Author: CNN Newsource

By Margaret Kavanagh

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — Four women connected to a $31 million counterfeit coupon scheme were sentenced in Norfolk Federal Court.

Amber Teague received 6 months, Cindi Swindle received 12 months, Jennifer Snyder received 15 months, and Melissa Apodaca received 18 months.

A fifth defendant, Sherise Williams, is still waiting to be sentenced.

The judge allowed all four to serve their sentences in low-security prisons in their home states.

The women were the top buyers in an illegal coupon operation led by Lori Ann Talens and her husband Pacifico, who designed fake coupons and sold them on the internet from their Virginia Beach home.

Lori Ann Talens is serving a 12-year sentence. Pacifico Talens is serving 7 years. The scheme is considered one of the largest coupon fraud operations ever discovered.

The case first came to light in 2021.

Bud Miller, Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation, was integral to the investigation.

“There’s a misconception out there, on the dark side, as they call it, that only the big fish are being prosecuted. Now, you can be a customer and not the actual head person of a criminal organization and be prosecuted,” Miller said.

Miller explained how the scheme typically worked.

“Generally, how these things work is that people will purchase counterfeit coupons, they generally know that they’re counterfeit coupons, and they’ll buy a large number of them. Then they will use the counterfeits to steal products and then, frequently, they will resell those products and that’s how they make their money at that point,” Miller said.

Miller said those losses have a broad impact.

“The losses are devastating both for the retailers and the manufacturers, so they have to raise their prices and sell more product just to make up for the losses,” Miller said.

Miller offered a straightforward warning to consumers.

“Consumers can protect themselves almost completely by never paying money for coupons. We’ve said that before, but as soon as you start charging money for something that is given away for free, you bring in the criminal element at that point so never, ever pay for coupons,” Miller said.

Miller said he hopes the sentences will deter others from committing similar crimes.

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 Giselle Valentin

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    JENISON, Michigan (WXMI) — A Jenison tattoo studio is using art and conversation to help support people struggling with addiction, grief and mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Inside The Ink Society Tattoo Collective, owner Noize Pierce says the stories shared during appointments often run deeper than the ink itself. Pierce says his own struggles with addiction inspired him to create a different kind of tattoo shop — one where people feel safe, welcomed and heard.

“It’s my goal to make sure that people understand that it’s okay to be heard,” Pierce said.

Pierce says the studio has become a place where people feel comfortable opening up about grief, sobriety, trauma and mental health struggles.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, tattoo artist Victor Cameron says many clients walk through the doors carrying emotional weight.

“Me helping the community or helping the person with their life struggles, it’s pretty important to me,” Cameron said.

For some clients, the tattoos themselves symbolize healing, recovery and growth.

“The phoenix, because of being a rising phoenix rising from the ashes and rebirth and renewal is huge,” client Lindsay Misenar said while getting tattooed during the shop’s mental health awareness event.

Others say simply having a safe environment to talk about mental health can make a difference.

“I’ve struggled with mental health myself, and I know a lot of people that have struggled, so it’s really nice that they’re doing something like this,” first-time client Mitchell Cheyne said.

Pierce says conversations surrounding mental health and addiction are especially important because many people struggling often feel alone.

“Be able to show people that there’s hope that your past does not have to define who you are, and that there’s a bright future if you just seek it and work for it,” Pierce said.

Pierce also hosts “The Tatted Addicts” podcast, where guests openly discuss addiction recovery and mental health struggles.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available by calling or texting 988.

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

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    OAK CREEK, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Students at Oak Creek East Middle School walked out of class Friday, protesting what they say is ongoing racism inside the school and frustration with how administrators have handled complaints.

The walkout comes after eighth grader McKenzie McCoy said another student used racial slurs toward her and her friends earlier this week.

“Another student was telling people, ‘Oh I’m going to call the KKK on you guys,’ following me and my friends around,” McCoy said.

McCoy said the incident quickly escalated, leaving students upset and emotional throughout the school day.

“These words mean so much. It’s not just a word. It has some serious background around it,” she said.

McKenzie’s mother, Patrice McCoy, said her daughter called her from school after the incident happened.

