Author: CNN Newsource

By Stephanie Stahl

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — A Bucks County family is trying to raise awareness about a rare syndrome that has paralyzed their son’s face.

Chalfont, Bucks County, is lit up with purple lights for a brave little boy and the condition he has that impacts nerves in his face.

Four-year-old Jackson Roberts isn’t able to smile on his own because of a condition called Moebius syndrome.

His parents Trish and Chris Roberts say when Jackson was born, even the doctors were stumped.

“It’s a neurological disorder. It’s the paralysis of the face,” Trish Roberts said. “People with Moebius syndrome have difficulty blinking, sucking, swallowing, breathing, eating, and even speaking.

“They weren’t sure if he was ever going to walk or talk or anything like that,” Chris Roberts said.

“We didn’t even know if we were ever bringing him home. And here we are, almost five years into Jackson’s journey, and we believe and we’ve learned that miracles do happen and to keep the faith and don’t let a diagnosis define who you are,” Trish Roberts said.

Jackson Roberts spent years in physical and occupational therapy and is happy to play with his big sister and sing and dance to his favorite song.

“Specialists around the world tell us that he is a medical mystery,” Trish Roberts said.

Doctors don’t know what causes the syndrome that has no treatment. And because it’s so rare – 1 in 4 million – there’s very little research. That’s what the Roberts are hoping to change by raising awareness.

Along with the t-shirts, the Roberts family asked their community to light up Bucks County purple around Jan. 24, Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day.

“It’s been unreal. It’s so overwhelming, it’s so humbling,” Trish Roberts said.

For Jackson Roberts, even without a smile, there’s joy.

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 Christopher Harris

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A flavor synonymous with Atlanta culture could soon join Georgia’s list of official state symbols.

State Rep. Eric Bell, a Democrat from Jonesboro, has introduced House Bill 1013, a bipartisan proposal that would designate lemon pepper as Georgia’s official state chicken wing flavor. Bell says the idea grew out of a simple realization: Georgia already recognizes dozens of official symbols, and lemon pepper wings have become one of the state’s most recognizable cultural staples.

“If you grow up in Georgia, you learn about all the things we’ve officially designated: the state bird, the peach, butter pecan ice cream, Brunswick stew,” Bell said in an interview. “Lemon pepper is a culinary phenomenon here. When you travel outside Georgia, you notice pretty quickly that not every place even has lemon pepper wings. That’s when you realize how unique it is to the South and to this state.”

Bell described lemon pepper wings as more than just a menu item, calling them a shared experience that cuts across backgrounds and generations. Whether served plain, hot, honey-glazed or mixed with other flavors, he said, the dish brings people together.

“It’s literally a dinner-table conversation,” Bell said. “Sleepovers after basketball games, family dinners, Super Bowl parties … We all have memories of eating lemon pepper wings, arguing about flats or drums, ranch or blue cheese. It’s something Georgians can smile about and be proud of.”

Atlanta’s influence looms large in the bill. Bell pointed to the city’s sports culture, nightlife, and music scene, from arenas hosting Falcons and Hawks games to club kitchens and hip-hop lyrics, as key reasons lemon pepper wings have gained national attention. He noted references in songs by artists such as Gucci Mane and Rick Ross, as well as the flavor’s expansion onto menus at major restaurant chains.

“People all over the country know lemon pepper wings are a Georgia thing,” Bell said. “Whether you’re in Arizona, New York or California, when you hear lemon pepper wings, you think of Atlanta.”

The bill has drawn bipartisan support, with co-sponsors including Reps. Dexter Sharper of Valdosta, Kasey Carpenter of Dalton, David Huddleston of Roopville and Mekyah McQueen of Smyrna. Bell said the flavor’s popularity made it easy to find common ground at the Capitol.

“We’re all human, we all have to eat,” he said. “It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like lemon pepper in some form. Even if they say they don’t like it hot, they’ll tell you they like mild lemon pepper. As long as it’s got the sprinkles on it.”

