining engines begins on the recording. A moment later, part of the plane zooms into view out the driver’s side window.

Spokespersons for United didn’t immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

But the NTSB report suggests the pilot intentionally took a shallow approach to the runway that was below the established flight path, said D. Blake Stringer, director of the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University.

“It’s not surprising that the airplane clipped infrastructure near the runway,” he said. “If a pilot can’t fly the intended flight path, the general recommendation is to steepen the angle of descent, not shallow it out.”

Steve Arroyo, a retired United Airlines captain and safety expert, said the pilots don’t appear to have properly prepared for their designated runway’s unique landing requirements, even though they could have made or requested more time.

“They were already below where they should have been before they even crossed over the New Jersey Turnpike,” he said.

The plane’s runway assignment changed three times before landing, the report states. The tarmac it ultimately landed on is the shortest runway at the airport and is generally only used when there are strong winds like there were that afternoon.

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said those strong winds also appeared to be challenging for the pilot.

At one point shortly before landing, the pilot told investigators that he “got fast” as he turned the airplane into the headwind, the report states. The pilot pulled the power levers back to compensate as wind gusts produced “moderate turbulence.”

An air traffic controller told the pilots at the time winds were gusting up to 31 mph (50 kph).

An American citizen has confessed to collaborating with Chinese intelligence agents over several years, aiding them in collecting information on U.S. targets and attempting to infiltrate American political networks, federal authorities revealed.

Thomas Weir Pauken II, aged 50, admitted on Thursday to operating as an agent for the People’s Republic of China within the United States without notifying the Attorney General, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice.

This admission has prompted a strong caution from the FBI, highlighting the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party is prepared to go to gather intelligence and exert influence within the U.S.

“Thomas Pauken, by his own admission, endeavored to infiltrate U.S. political circles under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security,” stated FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky. “He collected intelligence on American targets and relayed this information back to his Chinese handlers.”

Federal prosecutors revealed that Pauken sustained relationships with several contacts in China who directed him to identify and develop individuals in the U.S. who could provide valuable information to Chinese intelligence services.

According to court filings, Pauken acted as an intermediary between those contacts and individuals in the U.S., facilitating communications and relaying information gathered from his targets.

Authorities allege he was compensated more than $100,000 for his efforts and made repeated trips from China to the U.S. over several years as part of the operation.

The U.S. and Chinese flags are displayed side by side in an illustration on Jan. 30, 2023. A Chinese couple had their U.S. naturalization citizenship revoked by a federal judge due to wire fraud and theft of trade secret convictions. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)

Prosecutors also said Pauken prepared research and reporting for other China-based contacts he believed were connected to the Chinese government.

In addition, investigators said he provided information to a group based in Wuhan that sought insights into American technology and the Justice Department and was interested in locating expertise that could support cyber operations.

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that a CIA officer who provided Top Secret intelligence to China was sentenced to prison. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rozhavsky said the case serves as a reminder that foreign intelligence services continue to target American institutions.

“This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security,” he said. “Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice.”

Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, though his final sentence will be determined by a judge.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia and Washington field offices.

<!–>

Graham Platner, a Senate candidate already embroiled in scandal, faces a fresh wave of accusations from former girlfriends alleging violent conduct and troubling language.

The Maine Democrat, who is currently weathering a sexting controversy, has reportedly left negative impressions among women he dated both in Washington, D.C., and his native Maine.

These women shared their experiences in a revealing article published by the New York Times, shedding light on his aggressive behavior.

One former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, recounted several instances where she felt physically intimidated by Platner. Fifield, who has a background with the conservative Heritage Foundation, described their relationship as a ‘two-year, on-again, off-again’ ordeal.

Although she clarified that Platner “never hit me, he never punched me,” Fifield noted that his demeanor could become aggressive, especially when alcohol was involved.

She told The Times he would regularly grab her by the shoulders — sometimes leaving marks — and once pulled her from a taxi by her wrist during an argument.

Fifield also recalled an incident in which he twisted her arm behind her back, pushed her into a bedroom, and held the door shut, telling her to stay there until she was ‘calm.’ 

