Ford Strike Group to return, Chesapeake data center policy, Canvas breach update: Sunrise Brief

Stream News 3 This Morning live:

Top stories: Ford Strike Group to return, Chesapeake data center policy, Canvas breach update

1. Six squadrons from the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group returned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk on Monday.

   Fighter squadron returns home ahead of USS Gerald R. Ford CSG's homecoming

   According to Naval Air Force Atlantic, the Blacklions of VFA-213, Ragin’ Bulls of VFA-37, Golden Warriors of VFA-87, and Tomcatters of VFA-31 returned to Oceana, with Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124 and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 landing home at Naval Station Norfolk.

   The squadrons deployed for 11 months, according to the U.S. Navy. and assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 within the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. They deployed to the U.S. 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Fleets. CVW-8 flew over 5,500 hours to support Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation against Iran. The U.S. Navy says CVW-8 launched over 11,800 times during the 11-month deployment.

   In a post made on social media, the U.S. Navy officially announced the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is heading home. A date for the aircraft carrier's return was not mentioned, but the post added that ships of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 will arrive "in the coming days." In late April, The Washington Post reported that the Ford was expected to return to Virginia around mid-May, citing multiple U.S. officials.
   

2. Chesapeake City Council is taking the first step toward creating a formal policy governing where data centers can be built in the city — a move that comes after a proposal last year to build one next to a neighborhood in Great Bridge drew strong opposition from residents.

   Chesapeake city council begins process to create data center guidelines for the city

   According to Planning Director Jimmy McNamara, the policy to govern the development and operation of data centers will provide a framework for evaluating data center proposals on a site-by-site basis, consistent with City Council's priorities. While the city's Zoning Ordinance will establish baseline requirements for data centers, the comprehensive plan policy is intended to guide staff in assessing individual requests. The resolution was discussed at an April 21, 2026, City Council work session before being brought forward for adoption.

   Under Virginia law, the Planning Commission is required to hold a public hearing and make its recommendation within 60 days of the written request, or within a longer timeframe as specified by City Council. Councilwoman Amanda Newins said the new policy is about creating clear rules upfront so developers and neighbors know where data centers can and can not go. She said Tuesday's meeting starts the process to develop those guidelines with community input to avoid future conflicts.

   Following Tuesday's council meeting, the resolution will go to city staff for a recommendation, then to the Planning Commission, before returning to council for a final vote. The resolution states that adopting a written policy governing data center development will further public health, safety, and welfare by mitigating impacts from the use, ensuring appropriate emergency preparedness, and adopting industry best practices.
   

3. The company that operates online learning system Canvas said it struck a deal with hackers to delete the data they pilfered in a cyberattack that created chaos for students, many of them in the middle of finals.

   Hackers behind Canvas breach agree to delete data from 275M people

   Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, said in an online post that it “reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.” The company didn’t provide any details on the agreement, including whether it involved a payment, and didn’t elaborate who was behind the hack. Instructure temporarily took the system offline while it investigated, locking out students and faculty.

   A hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for last week's breach, threatening to leak data involving nearly 9,000 schools worldwide and 275 million individuals if schools did not pay a ransom by May 6. The group then extended the deadline, indicating some schools had engaged with them to negotiate. ShinyHunters also was behind a smaller breach of Infrastructure last year. A lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Utah alleged Instructure did not do enough to protect the platform used by millions of students and made itself “easy prey for cybercriminals.”

   As part of the deal, the data was returned to Instructure. The company said Monday that it also received “digital confirmation" that the hackers destroyed any remaining copies, in the form of "shred logs.” The company acknowledged that there was no way to be sure that the data was erased for good, and said it took action because of concerns about potential publication of the data. “While there is never complete certainty when dealing with cybercriminals, we believe it was important to take every step within our control to give customers additional peace of mind, to the extent possible,” Instructure said.
   

This morning's weather: Warmer & breezy today, Showers overnight

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says another nice day with mostly sunny skies. Highs will warm to the mid and upper 70s today, warmer than yesterday and near normal for this time of year. The wind will pick up today, SW at 10 to 15 with gusts to 25 mph.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

Traffic map:

Interactive Traffic Map

For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.

WTKR News 3, Where You Are: In the app

Follow us on social