For police officers, there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Pulling over a vehicle is one of the most dangerous things police officers do, yet they do it many times each day. One day, New Mexico State Police Officer Sharon D. made a traffic stop for a simple violation. She pulled over …

One of the most successful stagecoach robbers in American history never shot anyone, didn’t rob passengers, and even said please to his victims. In the late 1870s and early 1880s, Charles Boles committed over 29 stagecoach robberies – more than anyone else. One of his first robberies occurred near Copperopolis, CA. He stopped a stagecoach …

One summer morning, Sugston Anthony Brookes, grabbed a stranger outside Toronto’s busiest transportation hub. Minutes before, Brookes had tried to kill his estranged wife. Police received a call about a man beating a woman. A police officer in the area spotted Brookes and followed him. The officer ordered Brookes to stop but he didn’t listen. …

Most people have some type of security camera – whether outside, inside, or both. Ring is a popular company that sells “smart doorbells” with video cameras installed. The camera allows you to see anyone at your door, using an app on your phone, whether you’re home or not. And Ring also sells standalone cameras you …

Reloading ammo can be risky business. Tom P. is a farmer in Iowa. He works with his hands every day. One day he was clearing pigeons off his property with his shotgun. As he fired a round, the shotgun exploded in his hands. The blast broke bones in his hand and fingers, almost tore his …

Claire N. is an avid hiker who’s been backpacking and hitting the trails for as long as she can remember. Early one morning, Claire set out for Joshua Tree National Park from Palm Springs, CA. Once there, she began her hike on the Lost Palms Oasis Trail. The 7.5-mile trail is popular, but on this …

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is a utility company headquartered in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to two-thirds of northern California (5.2 million households). The past few years the utility company has shut off power to its customers during bad weather. These shutoffs are called “public safety power shutoff events.” …

In March 2003, members of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines were making their push north to Baghdad. They came upon a berm that ran parallel to the road where their convoy came under attack. The humvees in the convoy took intense fire from Iraqi soldiers. Machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortar fire came from behind …

One morning, a California couple took their dog for a walk around their property – something they’d done many times before. But on this morning walk, one of them noticed something strange. The woman spotted a rusted tin can sticking out of the ground. As they dug the can out of the dirt, the couple …

If you’ve ever done an internet search on your own name, and city where you live, you may have been surprised. Most people are shocked to find out how much information about them is freely available online. Not to mention, the amount of that information that is wrong. “People search” websites such as Spokeo, White …

An unreliable trigger can be frustrating to a shooter, create accuracy problems, and in rare occasions, be deadly. For example, in the summer of 2011, Zachary S. and his younger brother Justin were alone at home in Columbia, Miss. Zach was holding his Remington Model 700 deer rifle, which was loaded. Justin was sitting in …

Imagine getting an invoice from the IRS claiming that you owe $100 in taxes for Covid-19 tax relief. The e-mail might read something like, “You have been awarded a $10,000 government grant.” It may go on to say that to get your grant you must provide your banking account information and pay a $100 tax. …

Garrison Courtney worked for the federal government as a public affairs official. But Courtney, along with his five aliases, will now spend the next seven years in federal prison. His crime? He lied about working on a highly-classified intelligence program. He told people he was a covert CIA officer engaged in significant national security work. …

The Nest Thermostat is a smart thermostat that is Wi-Fi enabled.   It allows users to control it from their smartphone, tablet, or computer – even when they aren’t home.   Unfortunately, Nest users learned how smart devices can fail the cold, hard way.   One evening, Nest’s thermostats suffered a software bug that drained …

Carol and Alan C. live in a quiet neighborhood in Modesto, CA.   One weekend, they had visitors in town who were staying in an RV parked in the driveway.   Around 5 a.m. one morning, an intruder broke into the motorhome through the main door.   The RV was equipped with an alarm system …

Frank T.’s beloved 17-year-old, long-haired dachshund dog had recently died, and he wanted a new puppy. But, he couldn’t find any local breeders with puppies available. So, he began scrolling through pictures of puppies for sale online and found a dachshund puppy named Pippa. At first, the seller responded to Frank’s e-mail with follow up …

In September 2020, Paul C. and his wife, Barbara were arrested after an armed standoff at their Utah home. The couple were evicted from their home, but moved back in without permission, and said they would never leave. It all started because the pair did not file tax returns from 1999-2005. They owed more than …

The The Clark County School District is the fifth-largest school district in the U.S. with about 320,000 students. This year, because of the pandemic, the first day of school was supposed to consist of online classes. But the first day was nothing but anxiety and frustration for many students and parents. Many students were unable …

Abraham Lincoln was our tallest president. At 6-foot-4, he towered over people of his era. But to make himself stand out even more, he wore his famous top hat. These days, when you think about Abraham Lincoln you can’t help picturing a tall man in a long top hat. Historians believe that Lincoln first wore …

You know the following story, but there’s something important to learn… Almost ten years ago, a team of Navy SEALs raided a small compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Their mission was to kill or capture the most wanted man in the world. The mission was a success. For years, the U.S. had hunted Bin Laden. And, …

Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz are former American arms dealers. Their company, AEY Inc., was a weapons contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense. The duo became famous after their arrests and there was a movie made about them called War Dogs. So, why did they get arrested? The two men tried to fulfill their …

Survival CB Radios? John L. is a truck driver based out of Winnipeg, Canada. One afternoon, around 2:30 pm, John was on his way to deliver a load. As he neared Golden, British Columbia he became stuck in a traffic jam on Highway 3. Cars were at a standstill and no one was moving. John …

A Deadly Bear Attack, The Feds and 9mm Pistols Phil S. has been a backcountry guide in the Alaska wilderness for over 33 years. He’s led hunters, anglers, and photographers all over Alaska. One summer he took clients salmon fishing near Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. During the trip, a brown bear showed up. Phil had …

“Lady Death,” the infamous Russian sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko was the most successful female sniper in history She is credited with 309 confirmed kills, including 36 kills of enemy snipers. Her nickname was “Lady Death.” She earned her nickname as a female Soviet sniper in the Red Army during World War II. And she became a …