Month: January 2026

By Chad Pradelli and Cheryl Mettendorf

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    WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) — Six families are suing TikTok , claiming the company’s algorithm has a defect, is addictive, and targets minors with disturbing and troubling content.

On Friday, a judge in Delaware heard a motion to dismiss the civil case on behalf of five British families and a Delaware family.

The case centers on those six families whose children aged 11 to 17 allegedly took part in a choking challenge after seeing videos on the popular app. All died in recent years.

The families hope the suit will bring accountability.

Michelle Ortiz’s son, Jaedon Bovell, asphyxiated in 2020.

“Children make decisions not knowing finality like adults do, and they bank on this,” said Ortiz.

“TikTok has a For You page that deluges young people, young kids with dangerous material,” said Matthew Bergman, an attorney who represents the families. “In this case, dangerous choking challenges. Not material kids want to see, material they can’t turn away from.”

Lawyers for TikTok argued that the case should be dismissed under the First Amendment and the current law called the Communications Decency Act, which bars internet companies from liability for content by third parties.

Critics argue that the law is outdated.

Attorneys for TikTok had no comment, but a spokesperson said this is a case that should not be litigated in the United States, but rather in the United Kingdom.

“This is not the first time foreign nationals have sought justice in a U.S. court, particularly in the state where the company is incorporated,” said Bergman.

The parents said, even more troubling, they still don’t know what their children were exposed to on the application, alleging that TikTok won’t release the information.

They’re hoping that if the case moves forward, they’ll get that information in discovery.

“We just want the truth, but this company is preventing us from getting to the truth,” said Liam Walsh, a father of one of the victims.

In a statement Tiktok said in part, “Our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour. Using robust detection systems and dedicated enforcement teams to proactively identify and remove this content, we remove 99% that’s found to break these rules before it is reported to us.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

KYW

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair, Eva Andersen, Joe Brandt

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    HARRISON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (KYW) — Police have identified the two people killed when their car crashed into a Harrison Township, New Jersey, home on Saturday night, sparking a fire.

Driver Thomas Hengel, 72, and his passenger, 61-year-old Lisa Hengel, both of Mullica Hill, were killed in the crash on Banff Drive in Mullica Hill, the Harrison Township Police Department said in a news release.

Thomas Hengel was a track and cross-country coach within the Clearview Regional School District, according to teachers in the district. Coach Hengel was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, according to a social media post by the organization. He was known as a “legendary Clearview Regional boys and girls cross country and track coach” who also coached several other sports in the district for 94 combined seasons.

Around 6:17 p.m., police were dispatched to Banff Drive after Hengel’s 2020 Hyundai Palisade SUV quickly accelerated for an unknown reason, hit a curb and drove across two front yards and through the exterior wall of a home.

The crash put the Hyundai in the living room of the home that was struck, and sparked a fire that engulfed the SUV and the home, police said.

No one inside the house was injured.

The crash remains under investigation by Harrison Township police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

Members of the community say Thomas Hengel coached for decades and shaped generations of student-athletes.

Cassandra Kulik, a former state champion, credits every athletic achievement to her coach.”He was like a father figure to me,” Kulik said.

Though the Hengels never had children of their own, former athletes say Coach Tom filled that role for many.

Molly Mahoney, another Clearview runner, said the coach was “a second dad” for her, and his influence helped steer her life in a new direction.

“I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to be a track coach and a teacher because of the monumental impact that he put on my life,” Mahoney said.

Kulik remembered a chance her class had to thank both of the Hengels.

“My senior year, we decided to use all of our money … for a gift card for him to take his wife out because we know she just did the same amount of time of years, and all those hours that he did,” Kulik said.

Friends say Lisa Hengel spent more than 30 years designing landscapes across South Jersey and tended to a beautiful garden at her home. Neighbors say the couple poured the same care into their community.

“They were amazing neighbors, they were really good,” said Mike Misuraco, who lives across the street. “They loved each other.”

As the Hengel family prepares to lay their loved ones to rest, community members are rallying around the family who lives in the home where the crash happened, raising money for them as they figure out where they’ll live next.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair, Eva Andersen, Joe Brandt

Click here for updates on this story

    HARRISON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (KYW) — Police have identified the two people killed when their car crashed into a Harrison Township, New Jersey, home on Saturday night, sparking a fire.

Driver Thomas Hengel, 72, and his passenger, 61-year-old Lisa Hengel, both of Mullica Hill, were killed in the crash on Banff Drive in Mullica Hill, the Harrison Township Police Department said in a news release.

Thomas Hengel was a track and cross-country coach within the Clearview Regional School District, according to teachers in the district. Coach Hengel was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, according to a social media post by the organization. He was known as a “legendary Clearview Regional boys and girls cross country and track coach” who also coached several other sports in the district for 94 combined seasons.

