Social worker dies after stabbing at San Francisco General Hospital

By Carlos E. Castañeda, Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A social worker who was stabbed Thursday inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has died, officials said.

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said at about 1:30 p.m., hospital workers requested additional security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient. While providing security for the doctor, a deputy heard a disturbance in a hospital hallway involving a suspect and the social worker from the University of California, San Francisco, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The deputy immediately intervened and restrained the suspect, while medical staff on site tended to the 31-year-old social worker, who was stabbed in the neck and shoulder, the office said.

The unidentified social worker was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. In an update Saturday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said the staff member died from their injuries.

“Keeping our staff, patients, and community safe is our highest priority,” SFDPH said in a statement. “DPH and the hospital have already taken steps like adding more security, limiting access points, and speeding up the installation of weapons detection systems.”

Deputies recovered a five-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack. The 35-year-old male suspect was at the hospital for a scheduled appointment and had reportedly made previous threats to the doctor, the Sheriff’s Office said.

There was no ongoing threat to the public, the office said.

On Friday, San Francisco police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi of San Francisco. He was booked on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, and being armed during the commission of a felony.

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Trading card shop has $100k in Pokémon, sports cards stolen during burglary

By Zach Boetto

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    BURBANK, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A trading card shop in Burbank says that they were hit for more than $100,000 in stolen Pokémon and sports cards during an overnight burglary earlier this week.

LA Sports Cards, located in the 1900 block of W. Olive Avenue, had the front door of their shop broken by a crowbar before a trio of burglars used power tools to bypass a bolted metal gate on Dec. 2.

“Total loss is many six figures,” said Kiet Nguyen, the store owner. “The perpetrators were in and out in two minutes. Quick.”

Surveillance camera footage from inside the store shows the three suspects dumping boxes of Pokémon cards into trash bags, ransacking shelves during the process.

Though the store specializes in buying, selling and trading all kinds of collectible cards, they also house a large collection of sports memorabilia and cards.

“This is our blood, sweat, toil and tears,” Nguyen said, noting that the thieves seemed especially focused on their exclusive Pokémon collection. “It was Pokémon. It wasn’t ‘One Piece,’ it wasn’t Disney, it wasn’t Magic, it was Pokémon.”

Nguyen said that the burglars also took off with “a lot of sports cards” that were locked up in the back of the store.

“Some of those are really, really expensive,” he said.

Inside the locked box they took from the back was a one-of-ten in the world Cristiano Ronaldo card, which he estimates is worth more than $100,000 by itself.

“It feels like a violation,” Nguyen said. “This is like our home. Feels like someone went in our home, ransacked our things. It was personal to that level.”

Police have not yet responded to CBS Los Angeles’ request for comment on the investigation.

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Reported counterfeit money puts businesses on alert

By Terell Bailey

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    OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — In Oakland County, Michigan, some scammers are working hard to make sure their pockets end up delightful this holiday season.

“I imagine they’re well into $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, doing this frequently,” Tom Jones, owner of Funky Monkey Toys in Oxford, Michigan, said.

The toy store has been open for over 15 years.

On Black Friday, the business experienced a first: someone paying with counterfeit cash.

“[A] $100 bill and they’ve bought $20 worth of merchandise, meaning they got about $75 of real money back,” Jones explained.

The counterfeit marker didn’t tip employees off about the situation. They realized they’d been duped when the money was taken to the bank.

“It happened here four times that I know of in Oxford. It’s also happened in Lake Orion. I don’t know if it’s the same person, individual, or group,” Jones explained.

Oakland County deputies are looking into the situation. Aside from counterfeit detection pins, officials advise checking the texture of the bill. If it’s slippery, it could be fake.

“Hold it to the light. There’s a watermark in bills. You can buy an inexpensive UV light. And UV lights will tell you very specifically, each denomination has a specific color, so, for example, a $5 bill is blue,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

The bills used were purported to be older $100 bills.

“This is just my guess; they’re actually using money paper, bleaching it and putting imprints on top,” Jones said.

Since Black Friday, businesses in downtown Oxford have been on high alert.

“It’s almost like an insult to these businesses. We support this community, and the community supports us,” Jones explained.

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Ticket for Michael Jordan’s first home game with the Bulls fetches over $7,600

By Jessica Popowcer

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    Illinois (WBBM) — A ticket from Michael Jordan’s first home game with the Chicago Bulls 41 years ago sold for more than $7,600 at auction.

According to the website for Lelands, the ticket went for $7,646.960

The ticket is from the first preseason game of the 1984-1985 season, on Oct. 9, 1984. The Bulls took on the Milwaukee Bucks at a high school gym in Northwest Indiana.

