Dangers from damaged California chemical tank persist. Here's what to know

Authorities have been scrambling to find a safe resolution asa damaged tankat a Southern California aerospace facility containing a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts prompted an evacuation order affecting tens of thousands of residents.

Southern California Chemical Tank

The storage tank at GKN Aerospace with about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,713 to 26,498 liters) of methyl methacrylateoverheated last weekand began venting vapors into the air around Garden Grove, a city in Orange County. Officials said over the weekend the tank could leak all the chemical or even explode if it overheats.

Firefighters have been spraying the tank with water in an effort to cool the chemicals heating up inside, and authorities were hopeful that a crack in the tank that occurred over the weekend would relieve pressure and reduce the risk of an explosion. Officials say there's no active leak and no chemicals have escaped from the tank.

No injuries have been reported, but more than 50,000 residents were under an evacuation order over the Memorial Day weekend.

Why is this chemical dangerous?

Methyl methacrylate is a flammable, colorless liquid used in the production of resins, plastics and plastic dentures and is a hazardous substance regulated by the federal government. It can irritate the lungs, eyes and skin and in high doses can cause reduced lung function, along with dizziness and memory problems,accordingto the Environmental Protection Agency.

In prolonged cases, exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems or render a person unconscious.

Tests have found that air pollution in the evacuation zone is within normal limits.

What is the problem with the tank?

The tank's drainage valves are not functioning, officials said, adding that without action, there could be either a large chemical spill or an explosion.

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Firefighters focused on keeping the temperature of the tank under 85 degrees F (29.4 degrees C) to relieve pressure. On Sunday, EPA chief Lee Zeldin said the most likely scenario is a “low-volume release” of the tank’s contents, so officials can “monitor, neutralize, and contain the threat.”

What happens if it explodes?

If the temperature inside the tank rises, it will cause pressure to build as the methyl methacrylate converts from a liquid to a gas, increasing the risk of explosion, which could ignite other tanks at the site.

A blast that releases the chemical would send it into a wider area and could create vapors that are hazardous to inhale, according to Orange County's top health officer, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong.

Aerial photos taken by The Associated Press showed streets in the area were empty Sunday, while several evacuation shelters were open.

The evacuation zone is west of Anaheim, home to Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders. Chinsio-Kwong said people outside the evacuation zone don't need to worry about health impacts.

What happens next?

Officials said Sunday that the crack in the tank could potentially lower the risk of an explosion. Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Wayhowe Huang said the tank did not appear to be releasing any of the toxic chemical into the atmosphere.

Fire officials planned to send in a team for “an all-night mission” to determine if the pressure has been relieved, which would reduce the worst-case scenario of an explosion, Orange County Fire Authority interim chief TJ McGovern said in a video posted late Sunday to the agency’s X account.

Zeldin said a low-volume and controlled release of the chemical would allow officials to relieve pressure on the tank. The company, GKN Aerospace, said Sunday that it continues to work with local authorities.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 25, 2026

Dangers from damaged California chemical tank persist. Here's what to know

Authorities have been scrambling to find a safe resolution asa damaged tankat a Southern California aerospace facility containing a haz...

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared a cryptic message over the weekend

TheKansas City Chiefsare days away from OTAs, and already, the buzz surrounding Patrick Mahomes' health status is spreading across the league.

The two-time league MVP provided more reasons for fans to believe he will be back on the field sooner rather than later. On Sunday, Mahomes posted multiple in-game photos to hisInstagramaccount, followed by a clock emoji in the caption. The lack of details leaves plenty to the imagination for his millions of followers.

On December 14, 2025, Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL late during the Chiefs' Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He continues to rehab and is reportedly ahead of schedule with his recovery.

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Mahomes recentlyposted a videoswinging a golf club at his charity tournament in Las Vegas. He continues to add more hope for a quick return while still supporting the NWSL's KC Current over the weekend with his family.

Mahomes and the Chiefs hope to be on target to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on September 14.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire:Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared a cryptic message over the weekend

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 25, 2026

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared a cryptic message over the weekend

TheKansas City Chiefsare days away from OTAs, and already, the buzz surrounding Patrick Mahomes' health status is spreading across ...

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Agent of Giants' Chris Manhertz trying to make Italy’s flag football team

Sean Stellato, the agent representingNew York Giantstight end Chris Manhertz and formerly spotlighted alongside quarterback Tommy DeVito, is pursuing a new athletic challenge.

