Researchers identify birthmark that signals serious neurological condition

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Kristi Harper

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — Researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute are urging parents and doctors to watch for a specific type of birthmark that strongly indicates Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a condition that affects blood vessel development in the skin, eye, and brain.

Dr. Anne Comi, Director of the Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Syndrome Center, at Kennedy Krieger Institute, and her team have made significant discoveries about early detection and treatment of this condition that can lead to seizures and other brain function problems.

“Port wine birthmark or capillary malformation is another name for it is enlarged, abnormal blood vessels in the skin, so it’s a pink birthmark, pinkish red birthmark that’s present at birth, and sometimes it’s mistaken for a bruise, but it doesn’t go away,” Comi said.

The size and location of these birthmarks are crucial indicators of risk.

Larger birthmarks pose higher risks, and when a large birthmark appears on both sides of the face, there’s about a 50% chance of eye and brain involvement.

The Kennedy Krieger team has discovered a biomarker to identify the issue early through EEG testing, which examines brain activity patterns.

“A biomarker is a clinical or a patient characteristic or measurement that we can quantify and measure in a very objective way. And with the EEG we’re able to look at the physiology of the brain, brain activity,” Comi said.

In patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome, EEG tests reveal specific patterns during the first year of life.

“In patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome, over time, that first year of life, they frequently develop slowing, decreased amplitude, we call it decreased power and sharps and spikes, that’s abnormal activity that indicates they’re very high risk of beginning to have seizures soon,” Comi said.

The first few years of life represent a critical window for these patients due to brain development patterns and blood flow changes.

“There’s this period of high susceptibility of high risk, the first few years of life for these children, and it has to do with the developing brain. It has to do with the networks coming online and the risk of seizures. It also has to do with the timeline of blood flow in the developing brain, so those 1st 2-3-4 years are critical for these patients, and if you can get them past that, they often remain seizure-free, stable, can come off of the treatment and have continued to do well,” Comi said.

The research brings hope through available treatment options that are both safe and affordable.

“Now we have a therapy to offer them, and it’s an inexpensive, safe treatment. We know how to, if there are any side effects, we know how to manage them. And we have now children who are 6-7-8 years old who have never had a seizure,” Comi said.

This breakthrough creates urgency for early detection because effective treatment is now available.

“Is that what creates the urgency? That that now we have a positive reason.”

“That’s right. That’s right. So prior to us having shown that this treatment can change that prevent the seizures, delay the seizures, and result in better outcomes for these children,” Comi said.

Children with these birthmarks now have a good chance of leading lives free of debilitating issues when properly identified and treated early.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Woman saves boat crash survivor using CPR training from high school class

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Eric Lovelace

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WFTX) — A Cape Coral woman who learned CPR in high school nearly a decade ago used those skills to save the life of the lone survivor of Saturday’s deadly boat crash.

Julie Quinn was out on the water with her boyfriend and two friends when they witnessed the tragic boat crash that claimed three lives Saturday night. The group immediately rushed to help.

“My boyfriend turned around and he pointed out, that boat just flipped, we just whipped it around, got life jackets out,” Quinn said.

When they arrived at the crash site, Quinn spotted something barely visible above the water’s surface.

“As we pull up, you could see the top of his ears and it was going to his hairline, and everyone’s pointing at him, I’m like is that a person?” Quinn said.

It was Neal Kirby, a lifelong Cape Coral resident and avid boater who became the sole survivor of the devastating crash. Quinn and her friends quickly pulled Kirby onto their boat and began life-saving measures.

Despite learning CPR in a high school class almost 10 years ago, Quinn had never used it in a real emergency until that moment.

“I don’t know, it kicked in instantly, we laid him down and started singing, stay alive, stay alive, and kept pace with that song,” Quinn said.

She said performed chest compressions for around six minutes while they transported Kirby to waiting paramedics. Her efforts proved successful.

“Once we got to the dock, I felt his chest inflate, and he started moaning and making some sounds,” Quinn said.

Kirby remains hospitalized as he continues battling his injuries from the crash. His family has reached out to Quinn to express their gratitude for her quick thinking and life-saving actions.

