Ruby Duncan, activist who championed rights of Nevada’s needy families, dies at 93

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Alyssa Roberts, Anjali Patel

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    NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A longtime activist for the rights of needy families in Southern Nevada, Ruby Duncan, has passed away. She was 93 years old.

The City of North Las Vegas shared a message about Duncan’s passing on Sunday, describing Duncan as “a giant of advocacy and justice, who worked tirelessly to better the lives of working Nevadans.”

“Her impact is felt today throughout Southern Nevada through assistance and support for women and children and the addition of community resources to the Historic Westside,” North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown stated.

In a 2024 interview with Good Morning, Las Vegas anchor Anjali Patel, Duncan reflected on her activism and decades of effort to stand up for local low-income families.

Duncan’s activism began when an on-the-job injury put her out of work and she soon found herself on welfare. “I did not want to be on welfare,” Duncan said. “I hated it.”

When she got together with other mothers in a similar situation, inequities became clear, and Duncan stepped up — gathering, organizing, and agitating. Duncan went on to organize and lead protests on the Las Vegas Strip that would be pivotal in Nevada’s eventual acceptance of social welfare programs for families in need — and single mothers, in particular.

She also went on to start the nonprofit organization Operation Life, which brought the Historic Westside its first library, a health clinic, employment and housing aid, among other resources.

Duncan has an elementary school named after her in North Las Vegas, as well as a street named for her at UnCommons in the southwest valley.

In our 2024 interview, Duncan urged people to exercise the right to vote and to stand up against injustice: “Don’t give up. Never, never say, ‘I can’t,'” she said.

In her statement on Duncan’s passing, Mayor Goynes-Brown thanked Duncan for her years of advocacy and activism.

“I extend my deepest condolences to her family and to all who were touched by her,” she stated.

“I also extend my gratitude to Ruby for showing us all what it means to stand up and advocate for others. Her legacy of justice and compassion will continue to be taught to generations of North Las Vegas students at Ruby Duncan Elementary School. Thank you, Ruby.”

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.

School district pilots new artificial intelligence program inside classrooms

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Justin Hinton

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District is in the middle of a pilot program incorporating artificial intelligence into lessons at several schools, including Fremont Middle School.

Sixth graders in Ms. Aiello’s class are using Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, to help research whether volcanic eruptions make global temperatures warmer or cooler.

Instead of just giving students the answers, the AI tool—referred to as a “gem”—points them to helpful resources and responds to their questions with more questions to stimulate their minds.

“This time specifically, I found a collection of resources and websites, articles, that I uploaded into the gem, and it’s pulling information from that, so it’s only using the information that I’m giving it,” Aiello said.

Students like Sebastian and Kayleb log on to ask the gem questions about their research.

“My favorite part is that it can give you a diagram of what you’re trying to work on, like how I’m using a diagram that it gave me on my notes,” Kayleb said.

“I think before, I would use AI to just answer simple questions, but now I’m using it way more in the classroom,” Sebastian said.

When asked how his parents reacted to the use of AI in the classroom, Kayleb noted it was not a surprise.

“They actually didn’t have much of a reaction. They kind of expected for something like that to happen,” he said.

Aiello said it also helps with her students whose first language is Spanish.

She says if they have trouble understanding what they are reading, they can ask the gem to translate it to a lower grade level to better comprehend the material.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KTNV’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Driver alert: Partial, full closures of South Academy/Hancock intersection in Colorado Springs start today

KRDO on April 27, 2026

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — We’re now three months into the second major construction project along South Academy Boulevard, and the next phase begins on Monday.

For the next two weeks, the east side of the South Academy Boulevard/Hancock Expressway will be closed through May 8; from that weekend until noon on Monday, May 11, the entire intersection will be closed.

The closure will allow crews to install a new water line in the area.

Detour signs will guide traffic around the closures, and we can also expect occasional daytime lane closures, temporary changes to bus stops and sidewalks, and construction near some parking lot driveways.

The goal of the $100 million project is to upgrade the infrastructure installed in the 1960s by improving drainage, providing smoother driving, increasing safety and accessibility for pedestrians, and relocating utility lines.

Bumpy driving, flash flooding, and water pooling have been issues along South Academy for decades.

The current construction stretches from Hancock, south to Jet Wing Drive, but will eventually progress as far north as Fountain Boulevard.

Officials originally planned for work to end this year, but paused construction last year to spend more time talking with neighbors, merchants, and drivers about how to lessen the impacts experienced during the first phase of construction.

That phase, between Bijou Street and Airport Road, started in 2024 and ended in 2024.

Crews completed Monday’s closure at around 11 a.m.

For more information, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/AcademyBlvdImprovements?mc_cid=766a9578e8&mc_eid=4bcfa511cf.

