By Ashley Killough, Ed Lavandera, CNN

Austin (CNN) — After two days of emotional testimony, Texas lawmakers and investigators Tuesday laid out a grim assessment of Camp Mystic’s leaders’ role in last summer’s devastating floods that left 27 dead: no real evacuation plan and a delayed response as waters rose.

That’s raised mounting doubts for state lawmakers about whether the camp should reopen as planned, as a Texas legislative committee continues to probe the failures and missed opportunities.

The committee’s work has brought forth the clearest picture yet of what happened at Camp Mystic’s Guadalupe River campus in July, pieced together through heart-wrenching testimony and chilling accounts.

“The fate of those girls was set before any first drop of rain ever fell,” said state Sen. Charles Perry, a Republican.

Investigators hired by the special committee said the Eastlands failed to build a flash flood evacuation plan, hold drills or give their counselors any serious training in preparation for a major weather event.

And despite closely monitoring the weather alerts in the early morning hours of the flooding, Dick Eastland, the longtime and beloved camp director, waited far too long to take action, investigators said. He died in the floodwaters after evacuating several campers and trying to save others.

“I understand completely when people point out the things we could have done that morning,” said Edward Eastland, a camp director and one of Dick Eastland’s sons. “I think about those things every day.”

“We’re so sorry. Every day. Every minute of every day, we’re so sorry,” Mary Liz Eastland, Edward’s wife, later added.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the two-day joint hearing of House and Senate flood investigative committees and what investigators said took place as the disaster unfolded:

Camp director ran a tight ship but lacked a comprehensive flood plan

The investigation falls amid a variety of other probes into the tragedy at Camp Mystic, including lawsuits filed by families against the camp’s leaders. The committee’s effort is led by the same two investigators hired by lawmakers in 2022 to investigate the Robb Elementary massacre in Uvalde.

The investigators presented a timeline of events to the panel of lawmakers, painting a perplexing picture of Dick Eastland, who was deeply familiar with the region’s flood history yet created a culture of what investigators called flood complacency.

In an hours-long presentation Monday, investigators described Dick Eastland as a patriarchal leader who “ruled” Camp Mystic, held a tight grip on decision-making across the camp and instilled a culture of “obedience” where campers, staff and family members strictly followed orders from up top. They said Eastland was “vigilant” about weather yet didn’t have a solid plan in case of a flood.

Each cabin had one sheet of emergency instructions posted on the wall, directing campers to stay in their cabins in a flood, unless told otherwise by the office.

“There was never any real training. There were never drills, no drills of any kind,” said Casey Garrett, one of th

The post Should We Burn Our Petrochemical Future? appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Food lovers across the Central Coast can take advantage of special dining deals as Santa Barbara Restaurant Week gets underway.

With rising dining costs in 2026, the week-long event is giving locals a chance to enjoy prix-fixe menus at a more affordable price point while supporting area restaurants.

For many residents, it’s also an opportunity to try something new or revisit favorite spots.

“I look at this as sort of an incentive to try something new, or go to a favorite place,” said Santa Barbara resident Diane Murphy.

Restaurants across Santa Barbara and Montecito are offering curated menus designed to bring in customers during the spring season 

“The restaurant business is challenging across the board,” said Sara Skrinski, owner of Arnoldi’s Cafe. “We do all of our food from scratch.”

At Arnoldi’s Cafe, Skrinski highlights her Italian roots through dishes inspired by northern Italy. The restaurant’s Restaurant Week menu includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert and cocktail for $75, with some exclusive items only available during the event.

Among them is a Capri lemon ravioli, a specialty not typically found on the regular menu, along with fan-favorite dishes like chicken Milanese.

Over in Montecito, Clark’s Oyster Bar is also participating, offering a three-course menu for $60.

Chef Jacob Levan says the goal is to deliver a well-rounded dining experience.

“You get a choice of soup, salad, one of our favorite entrees and a dessert,” Levan said. “It’s going to be a really great experience.”

Popular menu items include the restaurant’s linguine with clams, alongside fresh oysters and house-made sourdough bread.

From coastal seafood to farm-to-table cuisine, Restaurant Week showcases the diversity of the region’s food scene — all at discounted prices.

The event runs through Sunday, giving diners a limited window to make reservations and explore participating restaurants.

For a full list of menus and locations, visit SB RESTAURANT WEEKS.  

The post Santa Barbara Restaurant Week returns with special menus and local deals appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Meteorologist Briana Waxman, Taylor Romine, CNN

(CNN) — Severe storms are raking across the South Tuesday evening with hail as big as grapefruits, tornadoes and damaging winds as a multi-day severe thunderstorm outbreak enters its sixth day. At least one person was killed Monday and multiple people were injured Tuesday.

Tuesday evening, a tornado tore through the city of Mineral Wells, Texas, about 80 miles west of Dallas. Several people were injured and building damage was reported in northeastern Palo Pinto County after the powerful storm moved through the area, according to CNN affiliate WFAA.

“A primary assessment has been completed, and some individuals are currently being evaluated for injuries,” said Brittany Brown, public information officer for the City of Mineral Wells. At this time, there are no reports of critical injuries.

Local officials are asking residents to stay home as first responders are responding to damage, the city said on its Facebook page.

CNN is reaching out to city officials for more information on potential injuries and the extent of the damage.