“Hopefully one day we can see face to face and hug, I would love to see his family and his dad, that would mean the world to me,” Quinn said.

Quinn encourages everyone to learn CPR, emphasizing that you never know when those skills might be needed to save a life.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission identified the victims as Craig Millett, Brenna Millett and Rebecca Knight.

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Chinese national who smuggled pathogens into Michigan has been deported, FBI says

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Paula Wethington

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — A Chinese national who pleaded guilty to smuggling dangerous pathogens into Michigan has been deported, an FBI official said.

Yunqing Jian, 33, from the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced Nov. 12 to time served while awaiting disposition of the federal case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office previously said.

Jian, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, was arrested in June along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, for smuggling in a fungus called Fusarium graminearum. The noxious fungus is known to cause “head blight,” a disease that affects barley, rice, wheat and maize, resulting in economic losses worth billions of dollars each year.

Liu has returned to China, and authorities say he is not likely to return to the United States.

Dan Bongino, deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, mentioned the case in a roundup of recent FBI cases he posted Monday on social media:

“Yunqing Jian, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, pleaded guilty to charges of smuggling a DANGEROUS biological pathogen into our country and then lying about it to FBI agents, and was DEPORTED. The FBI will not stand by and allow our foreign adversaries to exploit our top-notch university facilities in furtherance of their agendas,” Bongino said.

Another person, 28-year-old Chengxuan Han, was also arrested in June and pleaded no contest to three smuggling charges and to making false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Han was sentenced in September to time served and returned to China.

Last month, federal investigators charged three other Chinese nationals with conspiracy to smuggle goods into the U.S. and false statements. Court records show that all three men traveled on J-1 visas as scholars at the University of Michigan and lived in Ann Arbor.

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Construction at Ice Castles begins at Minnesota State Fairgrounds

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By WCCO Staff

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Cold weather from a winter snowstorm over the weekend is helping a crew that’s working to create the Ice Castles at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

The Ice Castles are expected to open at the fairgrounds in early January, but organizers are already growing and harvesting ice to create a 20-foot tall fortress. There will also be up to 10,000 icicles placed around the structure.

Attractions at the castles include ice slides, tunnels, caverns and intricate ice sculptures.

The opening date, and several of the features are weather dependent. Two years ago, the castles closed after just eight days after a particularly warm stretch.

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10-year-old dies after Lewisville house fire that killed woman

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By S.E. Jenkins, Giles Hudson

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — A 10-year-old has died after the Lewisville fire last week that killed a woman and injured her family members, officials said.

Emergency crews were first called around 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday from the Eagle Ridge Mobile Home Park, according to the City of Lewisville. When crews arrived, heavy flames were coming from one unit. One person inside was able to get out and told firefighters that four other people were still inside.

Three adults and one child were rescued from the home. City spokesman Matt Martucci said last week that two of the adults and the child were in cardiac arrest, and crews immediately began CPR. All five occupants were taken to area hospitals.

According to the Dallas County Medical Examiner, 10-year-old America Plata died on Nov. 26 at the hospital.

The current conditions and names of the other family members have not yet been released.

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Former mental health counselor charged with sexually assaulting 5 patients dating back to 1996

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Jeramie Bizzle, Charlie De Mar

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A former mental health counselor is charged with the alleged sexual assault of five young patients at a West Side hospital that spanned nearly a decade.

Cook County prosecutors charged Edmund Rivers, 68, with five felony counts of criminal sexual assault, including three counts of criminal sexual assault with a victim between 13 and 17, and two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault for the alleged abuse.

Prosecutors said the repeated attacks happened between 1996 and 2004 at Hartgrove Behavioral Health Hospital in the Austin neighborhood, where he first began working in 1993. The hospital is known to provide psychiatric care.

According to prosecutors, the alleged abuse happened in multiple locations throughout the facility, including patient rooms, a “seclusion” room, a cafeteria bathroom, and a gym equipment room. The victims were boys between the ages of 7 and 14 years old and didn’t know each other, prosecutors said.

It was further alleged that Rivers would threaten to sedate the victims with a hypodermic syringe for failing to comply with his advances.