“Yesterday my daughter called me from school saying that a young lady said the n word,” Patrice McCoy said.

She said she later went to the school to speak with administrators but left feeling dismissed by the response.

“She basically said that if you want to go to school from home for the rest of the year you can do that,” McCoy said administrators told her.

But McCoy said keeping her daughter home would not solve the larger issue.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “She is going to be here every single day because staying home won’t solve the problem.”

After sharing her daughter’s experience in a Facebook post Thursday night, McCoy said the response from students and families across the district was overwhelming. By Friday morning, students had organized a walkout outside the school.

Standing alongside dozens of classmates holding signs, McKenzie said this was not an isolated incident.

“No one should have to come to school scared of people coming up to them calling them a slur,” she said.

She also said she felt the situation could have been handled differently by school leaders.

“I just feel like this could’ve been handled in a different way,” McKenzie said.

Other students at the walkout said they have experienced similar incidents for years.

“Ever since I was in 6th grade through 8th grade, I’ve experienced multiple cases of racism. Basically, every single day, from multiple people,” said eighth grader Sofia Rojo.

Rojo said many students have avoided reporting incidents because they do not believe enough action will be taken.

“I’ve never felt comfortable enough to go up to administration and talk about it because I’ve heard about experiences that other people have had, and they haven’t done anything about it,” she said.

She added that many students wanted to participate in Friday’s walkout but could not because they lacked parental permission.

“There was also a lot of people who couldn’t come out here because they didn’t have parent permission, but I know there’s a lot of people inside that would’ve loved to come out here and walk,” Rojo said.

Rojo said she hopes the demonstration pushes the district to pay closer attention to the issue.

“Nothing has really been fixed and I feel like with more people speaking up more things will happen,” she said.

Students themselves helped organize the event, making signs the night before the protest.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I was never confident enough to bring it up,” Rojo said. “But recently there’s been a lot of things happening all in one day yesterday, so we all grouped up and decided to do the walkout.”

Seventh grader Daniel Navarro said the racism he has experienced at school has deeply affected him emotionally.

“I’m Mexican, and I’ve been called names, slurs, and I’ve actually cried myself to sleep because of the slurs that people call me,” Navarro said.

Navarro said the problem has become so severe that he is now transferring schools.

“It’s actually the reason I’m moving schools,” he said.

He said some students downplay racist comments, but he believes the impact is much more serious.

“Sometimes people say it’s not that big of a deal, but it is that big of a deal,” Navarro said. “It’s that big of a deal that people feel they can say those things and want to say those things.”

Navarro also said he has been disappointed by his experience at the school.

“Since I came here in sixth grade, I’ve heard great things about this school, but I cannot back them up,” he said.

Other students who joined the walkout said they wanted to support classmates affected by racism, even if they were not personally targeted.

“Even though it wasn’t directed towards my race or my ethnicity, I just didn’t think it was cool because there’s no reason to be doing that,” said eighth graders Nicholas and Caden De Leon.

The two friends also said they felt the punishments given to the students involved were not enough to address the issue.

“They never got the point. All they got was detention, and they never got the point,” they said.

Parents and students said they understand racism is not a problem that can be solved overnight, but they want the district to begin working with families toward meaningful solutions.

“I get it’s not going to be solved overnight but at least say let’s come to the table and find some solutions,” Patrice McCoy said.

TMJ4 News reached out to both the school and the district for comment but has not yet heard back.

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 Gideon Verdin

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    MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Volunteers and Milwaukee Riverkeeper are working to keep plastic out of Lake Michigan — and this time, they have a robot helping them do it.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper deployed its beach-cleaning robot, known as a “BeBot” and affectionately nicknamed “Mister Sifter,” at Klode Park beach in Whitefish Bay. The machine sifts through sand to remove microplastics before they reach Lake Michigan.

Katie Rademacher, Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s research and restoration manager, said the robot allows the team to measure exactly what they’re collecting.

“We quantify and kind of characterize the waste that we collect to know how many small pieces of plastic we’re picking up.”

Mister Sifter shakes out sand while larger material — rocks, trash, and plastic — collects in the back, then gets released for volunteers to sort through by hand.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but usually we’re getting about one pound of plastic. But all these pieces are teeny tiny… if you were at the beach doing a hand cleanup, it would take forever to find all those little bits and pieces,” Rademacher said.

