Author: CNN Newsource

By Marcella Baietto

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    WILMINGTON, Delaware (KYW) — In the produce section under piñatas and by the tortillas, a live show for shoppers is becoming a regular occurrence inside Fiesta Fresh Farmers Market in New Castle, Delaware.

“The idea is to highlight independent artists from the area,” store co-owner José Luis Aguilar Garcia said. “Because it’s getting more attention online, people are excited. They’ll ask when we’re doing the next one.”

The concept was inspired by NPR’s famous “Tiny Desk Concerts.”

At the supermarket on DuPont Highway, their version is called “Mercadito Concerts,” or market concerts.

“It was hard trying to find a place that reminds you of home, being so far from Mexico here,” Aguilar Garcia said. “We’re trying to obviously have people feel comfortable who are not from Mexico and expose them to a bit of our culture.”

Aguilar Garcia co-owns the store with his sister, who runs most of the day-to-day operations, while he also works at a Latin record label he started in 2019 that’s based in Wilmington.

Aguilar Garcia and his family are from Puebla, Mexico, and have been in the area since 2006.

Many of the musicians who record sessions at the market work with his label, like the band Ilusión.

“I feel like it’s a very vibrant atmosphere and it makes me really happy to take part in such an exciting performance, a cultural performance,” Ilusión bassist Carlos Mayo-Jiménez said. “And to be representing my roots too.”

The band was started in 2023 and also includes singer and songwriter 21-year-old Jesús Beltran Méndez, who moved to the U.S. at the age of 10.

For artists like Beltran Méndez, the recordings are more than just a soundtrack for customers or a viral clip.

“It gives us a platform to portray who we really are,” Beltran Méndez said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about who we are. There are bad people. There are good people. We are just human.”

“Never be afraid to represent who you are and who you always will be,” Mayo-Jiménez said. “Remind yourself that you’re coming from a different area that the general majority aren’t maybe used to, maybe not accustomed to, but it’s a special background nonetheless.”

As for what’s next, the store is prepping for a live music event called The Meltdown that will feature two bands on March 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the supermarket.

The recorded sessions are open to any artists of all genres as the series continues to grow, turning a grocery run into a front row ticket to a cultural show.

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, Adi Guajardo, Jennifer Bisram

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Two men, including an 83-year-old veteran of the U.S. Air Force, were injured after being pushed onto subway tracks in New York City on Sunday. Family said the grandfather has bleeding on his brain and is fighting for his life.

Police said the crime happened on the southbound F and Q platform at the Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street station on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

They said a man came up behind a 30-year-old man and pushed him onto the tracks. Then, the suspect moved behind the 83-year-old man and shoved him before running away. The victims were transported to a nearby hospital in stable and critical condition, respectively.

The NYPD released photos of the suspect Monday, asking the public for help identifying him. Officials said a person of interest was in custody Tuesday morning.

The older victim has been identified as Richard Williams, an Air Force veteran. His granddaughter, Samantha Loria, was in tears on Monday as she spoke to CBS News New York exclusively. She said Williams has always been the light of her life.

“The hardest part is I can’t have a conversation, or hug him again,” Loria said. “Any time I visit him, we walk around. We would go to Manhattan. He would always say hi to everyone, ask how they’re dong. It doesn’t hurt anything to be kind.”

Williams is now fighting for his life. Loria said he suffered multiple fractures and has bleeding on the brain after hitting his head on the tracks.

“Thank God there’s wasn’t a train coming,” Loria said.

Loria said her grandfather takes ultimate pride in the family he built, which includes three daughters and two grandkids. He also mastered the art of flying high and fighting hard, serving in the Air Force and beating cancer.

“He survived a fire, cancer recently, and all he wanted to do is walk. He loves to walk,” Loria said.

The Williams family is now praying their hero is able to open his eyes again.

“He was a very selfless man. He would give anyone the last shirt on his back,” Loria said.

The younger victim, Jhon Rodriguez, told CBS News New York that he captured video of the suspect who pushed him and Williams down to the tracks.

Rodriguez said Williams hit his head, started bleeding, and lost consciousness. Panicked and injured, himself, Rodriguez said he picked Williams up off the tracks and with the help of another man they both made it onto the platform before the next train arrived.

“I felt really scared. I was trembling. I felt disoriented,” Rodriguez said, speaking in Spanish.

