Month: April 2026

By Jesse Zanger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — New York City’s first legal table games casino will open next week in Queens.

Resorts World New York City says table games will begin on Tuesday, April 28, pending the New York Gaming Commission’s final testing, which is taking place this week.

It’s an historic first for New York City, and comes on the heels of Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack being selected as one of three downstate casino locations.

Resorts World will have more than 240 table games when it opens including blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette.

“New York City has never seen anything like what we’re planning for April 28. Once the Gaming Commission’s final testing is complete, live table games will be open and operating right here in Queens for the first time in the history of New York City,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East. “Resorts World now employees over 2,200 team members and have already doubled our workforce and expect thousands more team members as the integrated resort is developed over the next three years.”

Rap legend Nas will be on hand for the official ribbon cutting and ceremonial throw of the first dice next Tuesday.

Advocates for the casinos, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, say they will bring in billions of dollars in tax revenue which will assist the MTA and education statewide, as well as generate tens of thousands of jobs.

The other casinos which will are still set to open are Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park in Queens and Bally’s Bronx. They are expected to open in 2030.

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 Bri Buckley

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WFOR) — A Massachusetts family’s fishing trip off Fort Lauderdale turned into the catch of a lifetime Monday when they reeled in a 10-foot great white shark about a mile offshore.

The group was aboard a charter with Fishing Headquarters when the massive shark took the line, sparking a lengthy and exhausting fight.

“I got in the chair first and it tuckered me out so my dad had to come in and I finished it out,” said Donovan Smith, who was visiting South Florida from Reading, Massachusetts. “My arms are super tired, it was a crazy fight, probably the craziest moment I’ve ever had.”

Donovan and his father, Judd Smith, worked together to bring in the shark, not realizing what they had hooked until it neared the boat.

“We didn’t know what we had until we were reeling it in, it took forever to reel in, it was huge,” Judd Smith said.

The rare catch was also a first for the boat’s mate.

“It was absolutely amazing, I’ve been fishing here for 7 years and I’ve never caught one,” said mate Logan Graf.

Captain Paul Paolucci, who has been with the company for more than two decades, said great white encounters are uncommon but not unheard of.

“Since 2003 I’ve caught 6,” Paolucci said.

Experts say while rare, great white sharks do appear off South Florida’s coast, particularly during cooler months.

“We know that they’re present off of our coasts especially in the cooler months of the year,” said Catherine Macdonald, director of the University of Miami’s shark research and conservation program.

Macdonald added that great whites tend to avoid shallow waters, meaning beachgoers typically aren’t at risk.

“The data is showing that white sharks are increasing in numbers off the east coast of the United States and Canada and that’s a great sign for population recovery overall, but we’re not necessarily seeing more so much as noticing them more,” she said.

Because great white sharks are a protected species, the crew released the animal after bringing it alongside the boat.

For the Smith family, the experience is one they won’t soon forget.

“It’s one of the best moments of my life,” Donovan Smith 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 Anna McAllister

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    PUTNAM COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — A massive wildfire in Putnam County in northern Florida left Amtrak passengers stranded on a train for more than 24 hours.

One train heading to New York City was forced to turn around, arriving back in Miami Monday night, including one passenger who said he had been on that train for about 38 hours.

He says he and other passengers were left uncertain about what was going on.

“Angry, confused, uncertain, in the dark,” said John Reardon.

Reardon, who lives in New York City, says he boarded the train around 7 a.m. Sunday to go back home. He said around 3 p.m. Sunday, the train stopped near Jacksonville.

“Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”

Amtrak said for the safety of its passengers, the train couldn’t continue going north because of the fire.

“Amtrak sends a notification to the phone saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue with the wildfire, it’s too close to the railway,'” said passenger Katrinia Wheeler.

Multiple crews are battling multiple fires in two Florida counties, leaving at least 3,000 acres burned.

“I saw that there was a lot of smoke coming from the woods, and then I saw the fire trucks and emergency services,” Wheeler said.

The train that left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday returned around 9 p.m. on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated.

