Month: March 2026

By Duaa Israr

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    HARTFORD, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Sometimes the biggest lessons in school don’t come from a textbook. They come from seeing the world through someone else’s eyes – or in this case, wheels.

Inside Addison Elementary, you’ll find fifth graders screaming at full volume. It’s a common occurrence in a P.E class, but this one is different. No one is running laps. Every single student is seated in a wheelchair.

For most of these kids, this is new and uncharted territory. For Kendall Kieckhafer, this is home court.

“Usual day of P.E is we just run around the outside of the gym,” said Kieckhafer.

Kieckhafer was born with spina bifida.

“My spine was crooked, I guess,” said Kieckhafer.

Since then, there have been dozens of surgeries, more than most kids her age will ever have.

“She’s been through a lot. Eye surgeries, leg surgeries, back surgeries, bladder surgeries, but she handles everything like a champion,” said her dad, Adam Kieckhafer.

That’s exactly who’s wheeling herself across the court in purple glasses and a smile. A champion.

“She just has a resilience and a determination that I don’t see in very many kids. And I don’t say that just cause she’s my daughter,” said her mom, Christin Kieckhafer.

When Christin Keickhafer learned about the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (WASA), she asked Addison Elementary if the organization could teach her daughter’s class about wheelchair basketball.

“She has been looking forward to this for I can’t even tell you how long,” said Christin.

Kieckhafer’s classmates are learning that playing basketball in a wheelchair isn’t as easy as they thought. Wheels don’t move the same way your feet do.

“You just have to be able to move in this, without hurting yourself, I guess,” said Kieckhafer.

It takes strength. It takes power.

“A lot of people don’t know the coordination that goes on,” said Adam.

It also takes a great leader.

“I got to show my teammates what to do and stuff and I got to help with them with buckling,” said Kieckhafer. “I felt proud they were cheering for me and that just made me feel happy knowing they were there for me to cheer me on.”

Erica Wilson with WASA says just because life for Kieckhafer may look different, she can still do whatever she puts her mind to.

“You can be an athlete, whether that’s competitively, or recreationally. You can go to school, you can have a job, and you can have just as many friends as anybody else can,” said Wilson. “I think if you look at this group as a whole, you wouldn’t have known Kendall is the one with a disability because everyone there was using a wheelchair.”

For the first time in this class, Kieckhafer’s the one guiding the way.

“Just an opportunity for her friends to see kind of the world she lives in,” said Adam.

On this court, it wasn’t just a P.E lesson on adaptive sports.

“She just loves life and she wants to jump in, and she wants to try stuff, and she does it with a smile on her face and I think she’s learning to love the life she has,” said Christin. “You can make the most of the life that you have and it can be fun.”

For this gym full of her classmates, it was a lesson on inclusion. It was about learning that sometimes the way to lift someone up is to sit down and see the world from their perspective.

“I would like to see more people doing this more often in here,” said Kieckhafer.

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 Hannah Hilyard

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A Milwaukee mother, who survived a wrong-way crash, reunited with the deputies who saved her life Friday.

A suspected drunken driver slammed head-on into Jae Morgan’s car last October on Interstate 43 near Greenfield Avenue. Morgan, 22 weeks pregnant at the time, suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and burns. Tragically, her unborn baby, whom she named Tyme, died.

Since then, she’s been on a mission.

“I really would like to meet the officers that saved my life,” she said last month.

Friday, WISN 12 News helped make that goal a reality, organizing a visit with Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputies Kendall Pumphrey and Ryan Downs.

“I really truly appreciate everything that you guys did for me that night,” Morgan told the two deputies when they visited her at home.

Watch more of the reunion in the above video.

The crash is one that sticks with the deputies.

“I seen flames starting, so I ran up to the cars,” Pumphrey said.

“I remember pulling her arm and telling her, you have to get out the vehicle. You have to get out the vehicle,” Downs said.

Despite suffering a minor injury from glass lodged in his hand, Downs, just roughly one week removed from his field training at the time, was relieved to have helped Morgan escape the fiery wreckage.

“This one kind of sits on me a little bit heavier because I didn’t know that she was pregnant,” Pumphrey said. “It was kind of bittersweet, you know, thinking that you know, everything went well. And then there’s always something that doesn’t go well.”

Morgan is grateful to be alive with her two older children by her side.

“Thank you for saving my mom,” 9-year-old Jaedem told the deputies.

The deputies remain humble, but the reunion was meaningful for all involved.

