The U.S. has obtained intelligence that the son and potential successor of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Hamza bin Laden, is dead, three U.S. officials told NBC News.  

The officials would not provide details of where or when Hamza bin Laden died, or if the U.S. played a role in his death. It is unclear if the U.S. has confirmed his death. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  

Hamza bin Laden's last known public statement was released by al Qaeda's media arm in 2018. He threatened Saudi Arabia and called on the people of the Arabian peninsula to revolt. 

Hamza bin Laden is believed to have been born around 1989. His father moved to Afghanistan in 1996 and declared war against the U.S. Hamza went with him and appeared in al Qaeda propaganda videos. As leader of al Qaeda, Osama oversaw operations against Western targets that culminated in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and New York's World Trade Center. U.S. Navy SEALS killed Osama bin Laden during 2011 raid on his compound in Pakistan.

It seems the Federal Trade Commission was a little too efficient at getting the word out about how consumers could claim up to $125 if they were affected by the 2017 Equifax data breach.

The government agency announced Thursday that because too many people have filed claims, the chances of actually receiving as much as $125 have greatly decreased. The FTC is now advising people to opt for 10 years of free credit monitoring instead.

“A large number of claims for cash instead of credit monitoring means only one thing: each person who takes the money option will wind up only getting a small amount of money,” Robert Schoshinski, an assistant director for the FTC’s Privacy and Identity Protection Division, wrote in a statement. “Nowhere near the $125 they could have gotten if there hadn’t been such an enormous number of claims filed.”

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission confirmed that the 147 million people affected by the Equifax data breach could benefit from its $700 million settlement with the U.S. government and states.

The 2017 data breach was one of the largest ever to threaten private information. Customers’ Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver's license numbers, credit card numbers and in some cases passport data were among the compromised information.

Customers who confirm they were impacted by the data breach, can file a claim through which they can receive a payout of up to $125 or to 10 years of credit monitoring. 

You can check your status here. Find out more about the breach and how to file a claim here. 

Schoshinski said that the free credit monitoring option is worth a lot more because the service can cost hundreds of dollars per year, but by filing a claim, you could get it for free.

All three nationwide credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- will monitor your credit report for at least four years, according ot the FTC's updated Frequently Asked Questions section. Consumers who coose this option can also get an additional six years of free credit monitoring from Equifax.

If you were a minor in May 2017, you're eligible for 18 years of free credit monitoring. 

The offer also comes with $1 million in identity theft insurance, Schoshinski added.

If you already filed a claim for the cash payout, there’s no need to worry. Schoshinski said those who have filed a claim will be receiving an email from the settlement administrator to confirm what credit monitoring service they already have. You can also use the email as an opportunity to switch to the free credit monitoring option instead of getting a cash payout.

You can also email the settlement administrator, JND, directly at info@EquifaxBreachSettlement, Schoshinski said.

A Cape Cod beach was closed Wednesday for the second day in a row after a shark was spotted swimming near shore.

Newcomb Hollow beach in Wellfleet was temporarily closed to swimming on Wednesday afternoon after a shark was spotted just yards off shore, police said. They said the beach has since reopened.

That same beach was also closed Tuesday after a white shark was spotted by a helicopter near swimmers.

South Beach in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard was also closed for a time Tuesday due to a shark sighting.

More than 150 great white sharks have been spotted off Cape Cod this summer, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app.

A release of chemical vapors led to a hazmat situation at a plant that makes chlorine in New Haven Wednesday.

It happened at the Kuehne Company, which makes chlorine used for pool sanitation.

Fire officials said they were first called out to the business on Welton Street around 11:30 a.m.

“Our members entered with meters to make detections,” explained New Haven Fire Chief John Alston. "Once they started to dump it out it started to give off fumes."

No injuries were reported and fire officials said the situation is under control. There is no danger to the public, though people at neighboring businesses were warned to stay indoors.

Welton Street is closed from Albert Street in New Haven to Armstrong Street in Hamden.

This is not the first time emergency crews have responded to this area. When the plant was under a different name in 2016, an explosion blew off part of the roof. Since then there were several detection systems put in place that helped minimize the situation here.

The plant manager, Alan Rogers, said the Kuehne company just acquired the plant six weeks ago.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The bright yellow sign on the front door only tells part of the story at Angelico’s Lake House. The East Hampton restaurant was shuttered Monday morning by the state for back taxes. Those who frequent the establishment were surprised to hear of its sudden closing and even more shocked to learn the reason why.

