Company tells story of product in Oscars nominee gift bags four years running

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Mike Castellucci

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    DENVER (KMGH) — On the second floor of what used to be a Catholic high school in Denver, Stacy Flax has learned to reach for the stars.

“I think I’m a perfect example of you can make big changes and now I can’t believe this is what I get to do with my life,” Flax said.

What she gets to do with her life is to create the world’s first graphic T-shirt you can wear under a dress shirt without it being visible.

“What I discovered is if I turned the words vertical and I put it down the center, then it falls under that thick part of the fabric by the buttons which is four times as thick as the rest of the shirt,” Flax said.

Her company Bored Rebel is the medicine Flax needed after burnout in a corporate job.

“Bored Rebel has healed me,” Flax said. “I get pretty emotional when I look back and think about where I was because it was a pretty dark place and I would not have imagined I’d be brave enough to be able to put myself out there like this.”

Look around her Bored Rebel headquarters inside the old high school and on the surface, you’ll see blackboards lining the walls. But you’ll quickly learn everything behind that is Flax’s art, heart and soul.

From the blackboards to the red carpet, this is the fourth year the Academy Awards have come calling for Bored Rebel to be a part of the Oscars gift bags.

“The first year I was blown away I cried, the fourth year feels particularly special,” Flax said.

Twenty-five Oscar nominees found Stacy’s shirts in their gift bags Sunday.

“‘Champagne will fix it’ — one of our most popular ones, and we gave that to Kate Hudson and Emma Stone,” Stacy said, “We just try to research as much as possible and figure out what their personality is and what they’ll love. So ‘Exhale’ we gave to Elle Fanning because she’s a big yoga fan… My dogs think I’m awesome—that’s what we gave to Leonardo DiCaprio. Anytime we can find out one of the nominees loves dogs, that’s the one we give.”

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.

Boy is the first U.S. pediatric patient to get new sleep apnea device

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Ethan Carlson

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    AURORA, Colorado (KMGH) — In June 2025, Myles Gilbert of Colorado became the first pediatric patient in the United States to receive the fifth-generation Inspire device, a permanently implanted nerve stimulator being used to treat obstructive sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome.

The device, referred to by Dr. Norman Friedman at Children’s Hospital Colorado as a “pacemaker for the tongue,” senses breathing and delivers a small electrical stimulus that moves the tongue forward to keep the airway open during sleep. Friedman, surgical sleep program director at the hospital, said the implant eliminates the need for external chest leads and can be adjusted in clinic to find optimal settings for each patient.

“For children with Down syndrome, [sleep apnea] is highly prevalent,” Friedman said, noting that lower muscle tone and large tonsils or tongues often contribute to lifelong breathing difficulties. “This is a very good alternative, especially for children that have larger tongues.”

Myles’ family said the implant has markedly improved his sleep and daytime function after years of unsuccessful trials with CPAP masks.

“He’s definitely sleeping better,” said Tim Gilbert, Myles’ father. “He’s more awake during the days. He’s not falling asleep in the car on short drives. All those pieces just add to Myles’ quality of life.”

The device is adjusted in follow-up visits and can be controlled with a remote control, and monitored with an app the family carries on their phones. Doctors can also remotely monitor usage and breathing data.

Beyond improved sleep, Myles said the change has helped him participate more in school and community activities. He’s active in unified sports, and loves being the equipment manager for the Arapahoe High School football team.

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Kids made lava lamps, built engines and more at this successful STEM Family Night

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Andrea Olson

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    IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — Building LEGO engines, creating lava lamps and learning how to code: these are just a few of the many activities kids learned during an interactive, hands-on experience at an elementary school this past week.

A parent-teacher organization held its first-ever STEM Family Night at Discovery Elementary School in Idaho Falls on Friday night. It had a successful turnout, with hundreds of students in attendance.

“A lot of families were super supportive and came and brought all the kids,” said Anyelen Bailey, coordinator for STEM Family Night and PTO member at Discovery Elementary School. “I had someone say that making the lava lamp was their favorite. It was amazing for them to see the chemical reaction.”

Students had the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through engaging activities. There were more than 20 stations, three of which were live demonstrations.