“Edmund Rivers felt so comfortable that he can act with impunity at Hartgrove, that he actually dared victims to come forward,” said attorney Martin Gould.

Gould filed a civil lawsuit about one year ago on behalf of roughly 100 former Hartgrove patients who say they were sexually abused as kids while in the hospital’s care.

“He had access to the vulnerabilities and traumas they had from the past, and he exploited that, took advantage of that, and preyed upon them,” he said.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said the five victims came forward and contacted police after learning about a civil lawsuit that was filed against the hospital for its pattern of abuse by its staff.

A man who said he was sexually assaulted at Hartgrove previously shared his story of survival, saying the abuse was almost an every-other-day occurrence while he was there.

“They would force us to do things to each other,” he said.

Gould alleges other staff members were complicit in the abuse and expects additional charges to be filed.

“There was a number of other individuals around him who also were abusing, who turned a blind eye, who otherwise covered it up,” he said.

Following a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday, a judge ordered that Rivers remain held until his next court date.

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Ballerina shot dead by ex in botched Thanksgiving murder-suicide, police say

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Jennifer McLogan

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Mourners on Long Island wore pink to honor 18-year-old Emily Finn, who was allegedly shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in what police called a botched murder-suicide attempt.

Finn’s devastated parents, brother and grandparents joined the Sayville community at her funeral on Monday amid their heartbreak and tears after the gifted ballerina’s death right before Thanksgiving.

Finn came home to West Sayville from college the day before Thanksgiving and went to her ex’s home in Nesconset to say goodbye and retrieve some of her belongings, according to Suffolk County Police.

After she arrived, the 17-year-old boy shot Finn to death before shooting himself in the face, Suffolk County Police said. His parents then called 911 and he was rushed to the hospital, according to police.

The boy, who has since turned 18, was in critical but stable condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, police said.

He was charged with second-degree murder, but police said his name was not released due to his age at the time of the shooting.

Finn posted pictures of her and the boy together on Instagram months before their breakup.

“I can’t believe this happened to her. She didn’t deserve that. I’m going to miss her so much,” friend Maia Toth said.

Loved ones tied pink ribbons around the trees in their town and wore pink, her favorite color, during the funeral.

“A great young lady. Had the whole world ahead of her and, she’s very loved and she’ll be very missed,” cousin Francis Finn said.

Emily Finn spent years dancing at the American Ballet Studio in Bayport.

Her teacher, Kathy Kairns-Scholz, said she was filled with talent and compassion. The studio will dedicate their “Nutcracker” performances to Finn.

The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation will also sponsor an annual scholarship in Finn’s name. The youth gun violence initiative will also plant a tree in an upstate national forest in her name, memorializing young people whose lives were lost to gun violence.

In October, Suffolk reported domestic violence calls jumped 43% and formed a coalition to help spot red flags and bring resolution.

“Tremendous sadness. Domestic violence is something that we worry about all the time, and the numbers are much too high,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said.

“We work very closely with our community-based organization to ensure that we can provide counseling and crisis intervention immediately,” Dr. Sylvia Diaz, deputy county executive for health, human services and education.

Finn attended SUNY Oneonta and dreamed of becoming a teacher.

She was a graduate of Sayville High School.

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Man bitten by rabid raccoon after putting injured animal in his coat during rescue attempt

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Dan Raby

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    CHEROKEE COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — A Cherokee County man’s attempt to rescue an injured raccoon that he found in the middle of the road ended with him in the hospital being treated for a possible rabies infection.

Officials at the Chattahoochee Nature Center shared the story on Facebook over the weekend, saying it was an incident “that we feel needs to be addressed.”

According to the center, the man found the injured animal vocalizing in the road. Because he didn’t have anything to contain the wild animal, he wrapped the raccoon in his coat and “held it against his chest” as he drove for more than an hour to the nature center, which is not licensed to rehabilitate mammals.

At some point during the drive, officials say the raccoon got somewhat free and bit the man on his face and hands. He then made a pit stop at home, wrapped the animal in a blanket using duct tape, and continued his journey to the center.