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Homeowner aims to get ahead of AI by selling his estate for equity in Anthropic

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By KPIX Staff

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    MILL VALLEY, California (KPIX) — A Bay Area homeowner is making a unique play to get ahead of the artificial intelligence arms race by listing his Mill Valley estate not for cash but for equity in Anthropic.

It’s a 14-acre estate in Mill Valley, and the homeowner priced it for about $8 million. But he doesn’t want your money. He wants your stock.

“I felt underexposed to AI, which is the future in my mind. And overexposed to real estate. And so, the concept was very simple. I was assuming there would be a bunch of young up-and-coming successful people at Anthropic that started there, and maybe had a little bit of money but not much and now are worth a significant amount of money, but it’s all in one stock,” Storm Duncan, the founder of Ignatius, told CBS News Bay Area.

As an M&A banker, he is looking for a buyer who will trade their stock in Anthropic, an AI company that is estimated to be worth $1 trillion.

“One person at Anthropic reached out, he’s like I don’t want to live there but I think it’s a good diversification strategy,” Duncan said.

“You have to be comfortable with the concept of exchanging that for a portion of your interest in Anthropic stock,” he added.

Butch Haze, a luxury real estate specialist with Compass, said this AI boom reminds him of the Bitcoin craze.

“It’s a really smart seller,” he said. “These are really unique times. It will be interesting for the title companies. How do they process the title work and do the actual trades? And how does the city collect taxes on the transfer tax? So, there are some things to work out here.”

He said that because of heightened interest in Anthropic, which is a privately-owned company, there may be some uncertainty.

“The question is, would a buyer right now give up their Anthropic stock? And I think that’s the bigger question,” Haze said.

Jay Ritter, the director of the IPO Initiative at the University of Florida, said there is speculation that Anthropic will go public within the next year.

“From a motivated seller, maybe an employee of the company that does have all their eggs in one basket and who wants to buy a house in this specific area, it might make sense,” he said. “I don’t expect selling a home for stock in a private company to be a trend. I think maybe there will be some copycats, but this is not something that your average middle-class investor is going to be doing.”

Duncan, however, sees it differently.

“There’s people like myself, like can’t we democratize this? Can’t we provide access to some people that aren’t normally going to get access to this opportunity? So, I think you’re going to see a lot more people trying to follow my lead in that regard and get access because everybody’s anxious that you’re either in AI or you’re going down,” he said.

Duncan added that there are no serious buyers yet, but there are some conversations.

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.

Local groups create reusable menstrual pads to help families in need

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Vanessa Gongora

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    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — Menstrual products are a basic necessity, but with the prices of everyday items continuing to rise, some families are struggling to afford them.

To help bridge the gap, Queer Girls Pantry for Kids 84745 partnered with Crafting Resilience to create reusable menstrual pads.

Leah Dardis and Alex Bell run the pantry, providing food and essentials for families in need.

“So we provide food for families with school-age children. That could be anyone that is in transition, unhoused, living in apartment complexes or any kind of hotel. All different situations, we try to meet people where they are,” Dardis said.

Dardis and Bell noticed pads and tampons go consistently, prompting them to take action.

“I’m in the pantry every day, so I hear all about how they can’t afford it. They’re spending all their money on food, baby food, diapers, and the costs aren’t going down and with the benefits and stuff, they don’t have enough money,” Bell said.

The initiative has become an all-hands-on-deck project, with community members jumping into action to cut, sew and organize the materials. Founder of Crafting Resilience, Regina Dante, started the organization in 2025 to give people sewing lessons around the community, and transitioned her work into mutual aid.

Dante said the groups are assembling kits for those in need.

“It’s going to be one large wet bag, one small wet bag. There’s going to be three panty liners, six day pads, and three overnight pads,” Dante said. “And that’s on average enough for three days of a period or so.”

The wet bags are used for storage and to prevent leakage for when you switch out the pads.

The pads are made from recycled fabric and designed to feel just like underwear.

“The panty liners have two layers of flannel, the day pads have four layers of flannel, and the overnight pads have three layers of absorb, which is a super absorbent fabric,” Dante said.

Dardis noted that people will often choose pads and tampons over other hygiene products in her pantry. She says the reusable pads will be for people who are in a little more stable situation that have access to washing machines.

“You got three teenage girls in your house, you’re gonna wipe out a whole box of tampons and that is, you know, quite a price,” Dardis said.

Research shows that since 2019, the average price of a pack of sanitary pads has risen 41%, with tampons increasing by 36%.

Community member Leigha Campbell came out to help sew the pads and knows firsthand that they will make a huge difference.

“I’ve used these before. They’re really nice and I feel like they’re really nice on your skin too,” Campbell said.

The goal is to make 39 liners, 78 day pads and 39 overnight pads and get feedback on how they can be improved.

The community is invited to help continue the process on Sunday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at Queer Girls Pantry located at 1003 W. Huron Street on the westside.

