The popular New Year’s pretzel and why it’s become a Pittsburgh holiday tradition

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Barry Pintar

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Southwestern Pennsylvania has many holiday traditions, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are no exception.

For as long as anyone can remember, pretzels have been a part of welcoming in the new year.

When it comes to where to get those pretzels, one place in Pittsburgh stands out — and Barry Pintar went there on their busiest day of the year.

At The Pretzel Shop along East Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side, it was a busy New Year’s Eve, packed with people walking in and out of the store all day long.

The shop had a long list of pre-orders so that customers could get their traditional pretzels as people came from all across the region to fulfill their annual New Year’s tradition.

“It’s our tradition, we follow them all year round, and this is what our fifth year of coming up here to get a pretzel for New Year’s Eve,” said Kathy Granato.

In the back of the busy shop, the dough is mixed, thrown onto a conveyor belt, shaped into pretzel form, dunked into steaming water, and oven-fired.

Pretzel after pretzel, all shapes and sizes, done the old-world way.

“We’ll make over 300 of the New Year’s ones,” said Jaimy Gallagher, owner of The Pretzel Shop. “The big New Year’s ones, we’ll make about 300 of those, and we’ll make probably close to 4,000 of the regular pretzels.”

The most common New Year’s pretzel is huge, usually covered in icing and sprinkles, and then taken home to eat. But there’s a right way to eat it if you want the New Year’s luck that comes with it.

I”t’s supposed to be good luck to break a pretzel on New Year’s,” Gallagher said. “You’re supposed to break it, not cut it. You’re supposed to break it, not rip it, so. I’m not sure where it came from, but it’s definitely gotten bigger over the years.”

“It’s supposed to bring you good luck in the new year,” said Rosalie McFadden. “So, since we’re here five years in a row, it must be bringing us good luck.”

“It’s a tradition for families to come here and stand out there in the crowd today and wait,” Gallagher said. “We’ll get to a point where everyone will have to wait for it, because he’s only one person. The oven only goes so fast, you know. It’s an old oven, it’s not that fast.”

While the tradition might be sketchy in terms of what exactly you’re supposed to do with the New Year’s Eve pretzel, most said they eat it at night, some right at midnight, but one person said what you’re really supposed to do is eat it with your pork on New Year’s Eve.

But remember, break it, don’t cut it, if you want that New Year’s good luck.

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.

Pennsylvania business owner says her health insurance cost more than tripled after ACA credits expire

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Madeleine Wright

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Millions of Americans are starting the year 2026 with higher health care premiums. COVID-era tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act expired at midnight on Thursday, ending years of financial relief that kept premiums low for marketplace plans.

Premiums are expected to jump as much as 114%, according to health policy research organization KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.

That spike is already hitting some small business owners in the Philadelphia suburbs.

In Hatboro, Montgomery County, wedding photographer Sarah Cunningham said her health insurance premium was $35.79 last month. In January, it jumped to $112.96 — more than triple the cost.

“I’m a business owner, so I don’t have a boss to help me pay for my health insurance,” Cunningham said. “I pay for it. So it’s been hard.”

Cunningham said she earns about $55,000 a year running her business, Sarah Anne Photography, but she’s focusing on finances now more than ever. She said she’s upset that Congress failed to pass legislation that would have extended subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans.

“I think a lot of the lawmakers, regardless whether you’re red or blue, they really got to look at the American people,” Cunningham said. “I don’t think that they’re looking at the American people in the middle class and lower class.”

To offset the rising costs, Cunningham said she plans to rent out space in her studio to podcasters and other photographers. She’s also considering taking on a second job.

“About two years ago, I took up Uber Eats because you can clock on when you’re not busy and make a few bucks,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been debating about going back to doing Uber Eats.”

After experiencing a cervical cancer scare several years ago, Cunningham said health insurance is something she can’t go without. With grocery prices and car insurance costs also rising, the single mother with a 14-year-old son said working more may be her only option.

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.