The robot’s haul typically includes single-use plastics such as straws, cigarette butts, and bottle caps.

“That can include cigarette butts, straws, and little tiny fragments of plastic that were once something big,” Rademacher said.

Operating the machine has its lighter moments, too.

“It’s like you drive it like a Mario Kart thing. It’s fun to drive,” Rademacher said.

The stakes, however, go well beyond litter. Millions of people rely on Lake Michigan for drinking water, and plastic pollution poses a direct threat to human health.

Leah Holloway, education and sustainability manager, said the problem extends far beyond what people can see.

“We tend to think of plastic as an environmental problem, and it is… but it also is harming human health too. We are ingesting it. It’s in our water, it’s in our air, it’s in our food.”

Holloway said the longer plastic stays in the environment, the more dangerous it becomes.

“The longer it’s in the environment, the smaller pieces it can break down into.”

She also warned of broader consequences tied to plastic production.

“Plastic is going to be a bigger driver of climate change than coal in the very near future.”

For Holloway, the issue is deeply personal.

“I’m eating all this plastic too. It’s in my body… there’s endocrine disruptors, there’s carcinogens in this plastic that’s going to impact my health and my family’s health.”

Her message to beach goers is straightforward.

“Finding something that is single-use plastic that you are using, but that maybe there’s an alternative… that’s really helpful.”

Rademacher said the Great Lakes region carries a responsibility to protect its freshwater resources.

“We drink Lake Michigan water… we’re really lucky where we live that there’s so much fresh water, but that’s not the case across the United States or across the world, so we just have to protect this freshwater system.”

She said her commitment to the work runs deep.

“I’ve always cared about the environment ever since I was a little kid… I feel like it really fills my cup to work on this.”

The connection between everyday habits and the health of the lake is something Rademacher wants people to understand.

“Everything that happens on the land is connected to the water… if you take some time and don’t leave your juice box on the soccer field, it’s not going to end up here eventually.”

Rademacher said she hopes the effort inspires people to rethink their daily choices.

“I hope people take away that plastic is a big problem, right? But we can be part of the solution. Choices we make every day to use less plastic or use reusable products really makes a difference.”

Milwaukee Riverkeeper plans to deploy the BeBot weekly at area beaches throughout the summer as the organization continues tracking the types of plastic pollution appearing along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Holloway encouraged the community to get involved.

“We’ll be doing more beach cleanups throughout the summer… come join us.”

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

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — Military homecomings are a familiar sight in Hampton Roads, especially following the return of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to Naval Station Norfolk this weekend.

But for one Norfolk sailor, the reunion with his family came with flashing lights, sirens and a surprise his two young daughters will likely never forget.

Damage Controlman 2nd Class Jeffery Zimmerman, who serves aboard the USS Mahan (DDG-72), returned home Sunday after nearly 11 months deployed with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. Instead of a traditional pier-side reunion, Zimmerman partnered with Norfolk Fire-Rescue Station 14 to create a special neighborhood homecoming for his children.

News 3 was the only station there as a Norfolk fire truck turned into Zimmerman’s neighborhood near Sewells Point Road, carrying the sailor home to surprise his daughters, 5-year-old Stella and 2-year-old Scarlett.

As the truck came around the corner, the girls ran toward their father, screaming and hugging him after months apart.

“Oh I’m excited, so happy to have my girls,” Zimmerman said moments before the reunion.

Zimmerman serves as a firefighter aboard the USS Mahan and previously worked as a firefighter and EMT in Henry County before joining the Navy. During the reunion, he handed out USS Mahan patches to the Station 14 firefighters who helped make the surprise happen.

Zimmerman said his daughters love fire trucks and stop to watch every time they hear sirens — making the fire truck escort the perfect way to come home.

For his wife, the reunion marked the end of a long and emotional deployment that included extensions overseas.

“It’s a lot,” she said. “You get your hopes up and then it doesn’t happen, but we have great friends and a great support system.”

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) and USS Mahan (DDG-72) returned to Naval Station Norfolk this weekend following a record deployment.