Dante says if you want to help sew, bring your own sewing machine and make sure you’re comfortable using it.

If you don’t know how to sew, that’s okay. You can help with cutting, assembling, applying snaps and more.

Donations are also accepted. Materials needed are flannel, cotton t-shirts or jersey fabric, snap pliers, plastic snaps, ballpoint sewing machine needles and quilt clips or clothespins.

Queer Girls Pantry for Kids 84745 also takes food or monetary donations.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KGUN’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Neighborhood goes weekend without potable water after construction site mistake

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By John Ramos

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    MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (KPIX) — Neighbors were still without water in one Mountain View neighborhood on Sunday after a mistake at a construction site on Friday caused possible contamination, and neighbors are waiting for tests to reveal whether the water is safe for use.

The three-day drought for the neighborhood just off Cuesta Avenue began on Friday afternoon when a private contractor, replacing underground water lines at the intersection of Cuesta Drive and Bonita Avenue, had a problem.

“There was a contamination breach with some cement slurry mix getting into a water main, which required the water supply in the affected area to be shut off,” said city spokesperson Lenka Wright.

Homeowner Emily Hislop said details on the neighborhood social media site began spreading rapidly.

“My understanding is they’re supposed to cap off one pipe before they do a certain process, and they didn’t cap it off, just relied on the valve. And the valve was leaky,” she said. “And that’s the reason they’re supposed to cap off the pipe. They weren’t taking all the safety precautions they were supposed to. There’s a reason those safety procedures are in place.”

As a result, 67 homes just off Cuesta Avenue were immediately shut off from their water supply.

“Yeah, it’s been kind of annoying. It’s like practice for the earthquake,” said neighbor Bowei Du, with a laugh. “Not having water, we just go to the bathroom in the park. Luckily, the park is really close by.”

Aside from the restrooms at the park across the street, a couple of swim clubs are offering use of their showers. And shortly after the water was shut off, the city dropped off two cases of water at each home along with hand sanitizers, and they even offered to reimburse neighbors if they wanted to stay in a hotel.

“They took water samples everywhere,” said Du. “They went to the hydrants, and they also went to where your water connects. They basically took all the samples, and hopefully, Monday they’ll come back with the tests and they’ll say everything’s ok.”

Late Sunday morning, most of the homes had their water turned back on. But state regulations are pretty strict about drinking water, so what was coming into the houses could only be used for flushing toilets, not for drinking, washing or bodily contact, at least until the testing says it’s safe.

“So, as of today, the comprehensive drinking water testing is not expected to be completed until at least Monday,” said Wright. “So, the city is working very closely with state regulators to restore safe drinking water service as soon as possible.”

The city is coordinating the process with the State Water Resources Control Board. The water testing takes 30 hours to complete, which is why the results will not be known before Monday at the earliest. It’s been an annoyance for the homeowners, but most seemed impressed with how the city reacted to the problem. But a neighbor named Wendy said she was feeling sympathy for one person.

“I feel badly for that worker, actually, who must feel terrible, even though they shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “But to think that their mistake had so many repercussions.”

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.

‘Precious to somebody’: Woman hoping to find owner of pictures discovered in old desk

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Brittni Johnson, EastIdahoNews.com

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    SHELLEY, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — A local teacher who bought a desk for her classroom and found old pictures tucked inside is hoping to find the family members they belong to.

Rebecca Morgan is a seventh-grade teacher at Hobbs Middle School in Shelley, where she has taught for eight years. She went from teaching eighth grade to seventh grade, and when she moved classrooms she wanted to get a different teacher’s desk than what was already in the room.

“I like to look on online auctions all the time,” Morgan said. “And there was this place in Ammon, I think they are out of business, but they used to have a thrift store called ‘Backyard Bargains,’ and they had an online auction for a while. I saw a desk on there, and I think I bid $5 or $10.”

She said when people didn’t pay on their storage units, “Backyard Bargains” would buy whatever was in those storage units and sell those items at auctions.

Morgan, who won the bid on the desk, said it is older and not anything beautiful, but it is a big metal desk that she knew would work for what she needed.

About five or six years ago, her student aides were organizing her desk when they asked Morgan what she wanted them to do with the pictures in one of the drawers.

“I’m like, ‘What pictures?’” she recalled.

That’s when she learned there were a dozen pictures hiding inside a drawer. An envelope that reads “Aunt Berta” was also found with the pictures.

“They are old. Some of them are dated back to 1930, and some 1960s,” Morgan said. “There are people on horses with little farm dogs. Some of the land features look like southeast Idaho in the background. But it’s sagebrush, so there’s nothing you can really tell for sure.”

There are names on the back of a few of the pictures. Some of those names are Jane Shupe, Grace Covert, Chloe and George, aunt Josephine and aunt Mary.