Bailey works remotely as a compliance engineer for Cummins, an engine company based in Indiana. She was in charge of the Cummins booth that built LEGO engines.

“I think it’s fun for kids to see science in different ways, like in math, or building engines, or building cars. I think it gives them a different vision of how the world works,” Bailey said.

Hannah, 10, and her sister Penny, 8, attended STEM Family Night and said they loved exploring at the various booths. Hannah said her favorite was learning how to code.

“The person who sits next to me in class is always coding, and I’m like, ‘That’s cool!’” she said.

Their father, Chad Ryan, said it’s good to get kids exposed to STEM in a creative way.

“STEM is pretty difficult to do generally, so it kind of scares people away, especially when you get into math and science, so this is fun. I think this is a good outreach,” he said.

Kayla Secrist brought five kids to STEM Family Night and said they all really liked it. She told EastIdahoNews.com it was enjoyable to watch them learn new things, such as using a microscope to look at a fly leg and onion skin. The hands-on booths are what made the night exciting.

“Them being able to see it and pick it apart, it definitely makes more sense in their brain — and that’s what kids want to do. They are curious, so being able to do that is an awesome activity for them,” Secrist said.

Her son Carter, 12, liked making cars with rubber bands. He got to collaborate with people who helped him create it.

“It’s been really cool getting to go into the rooms and getting to make different things, and learning about how UV lights work, and how coding works, and how robots follow different directions,” Carter said.

There were many participating partners that made the night come to life, like Idaho National Laboratory, Rockwell Homes, Brigham Young University-Idaho and more. See the list below.

Bailey hopes the STEM Family Night returns next year and is even bigger.

“I hope all the kids had fun and they enjoyed it with their families, and they can have something to talk about when their friends and family ask, ‘What did you do this weekend?’ And they say, ‘Oh, I went to the school STEM event,’” she said.

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Delano March: 60 years later, the fight for farmworkers’ rights continues

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Maricela De La Cruz

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — This week marks 60 years since the Delano march, a significant event in the Civil Rights movement that aimed to bring national attention to the exploitation of farmworkers during the Delano grape strike.

On March 17, 1966, a small group of farmworkers set out from Delano, California, beginning a 280-mile march to Sacramento, led by César Chávez. The march aimed to expose the harsh conditions farmworkers faced and demand fair wages, union recognition, and dignity in the fields.

The march quickly grew from 75 participants into one of the most significant labor demonstrations in American history.

The Delano march was intentionally framed as a religious pilgrimage, ending on Easter Sunday at the State Capitol. It garnered much community support after stopping in towns for masses and rallies.

“It was a moment in history that those who were here would never forget,” said Marc Grossman, who worked with César Chávez and has been with the United Farm Workers (UFW) for 57 years.

Farmworkers were fighting for basic protections already guaranteed to other American workers.

César Chávez explained, “We have strong feelings that the reason farm workers have been excluded from most major legislation. First of all, you have to understand that when we speak of farmworkers, you’re speaking essentially of a minority group of people.”

The march captured national attention, shining a spotlight on the struggles of farmworkers across California.

“It placed the American farmworkers’ plight and their cause squarely before the conscience of the American people for the first time,” Grossman said.

After 25 days on the road, the march reached Sacramento, with thousands of farmworkers crossing the Tower Bridge and bringing their fight for labor rights directly to the steps of the State Capitol.

Sacramento resident Rudy O. Cuellar, who watched the marchers arrive at California’s State Capitol, said, “To see all these people there, the charros came in, the farm workers came in.” He described the event as “A beautiful awakening.”

Cuellar recalled that many laborers were forced to work long hours in punishing conditions. That included using a short hoe, which required them to work while hunched over all day.

“They were fighting over using the short hoe, the growers wanted them to use the short hoe, and can you imagine all day working over hunchback,” Cuellar recalled.

Tagging along with his father, Cuellar described the scene in Downtown Sacramento as “festive and powerful.”

“Everyone was just like waiting for something like this to happen, and it was surprising to everyone, I think. Just to see that many people coming in on the bridge and proud, very proud,” Cuellar said.

By the end of the march, farmworkers had secured a historic breakthrough.

Grossman noted, “One of the growers that was struck – Schneidman Industries – agreed to negotiate with the farmworkers’ union and did negotiate the first genuine contract in American history.”

