Pennsylvania woman finds relief from Tourette’s with deep brain stimulation

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Shannon Perrine

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — Abigail Bailey was tired of living with Tourette’s syndrome. The 24-year-old from Beaver County had to resign from her job and suspend her college career because the tics and OCD that come with Tourette’s got too severe. The tics led to broken fingers and ribs.

“I knew, like, third grade or fifth grade. I remember it a lot. But middle school is really where I started having problems, and where I started noticing it being more prone in my life,” Bailey said.

On New Year’s Eve in 2024, Bailey went to the hospital with sepsis. It was there that she made the decision to go ahead with deep brain stimulation, a treatment that was established in the 1980s to treat Parkinson’s disease, dystonia and essential tremors.

Dr. Donald Whiting, chair of the AHN Neuroscience Institute, believed Bailey could benefit from DBS.

“Abby’s condition was very severe,” Whiting said. “She had symptoms since about 3 years of age, and it had been progressive. She actually injured herself, breaking fingers, breaking ribs by these inadvertent movements.”

The procedure involves one surgery to implant electrodes in precise areas of the brain. An extension wire connects to the electrode and is threaded under the skin of the head, neck and shoulder. The second part involves connecting the wires to a pulse generator, like a pacemaker, which is implanted near the collarbone.

A post-surgery calibration requires multiple visits back to Allegheny General Hospital, where programmers work with the patient to adjust the amps.

Bailey let Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 anchor Shannon Perrine come along with her as she shopped for a wedding dress. She says she is nearly 100% free of Tourette’s effects. She went back to college to earn her bachelor’s degree, and got her old job back. The wedding is scheduled for October.

Whiting was one of the first physicians to perform DBS. In 2008, he performed DBS on 19-year-old Ed Cwalinski for a severe case of dystonia. Cwalinski continues to do well after surgery almost 20 years ago.

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.

Free app uses AI to help Florida residents avoid moving scams and surprise price hikes

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Terri Parker

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    FLORIDA (WPBF) — Florida is a hotspot for moving scams, and the playbook is familiar: a low quote, a signed contract packed with fine print, and then a sudden demand for thousands more when your belongings are already on the truck.

Palm Springs resident Rose Marie DiTolla said she was quoted $400 to move from one apartment to another in the same complex. But she says on moving day, the crew refused to unload unless she paid thousands more.

“Ma’am, you owe us $4,400,” DiTolla said. “I was devastated. I’m still crying about it.”

It is a tactic reported by victims across Florida, and even when people call police, they are often told it is a civil dispute tied to what was signed in the contract.

“If you look at these contracts that they sign, it’s got the fine print and they go, well, if anything changes, we can switch the price and we’ll give you a new estimate,” said Bill Mulholland of ARC Relocation.

Mulholland’s company has helped launch a free app called Agoyu, designed to make it harder for scam movers to trap people after the fact.

Users record video of their rooms and items using their phone, enter the distance of the move, and the app uses AI to generate an estimate of what a reputable mover should charge. The goal: fewer “surprise” add-ons when a mover claims they did not know about a wall unit, extra stairs, or a long walk from the truck.

Mulholland says the app also points consumers to movers that have already been vetted, with information intended to help people check legitimacy before booking.

“You can click on their US Department of Transportation license. You can see how many accidents they’ve been in, how many complaints they’ve had filed, the last time their equipment’s been inspected,” Mulholland said.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Experts say scammers often dodge consequences by shutting down and reopening under a new name once complaints pile up, making prevention critical.

“And what these bad guys do is once enough complaints have been filed, they shut down that company and they open up a new one,” Mulholland said.

Florida passed tougher moving scam laws last year, and the Florida Attorney General has issued warnings. Federal authorities have also investigated certain moving fraud rings, and in at least one case, operators have received multi-year prison sentences.

If you believe you have been scammed, here is a list of agencies to contact and steps to document your complaint.