Jordan played his first two games as a Bull on the road in small venues in Peoria and St. Louis, but his first home game took place at that gym in East Chicago.

David Blixt, the collector and owner of the ticket, found it in a box of old baseball cards in his childhood bedroom.

He found the ticket, which originally cost $5, in a box underneath his dresser recently while looking for an old Nolan Ryan rookie baseball card to see what it was worth.

The old ticket jogged Blixt’s memory of Jordan highlights.

“A vacuum sucked everything out of the gym for an instant, and it got silent and then pfff! Eruption when he dunked, and it was like, ‘Oh my God!'” he said.

The auction for the ticket ended Saturday.

Noel Brennan contributed to this report.

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Pittsburgh-area mayors, U.S. Steel honor 15-year-old who helped neighbor from house fire

By Ricky Sayer

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh-area mayors and U.S. Steel on Saturday night honored the 15-year-old boy who ran into a North Braddock burning home to rescue an elderly neighbor.

Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor showed off his trademark smile during the event, which was organized by North Braddock Mayor Cletus Lee as part of the Mayor’s Charitable Fund that he leads.

“Congratulations, you’re a hero,” Taylor heard as he entered the room, filled with mayors from across the Pittsburgh region, including Braddock, Turtle Creek, West Mifflin, and Braddock Hills, along with business leaders who sponsor the fund, including U.S. Steel President David Burritt.

When in October his neighbor’s home caught fire, Taylor, who is autistic, jumped into action.

“Miss Evelyn [West] screamed for help, and I came [to] help,” Taylor said.

His mother spoke with KDKA-TV the day of the fire, explaining that he pulled the woman out of the burning home.

“She is everybody’s family, she’s everybody’s grandmother,” said Tallula Thompson, the teen’s mother and the caretaker for Ms. Evelyn’s granddaughter. She describes her son as very intelligent, with a 4.0 GPA.

Lee caught wind of Taylor’s story.

“I didn’t believe there were still young men and women that did heroic deeds as he did. So I said, ‘We got to do something for this young man,’ because this is unheard of,” Mayor Lee said.

It was set in motion Saturday night, where both Taylor and West were honored at the second annual Mayor’s Charitable Fundraiser Dinner.

West, who is in her 80s, lost her home in the fire. She’s a longtime community crossing guard. Lee brought West to the front of the room and handed her a key.

“So, when we knew about your house, I took it upon myself to make sure that now you got an apartment,” Lee told her. “This is your apartment. This is your key to your new apartment. I paid your rent for a whole year, so you have nothing to worry about.”

The mayor also gave her a service award.

Unable to hold back tears, she gave thanks and acknowledged that it seems there are few people in the world willing to help someone like her out.

“This is really different for me,” West said.

U.S. Steel President David Burritt called her a remarkable woman and shared with her a token of appreciation on behalf of the company.

“Well, we like to be part of the community, and it really was a privilege to be part of this,” Burritt told KDKA-TV.

He also spoke during the event, looking right at Taylor as he shared why he found him to be so extraordinary.

“Thank you for what you have been able to role model for all of us,” Burritt said. “You know, there’s a lot of people who talk about courage, but few people are able to act on it. When you knew she was in harm’s way, it didn’t matter about the smoke, the flames, the danger; you stepped up, and you rescued her.”

He presented Taylor a “Champion of S.T.E.E.L.” award, saying it was only the second time it had been presented to a non-U.S. Steel employee.

Like their workers, Burritt said Taylor has grit.

Other “Gold Sponsors” of the night included Black Diamond Equipment Rental and Avalotis Corporation.

“Oh, it was so exciting that I got three awards in the diamond shape, a trophy in a box, and a gold coin,” Taylor told KDKA-TV. “I feel very amazed I was called a hero.”

In a selfish world, Mayor Lee said Xaiveyon shows there’s still compassion and love. He’s a 15-year-old with a story everyone can learn from.

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SEPTA riders brace for possible service shutdown as strike threat grows, negotiations stalled

By Eva Andersen, Bill Seiders

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    Pennsylvania (KYW) — With no new contract talks scheduled between SEPTA and its largest union, TWU Local 234, riders who depend on public transit say they are increasingly anxious about how they will get around if workers walk off the job.

SEPTA has urged riders to prepare for alternate transportation options, warning that a strike would shut down all bus, train, and trolley service.

For Clinton Mumford, who relies exclusively on SEPTA buses and trains, even a short strike would be devastating.

“We got a lot to lose,” Mumford said. “I got programs I gotta get to…If I don’t take [SEPTA], I gotta take an Uber. And then I gotta dig down deep into my pockets.”