“Wow. Wow. That’s just unreal,” said Luann Dinihanian, who told us she celebrated her wedding reception at Angelico’s in 2010. “It’s a shame. It really is. It’s a nice location. Beautiful view.”

“Wow that’s crazy. I can’t believe it. I mean it’s always been a nice place to go,” added Brian Murray of Glastonbury.

He said he visited the restaurant across from Lake Pocotopaug every few months while visiting his in-laws in East Hampton.

The suspended sales permit over back taxes comes on the heels of a fire that erupted in the restaurant’s tiki bar last Wednesday. The town’s fire marshal says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The restaurant was allowed to continue operating after the fire, until Monday.

Documents obtained from the town by NBC Connecticut News show Angelico’s owner owed $45,000 in local, state, and federal taxes dating as far back as 2016. He owes an additional $15,600 in taxes by Thursday.

“That’s a shocker. You would think that’s one thing you don’t mess around with,” said Dinihanian.

What happened right before the permit was pulled by the state has Dinihanian and other frequent guests questioning Angelico’s business practices. On Sunday, the restaurant advertised a gift card sale. A poster for the event labeled it a fire sale and said customers would get 50 percent off gift cards paid with cash or check. The next day, Monday, the restaurant was shut down.

“They obviously knew they were closing and I think that’s awful. That’s just awful,” surmised Dinihanian.

Murray agreed.

“I would never even think to operate like that. I think that’s kind of shameful,” he said.

NBC Connecticut tried to contact the owner at the restaurant as well as two other properties he owns in East Hampton but were unable to reach him.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection said anyone who purchased a gift card from the restaurant should file a complaint with the state so they can get a sense of the scope of the problem.

“Certainly the sequence of events we want to take a look at and understand when they were selling these things what did they know about their future prospects and their ability to honor the gift cards,” explained Commissioner Michelle Seagull.

There’s a growing problem in East Hampton’s Lake Pocotopaug. The lake’s only public swimming area, Sears Beach, is closed because of dangerous levels of blue-green algae. Locals fear it will be weeks before it subsides.

“Nobody wants to go in the water,” said Gladys Yeager, owner of the Happiest Paddler watercraft rental.

Yeager has owned her business for 35 years. She also grew up on Lake Pocotopaug.

“Back then I could see what color my toenail polish was,” she recalls of the crystal clear lake.

Contaminants turned the waters into a murky muck.

“Now you can’t see more than three inches into the water,” said Yeager.

Her most popular rental, these paddle boards, are shelved. She’s worried about someone falling into the water and getting sick.

“The most common symptoms are a rash, gastrointestinal upset like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, some people will have problems with their liver if they consume a lot of the water,” explained Russell Melmed, the health director of Chatham Health District, which made the decision to close Sears Beach, a 30-second walk from Happiest Paddler.

Melmed explained that fertilizer and other chemicals that helps lawns and plants grow, runoff into the lake and feed the blue green algae.

“Typically you’ll see green globs floating under the surface of the water. You’ll see color of water on the top. It looks like blueish green streaks of paint,” said Melmed.

However, he added that you can’t tell whether blue-green algae is harmful just by looking at it. It has to be tested.

Melmed said Sears Beach is tested every week. Under 20,000 ppms is considered safe, between 20,000 and 100,000 swimmers are told to use caution, and anything over 100,000 calls for immediate closure. Melmed said the most recent tests showed 110,000 ppm in the lake.

Both Yeager and Melmed said the blooms usually happen in August and last until the weather cools down. However, this recent heat wave pushed everything up by about three weeks.

The water will be tested again next Tuesday.

Melmed said the health department only tested the waters around Sears Beach because the rest of the lake is private property. He cautioned that although the public part of the lake is showing the likelihood of a harmful algae bloom, that doesn’t mean the lake is tainted with toxic algae.

The damage is already done, said Yaeger who said she’s not getting the full value of her waterfront property by only being able to rent some of her watercraft, like kayaks. On Wednesday, she served only four customers in the first four hours she was open. She said she usually serves upwards of 15 during the week.

“And I don’t know what’s going to happen this weekend,” she added.

The Trump administration said Friday it has imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying he carries out the regime's "reckless agenda" and spreads "propaganda," NBC News reported.

"The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The Trump Administration sanctioned the office of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the end of June.

A strong thunderstorm left a mess of downed trees and power lines in part of West Hartford Wednesday.

West Hartford police said crews were called to the Bishop’s Corner area for downed trees and power lines around 2:30 p.m.

Albany Avenue is closed between Mountain Road and North Main Street. Portions of Flagg Road are also closed.