For many who witnessed it, the march became a defining moment.

“I’m proud to have been there,” Cuellar said. “I’m proud to have seen a supporter. Glad that my dad had taken me.”

Six decades later, the message of that march still echoes today as farmworkers continue to push for fair pay, dignity, and protections in the fields.

“You’ve got to take a stand,” Grossman said. “Freedom isn’t free. Each generation needs to discover it anew.”

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Woman falls through bodega’s basement door after cab crashes into her, another woman

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By WABC Eyewitness News

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    NEW YORK (WABC) — A runaway cab crashed into two women on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

The women had been strolling along Rivington Street near Essex Street when they stopped for a moment and were struck without warning.

“I was eating right next door. Two girls were walking, this cab lost control, hit the two girls. One girl fell to the right of the cab, the other girl fell down through the basement,” said an eyewitness named Anthony.

The force of the impact hurled one of the women down the stairs to the basement outside the bodega.

“It was crazy. I was actually talking to the girl, her name was Dina, in the basement on the other side of the taxi cause her friend said ‘have you seen my friend?’ We tried calling her name and then we heard a little whisper, ‘I’m right here, I’m right here!’ And then we went around the other side and we were talking to her through the basement until we tell the police that that’s where she was at,” Anthony added.

The impact was so loud, workers in a nearby sneaker store were under impression the cab hit their store.

“I thought it was us right here across the street, but nah, I look out, there’s smoke, there’s a car — the deli in the corner, it’s fried,” said the worker.

A woman named Brenna was one of the passengers in the cab.

“We had no idea what happened and then came out, we saw someone was on the ground — someone was under the car,” she said.

There was major damage and no small miracle on Saturday afternoon when a cab crashed into two women and a bodega on the Lower East Side.

The taxi was near Essex and Rivington Streets when the driver lost control.

Witnesses say one woman got knocked over and was lying on the pavement. The other was thrown down the bodega’s basement through the opening on the street. She was not seriously injured.

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New Mexico community mourns three young adults killed in house fire

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Aliyah Chavez

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    LAS VEGAS (KOAT) — Hundreds of people gathered in Las Vegas for a candlelight vigil to honor the lives of three young adults who died in a house fire on Pecos Street on March 7, as the investigation into the cause continues. The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m., and despite the efforts of fire crews, the three individuals inside did not survive. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, but officials do not suspect foul play.

The victims were identified as 22-year-old Austin Apodaca, 21-year-old Geno Gonzales, and 21-year-old Desiree Trujillo. Mourners shared stories and leaned on one another during the vigil, expressing the deep impact of the loss on the community.

Austin Apodaca’s mother described her son as “a 22-year-old young man, very respectable, very outgoing, full of life.”

She said he always had a smile on his face and took pride in bull riding with Geno and his best friends.

“Me and him would ride bulls together. He was my rodeo partner,” she said.

Another mourner shared, “Like Geno, too. He was my best friend. Me and Austin told him, ‘Ride a bull with us’ in Los Alamos, one time. We always had a place to stay with them. You never knew — whatever went down in your life, you needed a place to go. You came here.”

The vigil organizers read messages aloud, observed a moment of silence, and encouraged attendees to check on neighbors and loved ones, emphasizing the importance of keeping the memory of the three young adults alive in the community they helped shape.

“We always told each other, ‘I love you, love you guys,'” one mourner said.

Austin’s mother added, “Austin was my baby. He will forever leave a hole in our hearts, and he is shining down on us.”

Funerals for the victims are scheduled to begin this week on Wednesday. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the Las Vegas Fire Department or the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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Last suspect convicted in 2019 Santa Cruz County tech executive murder case

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Ricardo Tovar

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    Santa Cruz County (KSBW) — The last of four men accused of killing a Santa Cruz County tech executive in 2019 was convicted of murder.

Joshua Camps, 29, was found guilty after a lengthy jury trial of kidnapping, burglary and first-degree murder, according to the Superior Court of California, Santa Cruz County portal.

His next court date is scheduled for March 19 and will be a report and sentencing hearing. Camps remains in custody.

