Videos by a far-right conspiracy group appeared in YouTube searches for some A-list celebrities and at least one company Monday, underscoring that the site's effort to contain misinformation and propaganda on its website is a work in progress, NBC News reported.

The videos, featuring baseless accusations of pedophelia, were among the first to appear in searches for Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Mexican cement company Cemex. The videos were created by believers of Qanon, a conspiracy theory that centers on false allegations that Democratic politicians and celebrities are part of a child sex ring.

YouTube didn’t respond to a request for comment but some of the conspiracy video rankings dropped after NBC News reached out on Monday.

Several of the videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, which has faced repeated criticism for not doing more to tamp down conspiracy theories and false information on its site. 

Interstate 395 South in Griswold was closed after a motorcycle crash this morning and the left lane is now open.

The highway was closed at exit 24 and the scene is expected to be clear by around 10:30 a.m.

LifeStar was called. Police said they believe the injuries are serious, but no additional information is available on the extent of the injuries. 

A 41-year-old Windsor Locks man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Route 9 in Haddam Monday night.

Police said Jose Maldonado was going north on Route 9 and lost control of his Yamaha near exit 9 while going around a curve and hit the guardrail. Witnesses told investigators he was driving at high speeds before the crash.

Maldonado was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Troop F. The phone numbers are (800) 953-7747 and (860) 848-6500.

North Texas transportation officials are studying the feasibility of building a hyperloop between Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth. But many people still know little about the brand-new technology.

So NBC 5 traveled to the world’s first hyperloop in the desert outside Las Vegas and the headquarters of Virgin Hyperloop One, the company that built it.

The hyperloop test facility in Nevada is known as DevLoop. NBC 5's cameras weren't allowed to shoot video of the hyperloop's inner workings — it's top secret — but were shown the basics.

At first glance, it appears similar to a huge oil pipeline or water main. The gleaming white tube is about the length of five football fields. The pod-like hyperloop vehicle runs on a track inside the structure.

"It's a complete vehicle," said Dan Katz, head of North American projects at Hyperloop One. "What's amazing is there's no moving parts on the vehicle. Nothing turns."

Vacuum pumps remove the air from inside the tube, reducing wind resistance. Powerful magnets then levitate the pod above the track and propel it forward at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour.

"It'll feel like the best airplane you've ever ridden in," Katz explained. "It's going to feel incredibly smooth. There's no turbulence. The takeoff and landing will be about half the G-force on your body."

You can't ride in a hyperloop just yet because there's no air in the tube and developers haven't built a pod that has a life support system. Engineers say they do not believe that would be a complex challenge to overcome.

DevLoop has proven that the technology works, Katz said.

"We've seen some people come here as skeptics, but they never leave here as skeptics," he said. "This, of course, is only a prototype. But an actual system in Dallas-Fort Worth would probably look very similar; large tubes on top of concrete supports."

The next step for Virgin Hyperloop One is to build a longer test track that would eventually become part of a commercial system. Hundreds of people at the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles are working to make that happen.

"Testing is the name of the game. We do a lot of testing here," said Kristen Hammer, a senior engineer.

They believe North Texas would be an ideal location.

The region is fairly flat, and the track could run in a straight line between the major population centers of Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth. A trip from one downtown to the other would take just six minutes at a speed of 360 miles per hour.

"That route in particular, Dallas-Fort Worth, is a great first route for us," Hammer explained. "Flat and straight is the favorite from the engineering side, so Fort Worth to Dallas is that."

Virgin Hyperloop One isn't the only company working on hyperloops.

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is credited with setting the idea for the technology in motion with a white paper in 2013. Musk's Boring Company hopes to dig a hyperloop tunnel to connect East Coast cities, NBC News reported. Another Musk company SpaceX has a track in Hawthorne, California, that has hosted pod competitions. 

And Los Angeles-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is also involved, aiming to bring hyperloop systems to China and France. 

Other cities and regions around the world have expressed interest in building a hyperloop include Chicago, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Missouri and Colorado. India, Dubai and Saudi Arabia are also taking a serious look at being the first to build a fully functioning hyperloop system.

The high cost of setting up routes is still a challenge for companies, as is securing land rights and environmental approvals, NBC News reported.

Virgin Hyperloop One hopes to build its next project sometime in the early 2020s.

"To be one of the first ones is really to put your city on the map internationally as a center for transportation technology," Katz said. "Yes, this is going to happen. The question is, where?"

Cody DeGroff couldn't believe it.

The lifeguard was using his new drone when he saw it, the Great White Shark off the coast of Nauset Beach on Sunday.

