Month: April 2026

By Web Staff

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    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — Students and alumni at UT Dallas stepped into a different kind of tank Monday night – a “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition where only the sharpest ideas survived.

The event, officially called the Draper Pitch Competition, brought together three finalist teams of undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni. Their concepts ranged from AI‑powered tools for lifeguards to a voice‑activated alert system.

A panel of expert judges heard each pitch before selecting the winners.

What the winners said Dean Ahmed, the undergraduate winner, said the pressure of the stage was real.

“Obviously, the nerves were there,” Ahmed said. “… I knew my competitors were just as good as me, so I just left it up to the odds, tried my best, and it panned out well.”

Sina Khorsandi, who won the alumni category, said the journey took an unexpected turn.

“I didn’t make it to the finals,” Khorsandi said. “I’m kind of glad I didn’t because then I wouldn’t be eligible for the check now… It’s been a long process and very exciting.”

Record prize money This year’s competition awarded its largest prize pool ever:

$50,000 for first place $30,000 for second $20,000 for third

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 Patrick Damp

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    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A man was rescued from the river along the North Shore River Walk thanks to some quick action by a bystander.

According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, just before 3 a.m., police, fire, and EMS were called to a reported drowning near the Mister Rogers Memorial on the North Shore.

Prior to first responders arriving on the scene, a bystander heard a man screaming for help in the river. He was able to locate the man, call 911, and hold onto his arm while they waited for help to arrive.

Once police, fire, EMS, and the River Rescue Unit arrived, they joined the bystander and were able to pull the man from the river.

The man was ultimately pulled from the river, treated at the scene for hypothermia, and is now in the hospital in stable condition.

It’s unclear what caused the man to fall into the river.

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 Jesse Zanger, Adi Guajardo

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    BERGEN, New Jersey (WCBS) — A freight train derailment in North Bergen, New Jersey, shut down Route 3 for hours Tuesday.

It has since reopened as crews work to upright the derailed cars.

According to CSX, a total of 13 rail cars derailed just after 3:15 p.m. along Tonnelle Avenue.

Allen Pascual, the North Bergen public safety commissioner, said the impact left seven cars on their sides. Three were carrying chemicals, and one leaked ethyl acetate, a highly flammable chemical used in paint and nail polish remover.

“The big concern was with the one container,” Pascual said. “It is flammable, but it is contained right now.”

He said firefighters sprayed the area where the car leaked to help dilute the chemical and were working on sealing off the area.

Tuesday evening, emergency crews worked to clean up the train cars.

“CSX, they’re apparently bringing down some really heavy cranes that they use to lift these railcars off,” Pascual said.

“Our primary focus is on the safety of onsite personnel, the surrounding community, and the environment. CSX crews are currently on scene and working as safely and quickly as possible to clean up the impacted site,” a CSX spokesperson said in a statement, in part.

Officials say, at this time, the incident does not pose a danger to the public.

Authorities said no injuries were reported, and the cause of the derailment remains under investigation.

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 Ross DiMattei

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    NEW JERSEY (KYW) — A New Jersey family is demanding answers after their daughter died suddenly during a trip overseas with her fiancé, saying they have received little information about what happened and are calling for a transparent investigation.

Ashly Robinson, an influencer who went by Ashlee Jenae online, had recently traveled to Zanzibar with her boyfriend, Joe McCann, who proposed to Robinson during the trip. Social media posts from her Instagram account suggest the trip was meant to celebrate Robsinson’s 31st birthday.

Investigators in Tanzania said Tuesday during a news conference they are questioning McCann and holding his passport until autopsy results are complete. Authorities previously told local media that he was not suspected of wrongdoing.

“She’s always smiling. She loved being in front of the camera,” her father, Harry Robinson, said. “Nothing about it makes sense. It just doesn’t add up.”

In an interview with CBS News, Robinson’s parents said their daughter appeared happy in the days leading up to her death.

“They were in a gorgeous place in Africa and happy,” her mother, Yolanda Endres, said. “Everything that we knew was that she was supposed to be happy. She was engaged, she celebrated her birthday thereafter, and then she’s just gone.”

The family said they first learned something was wrong when McCann called to say Robinson was in the hospital, but details were limited.

“I asked him when it happened and where it happened, and he told me that something had occurred 11 hours prior to when he was reaching out to me,” Endres said.

They said communication then stopped. The next update, they said, came from the hotel, which informed them their daughter had died.

“The fiancé did not reach out to us at all. We found out from the hotel,” Harry Robinson said. “That’s devastating when your daughter’s halfway around the world. We just wanted to know where she was at, who she was with, and that she was OK. Just give us something.”

The family said they have not heard from police or medical officials and still do not know the circumstances surrounding Robinson’s death.

They are now calling for a full investigation, including a review of surveillance video from the resort.