Reflecting on the encounter, Fifield said, ‘It hurt,’ but also told the Times, ‘It didn’t cause an injury, it didn’t break my arm.’ 

She also described how he kept an AR-15 lying around his Washington DC apartment and would sharpen an ax while watching television. 

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, speaks during a ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ campaign rally with US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2026

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner

In what was called a ‘warrior ethos,’ Fifield claimed he would fantasize about killing people he believed were somehow a threat to him. 

He would also speak about ‘rape’ in an odd and disturbing way. 

‘He said this a lot: If anybody ever broke in here, I would rape them,’ she recalled, he added the act would be not be in ‘a sexual way, not in a gay way.’

‘He was like, I would rape them to show them that I’m dominant,’ she said.

Fifield insisted to the Times that if Platner were running as a Republican, she ‘would be doing this exact same thing.’

‘I know it looks like a bitter ex-girlfriend Republican trying to take down a Democrat — it has nothing to do with that,’ Fifield said. 

Platner’s campaign told the Daily Mail in a statement, ‘Let’s be very clear: This is a lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her career to electing Republicans.’ 

Another ex, Maine Democrat, Jenny Racicot, 41, described Platner’s behavior to the Times as ‘reckless’ and ‘unsettling.’

‘When I saw the old comments that he made online,’ she said, ‘I recognized a version of him that I had experiences with.’ 

A third woman, a Maine Democrat who asked not to be named, described the candidate as charismatic at times but also prone to heavy bouts of drinking.

She said she felt like ‘collateral damage to the world that is his.’ 

In a statement shared with the Daily Mail by his campaign, Platner noted, ‘Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend.’

‘I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine,’ he added.

Platner’s Kik profile picture, viewed by the Daily Mail, showed the Democratic candidate posing shirtless and in only a towel

Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner

Graham Platner with his Totenkopf tattoo, before he covered it up

Platner has faced scandals since last fall, including the revelation of a Nazi tattoo that he has since covered up 

During an interview with MSNOW’s Chris Hayes, Platner said that any allegations of violence were ‘false’ and admitted he was not perfect.

‘I went through my life through a number of years struggling and not exactly acting under — with the best behavior,’ he said. I’ve been very, very open about that.’ 

Platner’s campaign also put the Times in touch with other exes who had more positive experiences with him. 

Caroline Lemp dated Platner in 2013 and described him as a ‘gentle giant’ and a ‘great boyfriend.’

A nurse from Maine who dated Platner described him as smart and supportive.

Another woman told the Times that although she experienced ‘very problematic behavior’ she ultimately felt safe with him.   

Platner scurried out of Washington this week to avoid questions about his sexting scandal – including shirtless pictures and explicit texts to up to 12 women discovered by his wife Amy Gertner.

RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar questioned the Senate hopeful in a Thursday statement, asking, ‘if he’s willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he’s willing to do in a position of political power.’ 

Democrats are hoping that Platner – an oyster farmer and Marine veteran dubbed one of the ‘rugged guys’ in the 2026 midterms – can win back working-class voters.

He’s looking to upset Republican Senator Susan Collins, but is facing major backlash from members of his own party who fear more scandals could emerge after the salacious texts were revealed last week.  

Platner has faced numerous scandals since last fall, including the revelation of a Nazi tattoo that he has since covered up. Fifield also told the Times that Platner knew what the tattoo meant and called it ‘my Totenkopf.’

Fifield explained to the Times that Platner clearly stated his unit saw themselves as killing machines and drew a parallel with the Nazi Schutzstaffel, or S.S. 

‘They literally, deliberately, selected it because it was relevant to their military unit,’ she said.

Controversial Reddit posts also emerged during the course of the campaign, which Platner himself has described as including ‘homophobic slurs, anti-LGBTQ+ jokes and sexually explicit stories denigrating gay men’ to the Advocate last year.

But the most recent controversy stems from revelations that Platner texted other women sexually while married, and the discovery of a shirtless profile on Kik.

Platner has not denied the texts or the profile, describing the stories as ‘gossip’ and he and his wife have reaffirmed ‘a very happy marriage.’

