Author: CNN Newsource

By Tom Wait

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    ARCADIA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Angered Arcadia residents flocked to the first city council meeting since their former mayor agreed to plead guilty to being a Chinese spy last week.

“You all should have asked her to resign, saving Arcadia the embarrassing international headlines,” said one woman, speaking to the other members of the Arcadia City Council during Tuesday night’s meeting. It came just a week after Eileen Wang agreed to step down from her position as mayor and plead guilty to federal charges.

Wang now faces up to 10 years in federal prison after agreeing to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. She also admitted that she worked with her former fiancé, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, to push pro-Chinese propaganda through a website that the two operated. Sun was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this year on similar charges.

CBS LA questioned Wang about Sun’s sentence earlier this year, to which she refused to comment. Prosecutors have since said that Wang and Sun’s covert work took place from 2020 to 2022.

Arcadia’s other council members faced backlash and heightened scrutiny from some speakers.

“While federal prosecutors handle Ms. Wang, we as constituents must look at the leaders who remain, for now,” said another man who spoke during the public comment section of the meeting.

City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto told the crowd that city guidelines prevented other city officials from removing Wang from her position.

“At no time could the city council have removed Eileen Wang from office,” Lazzaretto said. “The city charter only allows the city council to remove another member if the person is convicted of a serious crime.”

Not only has there not been a conviction, but other officials say they were completely in the dark about the ongoing investigation.

“Nor was anyone informed of any investigation involving any other individual, namely Eileen Wang,” Lazzaretto said.

Residents expressed concerns that they ignored clear warning signs, especially after her former partner pleaded guilty in October 2025.

“I think our community deserves much better,” said one woman.

The final meeting on Tuesday night’s agenda was to find Wang’s replacement. City council members, who act as mayor on a rotational basis, eventually elected Paul Chang as the city’s new mayor.

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 Libby Smith

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — During Foster Care Awareness Month, the Colorado Department of Human Services honored foster parents from across the state who are making a huge difference for the children in their communities.

Wendy is one of those foster parents. In nearly 14 years, she’s had some 160 children pass through her home. She specializes in boys ages 11 to 18, and she’s certified in therapeutic care.

“I wanted to do the impossible. I wanted to help the ones that not a lot of people were seeking to help,” she said. “They’ve come through so much already. Trust is something, you know, it’s not given with these kids…it’s definitely earned. So I’ve learned to meet each kid where they are. It can’t be a group thing. I have to tailor each lesson to each kid.”

Wendy had her own foster care journey which helps her connect with the youth. Her military background provides structure and discipline to the household. She’s created an environment where her teens can start to build their own lives.

“I want them to be in a safe and healthy place where they can go out and be productive members of society,” she explained.

When there are missteps, Wendy is right there with a helping hand.

“And they know it’s going to come with a lecture. It’s going to come with a, ‘Hey, this is why we plan. This is what we’re talking about.’ But I help them out,” she said.

Because these are the young people who can use a helping hand the most.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that one kid you decided to bring into your home, you changed their life forever…changed the trajectory of where they are headed? It makes it worth it,” she said.

After nearly 14 years, Wendy makes a tough job look easy, and every day she’s changing lives.

For more information about becoming a foster care parent go to the co4kids.org website.

Raise the Future offers Family Support Services that provide in-home counseling for foster, adoptive, and kinship families. For more information about those services call (303) 755-4756 or (800) 451-5246 or go to the Raise the Future 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 Rob McMillan

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    PASADENA, California (KABC) — Frustration is mounting among survivors of the Eaton Fire, with residents and advocacy groups calling for transparency and accountability over billions in promised recovery funding.

“We’re a community, and we’re going to figure this thing out,” said Florence Annang of Pasadenans Organizing for Progress.

A group of survivors said that of the $2.5 billion Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to help rebuild, $1.5 billion remains unspent more than 15 months later.

Advocates pointed to the pace of rebuilding as another concern.

