Author: CNN Newsource

By Joe Donlon

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A simple object can symbolize both despair and promise. That’s just what happened for survivors of the holocaust and other genocides, who brought pieces of their past to America.

They left their homes with little or next to nothing, but found ways to keep the connection.

“It’s unbelievable that people had kept these things,” said Holocaust survivor Ralph Rehbock.

They fled unspeakable horror through sheer will. Now, 60 survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides are sharing some of their most prized possessions.

They are in the exhibition “Stories of Survival: Object, Image, Memory” at the Illinois Holocaust Museum presents Experience360 at 360 N. State St. in Chicago.

It features objects that survivors were able to bring with them when they started their new lives in America.

Kelley Szany, VP of education and exhibitions at the museum, gave a tour of the exhibit.

“To me, the stories that stand out are the basic everyday items like teacups, a teddy bear, or wedding announcement that might seem like a mundane everyday object but really have these profound personal stories,” she said.

There are actual objects, like a suitcase belonging to a man who served in the Belgian underground in World War II, a uniform donated by a man who survived four concentration camps. Airline tickets saved by an Iraqi refugee symbolize his freedom.

There are also images of objects created by photographer Jim Lommasson.

Prisoners wrote recipes in secret during the war in Bosnia in hopes that imagining food would ease their hunger.

A son got a Russian towel from his parents, who were later burned alive by Nazis. Some items were smuggled out.

“There is a coin in the exhibition from an Armenian genocide survivor who brought the coin sewed into the seam of her dress,” Szany said.

Other objects, like the teddy bear, were kept safe thanks to the kindness of others.

“Before this family left, they actually turned objects over to their non-Jewish neighbors, who were able to bury them during the Holocaust. Luckily, the family survived, and they were able to come back and retrieve their items,” Szany said.

Still other possessions were sent ahead to relatives already in the U.S.

Rehbock, now 91, was just four when his father bought this electric train set for him. It was 1938, and German Jews were square in Adolph Hitler’s line of fire.

“The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 took away our citizenship, and my parents decided it was time to leave Germany for America,” he said.

So, Ralph’s father shipped the train set to his cousins in Chicago. It was waiting for Ralph when he arrived. In time, it became part of the Rehbock family story.

“It was a great toy which was appreciated by me, and my children, and my grandchildren through the years,” he said.

Each image in the collection includes a story written by hand, either by the survivor or a family member.

There’s a wedding announcement of a man who fled Austria to escape the Nazis and the Chicago woman he married in 1948. Years later, they added the handprints of their children and grandchildren.

“Because of this uniting and marriage, look at the generations that were able to happen,” Szany said.

Dresses that are also on display belonged to the daughters of a woman named Immaculee, who survived the genocide in Rwanda. Her husband and their daughters did not.

“And the only way she was able to identify her young daughters was by their clothing,” Szany said.

Whether it be an urn from Cambodia or a prayer book that made it to the promised land, all of the objects and images send a message.

“There are several ways to keep memories alive. This is another step,” Rehbock said.

“No matter our background, no matter our religion or our race, whatever our story is, there is still something that unites us as human beings,” Szany said.

That, she said, is love, hope, and the need to tell these stories.

“Stories of Survival: Object, Image, Memory” will be on display through June.

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 Stephanie Stahl, Will Kenworthy

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — There is new hope in the fight against a devastating cancer in dogs that is often deadly.

Researchers at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center in South Philadelphia are training dogs to help detect hemangiosarcoma, a form of canine cancer.

The dogs learn how to identify the cancer by smelling three boxes, with one containing a sample of malignant blood.

“It really does feel like magic because I can’t smell anything from the samples. It’s a tiny drop of blood serum,” Clara Wilson, a researcher at the Working Dog Center, said. “We wanted to focus on hemangiosarcoma, which is a really devastating canine cancer.”

Hemangiosarcoma is a tumor that is often called the silent killer because it grows in the body and goes unnoticed until it’s too late.

In the first phase of the research, the dogs identified the cancer 70% of the time. And when they get it right, they get a treat.

Until now, the research primarily focused on human cancers, with the dogs being able to identify ovarian and pancreatic cancer.