Frustration builds after another car slams through backyard fence

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Madeleine Wright

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    WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (KYW) — Homeowners in one South Jersey community are demanding answers after their fence was hit yet again.

Police body camera video shows Washington Township, Gloucester County, police discovering the scene of the crash around 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.

By daylight, the damage was clear. A driver veered off Egg Harbor Road near Dorado Avenue and plowed through a backyard fence before taking off. The damage affects three homeowners, who all share the fence, and may have to pay for repairs. The fence runs along the backyard of more than a dozen homes.

The hit-and-run driver turned himself in at 3 p.m. the same day and claimed he swerved to avoid striking a deer, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

“I’m very frustrated because now what do I have to go through to get my fence fixed?” Washington Township homeowner Jeffrey Krouse said.

It turns out this isn’t the first time this has happened. There was another hit-and-run involving this same section of fence in 2019. Police said the driver in that case may have been distracted.

A different section of the same fence, further down Egg Harbor Road, was hit in July 2025 and August 2025. Police said the August 2025 incident involved a drunk driver and the July 2025 incident involved a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.

Homeowners are worried if this pattern continues, somebody could get hurt.

“I have grandchildren and if they’re out in the yard and somebody comes through that fence, there’s nothing to stop it,” Krouse said.

The Washington Township Police Department has been in contact with the Gloucester County Highway Division about the possibility of installing guardrails.

“There’s many homes along the stretch that have swimming pools,” Chief Patrick Gurcsik from the Washington Township Police Department said. “It’s definitely a concern that somebody would be in one of those backyards when an accident happened.”

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.

Video shows truck barreling out of control, slamming into South Florida home

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Steven Yablonski

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A South Florida family is without a place to stay after a truck went out of control and slammed into their home, leaving a massive hole in one of the walls on New Year’s Day.

Margate police said officers and members of the Margate Fire Department responded to reports of the crash in the area of Northwest 66th Avenue and 8th Court on Thursday afternoon.

CBS News Miami spoke with the homeowner who said her family was insider the building when the incident occurred.

“We were all in the living room having a lazy day, and the house shook,” Jodi Fountain-Spilotras said. “Nobody knew what was happening. I was there with my wife, and my two little kids. And everything just shook.”

She said that after the incident occurred, she grabbed her children and fled the home.

“You could smell the gas,” she said. “It was so bad.”

Officials said no injuries were reported, but the truck did hit a gas line after it hit the home.

Video shows the moment of impact Ring video showed the moment the truck was barreling towards the home on Thursday.

The truck is seen driving down the street before it suddenly turns and slams into the side of the home.

The homeowner told CBS News Miami that the home has since been condemned. They will now need to find another place to stay until repairs are made.

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.

Atlanta nonprofit Kate’s Club helps children cope with grief after losing parents, siblings

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Brian Unger

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — This time of year can be especially painful for families coping with loss, and for children, that grief can begin far too early.

In Georgia, one in 10 children will lose a parent, sibling or primary caregiver before turning 18. For many of them, help comes from Kate’s Club, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that supports children and families learning how to live with loss.

They are some of the smallest mourners; children just learning to write, speak, and understand the world around them, sometimes before they even learn how to ride a bike. Many are so young they use drawings to express what words cannot: the loss of a mother, father or sibling.

“His name was Deondre,” Anthony Rolland said. “He was very funny. He was tall, 6-foot-5.”

Anthony was just 5 years old when his older brother, Deondre, was killed in a shooting. Now 15, Anthony says the bond they shared is something he still carries with him.

“Me and him just always used to, like, play with each other,” Anthony said. “We just had great bonding together.”

Kate’s Club was founded in 2003 by Kate Atwood, who lost her mother, Audrey, to cancer when she was 12 years old. Since then, more than 15,000 children have found support through the organization, which helps them take their first steps through grief.

“Developmentally, until about 7, a lot of children won’t really realize that death is permanent,” said Lane Pease, the club’s director of education.

Research shows children who lose a parent are five times more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder. Because of that, Kate’s Club offers long-term support, recognizing that grief does not follow a set timeline.