HELP: Federal Agencies

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) — They accept complaints about moving scams (especially interstate moves). National Consumer Complaint Database: submit online or call 1-888-368-7238 (8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET weekdays). FMCSA+1

• U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) — You can report fraud or hostage-load situations. Hotline: 1-800-424-9071 Email: hotline@oig.dot.gov Mail: DOT OIG, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC 20590. FMCSA+1

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — The nation’s consumer protection agency takes fraud reports, including moving scams. File a complaint online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Federal Trade Commission

Florida State & Local Options

• Florida Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division — Handles statewide fraud complaints. Call 1-866-9NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or file online at MyFloridaLegal.com. My Florida Legal

• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) — The state’s consumer complaint clearinghouse; regulates intrastate movers. Call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or file a complaint online via the FDACS consumer services page. Florida Department of Agriculture

• County Consumer Affairs Offices — In South Florida counties, local consumer protection divisions can help mediate or refer complaints. For example:  • Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs – 800-435-7352 (state hotline also covers this). Palm Beach County  • Broward County Consumer Protection – Phone complaints at 954-765-1700. Broward County  • Miami-Dade Consumer Protection Division – 786-469-2333 for mediation and complaints. Miami-Dade County

Other Resources

• Better Business Bureau (BBB) — Not a government agency, but you can file a complaint that goes directly to the moving company and is publicly tracked. File at BBB.org/file-a-complaint. American Bar Association

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Florida students receive Orange Bowl tickets from Dunkin’ for friendship

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Malcolm Shields

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    WELLINGTON, Florida (WPBF) — On Thursday at noon, the Oregon Ducks play the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Two Palm Beach County high school students scored tickets to the big game.

In celebration of National Month of Giving, Dunkin’ awarded Caleb Butler and his best friend, Troy Baldwin, with four tickets to the Capital One Orange Bowl in December.

Butler was the quarterback of the Dr. Joaquín García High School football team during the 2025 high school football season.

Butler and Baldwin met two years ago when Butler enrolled at the high school and joined the Best Buddies Program.

The Best Buddies Program fosters one-to-one friendships between individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

WPBF 25 News first shared their friendship in an October 2025 interview.

Before Butler heads off to college at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Dunkin’ wanted to honor Butler and Baldwin’s friendship by gifting the tickets.

Recently, Dunkin’ honored student veterans at Florida International University and their families with tickets to the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on Dec. 13.

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Orlando couple accused of ax attack, robbery setup

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Dacia Johnson

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — An Orlando woman was arrested Wednesday after deputies say she was involved in a robbery after inviting a man over to her apartment.

Anne Aksell, 29, is facing robbery with a firearm, grand theft and aggravated battery charges, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident happened on Monday when deputies responded to a 911 call about a man who had been beaten with an ax and robbed at an apartment complex on Colonial Drive.

The victim told deputies he drove to the apartment to meet Aksell when the three men attacked him, taking his wallet, phone and keys, an OCSO arrest affidavit says.

The victim had a stab wound to the back and a laceration on his head, OCSO said.

The victim told deputies he started following a woman, later identified as Aksell, on Instagram a year ago, but she began messaging him two weeks ago. At one point, Aksell’s boyfriend told the victim to leave her alone.

The victim said he did until Aksell said they had broken up and she invited him over. She was dressed in lingerie and came out to meet him when he arrived, the affidavit says.

The victim followed Aksell upstairs, where he was approached and told not to move by a man the victim said was Aksell’s boyfriend.

The victim ran down the stairs, where two more men were waiting with a knife and an ax and began to hit him.

OCSO said the victim was able to run after being hit, but the men caught up to him and hit him again.

That’s when the victim was able to hop a fence and find someone to call 911.

OCSO said the victim’s car was found abandoned.

A search warrant allowed deputies to locate clothing matching the victim’s description of the suspects, and surveillance video corroborated the victim’s account.

Aksell at first said she was afraid of the victim and that’s why the men attacked him, but later admitted they had planned the attack.

Aksell was taken into custody.

Her boyfriend, Nicholas Lavallee, is also facing charges.

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How a Texas woman found healing through exercise amid holiday grief

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Marvin Hurst

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    MCKINNEY, Texas (KTVT) — A North Texas woman says exercise and some therapy have helped her regain control of her life after devastating losses turned recent Decembers into a season of grief.