“Dogs are very unique because they have this incredible sense of smell,” Wilson said. “It just really does feel amazing and gives me a lot of respect for understanding that there’s a lot of things that I can’t understand that they’re picking up on.”

Once the dogs identify the cancer, researchers look for markers in the samples that could eventually be used to create a test that would find the cancer early, when it’s more treatable.

“The idea is that if dogs can smell something, that means that there’s a signal to detect,” Wilson said.

These dogs are laying the groundwork for eventually being able to find cancer early and save lives for both humans and animals.

The working dog center also trains dogs to detect drugs, bombs and alert for medical conditions.

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 Alexa Herrera

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a total of 14 people have died outside during the dangerously cold weather.

As the freezing temperatures continue, new single-room shelter units will open for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, Mamdani said at a news conference Saturday.

Preliminary findings found hypothermia played a role in the deaths of eight people. Officials are still waiting for the final results from the medical examiner’s office.

“This is one of the longest, most sustained cold stretches our city has endured in years, and it is showing no signs of abating. We remain in a Code Blue,” he said.

The emergency code went into effect Jan. 19, and officials have resorted to forcibly removing people experiencing homelessness from the streets to save lives.

Single-room-occupancy style shelter units opened Sunday in Upper Manhattan. They are designed for people who are reluctant to go indoors because they don’t want to share rooms or are skeptical of other shelter options.

“By making new single-room units available, we are meeting people where they are and removing barriers that keep too many New Yorkers out in the cold,” Mamdani said.

The mayor also said a new low-barrier-bed shelter site will open to make spaces more accessible.

Mamdani said officials ramped up outreach to get New Yorkers into shelters.

They have made more than 860 placements into shelters and safe havens since the start of the cold snap. Sixteen people were involuntarily transported who were determined to be a danger to themselves or others, he said.

Warming shelters remain open to anyone across the five boroughs. There are also 20 warming buses parked across the city.

“We have expanded shelter capacity, relaxed intake rules and worked with faith-based and community-based organizations to scale up outreach. As we have made clear, we are not going to slow down in this work,” he said.

On Friday night, 17 on-call ambulettes were deployed, which offer people on the streets warmth, food and medical attention.

Anyone who sees a person whom they think may need help is asked to call 311.

“It takes everyone stepping up and keeping an eye out for those across the city for us to be able to protect each and every New Yorker,” Mamdani said.

The mayor said an additional 130 city workers will help clear snow across the city.

“That means, in addition to the 2,500 sanitation workers who are working each 12-hour shift, we now have more than 1,200 additional workers who will be assisting in the cleanups of this city,” he said.

Mamdani also highlighted the 67 million pounds of snow melted and the 188 million pounds of salt used.

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By Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A 9-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital one month after suffering severe burns while playing with sparklers.

From his hospital bed, holding a teddy bear, Santiago Claudio recalled the moment his upper body caught fire.

“I was on fire. I was so hot,” Santiago said.

Vitini Rammin, director of the Trauma and Burn Program at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, said Santiago suffered second- and third-degree burns to about 18% of his body. She said injuries that severe often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts and long hospital stays.

“They took skin from my leg, from my back to put it in my stomach,” Santiago said.

Santiago has been hospitalized since Jan. 1. The accident did not happen at midnight on New Year’s Day, but later that afternoon.

His mother said she was working at the time. Santiago was being watched by his brother, but went into the backyard with another child without telling anyone.

“He was lighting one of the sparklers for his cousin,” she said. “Suddenly, a spark caught his T-shirt.”

Santiago ran back into the house screaming that he was burning.

“It was so hard. I was so desperate,” she said.

Santiago has since undergone several surgeries and remains under strict medical supervision because of the risk of infection. Doctors say he is still vulnerable to germs and must be closely monitored.

Despite everything, Santiago is focused on one simple goal.

“I want to play with my dog,” he said.

His dog, Bruno, has been waiting at home for him.

Santiago is expected to be released from the hospital on Monday.

Next week marks National Burn Awareness Week. Hospital officials say they treated more than 100 pediatric burn cases last year and hope Santiago’s story serves as a warning to parents about the dangers of fireworks and sparklers, especially when children are unsupervised.