“I don’t believe in the word closure,” Pease said. “I don’t think they can start the healing process till later. With homicide, death, there’s many things, and it can drag on for years.”

Anthony’s mother, Deatrice Stroud, said the loss of her son was overwhelming, and that Kate’s Club helped her family find a way to talk openly about their pain.

“It was the most excruciating pain that you could ever experience,” Stroud said. “It’s not the natural order. You don’t think your children will go before you, and when they’re taken due to violence, it’s horrible because you have to deal with the law.”

The mission at Kate’s Club is to bring grief out of the shadows, to replace isolation with compassion, connection, and understanding.

“I started getting good grades,” Anthony said. “I started becoming, like, a better person.”

For families dealing with loss, Kate’s Club aims to show that grief doesn’t have to be faced alone, and that healing, though slow, is possible.

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.

Atlanta Hawks mascot loses dance battle in viral moment with young fan

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By CBS News Atlanta Digital Team

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A young Atlanta Hawks fan has already checked off his first New Year’s resolution of 2026, and he did it in front of a packed State Farm Arena.

During a timeout at Wednesday night’s Hawks game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a fan named Nasir Stewart stepped onto the court with a bold goal: beat Harry the Hawk in a dance battle. What followed quickly became one of the night’s most memorable moments and a viral hit online.

As part of a New Year’s resolution–themed in-arena segment, Nasir told the crowd his goal was “to finally beat Harry in a dance battle.” The Hawks’ longtime mascot was more than willing to accept the challenge. Harry showed off his usual flair, with spin moves and a split, but Nasir unleashed a series of high-energy breakdancing moves, spinning on his head about eight times before finishing with a backflip that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The NBA shared the clip, and even Harry the Hawk tipped his cap to the young dancer. “Aiiight aiiiight, I’ll take that L,” the mascot wrote on Instagram.

The Hawks provided plenty of highlights of their own on the court. Jalen Johnson scored 34 points as Atlanta snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 126-102 win over Minnesota. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points in the loss.

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.

Gauchos drop last second heartbreaker to Fullerton

KEYT on January 2, 2026

Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). -The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball team tipped off 2026 with a home showdown versus Cal State Fullerton today, a contest the Titans won 62-61. The high-intensity game went down to the buzzer and is just the second loss of the Gauchos’s season, who are now 2-1 in conference play and 11-2 overall.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ”One thing we’ve learned how to do is execute in close games. And I thought we did a great job executing down the stretch,” Jimenez said. “But your luck’s going to run out. You can put yourselves in positions to win, but we probably had three games where we’ve won on either a buzzer beater or three seconds etc., and at some point, your luck’s going to run out and it’s going to go the other way.”

HOW IT HAPPENEDCal State Fullerton set their tone early on, initiating a hard press defense that would define their style of play for the duration of the game. Though the Gauchos won the tip off, the Titans made the first basket with a layup and started 2-0. Zoe Borter responded for the Gauchos, launching the first of her soon-to-be signature three-pointers.

It was a fast-paced back and forth, with each team scoring clusters of points at a time, but the Gauchos kept the lead they established at 3-2 and stayed several baskets ahead. They exited 22-18 from the first quarter.

The Gauchos’ lead held early in the second after Jessica Grant kicked it off with a signature three-pointer.

Halfway through, Fullerton tied it at 27-27 before putting themselves ahead 29-27. Santa Barbara got its lead back after a layup-free throw combo by Julia Púente-Valverde gave them 30 points. The half closed out at 37-33 Gauchos.

Fullerton tied it 37-37 almost immediately in the third, making two layups in the first minute. Borter sank another three to bring it back to 40-37, but the game was tied again at 42-42.

The Gauchos held it at 48-47 for nearly three minutes before they exited the quarter still ahead 50-48.

The Titans outlasted the Gauchos through the fourth, holding Santa Barbara to just 11 points – its lowest-scoring quarter of the game. After Olivia Bradley opened the period with a layup, the Titans went on a ten-point scoring run that brought them their first tangible lead at 58-52.