LaTonya Rodgers, a 48-year-old wife and mother from McKinney, lost two siblings within months of each other, tragedies that she says left her emotionally overwhelmed and physically inactive.

“I wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t active. I wasn’t moving, just kind of grieving through food,” Rodgers said.

Her grief began in December 2023, when a cousin called with news she never expected: her baby sister, Ashley Emory, had been found dead in her apartment. Rodgers said she was stunned. Although the sisters had not spoken recently, she believed Emory was living in East Texas and had no reason to fear the worst.

Police later determined Emory had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death in Commerce, Texas, on Dec. 13, 2023. Authorities said her cause of death was blunt force trauma and compression to the neck. Rodgers said investigators told the family they have DNA evidence, but no arrests have been announced.

“Just knowing how young and how sweet she was, how could somebody do something to someone that sweet?” Rodgers said, recalling caring for her sister as a baby.

The loss hit Rodgers harder than anything she had experienced before. But about three months later, she said something changed.

“A voice in my head said, ‘It’s time to get up,'” she said.

Rodgers began walking and exercising at a park, eventually joining a gym in Frisco after a friend’s recommendation. Now, she’s there as early as 4 a.m., working with coaches and sticking to a strict fitness routine. She said exercise, along with therapy, helped stabilize her mental health.

“Mentally, I feel great,” Rodgers said. “I do have moments, but it’s nothing that I can’t snap out of real quick.”

Her experience reflects a broader struggle many face during the holidays. A national survey found 41% of respondents expect increased holiday stress, while 48% worry about grief or missing someone during that time.

Rodgers’ grief deepened again in May, when her younger brother, Kenneth Emory, died in prison. Court records show he was incarcerated for sexual assault and had attempted to appeal his plea deal. Rodgers said his birthday, on Dec. 24, adds another emotional weight to the season.

As the oldest sibling, Rodgers said she struggles with guilt.

“How could I let this happen? Why didn’t we stay in touch?” she said.

Rodgers said prison officials have not indicated whether her brother’s death is under criminal investigation. She has paid for his death certificate and plans to review it to learn how he died.

Despite the unanswered questions, Rodgers remains committed to her fitness routine to keep her life on track. While she hopes for justice in her sister’s case and clarity surrounding her brother’s death, she says exercise has helped her find a sense of strength and peace.

“If I never get the real truth,” Rodgers said, “at the end of the day, they’ve got to go and face somebody way higher than me.”

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Colorado climber dies in fall along Continental Divide

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Alan Gionet

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — One of a pair of climbers out in the favorable warm weather on New Year’s Eve Day on Citadel Peak along the Continental Divide in Colorado died after falling hundreds of feet.

The man, who was with a 29-year-old woman climbing partner from Boulder, fell from a ridge. Citadel Peak is a 13,300-foot mountain north of Interstate 70 visible from Loveland Ski Area.

The man’s identity and age are not yet released.

The first call from the woman came in about 2 p.m. There was good cell service in the area, helping rescuers locate the two. The incident brought a large rescue response involving helicopters that initially had trouble getting into the area due to rising winds. A Flight for Life Helicopter took multiple runs toward the mountain, but couldn’t land.

citadel-peak-deadly-fall-3-alpine-rescue-team.jpg A handout photo shows a Flight for Life helicopter attempting to land near the site of a climber’s fall on Citadel Peak in Colorado on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Alpine Rescue Team “Obviously, it’s a sharp peak. They can’t land right where our subjects are. And as we’re trying to find good places to land close enough to be useful, the winds just weren’t cooperating at the time. So they just had to abort,” said Steve Wilson of Alpine Rescue Group.

A Colorado National Guard Black Hawk helicopter from Buckley Space Force base with a host was brought in. The Blackhawk picked up Alpine Rescue members at the trailhead as ground teams moved toward the two people on foot. Much of that rescue effort was conducted after dark. Two rescue technicians were lowered down to where the man had fallen. They found no signs of life. Another technician was lowered down to the ridge above where the woman was stranded.

“She was up, still on the ridge, in a precarious position of her own. I don’t think she was in danger of falling, but it would have been- it was very difficult to access her. It would have been very difficult to climb herself down,” Wilson said.