Around 6:17 p.m., police were dispatched to Banff Drive after Hengel’s 2020 Hyundai Palisade SUV quickly accelerated for an unknown reason, hit a curb and drove across two front yards and through the exterior wall of a home.

The crash put the Hyundai in the living room of the home that was struck, and sparked a fire that engulfed the SUV and the home, police said.

No one inside the house was injured.

The crash remains under investigation by Harrison Township police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

Members of the community say Thomas Hengel coached for decades and shaped generations of student-athletes.

Cassandra Kulik, a former state champion, credits every athletic achievement to her coach.”He was like a father figure to me,” Kulik said.

Though the Hengels never had children of their own, former athletes say Coach Tom filled that role for many.

Molly Mahoney, another Clearview runner, said the coach was “a second dad” for her, and his influence helped steer her life in a new direction.

“I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to be a track coach and a teacher because of the monumental impact that he put on my life,” Mahoney said.

Kulik remembered a chance her class had to thank both of the Hengels.

“My senior year, we decided to use all of our money … for a gift card for him to take his wife out because we know she just did the same amount of time of years, and all those hours that he did,” Kulik said.

Friends say Lisa Hengel spent more than 30 years designing landscapes across South Jersey and tended to a beautiful garden at her home. Neighbors say the couple poured the same care into their community.

“They were amazing neighbors, they were really good,” said Mike Misuraco, who lives across the street. “They loved each other.”

As the Hengel family prepares to lay their loved ones to rest, community members are rallying around the family who lives in the home where the crash happened, raising money for them as they figure out where they’ll live next.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Wakisha Bailey

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — In the summer of 1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood outside the gates of Girard College to deliver a message that would become one of the most powerful civil rights moments in Philadelphia’s history.

“It’s a sad experience at this stage in the 20th century,” King told demonstrators in August 1965, “to have a kind of Berlin Wall to keep the colored children of God out.”

At the time, Girard College admitted only White orphaned boys. King’s visit brought national attention to a local fight already well underway, one fueled by young activists who had been marching long before he arrived.

Among them was Kenneth Salaam, also known as “Freedom Smitty.”

Salaam was just 15 years old when he joined the movement, marching alongside members of Cecil B. Moore’s Young Freedom Fighters. Girard College was his first march, one that would last seven months and 17 days.

Each morning before sunrise, hundreds of police officers surrounded the school. Salaam recalls violent confrontations — tear gas, beatings and even police motorcycles driven into crowds.

Despite the brutality, the movement only grew stronger.

The fight didn’t stop at Girard College.

Salaam continued marching for civil rights across the South, including in Mississippi, where his cousin was killed in a Ku Klux Klan ambush.

What the world often labels as civil unrest, Salaam experienced as a community. Families opened their homes. Strangers provided food, clothing and medicine. When the marches ended, supporters raised money to fly the activists back home to Philadelphia.

Over time, Salaam and King developed a personal bond. He remembers King not only as a global leader, but as a man, one he felt comfortable calling “Doc,” asking casually for a cigarette.

King’s words that day outside Girard College left a lasting imprint.

“Now is the time to straighten up Girard College,” King said.

He was fighting for children like Salaam, children who would one day walk through those gates and receive an education once denied to them.

Sixty years later, Salaam continues to share that message with Philadelphia’s youth.

“I did not benefit from what I was doing,” Salaam said. “When I talk to young people, I tell them, we loved you before we knew you.”

Salaam was jailed more times than he can count and was later honored to walk alongside King’s casket during the funeral procession.

Today, like King and Cecil B. Moore before him, Salaam is passing the torch, reminding the next generation that meaningful change has always been driven by the young.

“No great change in history has ever been done by old people,” he said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Monique John

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Bianca Modo loves style and beauty. She is also a survivor of domestic violence. Modo says she has watched women in her family and in her broader community be affected by human trafficking.

One day, she decided to use her passion for fashion to help lift other survivors by helping them look and feel their best.

“I realized that the survivors I was encountering in domestic violence and human trafficking didn’t have confidence and didn’t have leadership skills,” Modo said. “So we wanted to pull in art and fashion, something Atlanta is known for, to get people excited.”

Modo has spent nearly a year preparing for her first-ever Unmasked Fashion Show and Gala through the Bianca Modo Foundation. The preparation has been challenging, but she says the mission behind the show makes it worth it.

About 20 models walked the runway, and all of them are survivors. Two of the models say they were inspired to take part because of the cause.

Bailee Wistisen-Kunkel lit up when asked about her favorite look in the show.

“It’s lace and black, and it’s really powerful,” she said. “It really makes me feel like that girl.”

Dreama Nguyen said she felt right at home during her fitting.

“I love it because it’s so flowy, and it’s also form-fitting,” Nguyen said. “It builds a lot of confidence.”

Several Atlanta boutiques are involved, donating some of the 50 pieces featured in the show.