By the time the Titans’ streak had ended, the Gauchos had just two minutes to put a stop to the operation. In cinematic fashion, Santa Barbara made seven back-to-back points, overcoming Fullerton’s buffer and coming out ahead 61-60. But then, after collecting 23 offensive rebounds, the Titans’ 24th sealed the game

After missing a layup with just seconds remaining, the Titans stole the final offensive rebound and returned it into the basket. They came away 62-61 to become the first Big West team to defeat the Gauchos this season.

The teams varied greatly in terms of offense, with Santa Barbara shooting 50% and sinking 21 of their 42 total shots. Cal State Fullerton, however, relied on offensive rebounding and made only 26 of 73 shot attempts.

Over 50% of the Gauchos’ points were three-pointers, while Fullerton shot just 10% from beyond the arc, going 2 for 19. The Gauchos hold the second best three-point defense in the nation, a point heavily aided by their performance versus the Titans. Fullerton was a spirited opponent, forcing 13 turnovers and making 16 second chance points.

Jessica Grant shot 57% from the three and currently resides as one of the nation’s top 10 best three point shooters. She led the Gauchos in points against the Titans with 12. Skylar Burke headed the rebounding effort, grabbing eight, while Maddie Naro threw a game-leading six assists.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos continue their home stay with a game against CSUN on Saturday, Jan. at 2:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).

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Sloppy Gauchos fall at Fullerton

KEYT on January 2, 2026

Mike Klan

FULLERTON, Calif. (KEYT). -The UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball team dropped its first conference game of the season to Cal State Fullerton Thursday night. Despite winning the rebounding battle and making nine more 3-pointers than the Titans, the Gauchos’ 24 turnovers led to 42 points for Fullerton.

HOW IT HAPPENEDAn opening three kicked off the scoring for the Titans and the Gauchos responded with a Hosana Kitenge layup to get on the board. Following the basket, the Titans went on 13-0 run. Six turnovers by the Gauchos propelled the run. After taking a timeout, UC Santa Barbara started to get to the rim and hit open shots in a back-and-forth stretch.

During the middle part of the half, Cal State Fullerton went on another big 14-0 run as the Gauchos trailed 32-13 at the nine-minute mark. At that point, Mahaney and Kitenge were the only two players to make shots for the Gauchos before CJ Shaw hit a three shortly after.

The Shaw three was part of a short spurt of the Gauchos’ 9-2 run to cut the lead to 13. In the final minutes of the half, the teams went back and forth and UC Santa Barbara went to halftime down 50-36.

To start the second half, both teams traded baskets and chipped away at the Titan lead. Zion Sensley hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 12, and just after, the Gauchos cut the lead to 10 after a Marvin McGhee IV dunk.

Following some back-and-forth, back-to-back threes cut the lead to eight with just under 11 minutes to play, but Fullerton went on a 7-0 run to build their lead back to double digits. It was the closest the Gauchos would get and ultimately fell 95-84.

NOTABLESMahaney’s 23-point outing was his third 20-point game this season.This was the first game this season, and the Gauchos did not record a single block.The Gauchos won the rebounding battle but lost the game for just the second time this season. They are now 7-2 when they outrebound their opponent.The Gauchos made nine more three pointers than the Titans, outshooting them 41.2 percent to 29.4 percent.The Gauchos were perfect from the free-throw line, making all 10 of their shots.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos will stay on the road as they head to CSUN to take on the Matadors on Saturday, Jan. 3. The Gauchos and Matadors will tip off at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet with live stats available.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).

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She wanted to help 10 dogs find forever homes by her 7th birthday. How a Massachusetts girl’s goal helped her heal.

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Mike Sullivan

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    TEWKSBURY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Tewksbury 7-year-old accomplished a goal she set out to tackle while fighting off a terrible skin infection that left her in the hospital for eight days.

The youngster and her family foster dogs, and when her hospital stay stopped her from saying goodbye to their second foster dog, she became determined to help 10 dogs find a home by her seventh birthday.