It took until about 8 p.m. to get the woman and the man’s body off the mountain. Ground crews hiked out at 9 p.m.

There’s no indication yet why the man fell.

“They were up above all of the snow. They were in the rocks,” Wilson said. “Tragic accident as far as we can see.”

Wilson said the pair were not amateurs: “They seemed prepared, they seemed equipped. They seemed experienced. Accidents happen. That’s an unfortunate way to end the year. A tragic end.”

“They’re doing what they love,” he continued. “They’re enjoying the back country of Colorado, which is an amazing, beautiful place.”

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Maryland man’s neighborhood tradition brings joy over holidays

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Jack Watson

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    CATONSVILLE, Maryland (WMAR) — From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, when it comes to merry, there’s no one quite like Larry Murray.

For about 10 years, Murray has been the DIY architect of a dazzling neighborhood light show. He’s got it down to an art and a science.

“It takes a little over a month to get all this stuff up,” Murray explained to WMAR-2 News.

Murray works fire rescue in Montgomery County and calls Catonsville home, on Rawlings Well Road.

“I’ve seen police cars out here. I’ve seen a row of cars up and down here watching and stuff like that. It runs every single night. It comes on at about between 5:30 and 6, I think it’s 5:30 is when it’s coming on right now, and it ends at 9:30 for the neighbors and stuff,” Murray said.

Folks can watch from their cars and tune their dials to 88.7 for Christmas music to follow along.

Over 1,000 followers on Facebook look forward to the post each year saying the show is on.

“The community comes out, they love it. They’re like, ‘We love your show. You bring so much joy to the community. We love your house. We come by every year. We’ll go out and we’ll sit in front of your house for 30 minutes and just enjoy the lights,'” Murray said.

“Love doing this,” he added. “This is how I like to celebrate Christmas. This is how I like to celebrate joy, you know, the birth of Jesus, and, you know it’s exciting to me.”

The show will run through New Year’s, until it’s time for the lights to go dark.

“It’ll take me weeks to get this down,” he laughed.

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Lightning fan shares joy of collecting autographs

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Robert Boyd

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    ODESSA, Florida (WFTS) — Throughout the hockey season, Tampa Bay 28 has been highlighting some of the community’s most passionate Lightning fans. We recently had one fan from Odessa reach out to us about his autograph collection, something he’s been building since he was a kid.

From cards, to sticks to jerseys, Chris Weisman has thousands of pieces of Lightning memorabilia, the majority of it is autographed.

“This is one of my favorite hockey sticks I have collected throughout the years; this one is game used by Marty St. Louis,” said Weisman, showing off all the gear he has collected over the years.

“This is a gift from one of my best friends, his mom got the newspaper clippings from when we won the first Stanley Cup then put a little collage together,” said Weisman. “Vinny Lecavalier was one of my idols, next to Marty St. Louis, he was a staple for the Lightning organization and meeting him throughout the years many times he signed many cards for me.”

Chris began his collection when he was seven years old.

“When I used to get good grades on my report card my dad would give me packs of cards to open, so it all started when I was not doing great in school and I started getting better grades, that was my motivation,” said Weisman.

Chris remembers hanging outside the old Ice Palace before and after games. He said the best part about getting an autograph, is meeting the player.

“I would go and I would get pictures with the players and then I would go get them developed and then go back and get them signed the next week,” said Weisman.

Chris started lacing up his own skates, participating in various Lightning community programs, so it was only fitting when he became an adult, he got a part time job with the team.

“It was a full circle moment, it really was,” said Weisman. “What we would do is go into the community, go into the schools, teach kids who have never held a hockey stick before how to play the game, how to hold the sticks, some of the rules of the game.”

He even received two championship rings, like what the players wear.

“It’s something no one can take away from me, I only wear it for special occasions,” said Weisman.

Chris stepped away from the team to focus on raising his own family, but his passion for the Bolts has never been stronger. He hopes to be a voice in the community for all those young autograph seekers out there, it’s more than just a signature, it’s a lifelong memory.

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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.

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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.