DeGroff's eyes only got bigger when he panned the drone up and saw the shark swimming straight for a paddle boarder.

"I was like, 'holy crap!' he said. "It was crazy."

DeGroff continued to take pictures of the shark as it swam towards the paddle boarder, eventually, the shark doing a half turn once it passed the man.

"I was having just the greatest time," Roger Freeman said. "It was the perfect Cape Cod summer morning."

Freeman, saying Monday night, he had no idea that shark was swimming right towards him.

"Having grown up in the Jaws age, you think about these things happening or wonder about what's lurking below, but to see it on a tape is really something," he added.

It wasn't until Freeman got back on land did he realize his close encounter.

"I came in, and a guy waved me over, and he was like, dude, you got to check this out, my buddy took a drone shot, look at this!" Freeman recounted.

Freeman says in the future he'll probably paddle board with someone else, but for now, he has quite the story to tell, and the pictures to prove it.

"It's awesome, I lived!" he said.

A man suspected of murder in New London in December 2017 was arrested in Halifax, Massachusetts this morning as police there were investigating a string of house and car break-ins, according to police.

Police in Halifax, Massachusetts said they arrested 18-year-old Jamir Johnson at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Johnson was wanted in connection with the shooting death of Quvonte Gray‎ on Dec. 9, 2017 and New London police have been searching for him.

An arrest warrant for Johnson charges him with murder, possession of a pistol without a permit, and unlawful discharge of a firearm, New London police said last year.

A Facebook post from Halifax police says Johnson is a suspect in several house break-ins and 54 car break-ins there over the past few weeks.

He was seen early this morning riding a bicycle and wearing clothing similar to what was seen in surveillance video at one of his victim’s homes, police said.

Officers caught Johnson after a short foot chase and took him into custody

During booking, Halifax police learned there was an arrest warrant from New London.

Charges for Johnson in Halifax include breaking and entering, possession of burglarious tools, failure to Identify, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property and fugitive from justice.

He will be arranged in Plymouth District court for the local charges and held on the Connecticut murder charges, according to police.

A body has been pulled from the Connecticut River in Lyme, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Crews had been searching the river in the area of the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry and Gillette Castle State Park over the last couple of days after a 42-year-old Meriden man was seen struggling in the water in Lyme on Sunday evening. Crews had suspended the search for the man.

Officials said they have not yet identified the person who they pulled from the water.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

As the deadly Northern California wildfire exploded over the weekend, celebrity chefs Guy Fieri and José Andrés did what they do best: feed the community. 

The two restaurateurs rallied a group of volunteer chefs and nonprofit food relief organizations to provide meals for people displaced by the the Carr Fire in Redding and the firefighters battling the massive blaze.

Andrés' organization, The World Central Kitchen, re-activated #ChefsForCalifornia, which responded to the Thomas Fire in 2017, and partnered with Food First Responders, Operation BBQ Relief and Fieri to set up a central kitchen that will deliver 5,000 hot meals a day to evacuation centers and first responders.

The WC Kitchen is coordinating its effort with the California Office of Emergency Response, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, according to Andrés.

On Sunday, the two Food Network stars helped the Red Cross serve meals to hundreds of people in Redding.  Fieri worked with the crew from Operation BBQ Relief, which sends smokers and pit crews to feed people displaced by natural disasters.  The non-profit was founded in 2011 in the aftermath of a deadly tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, according to its website.

Fieri and Operation BBQ Relief also responded to Santa Rosa in October to help feed victims and first responders of the deadly Sonoma County fires.

The "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" host lives in Santa Rosa.

The fire burning in Shasta County has scorched nearly 100,000 acres, destroyed more than 700 homes and forced nearly 40,000 people to flee. Six people, including two firefighters, have died in the fire.

A woman is accused of shoplifting from Walgreens in Hartford Tuesday morning and biting an employee who tried to stop her. 

Police said 20-year-old Marissa Chevalier, of Enfield, was trying to steal more than $200 worth of batteries from the store at 161 Washington St. 

Officers responded to Walgreens at 7:40 a.m. and found store employees had Chevalier detained. 

They said she bit the employee on the right arm, puncturing the skin, and the employee was transported by ambulance to Hartford Hospital emergency room to be treated. 

Chevalier was charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and sixth-degree larceny.

Hamden Legislative Councilman Brad Macdowall (D) is working on a proposal to ban plastic bags and straws in the town. 

A ban would benefit the environment and save the town money when it comes to keeping parks clean, such as the canal line trail, Macdowall told NBC Connecticut Monday. He said he is working with the local business community to develop the ordinance that would come with an adjustment phase before the ban takes effect. 

