Video shows smoke billowing after Valero refinery explosion

An explosion at a Texas oil refinery forced residents to shelter in place.

On Monday, March 23, an explosion at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery was reported, according to a post on theCity of Port Arthur's Facebook.Port Arthur, Texas, is a city located around 90 miles east of Houston.

"Nobody's hurt, thank God for that," said Port Arthur Mayor Charlotte Moses during aFacebook livestream.

Video shows moments after the explosion, when smoke plumes billowed into the sky. The cause of the explosion has not been made public yet.

USA TODAY has contacted Valero Energy and the Port Arthur Fire Department for more information.

Watch the aftermath of the explosion

A man makes his way through debris at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 6, 2026.
Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on March 6, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiralled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Displaced residents who fled Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs sit along the corniche waterfront in the Lebanese capital on March 6, 2026. Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on March 6, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiraled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.

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Israel air strikes pound Beirut as Middle East attacks escalate

A man makes his way through debris at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 6, 2026.Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on March 6, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in theMiddle East warthat has spiralled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.

Residents asked to shelter in place

Firefighters were on the scene, working to extinguish the resulting fire, when Moses made her announcement during a live stream.

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Several areas were placed under a shelter-in-place order after the explosion to ensure public safety until emergency personnel gave the "all clear."

More news:Multiple people injured after floor collapsed at NH wedding venue

Explosion comes as gas prices are up

The explosion comes as fuel costs have gone up because of theUnited States and Israel's war with Iran, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.

As of Tuesday, March 24, the national average was$3.97 a gallon, according to AAA. Just a month ago, the average was $2.95.

The refinery processed about 435,000 barrels of oil each day and turned heavy sour crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, according to Valero's website.

Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Smoke seen after Valero oil refinery explosion in Port Arthur, Texas

byDaniel Coleman

in

March 24, 2026

Video shows smoke billowing after Valero refinery explosion

An explosion at a Texas oil refinery forced residents to shelter in place. On Monday, March 23, an explosion a...

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US detainee Dennis Coyle released by Taliban in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON − Colorado researcher Dennis Coyle is on his way home from Afghanistan after spending more than a year in Taliban captivity, the U.S. government said on March 24.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Coyle's release in a statement.

The Afghan Taliban government said earlier on on March 24 that it had decided to release Coyle in response to a request from his mother.

"The foreign minister said that after a letter from the detainee's family ... theSupreme Court... deemed the period of his detention sufficient and decided to release him," the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.

Coyle, a resident of Pueblo, Colorado, was detained in January 2025 while in Afghanistan conducting research on Afghan languages,according to the Pueblo Chieftain, part of the USA TODAY Network.

More:Pueblo man's family fighting to bring him home from Taliban captivity

Afghanistan: America's longest war

"While this is a positive step by the Taliban, more work needs to be done," Rubio said. "The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy."

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The State Department accused the Taliban of using "terrorist tactics to seek policy concessions" andofficially declaredAfghanistan a state sponsor of wrongful detention on March 9.

The U.S. government is seeking the release of at least two other Americans it has designated as wrongfully detained in Afghanistan: freelance author Paul Overby, who has been missing since May of 2014; and Mahmood Habibi,an Afghan-born U.S. citizenandthe former director of civil aviationin Afghanistan. The U.S. says Habibi was arrested by the Taliban in August of 2022 while working for a Kabul-based telecommunications company.

In a statement, Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Pueblo, thanked Rubio and PresidentDonald Trumpfor their work on Coyle's case. "My office will continue working to bring Dennis home safely to his family. No American should be unjustly detained abroad," Hurdwrote on X.

Rubio said in his statement that the United Arab Emirates helped to secure Coyle's release. Qatar has also advocated for the release of Americans in Afghanistan, the U.S. secretary of state said.

According to the State Department, more than 100 wrongfully detained Americans have been released in Trump's second term.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dennis Coyle released after being held by Taliban in Afghanistan

byDaniel Coleman

in

March 24, 2026

US detainee Dennis Coyle released by Taliban in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON − Colorado researcher Dennis Coyle is on his way home from Afghanistan after spending more than a year in Tali...

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Ford recalls more than 254,000 vehicles due to software issue

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 254,640 Lincoln and Explorer vehicles due to a software issue that may disrupt the rearview camera and other features intended to enhance safety while driving.

The recall,announcedlast week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affects some 2022 to 2025 Lincoln Navigator vehicles, 2024 to 2025 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles, 2025 Lincoln Aviator vehicles and 2025 Explorer vehicles.

NHTSA said image processing software in the vehicles could unexpectedly reset, leading to a loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features, which include pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring. This can reduce the driver's ability to detect hazards and increase the risk of a crash, according to the recall report.

In the event of a reset, NHTSA said the vehicles' display panel may show warnings such as "Front Camera Fault," "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" or "Lane-Keeping System Off." The blind-spot indicators may also illuminate, the agency said.

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Impacted drivers can bring their vehicles to a dealership for a free update. Ford will also be issuing an over-the-air (OTA) update free of charge, NHTSA said.

The car maker is planning to mail notification letters to affected owners on March 30. The recall number is 26V165.

Trump claims talks with Iran went "perfectly" and says Tehran wants to make a deal

Iran inflicts heavy damage on Israel in latest missile strikes

Air Canada Express plane collides with ground vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport

byDaniel Coleman

in

March 24, 2026

Ford recalls more than 254,000 vehicles due to software issue

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 254,640 Lincoln and Explorer vehicles due to a software issue that may disrupt the rearvie...