Other riders told CBS News Philadelphia they are already trying to make backup plans, unsure whether buses, trolleys or subways will be running by the end of the weekend.

“You don’t know who to feel the most sorry for,” said rider Bridget Peezik. “The people that are trying to get to work — or SEPTA itself because it’s just having such a hard time keeping going.”

Union demands — which include “modest” wage increases, pension adjustments and earlier access to a dental plan, according to TWU Local 234 President Will Vera — appeared reasonable to several riders interviewed Saturday.

“I believe that should be accounted for and that should be reevaluated without having a strike occur,” Lillian, a SEPTA rider, said.

Their concerns come one day after Transport Workers Union Local 234 declared a strike “imminent” unless SEPTA returns to the bargaining table with what union leaders describe as fair contract proposals. The union represents about 5,000 operators and mechanics across the city’s bus, trolley, Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines.

But despite the warning, SEPTA said Saturday that it did not resume negotiations with the union after both sides walked away from talks on Friday.

No negotiations are scheduled for Sunday either, SEPTA said. Union leaders have not provided a strike timeline but say a walkout could begin at any moment.

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Judge orders NYC DOT to get rid of controversial bike lanes in Astoria, Queens

By Adi Guajardo

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — A judge has ordered the city to scrap a street redesign already in the works in Astoria, Queens.

The construction of a bike lane along 31st Street has had local businesses and cyclists at odds for months. Now, the New York City Department of Transportation has to cease its work and rip up what’s already done.

Judge sides with business owners in lawsuit over street redesign The DOT plan included a redesign of a six-block segment of 31st Street between 31st Avenue and Newtown Avenue. The DOT said internal data helped identify that section as a one of the most dangerous corridors in Queens, citing 14 deaths or serious injuries and approximately 190 injuries total between 2019 and 2024.

According to court documents, however, a judge has sided with business owners who brought forth a lawsuit and ordered the DOT to undo all the work they’ve already done and restore the street to its original design.

Bike lanes that the DOT already began to build out will now have to be scrapped.

According to court documents, DOT has 30 days to comply. CBS News New York reached out to the department for a comment on the ruling but did not immediately hear back.

Reaction split to judge’s ruling The 31st Street Business Association released a statement saying, in part, “The 31st Street Business Association is pleased with the court’s ruling, which helps protect the Astoria community from an ill-advised DOT plan that would have made our streets and our community less safe.”

Georgios Kalosis, the owner of Sanemi Modern Greek, is one of many local business owners who raised concerns about the new bike lanes. He said he’s very happy with the judge’s decision.

“We have a business. We wanna thrive. It gives a lot of problems, especially with the parking,” he said.

But many cyclists argue the that the court’s decision to scrap the project is putting lives at risk.

“I was actually clipped by a car yesterday. A lot of drivers just don’t care. They drive very aggressively around here,” cyclist Andrew Littlefield said. “So having a protected lane where there is cars and steel beams in between you and moving traffic makes it so that people of all cycling abilities can ride.”

“Unfortunately, with the ruling of this judge, we’ve just taken a big step back right here,” cyclist Kevin Guo said.

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Family raises more than $500k for research for 6-year-old daughter’s terminal disease

By Andie Bernhardt

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    MUSKEGO, Wisconsin (WDJT) — For Muskego parents Tyler and Erin Stoop, life is all about cherishing every moment with their children, Olivia and Liam.

“We want to make as many good memories with them together before Liv starts slowing down and isn’t able to play with him anymore,” said Stoop.

At just two years old, their six-year-old daughter Liv was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome. It’s a rare and terminal disease described as childhood Alzheimer’s.

“Our hearts were ripped out of our chests,” said Stoop. “It was something you never envisioned happening. You’ve already built your family in your mind on what you think is going to happen and you’re all going to grow old together and all of the sudden you are told that your child has an expiration date and it was the hardest day of my life.”

The Stoops say as Liv continues to grow, her abilities continue to regress. So, what were major milestones, like learning to walk and hearing her daughter say I love you are being taken away.

“I sometimes get memories on my phone, flashbacks of a year or two ago and I see regression or how far she’s stepped back from where she used to be and that’s really hard,” said Stoop.

Embracing every minute with the young girl they say is full of endless energy and love.

“Her giggle is so infectious and so yeah she just brings a lot of joy to our life,” said Stoop.

Right now, there is no FDA treatment or cure for Sanfilippo Syndrome, but this family is not giving up.

“We are hopeful that Liv will be potentially able to get medication at some point that will help slow things down.”