“It was great that they wanted to be a part of this and share the vision we had,” Modo said. “They wanted the models to look amazing.”

Jazmine Frazier, executive director of Eternal Reign for Girls, is one of Modo’s colleagues and a survivor of human trafficking. She said trafficking can happen to anyone, anywhere.

“If you go into any group home or any place where victims are sharing their stories, you’ll hear that they were groomed and coerced,” Frazier said. “The trafficker targeted them, built trust and then exploited that.”

In addition to the fashion show, Modo’s foundation also showcased artwork at the event. The goal is to raise $50,000 to create leadership and career-readiness programs designed specifically for survivors.

Modo hopes that creating space for survivors in fashion is just the beginning.

The event was held Saturday night at the Smyrna Community Center, timed with Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

WBZ

By Logan Hall

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    MEDWAY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — For most families in the Boston area, rooting for the New England Patriots is a tradition passed down from generation to generation. For the Ambrosini family, it mostly stuck — except for one very vocal exception.

Jeff and Katie Ambrosini have raised four diehard Patriots fans in their Medway home.

Their son Lennon, however, has pledged his allegiance to the Houston Texans, creating a friendly rivalry inside the household.

“I kind of feel like a failure a little bit,” Jeff Ambrosini said with a laugh. “There’s definitely a sense of, ‘Why don’t they all root for the Pats?'”

Jeff’s son Lennon began rooting for the Texans not in Houston, but thanks to college football. He followed quarterback C.J. Stroud during his collegiate career and stayed loyal when Stroud entered the NFL with the Texans.

“I’ve got Texans pajamas, a Texans jersey, a Texans football,” Lennon said.

And now with the Patriots and Texans facing off in the playoffs, it is a house divided.

“We usually fight a lot,” Lennon’s brother Brittan said. “If the Texans score a touchdown or if the Patriots score a touchdown.”

The sibling rivalry can get intense enough that their parents have stepped in to lay down the law, instituting a strict no-fighting policy on game day. Even that may not be enough, according to the Ambrosini’s oldest son, Jackson.

“I think if the game is close, I don’t think they should be allowed in the same room,” Jackson said. “One should watch on the phone, one should watch on the TV. I don’t think they should be near each other.”

Despite being outnumbered, Lennon has no plans to tone things down. He’s already imagining the satisfaction of celebrating a Texans win at the expense of his Patriots-loving siblings.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Logan Hall

Click here for updates on this story

    MEDWAY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — For most families in the Boston area, rooting for the New England Patriots is a tradition passed down from generation to generation. For the Ambrosini family, it mostly stuck — except for one very vocal exception.

Jeff and Katie Ambrosini have raised four diehard Patriots fans in their Medway home.

Their son Lennon, however, has pledged his allegiance to the Houston Texans, creating a friendly rivalry inside the household.

“I kind of feel like a failure a little bit,” Jeff Ambrosini said with a laugh. “There’s definitely a sense of, ‘Why don’t they all root for the Pats?'”

Jeff’s son Lennon began rooting for the Texans not in Houston, but thanks to college football. He followed quarterback C.J. Stroud during his collegiate career and stayed loyal when Stroud entered the NFL with the Texans.

“I’ve got Texans pajamas, a Texans jersey, a Texans football,” Lennon said.

And now with the Patriots and Texans facing off in the playoffs, it is a house divided.

“We usually fight a lot,” Lennon’s brother Brittan said. “If the Texans score a touchdown or if the Patriots score a touchdown.”

The sibling rivalry can get intense enough that their parents have stepped in to lay down the law, instituting a strict no-fighting policy on game day. Even that may not be enough, according to the Ambrosini’s oldest son, Jackson.

“I think if the game is close, I don’t think they should be allowed in the same room,” Jackson said. “One should watch on the phone, one should watch on the TV. I don’t think they should be near each other.”

Despite being outnumbered, Lennon has no plans to tone things down. He’s already imagining the satisfaction of celebrating a Texans win at the expense of his Patriots-loving siblings.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Nate Eaton

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    BOISE (eastidahonews.com) — A staff member at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution was hospitalized Saturday after being violently attacked by an inmate who killed a man in the Madison County Jail four years ago.

Officials say Robert David Pompa “brutally assaulted” a 56-year-old corporal inside the Boise facility. The staff member was rushed to Saint Alphonsus Medical Center, where they remain in stable condition.

“Idaho Maximum Security Institution staff immediately secured the crime scene with assistance from officers from the Idaho State Correctional Institution and the Idaho State Correctional Center. The IMSI facility returned to normal status earlier today,” a statement from the Idaho Department of Correction says.

Pompa is serving a minimum of 27 years in prison for multiple convictions. In 2021, he beat 62-year-old Eddie Blanie Stacey to death in the Madison County Jail. Months later, Pompa was charged with felony battery after he attacked a deputy in the jail.

Idaho State Police is investigating the prison attack.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.