Amtrak corporate says they made the decision out of safety for their customers and said customers would receive full refunds and vouchers.

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 David Wade

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    STONEHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — America wouldn’t be America without it, but how often do you think about how the U.S. Constitution plays a role in your daily life?

“What the Constitution Means to Me” looks at the impact the document has on four generations of women in the same family. The play, now at the Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, is framed as a bit of a memoir.

Actor Janice Hudson said, “Some people might think it’s this sort of academic journey through policy and clauses of the Constitution, but it is absolutely not that.”

Hudson stars as the playwright of “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Heidi Schrek.

The ever-evolving piece takes a close look at the document and imagines how it could shape the next generation.

“As things pass and change,” Hudson explained, “We are updating the script actively to reflect what’s happening in real time, which I think is very cool.”

Director A. Nora Long added, “Studying history, studying our political documents is a great way to see not only how far we’ve come, but how far yet we have to go. I think a lot of people are surprised to learn, for example, that women are not in the Constitution at all. And I think, the Constitution in a lot of ways is a real deep dive into American history, who historically has been a person, who gets to be a person and why.”

“At a macro level, it trickles down into our daily lives in ways that some of us probably don’t even realize. And I think that’s what Heidi’s trying to do is get us to think about this very old document that is very much still alive and functioning in today’s world,” Hudson said.

At age 15, Heidi earned her college tuition by winning constitutional debate competitions across the United States. That experience is echoed in the theater.

“We actually do a live debate in front of the audience about whether or not we should keep or abolish the United States Constitution,” said Hudson. “The audience gets to be the judge. It’s a good time.”

“I think we all have a newfound appreciation for a thoughtful exchange of ideas. I hope it allows us to engage our differences while recognizing our common humanity,” Long said.

You can see “What the Constitution Means to Me” at the Greater Boston Stage in Stoneham through April 26th.

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 Kelly Doty & Gracie Palmer

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    HAYWOOD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — A portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway closed Monday, April 20, 2026, not because of weather, but due to an ongoing search for two dogs that have gained attention on social media.

The closure on Monday occurred so that rangers could work to trap two dogs seen in the Waterrock Knob area.

A National Park Service (NPS) spokesperson confirmed trapping efforts after News 13 received multiple phone calls and emails from people concerned about the dogs’ welfare.

Park officials said rangers received a report of two “aggressive” dogs on April 18 near milepost 451. As a precaution, a section of the road was temporarily closed and has since reopened.

On Monday, April 20, News 13 crews observed another parkway closure at U.S. 74. The NPS spokesperson confirmed that another short-term closure was planned for Monday between mileposts 443 and 455 in an effort to capture the dogs and take them to a shelter.

Multiple community members have expressed concern about the animals, sharing photos of two dogs — one white and one brown — at various overlooks along the parkway.

The concern began back in March when residents driving along the parkway noticed two dogs near Fort Ridge Overlook with no collars.

“We could tell that they had been set out and abandoned and so we started coming up. We live close so we started coming up and checking on the dogs,” said resident Donna Trull.

Trull is not alone. Social media has since been flooded with concern for the dogs, with many in the community stepping in to help.

“That dog was very nice but extremely scared. These dogs were dumped off by somebody, and they are scared and timid,” said Holly Greenwald, another local resident.

Trull, Greenwald, and others have been returning to the parkway to feed the dogs—but say their condition appears to be getting worse.

“But the last several times I did see the dogs I noticed that they had lost a lot of weight,” Trull said.

During a recent visit, they also noticed an injury on the brown dog’s face, which they believe may have been caused by a gunshot wound.

“I said they don’t deserve this. They deserve better,” Trull said.

“These dogs are hungry, and they’re used to people feeding them. So, they came up to her thinking maybe she had food or something. I don’t think these dogs are going to hurt anybody,” Greenwald said.

Jackson County Animal Services told News 13 they have been in contact with the National Park Service, and, to their understanding, the dogs will be safely taken to a local shelter.

The National Park Service also said in a statement that they plan to “capture and relocate the dogs to an appropriate shelter location.”