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 Olivia Young

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — An Atlanta woman has turned a personal hobby into a growing space for creativity and community.

“Hi, welcome. How y’all doin’?” Lexi Bynum said as a group of women walked into a private room at a local brewery.

It was bring-your-own-craft night at the Atlanta Craft Club.

“This is our solo table, so if you came by yourself, you’re welcome to sit there and meet new people,” Bynum told attendees.

By day, Bynum works as a designer at an aerospace company. In 2024, she decided to turn her love of crafting into something bigger.

“I was like, it can’t be that hard to put one together,” Bynum said.

What started as a few tables inside a brewery quickly grew into packed events.

“I had to go and create an actual business and do all the businessy things that crafty girls don’t love doing,” she said. “But since then, we’ve grown. We have our own brick-and-mortar studio as well.”

“I’ve been here since the beginning,” said Hyemi Byun.

For others, the club offers a first-time experience.

“This is my first time,” said Azariah Burrell. “My friend invited me. We’re trying to not do as many dinner or food outings. I’m trying to get into crafting and have more hobbies. That’s one of my goals for this year.”

The club welcomes all kinds of crafters.

“So we’re doing some gem painting,” Burrell said.

“I decided to bring this top that I’m knitting,” said Kianna Nelson. “I’ve been going to this craft club event for a couple of months now. I started because I moved here from Florida, and it was a nice way to meet people who had the same interests as me.”

“We do play crafts, jewelry making. Junk journaling is probably our most popular,” Bynum said.

Inside a junk journal, everyday items like receipts and book pages are turned into art.

“Basically taking scraps of things from your day-to-day life,” said junk journaler Leigh Ann Dooley. “I really love newspaper, so this is a spread I did.”

While some club events are ticketed, the bring-your-own-craft night is free.

“Especially in this economy, I think it’s hard to leave the house without spending a lot of money,” Byun said.

The club offers what many call a “third space” — a place beyond home and work.

“I think we get stuck in this cycle of going from home to work, maybe the gym, and then that’s it,” Burrell said. “To have a third space to come and just be creative and sit with friends and meet new friends, I’m really grateful.”

Sometimes, the strongest thing created isn’t art — it’s connection.

“We met each other through one of these events, and we’ve been coming ever since,” Nelson said of her friendship with Byun.

“You get time to sit in fellowship with each other and actually talk,” Burrell said.

Different projects, stitched together by the community.

“Find a way to play and enjoy yourself as an adult,” Bynum said. “It’s so necessary. It’s a good way to pour back into yourself.”

More information about events and registration can be found on the Atlanta Craft Club’s website and Instagram.

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 Paul Burton

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    GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Flowers, signs and a wreath are laid at the Fisherman’s Memorial in Gloucester, Massachusetts as the U.S. Coast Guard announced it suspended the search Saturday morning for the six missing crewmembers of the fishing vessel Lily Jean that sank off the coast on Friday. The body of one crewmember was recovered, and so was an empty life raft.

“Our crews searched as long and as hard as they possibly could, always with the hope of bringing your loved ones back to Gloucester,” said Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston.

For over 24 hours, Coast Guard crews conducted an exhaustive search in dangerous conditions covering more than 1,000 square miles using multiple aircraft, cutters and other boats.

“Despite these efforts, we have only located one deceased crewmember. Five crewmembers, and one NOAA observer remain missing,” Frederick said. “I believe there is no longer a reasonable expectation that anyone could have survived this long.”

Ricky Beal told WBZ-TV on Saturday that his brother Paul Beal and nephew Paul Jr. were on board the vessel when it sank. “It’s just devastating. I can’t explain it,” Beal said.

“I started fishing first, and Paul was, he used to come along with me, and then he worked on some of the party boats, the boats for hire,” Beal said. “The support from the community has been unbelievable.”

Greg Sousa owns the Crow’s Nest in Gloucester and knows several of the fisherman onboard the Lily Jean who are presumed dead.

“It’s a real local boat with real local guys,” Sousa said. “Everyone is talking about it. Paul is one of the good guys. PJ, you know, father and son gone at the same time.”

Grief and crisis counselors will be on hand at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church over the next two days to help families and community members impacted by the tragedy.

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.