Rodriguez said he’s in a lot of pain and can’t work due to his injuries.

“They should have more security at train stations,” Rodriguez said.

He added he now hopes police can track down and arrest the suspect and keep him jailed.

CBS News New York cameras captured images Monday of police putting up posters of Williams’ alleged subway pusher, at the Upper East Side subway platform.

“If they can do that to someone that’s 83 years old, anyone could be a target,” subway rider Gary Graham said.

The NYPD said there have been nine subway push incidents so far this year, compared to 19 all of last year and a total of 26 in 2024.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website or on X @NYPDTips.

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 Jesse Zanger

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    CLARK, New Jersey (WCBS) — A dog missing for two years has been reunited with its Texas family after being found in New Jersey.

The missing dog, named Koko, was found wandering around in Clark.

Officers tracked down Koko’s family after reading the chip in the dog. Police reached out to the owners in the Lone Star state, who were shocked to hear the dog had been found. The family said they’d fly to New Jersey to be reunited with their dog, but it would take a few days.

Clark Police took care of the dog at the station in the interim, instead of putting it in a shelter. They fed, bathed, and walked the dog, and gave it toys.

“As a dog lover amongst many other dog lovers, we were not going to make that puppy wait in a shelter or pound,” Clark Police Dir. Patrick Grady said. “Koko was living her best life inside the dispatch room the last three days and hopefully it will get even better being reunited with her family again.”

The family arrived over the weekend for their reunion with Koko.

There’s no word on how Koko ended up so far from home.

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 John Dias

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    LONG ISLAND, New York (WCBS) — A tiny home on Long Island is getting a lot of attention after hitting the market this month for almost $330,000.

It has no bedroom.

The house at 84 Wyona Avenue in Selden is a studio cottage that is 446 square feet. It’s about 10 feet wide and 37 feet long, equipped with a small kitchen, dining room, living space and bathroom.

Licensed Associate Broker Denise Beckman has been in the real estate market for 40 years and said she’s never seen a single-family house like this.

“There’s a lot of shows out there that focus on tiny houses, and there’s not a lot of them on Long Island. I think it’s a little bit of an anomaly,” she said.

Although it is small, there could be room to expand. The home has a basement, and it could potentially be converted into a bedroom with the right permits and safety upgrades.

With home prices still high across the region, this may not be a bad option for those looking for any way to get into the market.

“People are making it work, even with those small homes that are there right now, zero bedrooms, one bedrooms, they’re looking at the possibilities,” said real estate expert Mike McLean.

The median home price in Suffolk County is around $700,000, according to data from the Long Island Board of Realtors. This tiny home is about half that, and annual taxes for it are about $3,700 a year.

“For that frustrated buyer, they will go anywhere as long as they’re room for them to expand,” McLean said.

While it may be small in size, this tiny home could be a big opportunity for some buyers to finally own on Long Island.

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 Joan Murray

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    CORAL SPRINGS, Florida (WFOR) — The crews at Fire Station 43 in Coral Springs are used to all types of emergencies, but nothing quite like what happened Saturday night.

“Our driver told us there’s a snake in the car!” said Justin Ehlin, a firefighter/paramedic of three years.

Two women in a Hyundai hatchback told the crew that their pet ball python, named Ritchie, had slithered into a compartment underneath the console and would not come out. The one-year-old ivory banana ball python was trapped for 8 hours, according to its owner, Camryn Drew.

Drew said she and a friend had just bought pet food and were back in the car traveling when Ritchie found an opening underneath and made his way into the compartment. “We tried, but we couldn’t get him out,” she said. They even bought tools to try to take the seat out and free Ritchie, but to no avail. That’s when someone suggested trying the fire department.

Once on the scene, the group of firefighters got to work, taking out panels and a seat to get to Ritchie. It took nearly an hour. Battalion Chief Jon Robbins recorded the rescue. “I am deathly afraid of snakes, so I supervised and took video,” he said.

After reaching the python, it was pulled to safety. Ehlin called it a once-in-a-career procedure. “It was curled up. I thought it would bite, but it was friendly,” he said.

Drew is grateful the firefighters saved the day, calling Richie a constant companion. “He goes with the flow. He’ll cling to you and hang out,” she said.