“It’s a really good moment that’s going to stick with me for the rest of my life,” Downs told WISN 12 News after the reunion.

“Once seeing them and seeing their faces, I was just really relieved, and I just found instant comfort, and I felt whole,” Morgan said.

Morgan continues to recover from the crash. She’s started an online fundraiser to help in those efforts. In the last couple of weeks, Morgan has been able to ditch the walker and walk on her own. She’s also been writing a cookbook throughout her recovery.

Prosecutors have identified Jorge Alvarez Mathizuma as the drunk driver who crashed into Morgan’s car. He is charged with reckless homicide of an unborn child and intoxicated use of a vehicle. He’s in custody awaiting trial.

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 Austin Turner, Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Multiple people were arrested after a “No Kings” rally took to downtown Los Angeles city streets on Saturday, marking the third round of such protests in recent months in which demonstrators voiced their displeasure with policies set forth by the Trump administration.

Organizers said that as many as 50,000 were expected to be on hand in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. That rally and subsequent march were set for 2 p.m. at Gloria Molina Grand Park, just outside City Hall.

As the rally continued downtown on Saturday, Los Angeles Police Department officers told CBS LA that the city was on “tactical alert” and that a dispersal order was issued just after 5:30 p.m., urging people on Alameda between Aliso and Temple to leave the area within 15 minutes or be subject to arrest.

They said that “multiple demonstrators” failed to disperse and were being taken into custody at around 6 p.m. At the same time, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also posted on social media to note that federal agents have “started arresting those who assaulted our personnel at the Los Angeles courthouse.”

“To those who were smashing concrete blocks and throwing them at our officers, we have you on video,” Essayli’s post said. “We will find you and arrest you too. You’ve been warned.”

A social media post from the Department of Homeland Security said that two federal officers were hit by cement blocks and required medical care. They also said that two people were arrested for assaulting federal law enforcement, which is a felony.

The tactical alert was lifted at around 8 p.m., after police had cleared most of the demonstrators from the area.

The rallies, which organizers described as choosing “democracy over dictatorship,” began last June and were held again in October. Saturday, the first nationally-planned demonstration since the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota, was expected to be the largest showing yet, organizers say.

“A lot of people want to help, they just don’t know where to start,” said 50501 SoCal organizer Emily Williams. “No Kings is that starting point. It’s about community, about showing up for each other, and about turning concern into real action you can be part of.”

President Trump and other members of Republican leadership have dismissed prior “No Kings” rallies. In October, he told Fox News that he’s simply “not a king,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to the protests as a “Hate America Rally.”

“You’re going to bring together the Marxists, the Socialists, the Antifa advocates, the anarchists and the pro-Hamas wing of the far-left Democrat Party,” he said.

Crews on Friday installed gates on the 101 Freeway on and off-ramps at Los Angeles Street in anticipation of the large-scale march. A Caltrans spokesperson said the California Highway Patrol requested the gates, since the freeway has been impacted by past marches.

“During previous protest activities, this location has seen pedestrians walk onto the highway using these ramps, creating unsafe conditions for pedestrians and motorists,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “They will be used only as needed to ensure people are out of harm’s way of fast-moving vehicles and motorists can safely use the highway.”

In both previous instances in downtown LA, dispersal orders have been issued well after the scheduled end time for the marches, resulting in numerous arrests.

In a statement to X, Mayor Karen Bass called the planned protest “democracy in action.”

“Peaceful protest is our constitutional right,” she said. “When people come together to make their voices heard, that is democracy in action. Please stay safe and look out for one another.”

Thousands of rallies are planned across the country, including several dozens in Southern California.

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 Gabriela Vidal, Jesse Sarles

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    DENVER (KCNC) — A Colorado veteran embarked on an unusual walk on Friday in an effort to boost the spirits TSA workers who have been working under difficult circumstances for more than a month.

Air Force vet Big Tony walked from a starting point near I-25 all the way to Denver International Airport, which covered more than 20 miles. He departed during the day on Friday with a large American flag draped over his shoulder and was escorted by a Denver police car for part of the way. He kept at it overnight and didn’t complete the walk until Saturday morning.

“I walk (each) mile to get a feel for what they’re going through,” he said.

When he arrived, he gave those Transportation Security Administration workers donated gift cards, food and other items that he purchased with money he raised through the walk.

TSA workers have been doing their jobs without pay for more than 40 days during a partial government shutdown.

“People don’t understand the magnitude of this shutdown,” said Big T.