The 48-year-old Massachusetts native was in Copenhagen, Denmark, over the weekend trying out for Italy’s Men’s National Flag Football Team.

Stellato, who played receiver at Marist College and spent time in the AF2 developmental league, hopes to earn a roster spot for the 2026 World Championship in August. Strong performances there could help Italy qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

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Known for his flamboyant style and deep Italian heritage, Stellato gained widespread attention in New York during DeVito’s 2023 breakout season with the Giants. New York fans embraced the pair’s charismatic, Italian-American flair. In 2024,Stellato notably met Pope Francisand presented him with a custom football featuring the Pope’s coat of arms.

"I’m incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to honor my Italian heritage by trying out for the Italian National Team, with the chance to represent Italy later this summer and beyond,”Stellato told the New York Post. “Thank you to my family, friends, and especially my clients for all of the support, encouragement, and inspiration along the way."

Stellato continues to represent Manhertz, DeVito (now with the New England Patriots), and other NFL clients while chasing this international dream.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire:Agent of Giants' Chris Manhertz trying to make Italy’s flag football team

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 25, 2026

Agent of Giants' Chris Manhertz trying to make Italy’s flag football team

Sean Stellato, the agent representingNew York Giantstight end Chris Manhertz and formerly spotlighted alongside quarterback Tommy DeVit...

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How state laws can stymie research into your ancestors' psychiatric records

NEW YORK (AP) — Breta Meria Conole was in a state psychiatric hospital for more than two decades. But the reason why is a family mystery.

Debby Hannigan, her great grandniece, tried for years to access Conole's medical records, because she thought they might hold clues to mental health issues in her family, including her oldest daughter's depression.

Hannigan twice wrote to the state of New York for the records. The second time she included a supporting note from her daughter's therapist, who said the details would help “to know their family medical history better.” Both times she was turned away.

Her experience is hardly unique.

Frustrated family members and others have been pushing for law changes in New York and other states that would allow the release of mental health records of long-dead ancestors. Their efforts have resulted in access policy changes in some states, including Massachusetts and Washington, but elsewhere reforms are happening slowly or not at all.

“It really does piss me off that we couldn't just say, ‘Hey, we’re the descendants, here's the proof, now tell us what you know!'” said Doug Clarke of Alfred, New York, who tried unsuccessfully to get records of a great-grandfather. The records might help explain the depression and bipolar syndrome seen in his generation of his family, he said.

Here's a look at the problem and what people are doing about it.

The cruel history of state mental institutions

In the 1800s, the U.S. saw a boom in state institutions for the confinement of people with mental illness; every state had at least one by 1890. They were called lunatic or insane asylums, but the reasons for admission ranged from "brain fever" and “grief and anxiety” to “laziness," "religious excitement" and ”desertion by husband," according to historical records.

Conditions varied, but some asylums gained reputations as brutal, overcrowded warehouses where patients were neglected and restrained. Asylums gradually became psychiatric hospitals, but practices didn't necessarily improve: In the 1900s, they were the settings of since-discredited treatments including lobotomies and induced comas.

But staff at the hospitals often took extensive notes, with detailed descriptions of patients and their symptoms. They also took photographs and had other materials, said Dr. Laurence Guttmacher, a former clinical director of one of New York’s state hospitals, the Rochester Psychiatric Center.

Records at some facilities were likely damaged, destroyed or lost through the years. And the surviving documents may not be well organized or cataloged. But a lot of information still exists, Guttmacher said.

“We had this incredibly rich trove of records” at the Rochester hospital, he said.

How old records can be helpful today

Such records have drawn the interest of some people whose families are struggling with depression, suicide or other issues.

“Would you want to know if your grandfather died of a heart attack?” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “It’s information that you can use to understand how vigilant to be.”

An untold number of patients died at state hospitals, and some were buried in unmarked graves. Some families haven't been able to establish when a relative died, let alone how, said Alexandra Lord, a historian writing a book about suicide in her family. She struggled to gain access to New York state records about her great-grandmother.

Guttmacher said: “About twice a month I would get a request from a family member to get access to records, to try to learn the story of their families.” State officials told him he couldn't release that kind of information.