Wednesday afternoon, before the latest allegations from his ex-girlfriends came to light, Platner boasted that all the arrows shot his way had done little to dull his momentum. 

In a new poll by Public Policy Polling shared by the campaign, Platner leads incumbent Republican Susan Collins, 49 percent to 45 percent. 

Just two weeks ago, a poll from Platner’s team had him up 48 to 41 percent over incumbent Collins; an April poll showed him leading 51 to 45.

But some Democrats have soured on him. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman told CNN: ‘What kind of a creep has been on a platform like Kik, sending a dozen explicit messages – and who knows what else.’ 

Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren are still backing Platner, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Tuesday that he met with Platner, adding, ‘we’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.’

Collins, the only Republican in the race, holds an independent streak that makes her both loved and feared. 

She also represents an endangered species: a Republican who represents a state traditionally carried by the Democratic presidential nominee.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has decided that the breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by the Rose Bowl against UCLA will move forward. The judge refused UCLA’s request to dismiss the case.

On Thursday, Judge Joseph Lipner turned down UCLA’s attempt to dismiss the case through an anti-SLAPP motion. He explained that the motion was both “untimely” and “lacked sufficient cause for a late filing,” making it inappropriate for consideration.

Lipner pointed out that UCLA submitted this motion in March, a full 125 days following the receipt of the complaint. This case has now been ongoing for eight months.

Anti-SLAPP motions are legal tools intended to shield individuals and entities from unwarranted lawsuits that aim to intimidate them or curb their freedom of expression and right to petition.

“By filing the anti-SLAPP motion so late, UCLA appears to be prolonging its efforts to delay or halt these proceedings,” Lipner stated. “Essentially, this tactic would allow UCLA multiple opportunities to seek a stay over several months, which does not align with the intended purpose of the anti-SLAPP statute.”

As part of his ruling, Lipner also decreed that the Rose Bowl’s case against SoFi Stadium executives for allegedly enticing UCLA to breach its contract through tortious interference could proceed.

The ruling will allow the Rose Bowl to start issuing discovery requests and could prompt UCLA to commit to staying at its Pasadena home long term.

“We appreciate the court’s careful consolidation of the issues and the ruling,” said Nima Mohebbi, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, the law firm that’s representing the Rose Bowl and the City of Pasadena. “We look forward to moving the case forward.”

A spokesperson for UCLA’s Office of the Vice Chancellor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The California Post recently learned that UCLA and the Rose Bowl have engaged in discussions for a resolution that would keep the Bruins at their longtime football home through the end of a lease that runs through the 2043 season.

UCLA has already committed to playing at the Rose Bowl for the 2026 season.

In October, the Rose Bowl Operating Co. and the City of Pasadena sued UCLA, claiming the school was exploring a move to SoFi Stadium. The proposed move would not only give the Bruins a more modern home stadium closer to campus but also provide additional revenue through multiple sources, including a planned mixed-use development project.

As part of its lease with the Rose Bowl, UCLA pays no rent but also is locked into what could be considered unfavorable terms regarding suite revenue and other potential income streams.

The stadium is allowing the school to keep revenue from premium seats associated with a new field-level club scheduled to open this season.

A New Jersey resident facing charges of murdering his wife allegedly confessed the crime through messages to relatives. He expressed a “long-simmering hatred” for her in an email before attempting suicide after leaving the crime scene, as revealed by court documents.

Michael A. Kless, 67, has been indicted on first-degree murder charges regarding the death of his 66-year-old wife, Stacy E. Kless, as announced by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago last Friday.

The probable cause affidavit submitted in Monmouth County states that Ocean Township police were alerted around 9:32 a.m. on May 27. An individual called to report that Kless had confessed to killing his wife and expressed suicidal intentions.

Approximately 14 minutes after the initial report, a second person contacted authorities, indicating that Kless had sent an email admitting to the murder of his mother, as outlined in the affidavit.

Stacy E. Kless, aged 66, was discovered deceased in her Ocean Township residence on May 27. Her husband, Michael A. Kless, now faces murder charges related to her death. (Image via Stacy Kless/Facebook)