An NBC Connecticut crew on scene reported wires on fire on Flagg Road. Power was knocked out to a small number of customers in the area.

Drivers are warned to avoid the area. It is unclear how long the closures will last.

A Hartford educator connected to a health insurance fraud investigation has resigned from her teaching job.

Hartford public schools said Patricia Wakefield informed the district of her decision earlier this month.

Wakefield was one of three current and former city employees investigated by city auditors for allegedly ringing up hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care claims for ex-spouses, who should have been taken off city health care plans.

They may also face criminal charges.

City auditors say the investigation involves at least $500,000 in fraudulent health care claims.

Wakefield referred us to her attorney when we contacted her.

We could not reach him for comment.

A report published Wednesday has new developments in the search for missing New Canaan mother Jennifer Dulos.

The Hartford Courant reports police found a Vineyard Vines shirt stained with her blood among items recovered from trash cans on Albany Avenue in Hartford. 

Multiple law enforcement sources tell the Courant they also found a bra they believe is Jennifer’s as well as two mops and sponges all with her blood on them.

While there is no video evidence showing Dulos in the shirt, Courant reporter Dave Altimari reports it’s believed that was the shirt she was wearing on May 24, the day she disappeared.

“From what I was told by family members she had several Vineyard Vines shirt that she wore all the time, including the one that was found in the garbage and they told state police they believe that’s the shirt she was wearing,” Altimari explained.

Court documents show police have surveillance video showing a man believed to be Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, dropping bags into garbage bins along Albany Avenue the day she disappeared. A woman matching the appearance of Dulos’ girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, was also seen on the surveillance.

Carrie Luft, a spokesperson for Jennifer's family and friends, released the following statement in response to the report:

"We know that the New Canaan and Connecticut State police are conducting a meticulous and thorough investigation, and we are confident that their efforts will ultimately bring to justice the person or persons responsible for Jennifer’s disappearance."

The search for Jennifer has spanned the state and authorities have spent days sifting through trash at a facility Hartford after bags containing Dulos’ blood were found.

Court documents in the case say investigators who responded to the missing person report in May found blood splatter and evidence of cleanup attempts at Jennifer’s New Canaan home.

Fotis and Troconis have police pleaded not guilty to evidence tampering and hindering prosecution.

In response to the Courant’s reporting, Fotis Dulos’ defense attorney Norm Pattis issued a statement reading “I am unaware of any evidence about what she was wearing when she disappeared. This sounds like dangerous speculation.”

New Canaan police declined to comment on the report.

Police urge everyone with information regarding Jennifer’s disappearance to contact them. In addition to the tip line, 203-594-3544, tips and information regarding Jennifer’s disappearance can be sent to FindJenniferDulos@newcanaanct.gov and submitted anonymously at www.FindJenniferDulos.com.

Lindsay Barrett was the love of Sean Deane’s life.

“She was amazing. Just this fearless fireball. She was awesome,” said Deane, of Enfield.

Sadly, while the pair was engaged to be married, Lindsay lost her battle with acute myeloid leukemia. In her memory Deane will ride in his second Closer To Free cycling event in September. His inspiration comes from his fiancée’s fight.

“Just give it all you got,” he said, describing her attitude toward life in general. “Go big or go home.”

Asked if this is the approach he’ll take in this year’s ride, his answer isn’t surprising.

“Yes, gonna do the century,” he said, “One hundred miles.”

One hundred miles is amazing especially when you consider Deane’s athletic background, something he says didn’t exist not too long ago.

“Two years ago I probably couldn’t have walked around the building without being winded,” he said. “Now I’m running half marathons and riding a century.”

Sean has done endless training, including a seven-day, 500 mile cycling event in Iowa this summer.

“Watching how hard Lindsay fought, I thought that I should at least give that much effort and put that much into it,” Deane said.

His team of seven riders, carries the name, “Team Be Happy,” inspired by Lindsay’s wish for her family.

“She pretty much just said that,” Deane recalls. “She said, I’m happy. I’m OK. But I need you guys to be happy.”

Before passing away in July 2017, Lindsay wrote those words on a white board, with a small drawing of a bee. Deane carries the logo everywhere he goes with a tattoo on his right forearm, identical to the handwriting Lindsay used that day.

Now, with a goal of raising $2,500 for the Closer To Free Ride, Deane has organized the “Be Happy” 5k/10k Road Race in Windsor on August 18. It is open to all and registration can be done at Alwaysbehappy.org

All proceeds from the road race will go to the Smilow Cancer Hospital, where Lindsay received treatment and her family received support Deane will never forget.