“There’s cameras everywhere at a resort and that will match the timeline,” Harry Robinson said. “Just do the investigation and let us know.”

“Her family right now, we are hurting,” Endres added. “So we need to know. We just need to know. And we need to get her home.”

Asked if they believe McCann had something to do with Ashly Ronsinon’s death, Endres told CBS News, “We don’t know what went on.”

“It’s under investigation and, like we said, you know, we just want transparency,” Harry Robinson added.

Robinson’s family said they went to the embassy in Washington on Monday seeking answers but did not receive new information. They said they hope to receive an update soon that they can share with Robinson’s followers.

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 JT Moodee Lockman, Kaicey Baylor

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — The body of a missing man was recovered from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Tuesday morning, police said, nearly two weeks after he was last seen in the Fells Point community.

Branson Oduor, 27, was reported missing after he went out with friends for a March Madness celebration, according to his girlfriend.

He was last seen in the 1600 block of Thames Street early Saturday, April 4, police said.

On Tuesday, officers pulled his body from the water in the 500 block of East Pratt Street around 8 a.m. Police said someone reported to the department that a person was floating in the water.

His body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death. The investigation into his death is ongoing.

“It’s unimaginably tragic,” said Michelle LaBlanc, who traveled to Baltimore for the day. “We were just packing up and heading here. So, I’d say there was some surprise. Luckily, the kids don’t seem too bothered.”

Search for Branson Oduor Oduor’s mother, Millicent Odour, and his girlfriend Emily Costa spent days searching for Branson with police and volunteers.

Odour’s father flew from Kenya to join the search on Thursday.

“It was just shock… it was unbelievable… because it’s very unlike him… he usually calls,” Millicent Oduor said.

Costa said she called for a wellness check when Branson Oduor didn’t return home.

Surveillance video showed him outside of the Fells Point bar, The Horse You Came In On Friday night. Costa said he was escorted out of a bar that night and declined someone’s help to get into an Uber.

“From 11 o’clock until closing, they had to escort him out, and then we have camera footage,” Costa said. “We did find out that someone was willing. They tried to help him get into an Uber, but he declined it that night.”

Branson’s electric bike was found near the 600 block of South President Street five days after he was last seen.

On Friday, the Baltimore Police dive team joined the search.

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 Abby Dodge, Steven Yablonski, Bri Buckley

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — Controversial influencer Clavicular was hospitalized in Miami on Tuesday night after suffering a suspected overdose during a livestream.

Few details have been released, but Miami Fire told CBS News Miami that crews were called to the corner of 9th Street and South Miami Avenue in Brickell after getting reports of a possible overdose of a 20-year-old man.

A source close to Clavicular told CBS News that he was suspected to have had an overdose.

Video from Clavicular’s livestream on Tuesday night caused concern for his hundreds of thousands of followers, saying that he seemed out of it.

Then the video abruptly ended.

Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, is known for the popular trend called looksmaxxing, where he tries to maximize attractiveness in extreme ways.

CBS News Miami doesn’t know additional details about his suspected overdose, but he’s been open about drug use in the past, including using meth to lose weight.

No additional information was released.

“Clavicular” arrested last month in Fort Lauderdale Peters was arrested last month on a battery charge from an incident that took place in February in Osceola County, just south of Orlando.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said they conducted a battery investigation involving women at an Airbnb rented by Peters in Kissimmee on Feb. 2.

During the investigation, the sheriff’s office said they determined that the fight between the two women was instigated by Peters and posted it on social media to exploit the women.

After the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued and he was eventually arrested in Fort Lauderdale.

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 Daniel Wilkerson

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WUPA) — An ongoing dispute between the City of Atlanta and the firefighters’ union is raising questions about emergency fire coverage across the city.

“When one out of every five fire engines are out of service, that is not normal. For a department such as Atlanta Fire Rescue, that is a state of emergency,” said Nate Bailey, president of Atlanta Professional Firefighters.

The debate comes as several fire stations are closed for renovations and some fire trucks remain out of service, while city leaders insist coverage is still being maintained.

According to the Mayor’s Office, Atlanta Fire Rescue operates under a system that sends the closest available units to emergencies across the city, even if they are outside of a specific area. The city said that the model allows coverage to continue even when stations are temporarily closed or equipment is being repaired.

But the firefighters’ union argues that what is happening on the ground does not match that message.

Bailey said an engine has been out of service for weeks in Midtown, one of Atlanta’s busiest parts, and warned that the situation could impact response times.

The city has pushed back on those concerns, calling claims about reduced coverage misleading and emphasizing continued investment in equipment, staffing, and fire stations.

The firefighters’ union is now calling on people living in the area to make their voices heard at an upcoming Atlanta City Council meeting. They said they plan to gather at City Hall on April 20.

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.