Morgan told the aides to put the pictures back in her drawer. She said she didn’t know what to do with them, so they’ve been sitting there for years.

But earlier this month, a few of Morgan’s students were at her desk when they came across the same pictures. The students asked why their teacher didn’t throw the pictures away since they weren’t hers.

“They’re someone else’s memories, and I couldn’t just throw them away because they’re probably precious to somebody,” Morgan told her students.

“I have pictures, and my pictures are important to me,” she added. “If someone found mine, I would want someone to return them to me if they possibly could.”

One of her students, Mageigh Hayes, suggested they find out who the pictures belong to. Hayes reached out to EastIdahoNews.com in hopes that the owner of the pictures, or relatives of those in the pictures, could be reconnected with them.

“I think it would be a neat thing if we could find out who they belong to,” Morgan said.

If anyone has information on who the pictures belong to, Morgan asks that they contact EastIdahoNews.com by sending an email to news@eastidahonews.com or by calling 208-528-6397.

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.

Eisenhower Junior High students attempt world record for longest line of coloring pages

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Emma Benson, KSL

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    TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (KSL) — Eisenhower Junior High School is no stranger to world records.

“For years and years, we’ve done different world records. It’s been part of the culture here,” Zach Layton, an English and journalism teacher at the school, said.

Last year, students set a record for the fastest human conveyor belt. Now they’re hoping to do it again, this time with something a little more colorful.

On Friday, the junior high students attempted to break a Guinness World Record for the longest line of coloring pages, laying out more than 8,000 sheets across the gym floor.

There were a few rules: no blank pages, at least two colors on each one and every sheet had to touch.

“It’s really cool that a bunch of kids came to do this,” one student said.

The project has been months in the making — the journalism class designed the pages, and then the rest of the school helped bring them to life.

It took nearly three hours to carefully place every page — each one carrying a simple but powerful message: kindness.

“The Granite School District has asked all of us to do different kindness activities each month,” Layton said. “So it’s kind of the perfect storm. … We had to create some coloring sheets, and we’re just like, ‘Hey, let’s put them together.'”

The pages featured messages such as “Choose Kindness,” “Generals are Kind,” “Kindness is Fun” and “Being Kind Brings Smiles.”

“Our school is really good with being kind, and I think it’s a great way to show kindness in different ways with different quotes on the papers,” sixth-grader Ma’Ake said.

Layton said the impact goes beyond the record attempt.

“People ask why we do these things … it’s them working together,” Layton said. “Kids who have never talked to each other will be like, ‘Hey, have you colored some sheets yet?’ So it gets them to come together, as a community, and that’s what we’re all about here.”

In total, the line stretched 3,686 feet and 8 inches — more than half a mile long.

Now, the school must submit photo and video evidence to Guinness, with witnesses verifying every page. The confirmation process can take up to 12 weeks, but school leaders said they’re hoping for expedited results by the end of the school year.

The current record stands at 5,930 coloring pages, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

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.

Woman says she was tied up, assaulted at motel, deputies say

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Stephanie Moore

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    UNION COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — A woman escaped a local motel after being tied up, assaulted and threatened, according to the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they were called on the morning of April 19 to the Rodeway Inn on South Duncan Bypass.

They said they found a woman with injuries, including facial swelling and signs she had been restrained.

The victim told deputies she had been held against her will inside a motel room since the previous day.

According to the investigation, the suspect, identified as Joseph Boykin, is accused of restraining the victim, physically assaulting her, and threatening her with a knife.

The victim was able to escape when the suspect briefly left the room and went to motel staff for help.

The woman was taken to the hospital.

Witnesses told deputies Boykin drove away in the victim’s red 2014 GMC Acadia.

With the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Boykin was arrested Friday and booked into the Union County Detention Center.

He is charged with kidnapping, assault and battery and grand larceny.

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.

Teen completes KDF miniMarathon 5 months after becoming paralyzed

CNN Newsource on April 27, 2026

By Jennifer Osting

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Thousands of runners took over the streets of Louisville Saturday morning for the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon, but one of those runners just learned how to walk all over again.

Wyatt Anderson was paralyzed from the neck down in November 2025 after he fell head first into a wall while he was playing basketball with his friends.

Wyatt was left with a cervical spinal cord injury and went through weeks of physical therapy.

At first, he couldn’t lift a finger, let alone walk, but after spending a month at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and several months more recovering at home, he was able to lace up his shoes and take part in the big run Saturday morning.

WLKY spoke to Wyatt before the race, and he said the adversity was his biggest inspiration.

“I was telling them I want to try and run a marathon within a year of my injury happening. They would just tell me ‘A minor setback for a major comeback,’ so I tried to listen to that every day,” Wyatt said.

His goal going into the race was to finish it in under 2 hours, and he managed to pull it off alongside his doctor, who ran the race with him.

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.