“They became part of our family,” he says. “They were our angels taking care of us.”

NBC Connecticut is proud to be the media sponsor for the 9th annual Closer to Free Ride on Saturday September 7.

The New Britain Bees defeated the Long Island Ducks 3-2 on Tuesday night. It was the first game at New Britain Stadium to use “Trackman,” an automated umpire to call balls and strikes.

“I didn’t have any expectations because I didn’t know what to expect,” said home plate umpire Tim Rosso. He still is positioned behind home plate with an earpiece to relay Trackman’s call to the players.

“It was a great opportunity to be out there and use this new software that they’re trying to implement,” added Rosso.

“It kind of takes the human element out of it,” said Bees starting pitcher Devin Burke. “Different umpires have different zones, especially growing up playing in college and then professionally in the minor leagues. Every umpire is different, even here.”

The system uses velocity, spin and other data to project where the ball will cross the plate.

“I would say the timing is about a half a second slower than I would normally call balls and strikes,” said Rosso. “I think umpiring is an art and when you put science into trying to fix art, I think that’s going to be fallible too. I think the professional guys at the major league level are shooting 98-99 percent every night. I don’t know if a machine can beat that.”

Ten candidates will take the stage at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday in Detroit as part of the second debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race. Follow along with news and analysis below.

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Make sure you have your reusable bags if you head to the grocery store this week.

Starting Thursday, Connecticut retailers will start tacking on 10 cents for each "single-use" plastic bag.

The state expects to generate more than $27 million within the first year.

Single-use plastic bags will be phased out entirely by July 2021.

More than dozen communities in our state have already banned them.

Emergency crews are responding to a fire at the Middlesex Pool and Tennis Club in Middletown.

Smoke could be seen coming from the building on Laurel Grove Road Wednesday night.

Details were not immediately available.

NBC Connecticut has a crew headed to the scene and will provide updates as they come into the newsroom.

Emergency crews rescued a dog who had been missing for five days after slipping her collar at Sleeping Giant State Park.

According to her owner, 17-year-old Sadie went missing on July 27 at Sleeping Giant. Sadie is deaf, and between that and the size of the park, it was difficult for searchers to find her.

After several days and posts on social media asking people to report sightings, a hiker heard her howling and posted about it on Facebook.

Steve Tobey, a North Haven resident who had been out looking for Sadie several times and trying to organize a search party, headed out in Wednesday's storms to continue the search.

“I was just praying that I would find something and I stopped in a spot and the dog started barking. I thought it was on a ledge but it was under the ground," he said.

Sadie was stuck in a deep ravine. 

Sadie's owner Chris Roush said when he saw the post, he immediately headed to the area to start searching. When he got there, he found the others already there trying to get her to safety. 

Another searcher, Russell, climbed into the hole, got a leash around Sadie's neck, and brought her out. Roush said it was an emotional moment.

“I hadn’t seen this dog in four days and she’s been with me for 15 so I’d thought I’d lost her.”

Sadie was taken to the veterinarian for treatment. She has no broken bones but is weak and dehydrated.

Police in Columbus, Ohio, brought departmental charges on Wednesday against five officers who were involved in the arrest of Stormy Daniels at a strip club last year, NBC News reported. 

Three of the five officers are named in a lawsuit Daniels brought against the city and the Columbus Police Department alleging that she was arrested in a political conspiracy to protect President Donald Trump.

Trump and Daniels, a popular pornographic actress, have been engaged in a war of words and legal action over an affair she says she had with Trump more than a decade ago.

Daniels was arrested on July 11, 2018, at Sirens Gentlemen's Club on misdemeanor charges of inappropriately touching customers. The charges against Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, were dropped within hours, and charges against two other women who worked at the club were dropped within days.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was targeted with hecklers shouting "Fire Pantaleo" at the second night of the Democratic presidential debates in Detroit. The disruption forced New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to pause his opening statement Wednesday night.

One person is dead in central Kentucky after a gas line ruptured and produced a fireball that could be seen around the region early Thursday, NBC News reported.

The 30-inch gas line in Lincoln County breached within 150 feet of a mobile home park around 1:40 a.m., Don Gilliam, director of Lincoln County Emergency Management, said early Thursday.

One person was killed, three were transported to hospitals with injuries and at least six mobile homes were affected by the fire, Gilliam said just before 4:30 a.m. Three mobile homes were still burning, he said.

"We still have an active scene," Gilliam said, but added that the fire at the breach site was out.