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Patient privacy protections can last decades

A federal law enacted in 1996 protects the privacy of each patient's health information, including diagnosed conditions and what care they received. The law, known asHIPAA, protects health information for 50 years after someone dies.

Some states have similar guidelines.Ohio lawallows the closest living relative of a deceased patient to request information from state mental health facility records, and they can be requested by anyone 50 years after a patient's death. Maine also offers fairly easy access to records dating back that far.

But many other states are more restrictive. New York allows such records to stay sealed “in perpetuity,” according to a statement from New York's Office of Mental Health. Records can be released to patients and their immediate family members, but generally not to more distant descendants. They also have been released to medical professionals “with a justification,” and to historians who agree not to name individual patients, state officials say.

Massachusetts was similarly restrictive, but a reform push resulted in a new law last year that made public state hospital records that were at least 75 years old, plus records for people dead at least 50 years.

The change followeda reportfrom a commission that discussed state institutions' history of abuse and neglect, including patient sterilizations at a state hospital in Monson. One of the commission's members, Alex Green, suggested the state's nondisclosure of records amounted to a “cover-up" of the decades of abuse disabled people endured.

Now some are working to change New York's law. This year, state Sen. Pat Fahy introduced a bill that designates records and information relating to a patient who has been deceased for 50 years or longer as historic records — no longer subject to privacy protections.

Fahy noted New York's psychiatric facilities have their own troubled history. She cited the Willowbrook State School, a Staten Island facility where developmentally disabled children once lived in deplorable conditions.

“If the person is deceased, there should be an availability of these records to help give the family closure," said Fahy, a Democrat from the Albany area. “Leaning from our history is one of the best ways to give us insight into how we do better in the future.”

How to find records on institutionalized ancestors

Families do have some other routes to information on ancestors' mental health history, according to historians.

Online services such as Ancestry.com provide — for a price — access to old records, including census information that can reveal if someone was in a state institution at the time a census was taken.

Veterans' military pension files have contained details on a person's mental health.

Old newspapers were packed with items about residents, including about when people were sent to state institutions.

There may be many more people interested in family mental health history than is commonly realized, said Ryan Thibodeau, a St. John Fisher University researcher who has been involved in the push to change New York's law. In the 1950s, at the peak of institutionalization in America, more than 500,000 people were in state hospitals.

“Their descendants are everywhere,” he said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 24, 2026

How state laws can stymie research into your ancestors' psychiatric records

NEW YORK (AP) — Breta Meria Conole was in a state psychiatric hospital for more than two decades. But the reason why is a family myster...

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Does Jerry Reese belong in New York Giants' Ring of Honor?

TheNew York Giantshave been in business for over a century and have a long, illustrious history. They have scores of Pro Football Hall of Famers and over 50 members in their Ring of Honor, which was established in 2010.

Most of the franchise's great players, owners, executives, and coaches have been enshrined in the Ring, which raises the question: Who might be next?

Newsday's Tom Rock, who has covered the Giants for three decades, asked the same question, andsome of the names he suggests for inductionmight surprise Giant fans.

The first name is former general manager Jerry Reese, who was run out of town back in 2017 after he and Ben McAdoo made the mistake of benching Eli Manning in favor of Geno Smith, ending Manning's consecutive starting streak.

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There are two general managers who are in the Ring of Honor, though: George Young and Ernie Accorsi. They deserve to be there for their impact not only on winning but on the culture of the organization — but Reese’s record is better than each of theirs and he won just as many Super Bowls as Young did.

The popular knock against Reese is that he won those titles with Accorsi’s roster. It’s true that he took over in 2007, just in time to reap the rewards of a slew of acquisitions that were poised to pay off: Manning, Justin Tuck, Chris Snee, Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan as draft picks, Antonio Pierce and Plaxico Burress as free agents and Tom Coughlin as coach. But Reese was Accorsi’s lieutenant for almost all of those fateful decisions.He had been with the organization as a scout and then an executive since 1994. All of those moves were Accorsi’s, but Reese played a role in them. And when they were ready to blossom into a championship-caliber squad, he, too, was ready to steer the ship.

It’s also worth noting that those who have followed Reese have added to his luster. Dave Gettleman replaced him in 2017 and in four years posted a winning percentage of .292. Gettleman’s departure begot Schoen and his .329 mark.