“9000 structures; 6000 homes; and only 150 homes completed,” said Annang. “Houston, we have a problem!”

The wildfire relief package was intended to fund efforts such as debris removal and assistance for rebuilding schools.

However, several advocacy groups, including Eaton Fire Residents United, said data from the Department of Finance shows that a formal request has not yet been made for a significant portion of the funds.

“You’re covering up the money,” said Altadena resident Adriana Bautista. “And this is a gut punch after gut punch to our community.”

Newsom on Thursday presented a revised budget that included additional help for fire survivors.

“A family earning up to $281,000 can get a grant-not a loan-of up to $100,000 for 12 months to address their mortgage needs,” the governor said.

Los Angeles County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement that the funding could help facilitate rebuilding, though it would not directly provide cash assistance to homeowners.

“My understanding is that while this funding would not provide direct cash assistance to homeowners, it could play an important role by facilitating access to private financing though an interest rate buy-down program and a loan loss guarantee program that would encourage lenders to finance rebuilding projects,” Barger said.

Still, some residents and advocates argue the measures fall short of the need.

“The scale of the need in Pasadena shows that to stabilize 8% of destroyed single family homes would be around $500 million,” said Vladmir Carrasco, chair of the Eaton Fire Collaborative Advocacy Committee.

“So, a $100 million investment in loans is a drop in the bucket.”

Residents said they will continue pushing for answers and additional support as rebuilding efforts move forward.

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 Carlos Granda

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    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A grieving family says an urn they ordered online to honor their grandfather’s memory arrived with what they believe are someone else’s ashes already inside, prompting confusion, frustration and a search for answers.

They tried to contact the company after the morbid mix-up, but said they felt like they weren’t getting an appropriate response, so they contacted ABC7 On Your Side for help.

“I’ve never seen human remains myself like that, and I looked at them, and I don’t know what else they could be,” said Debbie Richard.

The family ordered several urns through Amazon after their grandfather passed away and was cremated. But when they inspected one of the urns that arrived, they made the gruesome discovery.

“One of the urns had ashes in it, and my grandmother was confused and asked my mom, ‘Why does this urn already have ashes in it? Did you order it pre-filled?’ And, no,” Mark Culbertson said.

Shocked and concerned, the family immediately contacted Amazon customer service, hoping the company could help determine where the remains came from and how they could be reunited with the proper family. But, they say the response they received only added to their distress.

“Amazon wasn’t working with us at all. They just wanted to give us a refund and stop right there,” Culbertson said.

Screenshots of the exchange show a frustrating response.

In one message, a customer service representative told the family, “I understand that you have received a used item. Please allow me a moment to check the available option for you.”

The family responded, “It’s not just used, it has possible human remains in them.”

Another message offered the customer a $19.99 promotional credit and told them, “You can keep or get rid of the item.”

The family says they repeatedly tried to explain that this was not a simple return.

“If it’s something that’s used, yeah, you can send it back and get a new one. It’s not just used. This could be part of someone’s loved one that they’re missing, because we never know if someone could have an empty urn that they are talking to, thinking that their loved one is there, but they’re actually not,” Culbertson said.

The family reached out to ABC7 On Your Side, and then Amazon responded.

In a statement, the company said, “We appreciate ABC7 for bringing this to our attention, and we’ve apologized to the customer. We’re looking into this and will work directly with the customer once we have more information.”

“They did acknowledge that they kind of did drop the ball,” Culbertson said.

Culbertson said Amazon told him the urn came through a third-party seller, and they are contacting them to figure out if this was a return or some type of error. They now have a team trying to figure out how to treat the ashes with dignity.

“I even told her, ‘We don’t want to send them back to you and be sitting in a warehouse. We want answers. We want them returned to the family,'” Culbertson said.

The family says Amazon assured them the remains would be handled appropriately, and they will also offer training to the employees involved and put in a procedure in case something like this happens again.