The Muskego community and beyond helping them turn their pain into progress.

“The community of Muskego came together, the school systems, churches, family, friends, strangers on the internet, everybody has contributed considerably,” said Stoop.

Now, after more than three years of fundraising, the family has helped raise more than half a million dollars. All of those funds go towards finding treatments and a cure.

“There’s definitely promising research on the horizon and our money along with a lot of other families that have raised money have helped fund a lot of these studies and a lot of these researchers,” said Stoop.

Liv’s impact goes beyond the fundraising. Spreading awareness through social media, this mother daughter duo has helped diagnose eight kids with Sanfilippo Syndrome or similar genetic disorders.

“I always say it’s like two totally different stories where I’m very proud of it because she’s helping others, but also she’s apart of somebodies worst day of their lives.”

Stoops posts sharing Liv’s journey, while connecting with other families going through a similar experience so they know they are not alone.

“I think that’s been a real motivation for us, that we are making a positive impact,” said Stoop. “You know even though this is in light of a very devastating diagnosis for our daughter.”

With a long road ahead ,they are holding onto hope.

“A lot of things have progressed since Liv’s diagnosis, so there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of money to be raised.”

Continuing to do everything they can to help their daughter and other children with Sanfilippo Syndrome.

“We have to realize all of that isn’t going to happen overnight and if we take everything day by day and just love her as she is each day, we can make it to the next,” said Erin Stoop.

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Researchers at UW-Platteville find way to convert spoiled milk into 3D printing plastic

By A.J. Bayatpour

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    PLATTEVILLE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Thanks to the research of two professors at UW-Platteville, there may truly be no reason to ever cry over spilled milk.

Chemistry Professor Joseph Wu and Mechanical Engineering Professor John Obielodan recently had a breakthrough in their efforts to use milk protein as a polymer 3D printers can use to create various molds.

Their research on the southwestern Wisconsin campus began before the COVID-19 pandemic when they were exploring whether different plant materials could be used to create plastics.

When the pandemic hit, they noticed farmers nearby had a problem: Milk demand had dried up, and much of the product was going to waste.

“Farmers’ dairy companies could not deliver the goods,” Obielodan said. “And they’re perishable.”

They found milk protein had the potential to give them the basics. As it curdled, the protein separated, and the solid part of the protein, casein, showed promised.

Still, it took lots of trial and error.

“We do it repeatedly, over and over, and I can’t really put a number on it,” Wu said. “Well, the first time is definitely not a success. It doesn’t extrude out very well.”

Wu suspected fats in the protein were mucking up the process. He used different solvents to separate the fats and settled on butanol; it worked well, and he found the smell to be more tolerable.

Sure enough, the fat-free protein worked much better. The protein can be converted into pellets or a powder that goes over to Obielodan’s engineering domain.

The protein extract is blended with other materials to make spools of filament.

“[We] feel such a relief because we are actually doing research into the unknown,” Wu said.

The development was enough to secure a U.S. patent for Wu and Obielodan earlier this year.

Still, they’re not satisfied. Wu said he’s still working to create a version of the protein that can be converted into plastic without being blended with other materials.

“There’s more chemistry that needs to be done,” he said. “If we can print directly from milk protein, that would be great. That’s actually one of our visions.”

While that research continues, Wu and Obielodan said their ultimate goal is to take their invention off campus.

“If we find an investor that is interested in buying the intellectual property rights, we will work with the person,” Obielodan said.

Wu said seeing their invention one day help shift an industry would mean a lot, but what matters most to him is having a great lesson he can now teach.

“Using this project to demonstrate knowledge is powerful,” he said. “We can actually use knowledge to help the community, and that is always close to my heart.”

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Tiny Tim sign returns to Canton after 30 years, spreading holiday cheer

By Marisa Sardonia

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    CANTON, North Carolina (WLOS) — A beloved Christmas tradition has returned to Canton after 30 years, carrying with it a timeless message for the season.

A sign featuring Tiny Tim from the iconic story “A Christmas Carol” now adorns the side of Wells Funeral Home, displaying the famous line, “God bless us everyone.” In “A Christmas Carol,” Tiny Tim’s character plays a crucial role in teaching Ebenezer Scrooge the true meaning of Christmas.

“I just thought, given the time of year that’s[…] happy, that this is a message we can share with everybody that comes by and sees our sign,” said Wells Greeley, funeral director at Wells Funeral Homes & Cremation Services. “I’m just really pleased that we’ve been able to resurrect this and offer it back to the community.”

The sign, which had been in storage for nearly three decades, invites residents to take photos and reflect on its message.

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