Some of the other names are nearly as polarizing as Reese's, such as Bill Belichick and Tom Landry. Both were instrumental in building championship teams, but went on to bigger things elsewhere.

Two players, one from the early days of the franchise, quarterback Benny Friedman, and one from the Giants' most recent Super Bowl team, wide receiver Victor Cruz, were also suggested by Rock. They are both deserving, and fans would have no issue with their induction.

The last name Rock proposes is long-time Giants radio voice Bob Papa, who is still calling games for the club. He could go up in the Ring, but maybe not until after his career comes to an end.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire:Does Jerry Reese belong in New York Giants' Ring of Honor?

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 24, 2026

Does Jerry Reese belong in New York Giants' Ring of Honor?

TheNew York Giantshave been in business for over a century and have a long, illustrious history. They have scores of Pro Football Hall ...

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Penn State continues D-line retool with 3-star DT commitment

While thePenn Stateoffense has gotten a lot of attention over the past couple of weeks, it is the Penn State defense that should be receiving more praise amidst its retooling efforts. With new defensive coordinator D'anton Lynn and D-line coach Ikaika Malloe, they have been focused on building with size up front. With key transfers such as Armstrong Nnodim and Dallas Vakalahi up front, they wish to maintain a size advantage over opposing O-lines. With new commits as well, including a brand new three-star prospect on board.

Aniti Paivamay only be a three-star, but he represents what theNittany Lionscould want out of a potential nose tackle. While playing a lot of snaps at the nose tackle position in high school, Lynn and Malloe could move him all around their four-man front, as someone who could look to shed blockers and open up holes for others to record big plays as well as getting TFLS himself. He could most importantly, allow the better pass rushers along the line to do the dirty work.

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Paiva is 6-3, 320 pounds, which is the image of Penn State's new look defense. Along with four-star recruit and 300-pounderStanley Montgomery, they could become one of the most unheralded D-tackle tandems in the Big Ten. Knowing Matt Campbell and his recruiting philosophies, this may be exactly what he wants.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire:Defensive tackle Aniti Paiva commits to Penn State

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 24, 2026

Penn State continues D-line retool with 3-star DT commitment

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Turkish police detain 13 in probe of opposition congress that chose ousted leader

By Daren Butler

FILE PHOTO: Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party leader Ozgur Ozel addresses the media in Ankara

ISTANBUL, May 23 (Reuters) - Turkish police detained 13 people under an investigation into a 2023 congress of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), ‌state media said on Saturday, after a court ruling this week ousted the ‌party's leader Ozgur Ozel, inflaming a political crisis.

A Turkish appeals court on Thursday annulled the congress, at which ​Ozel was elected, citing unspecified irregularities. In his place, the court reinstated former CHP Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a divisive figure who lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in elections earlier that year.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Kilicdaroglu called on CHP members to avoid internal divisions and said ‌the party must protect its "moral ⁠values" in the face of criticism.

"During this process, it is crucial to carefully avoid talk that could divide the party's grassroots," he said, ⁠adding that he had not yet spoken with Ozel.

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The ousted CHP leadership under Ozel had condemned the court ruling as a "judicial coup" and Ozel promised to fight it through legal appeals and ​to ​personally remain "day and night" in the CHP's Ankara ​headquarters.

The Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office ‌said the 13 suspects were detained across seven provinces over allegations of interference in delegates’ voting during the 2023 congress, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported on Saturday.

They face charges of "violating the law on political parties", "accepting bribes", and "laundering assets derived from crime", the statement said. Search and seizure operations were carried out at the suspects’ addresses in the provinces of ‌Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Sanliurfa, Kahramanmaras, Kilis and Malatya.

Analysts said ​this week's court ruling, seen as a test ​of Turkey's shaky balance between democracy and ​autocracy, could prolong Erdogan's 23-year rule even as the country risks ‌another setback in its long battle against ​soaring inflation.

The next national ​election is set for 2028, but would need to be brought forward if Erdogan, 72, and facing a term limit, wants to run again. The court ruling ​was seen as raising ‌the chances of an early vote. The government denies criticism that it uses ​courts to target political rivals, saying the judiciary is independent.

(Reporting by Daren Butler; ​Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Susan Fenton)

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 23, 2026

Turkish police detain 13 in probe of opposition congress that chose ousted leader

By Daren Butler FILE PHOTO: Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party leader Ozgur Ozel addresses the media in ...

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