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 Bob Jones

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    GREEN, Ohio (WEWS) — Members of a Green, Ohio, family are turning their personal tragedy into messages of hope, healing and help, one month after 9-year-old Samuel Rife died in a neighborhood crash.

Rev. Harlen Rife, the pastor of Greensburg United Methodist Church, and his wife, Madeline, are keeping Sam’s memory alive in many generous ways.

The parents spoke with News 5 at their church and stressed that their third-grade son made a lasting impact on so many people.

“I think really how compassionate he was, and funny too,” Madeline Rife said. “He always made me laugh. He always had a funny joke. I think he always wanted to bring a smile wherever he went.”

“Everywhere he went, he just brought this positive energy and outgoing spirit and tried to make sure everyone was included,” Rev. Rife said.

Sam was also known for his love of volunteering and helping others. He was part of a “building brigade” that constructed beds for families in need. He also enjoyed serving meals at an organization called Canton Food Not Bombs.

“We were just so lucky to be Sam’s parents,” Rev. Rife said.

On April 17, while playing with a friend on Peachwood Way in Green, Sam ran into the street and was hit by a 2025 Jeep Wrangler, driven by an 81-year-old man, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. Sam was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital, where he died.

The case remains under investigation, according to Bill Holland, the chief of administration for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

“Obviously, the thing we want most of all would be to have Sam back, but his memory is best kept alive when people show kindness to each other,” the pastor said.

Kindness has been on display in many ways since the child’s death.

A mother of one of Sam’s classmates made buttons with the boy’s picture. His baseball team has been wearing “Make Sam proud” arm sleeves. In addition, more than $30,000 in donations came in to support the family.

The Rife family decided to give that money to Family Support Services, which helps Green School District families with things like clothing, food and housing support.

“I think what small good can come out of this has been helpful just to know that we are able to do something for other people in the community,” Madeline Rife said.

On top of that, the family has already established the Samuel Rife Scholarship to benefit graduating seniors who have received benefits from Family Support Services.

The first scholarships in Sam’s name will be awarded during a senior awards ceremony scheduled to take place on Monday evening. The Rife family feels it will be very meaningful to give back to kids, only one month after losing Sam.

“We talked a little bit about (how) we have the opportunity to present the scholarship each year. For me, the most important year will be the year that it’s Sam’s class,” Pastor Rife said.

Sock donation drives in honor of Sam are also taking place at area churches, including Greensburg United Methodist Church.

Wearing long, unusual socks was another of Sam’s calling cards. After his death, many of his classmates wore similar socks and posed for a picture with their feet in a circle.

“He became famous for wearing these tall, loudly printed socks,” his dad told News 5.

Many of the socks will be donated to families in need through the nonprofit group Green Good Neighbors.

While the Rife family members are heartbroken, they remain determined to turn their anguish into action and do what they believe Sam would have wanted: help other people.

“His memory can live on and he’s still doing good because Sam was somebody who never stopped doing good,” Rev. Rife 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 Morgan Trau

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio (WEWS) — Ohio leaders acknowledge that artificial intelligence should be regulated as both explicit and political content grows, but bills have remained stagnant. Now, they say they aren’t sure what they are able to enforce.

Political ads are required to come with some disclaimers, like who paid for them. But it’s getting even more difficult to tell what is real, because deepfakes — AI-generated pictures and videos — aren’t outlawed.

A video posted by a conservative political action committee called Ohio Flyer PAC features former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown sitting at a birthday party, refusing to leave. A woman in the video complains about the Democratic candidate, as text on the screen says, “THE PARTY’S OVER, SHERROD.” There is no admission that the video is AI.

In a contentious primary battle between two Republicans seeking the same state Senate seat, a mailer from candidate Craig Reidel includes an AI-generated photo of state Rep. Jim Hoops with drag queens. Another doctored animation, shown to me, has Hoops dunking on a teen girl while playing basketball, claiming that he supported males in female sports. From the images we obtained, no disclaimers were included. Reidel won the nomination.

“It is the government’s role to regulate responsibly new and emerging technologies,” House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) said.