On Whitney Avenue, Thyme and Season market has already stopped bagging groceries in plastic. Co-owner Josh Elliott said there have been no complaints from customers. 

“Most people haven’t even noticed actually,” Elliott said. “We’re doing straight paper bags right now but we do sell renewable bags that people can use when they just come in.” 

Instead of traditional plastic bags for fruits and vegetables, Thyme and Season is offering customers a reusable cotton produce bag. 

Elliott’s family business is also phasing out plastic straws. 

“Back in the day they had paper straws,” Susan Pomarico, a customer from Hamden, said. She told NBC Connecticut she likes the idea of a town-wide plastic bag and straw ban. 

“I think there’s too much plastic and it’s all over the place,” she said. “I like paper. Paper is easier to use and it’s better to dispose of. 

Two-thirds of the Hamden legislative council would need to approve the proposal for it to become law. 

“Hopefully, you know things start in the municipal level and then if it’s successful, then hopefully other municipalities can follow and then maybe we can do it in the state level, too,” said Elliott, who is also a Democratic State Representative from Hamden. 

Westport, Greenwich and Stamford are considering similar proposals. 

A small western Massachusetts town has been left without a police department after its entire force resigned Monday, citing poor equipment and unsafe working conditions. 

"The entire Blandford Police Department resigned this evening, effective immediately," the department wrote in a Facebook post.

Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and three officers submitted their resignations in a letter to Blandford officials on Monday. The four-member force cited faulty police cruisers, inadequate staffing and insufficient pay as reasons for the resignation, according to WWLP.

The officers said the town's police cruisers are in such bad shape they often have to answer calls in their personal vehicles. They said their police radios don't work in some parts of the town and their poorly fitting bulletproof vests are beyond expiration dates.

The officers on the force said they regret leaving the town without coverage, but have no other choice because their own safety has been put at risk.

The department urges its residents to continue calling 911 in the case of an emergency. State police told The Associated Press Tuesday all 911 calls from Blandford are being routed to troopers in Russell. 

Residents were also advised to call the Russell State Police Barracks for any other police services.

State police responded to the sudden resignation to assure residents they are protected despite the loss of their police department.

"We have notified town officials that we maintain our commitment to the town and will assume any additional duties required in the wake of the resignations of local officers," a state police spokesperson said in a statement.

Mosquitoes trapped in Keney Park in Hartford have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the mayor’s office. 

City officials said the state notified them that the mosquitoes trapped on July 24 in the park tested positive for the virus, which can carry symptoms including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. 

There have been no reported cases of any people with West Nile virus in Hartford, city officials said. 

Mosquitoes with West Nile virus have been found this year in: Bethany, Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Franklin, Greenwich, Madison, New Canaan, New Haven, Stamford, Stratford, Waterbury Waterford, West Haven and Weston. 

“Even though we see the West Nile virus in some form every year in Connecticut, I hope residents will take basic steps to prevent mosquito bites and report any potential West Nile virus infections to a health care professional,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said in a statement. “I want to thank the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for their work to detect West Nile virus in Hartford.” 

The positive mosquitoes are Culex Pipiens, a predominantly bird-feeding species that has been identified with WNV in previous years, according to Hartford officials. 

The City of Hartford Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following steps to avoid WNV or other mosquito-borne illnesses: 

Preventing mosquito bites:

• Be sure door and window screens are tight fitting and in good repair.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods, or when mosquitoes are most active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.
• Use mosquito repellent, according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors. 

Preventing mosquitoes at home:

• Dispose of water-holding containers such as ceramic pots, used tires, and tire swings.
• Drill holes in the bottom of containers such as those used for recycling.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Turn over objects that may trap water when not in use such as wading pools and wheelbarrows.
• Change water in bird baths on a weekly basis.
• Use landscaping techniques to eliminate areas where water can collect on your property.

Newtown police officers freed a deer that was stuck on a fence last night.

The video does show the deer in distress, but is also shows the lengths the officers went through to free the animal’s leg from the fence.

The end of the video shows the deer run off on its own and into the woods.

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A South Windsor mother is devastated after a necklace containing the ashes of her baby son who died at 3 months old was stolen during a car break-in on Saturday night in Hartford. 

LeeAnn Winn said someone smashed the window of her friend’s car, which was parked on Broad Street, near New Britain Avenue. 

”I’ve been unable to sleep,” Winn said. “I’ve been going back to that area every day, twice a day, looking.” 

Inside her purse was a silver necklace with a silver vial containing the ashes of her baby son who passed away in 2009. 

”He passed away at 3 months, and it was all that I have left, and I feel like a piece of me is now missing. … I had only taken it off to ensure the safety of --- whenever I go out I don’t wear it anywhere just for precautionary measures. Starting to think I should have kept it with me.” 