Ariana Swenson was about to reach her sixth birthday when she came down with Staph Scalded Skin Syndrome.

“It looked like her entire body was burned”

“The staph infection that started really small on her face started to spread very quickly,” her mother Kasey Swenson said. “It attacks the top two layers of their skin pretty much everywhere, but the lower part of legs and arms. It causes the skin to blister and peel like a burn. In essence it looked like her entire body was burned.”

For days, her parents couldn’t touch her, or else sheets of her skin could just come off.

“[Our foster dog] went home the day after Ariana was admitted to Shriners, so she didn’t get to see her go to her forever home,” said Kasey. “She looked at us in the hospital and said, ‘Can we help 10 before I turn seven?’ And of course, you look to your child and go yes, yes, yes, definitely.”

Dogs helped Ariana heal

Antibiotics halted the attack on her body, and soon she began to recover physically, while mentally that healing came one dog at a time.

“I think it gave her something else to focus on. There was a lot of medical trauma,” Kasey said.

They partnered with Big Wave Dog Rescue in Billerica. The family says they began fostering a new dog almost every month.

“They just kept asking us to foster more dogs, so that’s why we reached 10 before I turned seven,” said Ariana.

They hit the mark in October, well before her December birthday, and then exceeded their goal with an unexpected eleventh foster dog this year.

“I cry because I am sad, and mom does sometimes to,” said Ariana of the bittersweet moment of watching a dog find a forever home.

“We melted, all she cared about was other people and how they were doing,” said Kasey. “She helps with all of them. She helps train them, feed them, whatever we ask her to do.”

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.

Cal Poly starts 2026 with a Big West upset over UC San Diego

KEYT on January 2, 2026

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT). – Sophomore Hamad Mousa finished with a game high 26 points Thursday evening and fellow guard Peter Bandelj produced the go-ahead and eventual game-winning layup (left) with 18 seconds remaining as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program resumed Big West play and opened 2026 with a 67-65 victory against defending conference champion UC San Diego.

Bandelj added 15 points for Cal Poly (6-9, 2-1), which snapped UC San Diego’s 16-game winning streak against Big West opponents dating to Jan. 18, 2025.

Held scoreless for the final four minutes, UC San Diego clung to a 65-64 advantage following a missed three-pointer by guard Alex Chaikin with 38 seconds to play. Mustang junior guard Jake Davis rebounded and, following a Cal Poly timeout, Bandelj drove the left baseline with his layup to place Cal Poly in front.

At the other end of Mott Athletics Center, an attempt at the rim from Tritons guard Leo Beath bounded off the iron with Cal Poly sophomore guard Cayden Ward rebounding. Fouled, Ward converted one free throw attempt before a three-pointer from Beath sailed wide at the buzzer.

Prior to the final minute, Cal Poly’s last lead was an 18-16 advantage seven-and-a-half minutes into action. UC San Diego dissolved that edge with a 13-5 run and led by as much as 40-31 two-and-a-half minutes before the break.

Mousa, however, responded for Cal Poly with back-to-back three-pointers and a layup from Ward with a second to go cut UC San Diego’s lead to 42-39 heading into the locker room.

The Tritons, limited to a 21.2 (7-for-33) percent second-half shooting mark, failed to stretch their lead past six points during the second half.

Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus UC San Diego)

Up Next: Cal Poly returns to the road Saturday, Jan. 3, visiting Long Beach State (4-10, 0-2) at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.A double-digit scorer in all 14 appearances, Hamad Mousa retained the Big West scoring lead, improving his average to 21.0 points per game.Peter Bandelj, meanwhile, moved to fifth among Big West scorers at 16.1 points per game.Cayden Ward led all players Thursday with a season best 11 rebounds.Cal Poly’s Thursday win snapped a five-game series slide versus UC San Diego.The Mustangs, who entered Thursday’s matchup ranked 12th among NCAA Division I programs with 31.7 three-point attempts per game, attempted a season high 42 against UC San Diego.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)

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