The shutdown is still in effect, but late Friday President Trump signed an executive action to pay those workers, saying the situation at U.S. airports that has been going on threatens the nation’s security and rises to the level of an emergency. Workers with TSA will begin to get paid at the start of this current workweek as a result.

Even with that update, Big T says the workers still face numerous challenges.

“Their credit is shot. Once they miss a payment on their car or their house or mortgage, whatever, how are you going to recover a 750 FICO score that’s going to go down into the toilet?” he said.

During his walk, Big T told a CBS Colorado news crew that while it was long, it wasn’t lonely thanks to organizations and businesses who donated to his cause. That includes an auto shop that has been providing necessary service to TSA workers’ vehicles for free.

“As Americans, we hate to see people being taken advantage of,” he said.

Big T said he is raising awareness for the TSA workers’ plight because he knows many used to be in the military prior to joining the agency.

“We’re not going to leave a veteran out there stranded through no fault of their own,” 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 Ubah Ali

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A University of St. Thomas student was killed in a hit-and-run crash just steps from her home in Minneapolis early Sunday.

Seham Hassen was a 22-year-old senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health. She was set to graduate in May.

Seham Hassen was more than a student. She was a daughter, sister, friend, aunt and someone who touched many lives.

Family and friends say they had just returned home from Eid celebrations when the fatal crash happened. Seham Hassen was known for her kindness, faith and deep love for her family.

“She was a beautiful soul that lived a beautiful life,” said her friend Aisha Yusuf.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department, Hassen had been crossing Marshall Street Northeast near 16th Avenue Northeast just after 3 a.m. when she was struck by a vehicle at high speed.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the driver of the vehicle believed to have hit her.

The suspect vehicle is described by law enforcement as a silver or gray four-door sedan. It’s expected to have damage to the front left portion of the vehicle, including a buckled hood, a downward-facing left headlight and a missing driver-side mirror.

“I don’t know what the person [driver] is doing right now, eating, sleeping, living their life while we are in pain, shock and grieving,” said Seham Hassen’s older sister, Gudon Hassen.

Seham Hassen’s roommates say the stretch of Marshall Street in front of their home is known for speeding vehicles. They hope changes can be made to calm traffic and prevent another tragedy.

Hennepin County leaders say there have been several studies to reconstruct parts of Marshall Street to improve safety along the corridor. Officials anticipate construction to start in 2028.

Family and friends say the pain they feel is unimaginable, but they are determined to see justice served.

“We will do everything we can to find justice for her, even if it takes us years,” Gudon Hassen said. “We will never forget.”

The family has started an online fundraiser.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Minneapolis Police Department at 612-673-5845 or email them. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota by calling 1-800-222-8477 or through the organization’s website.

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) — The start of 2026 has been a series of unfortunate events for Michelle Harris and her family.

In January, the mother of five lost her human resources position at Aldi as the company made massive cuts. Then her husband got a job offer in Atlanta, requiring their family to move from California. That job offer was rescinded right after they relocated.

She says her family has never seen such hard times.

“Never. Never. And we’ve been together for 10 years,” Harris said.

Her husband sprang into action, becoming an Uber driver, making deliveries, and working for a local gym. They’ve both been looking for jobs. However, because nothing has materialized, Harris is making plans to become an egg donor and a surrogate mother. She hopes to make as much as $80,000, just enough to dig her family out of a financial hole.

“It wasn’t even a second thought,” Harris said. “And pregnancy was not easy. And I am a woman over 40, so it really isn’t easy. But they were okay to accept people, I think until 45.”

She said she’s already submitted a request for the program to receive her medical records and see what happens afterward.

“By any means necessary,” she said.

Harris says she’s hardly keeping it together.

“My little kids go to sleep at 7:30, and I can barely make it down the stairs sometimes,” she said.

Harris is just one of many taking big steps to bring in income while being unable to find work, like donating plasma, visiting foodbanks, and using forms of rental assistance.

After reaching out for support in an online moms group, Harris has been overwhelmed by the response. Dozens of people have been messaging her, sharing their own stories of grappling with unemployment. Others have reached out with job leads and offered to share her and her husband’s resumes. She says she’s appreciated the solidarity she’s been forming with other people dealing with hardship.

“Even though I may break down and be overwhelmed, I can still turn to my faith and know that this will be a testimony for me to tell someone else years down the line,” Harris said.

She hopes to be actively donating eggs or serving as a surrogate by this summer.

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.