Winn turned to Facebook and posted a photo of the precious keepsake. It was quickly shared a couple thousand times. 

“There’s bad people, but there’s an overwhelming number of good people that outnumber them, and I’ve realized that by everybody reaching out.” 

Winn said she isn’t concerned about anything else that was taken. She simply wants the necklace returned. 

“I just want him back with me, with the one who loves him. It’s all I have left, unfortunately. 

Anyone with information regarding the necklace is urged to contact Hartford Police.

A Windsor man is accused of shooting photos up a woman’s skirt at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills Monday.

Manchester police arrested 26-year-old Bertrand Boamah on voyeurism charges.

According to the police report, a Macy’s security officer spotted a suspect, later identified as Boamah, acting suspiciously while watching surveillance footage around 2:15 p.m. Monday.

The surveillance footage shows Boamah using his cell phone to take photos up a woman’s skirt. It also shows Boamah “hiding behind racks and circling around another unidentified female and unidentified female child,” the report said.

The security officer confronted Boamah and told him to stop photographing women or leave. Boamah left the store and drove off. Mall security then contacted police, who ran the plates on the vehicle to identify a suspect.

According to the report, when officers tracked down Boamah he admitted to being at Macy’s and being confronted by an employee, but did not admit to any crime. His phone was seized as evidence and will be searched after a search warrant is obtained.

Boamah was charged with voyeurism, second-degree breach of peace, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Bond was set at $15,000 and he is due in court on Aug. 21.

New Britain police have arrested a suspect in the slaying of a Southington man in 2004.

Rudy Hannon, 72, was extradited Tuesday from Indian Springs, Nevada to New Britain, and has been charged with murder in connection with the death of 71-year-old Paul Sweetman, of Southington, in July 2004, according to police.

Police said the court has sealed the case.

Detectives from the New Britain Police Department worked extensively on the case, with help from Connecticut State Police, the Southington Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Connecticut Forensic Science Lab and the States Attorney’s Office, according to police.

Hannon was held on a $2 million bond.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologists have issued a First Alert from Wednesday afternoon into the early morning hours on Thursday for strong to severe thunderstorms.

Dew points will rise to over 70 degrees by Wednesday afternoon resulting in oppressive levels of humidity. 

Tomorrow will feature two rounds of showers and thunderstorms. 

The first round of activity will arrive in the morning. It appears this will be primarily in the form of shower activity with the thunderstorm threat holding off until the afternoon. 

Instability will greatly increase by the afternoon resulting in the possibility of strong to even severe thunderstorms.

The main threats with these thunderstorms are damaging winds, hail, heavy rain, and lightning. There is also a minor threat for a small tornado given the atmospheric dynamics. 

Stay with the NBC Connecticut First Alert weather team for continuous updates on  Wednesday's severe weather threat. 

A Vernon man is accused of exposing himself to a family in the Manchester Stop & Shop parking lot Saturday.

Police were called to the Stop & Shop Parking lot at 286 Broad Street around 6 p.m. Saturday. The victim pointed out the suspect, later identified as 58-year-old Mark Squires, who was sitting in a red Toyota Camry.

The victim told police that as she was leaving the store with her two children and her mother, the suspect took off his shirt. As she walked by the suspect apologized and put the shirt back on, but then pulled down his pants. The victim said the suspect wasn’t wearing underwear and was naked from the waist down.

The victim said she was getting her family in the car to leave and her view was partially blocked, but it appeared the suspect was dancing while naked from the waist down. She said he then walked around the car and mooned her. The victim left with her family, then called police and returned to the parking lot to see if she could spot the suspect.

Police said Squires denied taking his clothing off, but the victim told police she was sure it was him. He was arrested and charged with public indecency and breach of peace. He was released on a $2,500 bond and is due in court on Aug. 16.

A car flipped over onto its roof during a crash in Manchester Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened just after 4 p.m. on Buckland Hills Drive right near the entrance to the Shoppes at Buckland Hills. Police and firefighters are on scene and there are traffic delays in the area.

It was not immediately clear if any other vehicles were involved.

More information was not immediately available. NBC Connecticut has a crew on scene and will provide updates as they come into the newsroom.

A 10-year-old is in intensive care after a near drowning in Rocky Hill Monday.

Rocky Hill Police said crews were called to the Greenfield Village apartment complex pool for a possible drowning Monday. Dispatchers provided lifesaving instructions while crews responded.

The victim was rushed to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. His condition has not been released.

The victim has not been publicly identified.

The incident is under investigation.