That’s why ball pythons are such popular pets, according to Robin Reccasina, executive director of The Sawgrass Nature Center in Coral Springs. “They don’t get big. They curl up like a ball,” she said.

Unlike the invasive Burmese pythons found in the Everglades, the ball pythons are docile and low-maintenance. Drew says she will still take Ritchie out in a car but will keep him contained next time.

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 Madeline Montgomery

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Spelman College students are working on an artificial intelligence tool that would allow people to talk to their plants.

It’s called PlantGPT, and the goal is to help anyone have a green thumb.

PlantGPT uses artificial intelligence to monitor a plant’s health data. Sensors in the soil collect real-time data. The AI processes the information and creates personalized care instructions.

“I don’t know anything about plants. That’s why this is perfect,” said Temple Dees, a junior working on the project.

“The original idea was really rooted in this concept of ‘Would the plant survive more likely if it has its own voice and agency?'” said Eric Thompson, the assistant director of the Innovation Lab at Spelman College.

Plant GPT can only handle certain questions.

“Humidity, light intensity, soil moisture, and its outside temperature,” said junior Jessica Obi.

Although Obi and Dees both claim not to have green thumbs, they have big plans for Plant GPT that go beyond simple houseplants.

“There’s a bunch of sensors going on right now, so for the average user, this is not really convenient for anyone, so we want to compartmentalize all of that and make it more accessible and easier for a user to use,” said Obi. “We do also want it to expand potentially for local farms, so a group of multiple plants as well, so any environment where the caretaker would need to know the stats and information about their plant.”

“You deal with a million different ideas, and to see the students supporting each other and also imagining what their futures can be in the space, and working on ideas that are way ahead of their time. I always leave this place with a sense of pride,” said Thompson.

Obi and Dees hope to pursue careers in computer science. In the short term, the project may get them to make their own lives a bit greener.

“Maybe I’ll get my own plant once everything is finished with this,” Obi 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 Aaron Parseghian

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Amid the hustle and bustle of Boston’s Commonwealth Ave, an unusual sight is catching the attention of passersby in 2026: a payphone.

But this one comes with a purpose.

The graphics across it and the directions posted on it, encourage people, especially college students to pick up the phone and “Call a Boomer.”

When someone lifts the phone, they’re automatically connected to another payphone at a senior living complex in Reno, Nevada, creating a chance conversation between strangers separated by roughly 3,000 miles.

Some calls end up going to voicemail, like the one left by Kyra, who hoped her message might reach someone who needed to hear it.

“I love it. I mean, I think younger people and older people, I would argue, need to talk to each other more,” she said. “We’ve all forgotten that there are lots of way to stay in touch and break that loneliness and isolation.”

Other calls lead to conversations. I talked with the manager of the housing facility, who said most residents, who are 62 and up and single or widowed, are thrilled to have the opportunity for connection.

When the phone rang in Boston Tuesday afternoon, a woman who grew up in New Hampshire, now retired in Reno, was excited to speak with someone back home.

The project is run by Matter Neuroscience, which says the goal is to foster connection between generations that most often experience loneliness.

“We believe in connection over cortisol. We want people to live happier lives and increase their wellbeing, their emotional fitness. And we believe the pathway to doing this is teaching people about their happiness,” said Calla Kessler. “How they can create more of it by understanding their brains, molecular interactions with neurotransmitters.”

The effort is part of the organization’s broader mission to boost happiness for the “collective good.”

“Right now, we’re in the midst of a growing mental health crisis, with over 200 million people living with major depressive disorders. We can reverse this if we start paying attention to what makes us happy — internally, molecularly. Luckily, we all have built-in biological reward systems that already do this for us. Most of us just haven’t had the tools to use and understand them until now,” reads a statement on the company’s website.

“We’re often in our little bubbles and we have a lot to learn from each other despite our differences,” Keller added.

The phones are refurbished payphones the company bought online, the one in Reno only differs by asking seniors to call “Zoomers.”

“We just want people to leave the phone conversation with a feeling of happiness and that connection is possible in this polarized world,” Kessler said.

For many participants, organizers say even a short conversation can make a difference.

“This is so sweet,” one caller in Boston said emotionally.

Matter Neuroscience says the phones will be up for at least a month, and they’ll be posting highlights from conversations on their social media pages.

Earlier this year they placed phones in Texas and California to foster connections between people on different sides of the political spectrum.

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.