The man arrived at the CNC an hour before the Wildlife Clinic was set to open, but just as local children were coming for the nature center’s Thanksgiving break camp. The camp director alerted the wildlife staff about what was happening, and the staff met the man in the parking lot to secure the animal in a kennel.

After much forceful insistence on our part, he finally agreed to go to the hospital for treatment while we dealt with the raccoon,” the CNC staff wrote.

The raccoon was euthanized and tested at Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital. Officials say the tests confirmed that the animal had rabies.

As a further complication, the staff says the man did not give the Wildlife Department or the hospital his full name and instead provided the hospital with a fake phone number. They only learned his real name when a family member called the CNC the next day.

“While the finder’s heart was in the right place, he put himself, his family, CNC’s staff, volunteers, and visitors, the GWN transporter, and the staff of Bells Ferry all at risk,” the center wrote. “PLEASE take a minute and assess the situation before attempting to capture wildlife without direction.”

If you see a wild animal in distress, you can reach out to licensed rehabilitators through Animal Help Now and or the Georgia Wildlife Network.

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“Ghostface” masked robber arrested after store manager recognizes shoes, police say

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Louisa Moller

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    MILFORD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police arrested a man who they say who used a “Ghostface” mask and BB gun to rob a convenience store in Milford, Massachusetts.

Just after 7 p.m. on Sunday, police received a 911 call from an employee at Riverside Gas reporting that a man in a mask stole multiple cigarette packs and attempted to steal cash from the store’s register.

Investigators found the suspect’s Ghostface mask and BB gun in the area of the crime scene. “Ghostface” is a character in the “Scream” horror film series.

Police Chief Robert Tusino told WBZ-TV that officers were able to track down the suspect because his description was known from an earlier crime.

“Interestingly enough, he had been previously arrested for shoplifting at that same establishment. It was actually the clerk manager that recognized his shoes,” Tusino said.

Police arrested Adam Busuito, who also had an outstanding warrant for armed robbery out of Boston Municipal Court.

The frustrated police chief said Busuito is well-known to his detectives.

“Twice he promised to appear, didn’t. They still released him,” Tusino said. “We need to get off this merry-go-round.”

During his arrest, Busuito allegedly struck an officer. Tusino questions why nothing more was done by the court system in his Boston case.

“I don’t know how he was released once again,” Tusino said. “How are we serving this individual as a community? Could we have offered him services in between the time that he was arraigned the first time. It appears that nobody did anything.”

The court system declined to comment on this story.

Busuito was arraigned in Milford District Court on charges of armed robbery, armed assault to rob, and assault with a dangerous weapon, among others. He was ordered held without bail pending his next court hearing on Friday.

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Ocean Spray looking into viral videos showing cranberry sauce cans full of water

CNN Newsource on December 2, 2025

By Neal Riley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Ocean Spray is looking into viral social media videos that claim to show its cranberry sauce cans full of water instead of jelly.

One TikTok video has more than 10 million views since it was posted on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The video shows someone using a knife to open up a can of cranberry sauce, and only finding water inside. Two other opened cans also appear to just contain water instead of cranberries.

“They sold us cans of water as cranberry sauce,” the person in the video says.

A different video posted to Facebook, also showing someone open a cranberry sauce can full of water, has nearly 100,000 views.

“This was my ocean spray cranberry sauce yesterday… 4 cans,” the Facebook user wrote. “Who else had this happen?”

Ocean Spray additionally responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, to a customer who complained that they bought eight cans of cranberry sauce that only had water inside.

Ocean Spray told WBZ-TV in a statement that it is investigating the situation.

“We’re aware of a few reports about cans containing water instead of cranberry sauce, and we’re looking into how this may have happened,” Ocean Spray said in a statement. “Millions of families enjoyed their cranberry sauce this holiday season, but even one can of sauce not meeting expectations matters to us. We’ve reached out to the folks who shared these videos to learn more and make it right.”

Ocean Spray, formed in 1930, is headquartered in Lakeville, Massachusetts. The agricultural cooperative said in 2018 that it produces 70 million cans of cranberry sauce a year.

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