“We are proud of the work that has been done in this case and hope this verdict brings a sense of closure to Mr. Atre’s loved ones,” Ashley Keehn, a public information officer at the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, told SFGATE. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office did not comment by the time of publication.

Prosecutors said Joshua Camps—along with Stephen Lindsay (a former Atre employee), Kurtis Charters and Kaleb Charters—kidnapped Atre from his Pleasure Point home in October 2019. Surveillance video from a neighbor captured the abduction.

Atre’s body was found the next morning at one of his cannabis properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Lindsay was convicted in March of murder and related charges and was sentenced in April to life without the possibility of parole.

Kurtis was convicted in September and was sentenced in October to life without the possibility of parole. Kaleb was also convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years to life term, according to the district attorney’s office.

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Flying cars tested in eight cities as FAA works on safety measures

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Yuna Lee, Adam Roberts

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    ROGERS, Ark. (KHBS , KHOG) — Eight cities are currently testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as “flying cars,” as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) works to ensure their safety and integration into existing airspace.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford explained that these vehicles might soon be available for order like an Uber, allowing users to fly to their desired destinations.

“We want to make sure when someone gets into one of them, they should feel like they are stepping into any commercial airline,” Bedford said. “So the certification process will be rigorous, and we are doing that through significant flight testing and evaluation. Second thing we are doing is to integrate them into the airspace safely with all the other commercial traffic that exists, and the principal reason we have to modernize.”

There is a digital infrastructure that allows these flying cars to coexist with other air traffic safely.

Bedford said the FAA is making sure there are enough charging ports for these battery-operated flying cars.

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Bill honoring Kansas City firefighter Graham Hoffman caught in Missouri Senate dispute

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — A plan to honor fallen Kansas City firefighter/paramedic Graham Hoffman was caught in the middle of a partisan dispute in the Missouri Senate.

Senator Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, pulled the bill to honor Hoffman by naming a portion of Highway 9 in Platte County from the consent calendar, a fast-track for non-controversial bills.

Brattin said his objection wasn’t to the proposal, it was to his colleague Senator Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City.

“This particular senator has been extremely disruptive in committees, causing scenes. I mean it’s not just a one off, situation it’s three months of disruption and obstruction,” Brattin said.

Hoffman was stabbed to death while treating a patient last April.

On Wednesday, Brattin pulled the Hoffman bill off the consent calendar.

“There’s a time and a place for political shenanigans and there’s a time to do what’s right,” Nurrenbern said.

Brattin said he was especially upset at Nurrenbern for a filibuster lasting until 4 a.m. over a crime bill in part designed to have longer mandatory prison time for convicted felons.

“It’s basically legislative terrorism,” he said.

Nurrenbern said Democrats told Republicans they wouldn’t stand idly by while the GOP super majority passed whatever they wanted.

“We’ve put an end to a rubber stamp Senate,” she said.

Nurrenbern also said Democrats want balanced criminal justice reform.

But Brattin points out Hoffman is a crime victim.

“We want policies that stop this before we have to name highways after these servants,” he said.

However, ultimately, Brattin put the Hoffman highway bill back on the fast track calendar.

“It really had to do with the subject matter of the bill once I found out,” he said.

“I’m grateful for Senator Brattin rescinding his objection,” Nurrenbern said.

“Hopefully it puts it in perspective that it sucks when somebody’s messing with your legislation,” Brattin said.

Under the plan, the Missouri Department of Transportation will put up and maintain signs honoring Hoffman.

The Missouri Senate is in recess until March 23.

Shanetta Bossell is accused of stabbing and killing Hoffman.

She’s facing murder and several other felony charges.

Bossell is due in Clay County Court for a hearing next week.

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Jefferson Parish leaders investigate allegations of offensive behavior during St. Patrick’s Day parade

CNN Newsource on March 16, 2026

By Sula Kim

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    JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WDSU) — Jefferson Parish leaders are investigating after what appears to be a Nazi salute was captured on video.

The video started circulating online Sunday afternoon. It shows some people on float #28 during St. Patrick’s Day parade doing what looks like a Nazi salute.

Jefferson Parish president Cynthia Lee Sheng issued the following statement.

“We do not tolerate hate. We notified parade organizers as soon as we found out about this incident and are working with them to investigate exactly what occurred and make sure it is addressed.”

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.