“Thanks to ABC7 for really helping us out and pushing Amazon to reach out to us and get this all settled,” Culbertson 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 KTBS Staff

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    SMITHVILLE, Oklahoma (KTBS) — First responders rescued a truck driver after his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in McCurtain County on Wednesday afternoon.

The truck was loaded with gravel when the driver tried to drive through floodwaters on private property south of Smithville. Rushing water swept the truck away, and it became entangled in trees.

Rescue crews from the Broken Bow Fire Department, Hochatown Fire Department, Smithville Fire Department, and the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office worked together to safely rescue the stranded driver. Officials said the driver was not injured.

Emergency personnel warned that it takes very little moving water to carry away a vehicle, including a large semi-truck. Officials noted that drivers cannot see if a roadway has washed away beneath the surface or if hazards like debris and downed power lines are hidden under the water.

Officials also emphasized that these incidents put first responders in significant danger. Drivers are urged to take safer alternate routes during flooding, even if the detour takes longer.

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 Riley Nagel

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    BAKERSFIELD, California (KERO) — Sawyer Sparks is 18 years old, and he is already one of the most talked-about umpires in little league baseball.

A video of Sparks hustling across the field, diving into plays, and hyping up players has been viewed more than 2 million times — and the attention has taken him by surprise.

“I had no way of knowing it was actually going to reach like 2.5 million as of right now. I mean, it feels great. It feels great with all the support I’m getting,” Sparks said.

Sparks grew up playing baseball, and two years ago his mom encouraged him to try umpiring. He found a new way to stay connected to the game — and a new way to make his presence felt on the field.

“With certain plays that are just like really fast, like hard for me to determine from home plate distance, I decided to start running just to make sure I am there, I’m at the play. I just want to make sure I’m getting the right call,” Sparks said.

Part of his passion comes from his own experience as a player. Sparks says he felt some umpires didn’t always care about the game, and now he wants kids to have the kind of experience they’ll remember.

“I want to at least make the game active, make the game lively,” Sparks said. “Try to get everybody hyped up. Get their blood pumping. Try to get some excitement going on. Just doing it to have fun.”

Parents say that energy is noticeable the moment he steps on the field.

“Our most favorite thing is when there’s a play, and he’s at home, and he just dynamites himself to second, slides and gets there so he can call it fair,” little league parent Lara Winn said. “And that means a lot to us because it’s a lot for one ump to take on.”

Little League parent and coach Jayson Swen said Sparks has been generating buzz since before the video went viral.

“He definitely catches people’s attention. There was people talking about it long ago, since the beginning of last season. Definitely adds to the fun factor, which I’m all about out here, is the kids having as much fun as possible,” Swen said.

Sparks says the viral attention has been a shock, but the best part is knowing people appreciate the fun he brings to the game.

“I just want to say thank you. Because this whole… these two weeks, ever since the video blew up, it’s been nothing but surprising,” Sparks said.

Sparks says he can see himself continuing to umpire in the future — maybe even at a much bigger level one day.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KERO 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.

By Adam Rife

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — After years of harassment, frustration, and danger, a Milwaukee couple is poised to receive a settlement payment from the City of Milwaukee.

Patrick Tomlinson and his wife have been the victims of dozens of swatting calls—fake emergency calls that prompt real police responses.

They allege their civil rights have been violated, and the city should have known their home was an intentional target. A judge agrees.

The city has agreed to pay the $575,000 settlement for not properly training 20 officers involved.

Over the years, they repeatedly handcuffed Patrick Tomlinson and his wife at gunpoint and searched their home.

We first spoke with Tomlinson in 2022. The swatting calls—and police response—intensified from there.

At the time, Tomlinson told us, “I had been handcuffed, naked, on my front porch at one o’clock in the morning by six officers, with six guns in my face.”

It was October 2022 and Tomlinson was worried. Not about the dozens of stalkers making false 911 calls, he was worried about what responding police officers might do when they got to his home.

He said, “Heavily armed, trigger-happy police in full body armor and riot shields and assault rifles.”