Massive hail up to tennis and baseball size pummeled Springfield, Missouri, Tuesday afternoon, damaging vehicles and knocking down power poles as severe storms blasted through the region. Springfield emergency management spokesperson Nicolette Zangara told CNN affiliate KOLR it was a “brutal morning,” with two rounds of hail and widespread reports of damage still being assessed.

Storm chaser Matt Jones was in the car when hail bigger than golf balls picked up in intensity, cracking his windshield repeatedly. “This is insane, oh my God, I gotta get out of here,” Jones exclaimed.

Footage from Springfield-Branson National Airport showed wind-driven hail lashing the airport and crews covering damaged vehicles with tarps. Airport officials said aid groups distributed tarps within hours as recovery efforts began.

A Level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms remains in place Tuesday evening for northeast Texas, including the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. A slightly lower risk covers much of Arkansas and parts of southern Missouri, southeastern Oklahoma, northeast Texas, northern Louisiana and central and northern Mississippi. Multiple rounds of damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes threaten millions Tuesday across a broader zone from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Tennessee Valley.

Monday’s storms packed a punch

Monday evening, a tornado moved through several towns in Clinton County, Illinois, including Germantown and Carlyle. This storm damaged homes, knocked down trees and power lines and blocked roads, according to Clinton County Emergency Management Director Timothy Schleper. The American Red Cross was responding to help displaced residents. No injuries or deaths were reported, and damage assessments are expected to continue Tuesday.

Just before 11 p.m. CT, the National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas, issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warning for an observed, destructive tornado moving through Hanover and surrounding communities in Stone County. The tornado appeared to stay on the ground in Arkansas for about 10 miles, with debris lofted high into the air and wrapped around the back side of the storm.

The Stone County Sheriff’s Office reported damaged homes and vehicles, downed power lines and fallen trees blocking roads as emergency crews responded across the area overnight. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Some areas in Michigan and Wisconsin saw damage from a weather phenomenon called a wake low, which is a relatively small weather system that contains a potent line of high winds. Wake lows form behind shower

Por MJ Lee, CNN

Mientras el rey Carlos III y la reina Camila eran recibidos por el presidente de Estados Unidos y la primera dama con pompa y ceremonia dignas de la realeza en la Casa Blanca la mañana del martes, un grupo de personas a quienes se les negó una reunión en persona con los monarcas aprovechó la oportunidad para hacerse escuchar a un par de kilómetros, en la avenida Pennsylvania.

El grupo, reunido en el Capitolio, incluía sobrevivientes de Jeffrey Epstein, sus familiares y activistas, quienes también se congregaron el fin de semana en un acto conmemorativo por Virginia Giuffre. La fallecida víctima de Epstein acusó a Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, hermano del rey, de agresión sexual y murió por suicidio hace un año. El expríncipe ha negado todas las acusaciones en su contra y ha insistido en que nunca presenció ni sospechó de los comportamientos de los que se acusa al fallecido Epstein.

“Hoy, los sobrevivientes están aquí, sentados con miembros del Congreso, aún luchando por ser escuchados, aún exigiendo una verdadera rendición de cuentas, mientras muchas de las figuras poderosas vinculadas a estos sistemas siguen fuera de alcance, incapaces de reconocer a los sobrevivientes cara a cara”, dijo este martes Sky Roberts, hermano de Giuffre.

“Se esperaría que este sea un momento para que el rey envíe un mensaje al mundo de que está del lado de los sobrevivientes. Todavía no podemos obtener eso de nuestro propio presidente de Estados Unidos, quien sigue diciendo ‘engaño’, ‘víctimas o lo que sea’”.

Las breves declaraciones de Roberts, que no solo señalaron a la monarquía sino también al presidente Donald Trump (quien no ha sido acusado de ningún delito relacionado con Epstein), fueron un recordatorio contundente de cuánto sigue sacudiendo este escándalo a las más altas esferas de la sociedad, el Gobierno y las celebridades en ambos países. Y algunos sobrevivientes de Epstein y legisladores estadounidenses quieren que el delincuente sexual condenado forme parte del contexto de la visita real, incluso cuando el rey y la reina tienen una agenda distinta.

El representante demócrata Ro Khanna, quien copatrocinó la ley que obligó al Departamento de Justicia a divulgar millones de documentos en su poder relacionados con Epstein, intentó aprovechar la visita real enviando una carta al rey el mes pasado para solicitar una reunión en persona con sobrevivientes.

Pero CNN informó que el rey y la reina no planean aceptar esa solicitud durante su visita de cuatro días, que conmemora el 250° aniversario de la independencia de Estados Unidos, ya que el Palacio de Buckingham es consciente de que un encuentro de este tipo podría afectar la investigación legal británica sobre Mountbatten-Windsor. Esa decisión está en línea con la estrategia más amplia de los monarcas de evitar declaraciones públicas relacionadas con Epstein, el fallecido pedófilo cuyo caso ha llevado tanto escándalo, vergüenza y dolor a la familia real.

Como jefe simbólico del poder judicial británico, el rey podría ser acusado de influir en la investigación penal sobre su hermano si se pronuncia directamente sobre el escándalo de Epstein.

(Cuando el entonces príncipe Andrew fue arrestado bajo sospecha de mala conducta en un cargo público, el rey Carl