Ohio doesn’t have regulations on the new-age type of AI-created content, but Isaacsohn said lawmakers have put forward a handful of bills to change that.

House Bill 185 would allow everyone to own their image, and it would be a trademark infringement to produce malicious content without someone’s consent. There could be civil penalties of tens of thousands of dollars.

H.B. 185 is further reaching, but a bipartisan bill introduced in 2024 would have required disclaimers on specifically election-related AI content.

House Bill 524 would establish penalties for developers whose AI models generate content encouraging self-harm or violence. The state would be able to investigate and impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation

Senate Bill 163 and House Bill 786 would prohibit AI-created child sexual abuse material. These would both make creating, transmitting and possessing AI-CSAM content criminal offenses. S.B. 163 would make it a third-degree felony, while H.B. 786 could result in a second-degree. That could result in up to eight years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

President Donald Trump also signed a bill into law last year that criminalizes AI-generated CSAM under federal law.

In April, a Columbus man became the first in the country convicted of creating this explicit and abusive material, the Department of Justice reported.

Gov. Mike DeWine, in his State of the State Address in March, advocated for these types of state provisions.

“Ohio law needs real consequences,” DeWine said. “The Ohio attorney general and county prosecutors must have clear legal tools to hold these tech companies criminally and civilly accountable.”

Despite little public opposition, each bill has stalled.

I asked each legislative leader why.

“Why hasn’t anything moved?” I asked House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima). There have been bipartisan bills about AI.”

“Well, I think, probably two or three points to make,” he responded.

Technology can be confusing, he said.

“It’s difficult for folks… to wrap our heads exactly around what it is that we can do to do this, or to effect good change,” the speaker said.

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said that he supports certain AI regulations, such as with pornographic material.

“I’m in favor of passing something that would address those issues, really make it illegal and put it on par with peddling other forms of obscene materials and child pornography,” McColley told me.

But there is a committee process that needs to play out, he said.

“I’m sure they have their reasons for taking time on these bills, and hopefully we’ll wind up somewhere here very shortly or before the end of the year,” the president added.

Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said that she is concerned about not handling artificial intelligence correctly and safely.

“I think we have to do our homework, and I don’t wanna see us just making knee-jerk responses and reactions to policy making without really doing a deep dive in what should this look like,” Antonio said.

Public safety concerns, like issues with children and sexual content, are important to “get in front of,” she said, but the legislation needs to be done right.

“We’re at the beginning of having these kinds of conversations and trying to understand the depth and breadth of what we can even do,” Antonio said.

Isaacsohn hammered that point home.

“We have to protect our communities and regulate this new technology in a responsible way,” he said. “It should come from the federal government, but no one believes that they’re going to do anything positive.”

What’s possible

Huffman brought up legal concerns, adding that the federal government has “far overreached” since 1803 (when Ohio became the 17th state).

“A state regulation of AI, that’s not just going to be within the state of Ohio,” Huffman said, noting that the feds typically rely on the Commerce Clause to stop statewide statutes impacting businesses.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year that punishes states that create their own AI regulations.

“My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones,” the White House executive order’s press release states. “The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order.”

A part of the executive order restricts states from accessing a portion of federal funding if their AI regulations are too “onerous.”

Congressional Republicans and the White House aren’t going to safeguard technology, Isaacsohn said.

“They are bought and paid for by the tech billionaires, and so it is incumbent on states, especially here in Ohio, for us to step up and protect our communities, particularly children, from the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence,” he said.

Trump’s order does state that he wants Congress to come up with a plan that does “ensure that children are protected.”

Ohio is one of five states that don’t have laws criminalizing AI CSAM, according to Enough Abuse, a child advocacy organization. Because federal law already exists making it a crime, this type of regulation likely wouldn’t violate the “onerous” warning in the executive order.

But the DOJ is already fighting some regulations. Colorado is currently in a legal battle with both xAI and the DOJ after it passed a law requiring tech developers to prevent “algorithmic discrimination,” which could result in “unlawful differential treatment” to users, according to the law.

AI companies have repeatedly said that their products are protected by the First Amendment.

“I don’t have a specific answer on AI,” Huffman told me. “But we’re going to work on it.”

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.