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Stories of survival emerge from deadly New York airport collision as officials investigate its cause

NEW YORK (AP) — Moments after an Air Canada jetcollided at high speed with a fire truckat New York's LaGuardia Airport, killing the pilots and hurling a flight attendant from the aircraft, the passengers took their escape into their own hands.

APTOPIX LaGuardia Crash

With the smell of fuel in the air and debris dangling from the obliterated cockpit, passengers tore open emergency exit doors, jumped off the plane's wings and then turned around to catch others coming up behind them, some bleeding or with head wounds.

"Strangely enough, I wasn't scared or panicked. On the contrary, I think most of us were pretty aware of what happened," said passenger Clément Lelièvre. "So we all went outside; we got other people out."

About 40 passengers and crew members on the regional jet from Montreal, and two people from the fire truck, were taken to hospitals. Some suffered serious injuries, but by Monday morning, most had been released, and others walked away without needing treatment.

As investigators continued delving Tuesday into what caused thecatastrophic wreck, stories of survival also emerged — including that of the flight attendant, found injured but alive outside the aircraft.

Lelièvre credited the pilots' "incredible reflexes" with saving lives. The pilots braked extremely hard just as the plane touched down, he said.

The collision late Sunday came after the fire truck was given permission to check on another plane that had aborted its takeoff after reporting an odor on board and started crossing the tarmac. An air traffic controller can be heard on airport communications frantically telling the fire truck to stop.

Roughly 20 minutes later, the controller appears to blame himself. "We were dealing with an emergency earlier," the controller said. "I messed up."

A key for investigators will be examining coordination of the airport's air traffic and ground traffic at the time of the crash, said Mary Schiavo, a former Department of Transportation Inspector General.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said LaGuardia is "well-staffed" but faces a shortage of controllers.

The runway where the crash happened is likely to be closed for "days" during the investigation, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, said at a news conference Monday. Investigators need to sift through a lot of debris, she said.

Authorities recovered the plane's cockpit and flight data recorders by cutting a hole in the aircraft's roof and then drove them to the NTSB lab in Washington for analysis, Homendy said.

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It was too early in the investigation to answer many questions about the accident, but more information was expected to be released Tuesday, she said.

The crash shut down LaGuardia — the New York region's third busiest hub — during what was already amessy time at U.S. airportsbecause of a partial government shutdown.

Flights resumed Monday afternoon on one runway and with lengthy delays. The shutdown caused some disruptions at other airports, too, especially for Delta, which has a major presence at LaGuardia.

There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to the airline. The flight originated at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Canada has also sent a team of investigators.

The pilot and copilot who died in the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in 34 years were both based out of Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

Jeannette Gagnier, the great aunt of one of the pilots, identified him as Antoine Forest, and said he always wanted to be a pilot.

Air traffic controllers are not impacted by the partial government shutdown that has causedlong delays at airport security checkpointsin recent days. They have been affected by past shutdowns.

The FAA has been chronically short on air traffic controllers for years.

LaGuardia is one of 35 major U.S. airports with an advanced surface surveillance system designed to help keep track of planes and vehicles crossing the airport.

An alarm heard in the background of the air traffic control audio was likely from the system and would have alerted the tower to the potential collision, Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said.

FAA statisticsshow there were 1,636 runway incursions last year.

Associated Press reporters Michael R. Sisak, Anthony Izaguirre and Mae Anderson in New York; Rob Gillies in Toronto; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

byDaniel Coleman

in

March 24, 2026

Stories of survival emerge from deadly New York airport collision as officials investigate its cause

NEW YORK (AP) — Moments after an Air Canada jetcollided at high speed with a fire truckat New York's LaGuardia Airpor...

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Catholics may receive organ transplants from animals, Vatican says

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY, March 24 (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Tuesday that Catholics can receive transplants ‌of animal tissues to address medical conditions, as ‌procedures involving genetically modified pig or cow organs continue to advance.

In an ​88-page document providing ethical guidelines for such transplants, the Vatican reaffirmed an earlier teaching and said the Church has no objection to such treatments, provided they follow best medical practices ‌and do not ⁠treat animals with cruelty.

"Catholic theology does not have preclusions, on a religious or ritual basis, ⁠in using any animal as a source of organs, tissues or cells for transplantation to human beings," the document said.

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The ​text addressed ​xenotransplantation, or the transplanting of ​organs or tissues from ‌one species to another. The Vatican first greenlit such procedures in 2001, when they were in very early stages of development.

Animal organ transplants for human use are still rare. The first pig-to-human kidney transplant was carried out in the ‌United States in 2024.

The Vatican ​document, which was drafted with the ​help of doctors from ​Italy, the U.S. and the Netherlands, called ‌on scientists to pursue animal ​transplants in a ​manner that is "purposeful, proportionate and sustainable".

It also called on doctors to disclose the risks of animal transplants, ​including the probability ‌of rejection by a patient's immune system and the ​possibility of causing infection from microorganisms.

(Reporting by Joshua ​McElwee, editing by Andrei Khalip)

byDaniel Coleman

in

March 24, 2026

Catholics may receive organ transplants from animals, Vatican says

By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY, March 24 (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Tuesday that Catholics can receive tr...

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