Jackson County Animal Services confirmed that no one has called to claim the dogs.

Rangers asked the public to immediately notify park officials if they see dogs off-leash in the area. Park officials also asked the public not to approach, feed or try to capture the dogs.

NPS FULL STATEMENT:

“On April 18, National Park Service rangers responded to a report of two aggressive dogs near milepost 451. As a precaution, a section of the parkway was temporarily closed and has since reopened. There were no reported injuries.

Rangers continue to monitor the area. We ask that the public notify park officials immediately if they spot dogs off leash in this area and do not approach or attempt to capture or feed the animals. Another short term closure is expected later today between milepost 443 and 455 in an effort to capture and relocate the dogs to an appropriate shelter location.”

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By Kimberly King

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Small business owners across the mountains say they’re cautiously optimistic after learning they can now apply for tariff refunds from the federal government, though many aren’t expecting quick payouts.

Benjamin Colvin, founder and CEO of Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., said tariffs have significantly increased his business’s costs, as it imports aluminum cans and lids from China.

“Eight to 9 cents a can,” Colvin said of his pre-tariff costs. “But now, like 11, 12 cents a can.”

Colvin said the company has paid tens of thousands of dollars in related fees. While he welcomed news that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has opened a refund portal, he remains skeptical.

“It’s great news. Are we holding our breath, thinking it’s gonna happen? I don’t know,” Colvin said.

Because his company purchases materials through middle vendors, Colvin said any refund would have to be passed along.

“The way I’m going to be able to recoup anything is through larger middle vendors we purchased cans and lids from,” he said.

Other small business owners in Asheville, though, have paid China tariffs directly and are applying for refunds.

“We were charged tariffs since February of last year,” said Erik Fabian, the founder of DoughBed. Fabian said his company has paid more than $170,000 in tariffs for his sourdough home-baker products manufactured in China.

“I’m still skeptical whether we will see this or how much. I feel things change every day,” Fabian said.

Fabian said he has already opened a refund account but described the process as cumbersome.

Brian Pittillo of Southern Alarm and Security said his company has paid about $50,000 in tariff-related surcharges on equipment such as cameras.

“Just because we’ve spent so much of our own money — if that means we have to sit down with pencil and paper and calculators to get it worked out so we can recoup, we will,” Pittillo said.

Pittillo said the company plans to find a way to get refunds, even though many imported products had vendors charging tariff surcharges rather than direct tariff fees.

Officials say the federal government expects to process refunds in phases, prioritizing companies with more recent tariff payments.

Fabian advised that businesses applying for refunds should make sure their banking information is correct when they open an account to ensure any refunds are transferred back into their bank accounts.

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By Grace Monk

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    LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WKBT) — Two college students helped rescue a tenant from an apartment fire on Saturday.

UWL student Kaiden Brenneman-Sorenson and UW-Eau Claire student Charles Mroz were sitting in his apartment when they noticed smoke coming from a building on Zeisler St.

But as they got closer to the building, their curiosity quickly turned into a rescue mission.

“That’s when we kind of realized like, oh my gosh, it’s an actual fire. And then when we approached it is when we realized how big it actually was becoming,” said Mroz.

The students began knocking on doors and attempting to activate fire alarms to alert residents.

“The smoke really started to build up, and the fire started to expand,” Brenneman-Sorenson.”We all kind of started to back up because it really caught a blaze and some lady said there’s a dude in the bottom window,” Mroz said.

When they heard about the trapped resident, Mroz and Brenneman-Sorenson ran toward the window and instructed the man to try exiting through a nearby door.

Brenneman-Sorenson says the fire had already reached the door, forcing them to come to up with a new plan.

“That was when me and [Mroz] knew we had to bust open the screen and pull him out.”

The students broke open the window screen, and with help from two additional community members who rushed over, they successfully pulled the man to safety through the window.

“I was kind of just in shock that about everything that happened,” said Mroz. “But also proud of myself, too. Proud of everybody else that stepped up too.”

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.