For years, Tomlinson and his wife had been swatted for bomb threats, assassinations, kidnapping children, hostage situations, mass shootings, and murders.

Each time, MPD would respond, often in force.

“With a stack of heavily armed police officers, who clearly had no idea why they were there,” Tomlinson told us at the time. “Who were there on the orders of our stalkers.”

For years, Tomlinson begged for MPD to flag his address for any future calls, telling us, “It has led to deaths. People have been killed this way.”

Court documents show police often agreed.

On one call, an officer said, “Luckily, we already kind of know this is an ongoing thing, because if we didn’t, this could end up with this guy dead.”

One officer sent a memo asking that the home be marked as a “Swatter House” in MPD’s dispatch system. A supervisor declined.

An officer said he “thought the call might be fake;” another “would later testify that he knew there wasn’t an emergency,” another said, “We know. We know,” when told the address should be flagged.

The house was not flagged, and the swatting worsened after our interview.

One officer raced to respond to one call, even though he had responded the day before to the first of four swatting calls.

In 2024, Tomlinson and his wife filed a federal suit against 20 officers for violating their civil rights.

The court found there were violations but dismissed the individual claims because the officers were granted qualified immunity.

But the suit against the city remained.

On May 4, the two sides agreed to a settlement.

Tomlinson told us he’s holding off on commenting until after the settlement is finalized.

His attorney told us, “While no settlement can fix the past or fully account for the conduct of City officials involved, this resolution is some acknowledgment of the repeated constitutional violations that Niki and Patrick endured.”

The city’s settlement requires Common Council approval and for the mayor to sign off.

It also requires the city to increase its budget for litigation settlements. The city expects that to take about 90 days, meaning the settlement could be finalized in mid-August.

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 Tamara Vaifanua, KSL

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    RIVERTON, Utah (KSTU) — A student at Riverton High School decided to write thousands of letters to every student at his school, all in an effort to be kind.

Student Body President Seth Christensen said he wanted to make a personal effort to connect with his classmates in a meaningful way. He said some days he would get up at 3 in the morning just to get started handwriting the letters, then deliver whatever he had written that day at school.

“I want people to be able to know that they are loved,” he said. “I hope that’s what they get from those letters — that they are worth the time to have someone write a letter for them.”

In all, Christensen said he wrote 2,336 letters.

The school’s attendance office even helped hand out the letters, since there were so many.

Christensen said it was worth it just to make others feel loved.

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 Montse Ricossa

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A man was caught on camera walking into a Milwaukee barbershop and taking money out of a cash register with his own key.

It happened at Dapper & Co. Barbershop on the intersection of Kane and Farwell Streets around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17. A man is seen walking slowly through the front door so the bells don’t ring, then looking around. He puts his own key into the cash register before taking out $150. The barber on the other side of the two-way mirror then says, “Hi, hello?” The bald man says he wasn’t doing anything, but instead, you hear him say on security video, “I wanna get a haircut!”

The man eventually leaves, and the police arrive. However, owner Autumn Alaniz is still shaken up: “I think the scarier part is you don’t know what the person’s intentions are.” She says one of the man’s hands was in his pocket for much of the interaction, so she and the barber aren’t sure if the man had a weapon on him.

“It makes you feel violated.” – Autumn Alaniz Alaniz says this man has caused trouble for years, trespassing, and staff has been “firm” with him. She thinks the man was waiting for this moment, when a barber stepped away for 40 seconds. She says, “That was all he needed.”

Changes have been made to the barbershop’s security, and now Alaniz is warning other small businesses in the area to keep an eye out for this man and know their tills could be targeted.

“This is a guy that’s kind of lurking around and looking for the opportunity to take advantage of somebody.”

Milwaukee police are still looking for the suspect. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7212 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.

Alaniz says she’s been in that location since 2017 and likes “everything about the neighborhood.” She says she wants to keep it safe for fellow small businesses.

Alaniz is the significant other of a member of the CBS 58 staff.

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.