Some critics have questioned whether symbolic legislation belongs in the General Assembly, but Bell pushed back, noting Georgia’s long list of official state symbols.

“If people don’t think this belongs, then they’d have to say the same about the state song, the state fruit or any of our other symbols,” he said. “We’re working on serious issues, too. But we also need unity. And what better way to bring people together than around the kitchen table?”

Bell said the designation could also boost tourism and local businesses, encouraging visitors to seek out wing spots across the state and sparking friendly competition over who serves the best lemon pepper wings.

“People could come to Georgia and make it a point to try different places,” he said. “It highlights our restaurants and our culture.”

Since introducing the bill, Bell said feedback from constituents has been largely positive, and often playful, with residents debating preferred variations rather than the idea itself.

“Most people are just happy,” he said. “They’re sharing stories, arguing about hot versus mild, or asking why it’s not lemon pepper flats. It’s relatable, and that helps people feel more connected to state politics.”

House Bill 1013 was introduced last week and has not yet received its first committee hearing. Bell said he hopes it will be assigned soon and is encouraging Georgians to show their support as the legislative process moves forward.

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 Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has released body camera and surveillance footage showing a deadly confrontation between a deputy and an alleged shoplifter at a Walmart in Southwest Miami-Dade.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies were notified that a man was allegedly shoplifting inside the store. Surveillance video shows the suspect walking through the aisles before exiting the building. Deputies say a deputy attempted to stop him as he left.

The man was later identified as 36-year-old Kennedy Graham.

Body camera video shows Graham running from the deputy as a struggle breaks out. In the footage, the deputy can be heard yelling, “Don’t resist, don’t resist,” as the two wrestle on the ground.

Deputies say the officer called for backup while trying to detain Graham.

Investigators say the video was slowed down to show Graham was armed during the encounter. Surveillance footage from outside the store shows the deputy pinning Graham to the ground and holding him by the neck with his legs as Graham continued to fight back.

At one point, investigators say Graham dropped the gun, then picked it up again and ran. The deputy is then seen pointing his weapon and firing.

Two people were in the parking lot when the shots were fired.

The shooting happened in the parking lot of the store located at 21115 South Dixie Highway on the morning of November 6, 2025.

CBS News Miami spoke with a witness the day of the shooting.

“What I saw was a guy in a white T-shirt running outside of the Walmart parking lot. I heard three shots, then all I saw was the police officer with the gun,” said a woman who did not want to be identified.

Graham was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. No one else was injured.

In November, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz defended the deputy’s actions.

“I will say this, this individual had an extensive criminal past. We are grateful at this time. The circumstances could have gotten so much worse,” she said.

Investigators also displayed the weapon they say Graham was carrying at the time of the shooting.

The deputy involved has not been identified.

In a statement released Thursday, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said:

“We recognize that incidents of this nature raise questions and concerns within our community, and I believe the public has the right to see critical incidents involving law enforcement.”

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By Robert Boyd

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — There’s a weekly tradition at Christ the King School in Tampa, where Father Len gives the students an update on how the Lightning are doing and what’s in store for the games ahead.

“God calls individuals to serve as a priest, and I’m a priest who loves hockey; it is, in my opinio,n the greatest sport ever,” said Father Len.

Father Len has been the pastor at Christ the King Catholic Church for the past 13 years. He said forming a bond through hockey helps to better relate to the students and parishioners.

“With sports, sometimes you lose, and sometimes in life there are things that don’t go our way,” said Father Len.

Every Friday, Father Len speaks to the students during morning assembly, updating them on the team and even starting “let’s go Bolts” chants.

The enthusiasm often carries over into the rest of the school day, with hockey-themed learning activities, as students wear Lightning shirts and jerseys.

“If I can bring any sort of Lightning hockey into the classroom, I will,” said kindergarten teacher Jennifer Buckley. “Being a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, and having Father Len also being a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, it gets the kids that special, unique connection with him, to just bring them a little bit closer to the church.”

Students say they have gained a better understanding of hockey and have become bigger fans of the Lightning because of Father Len.

“It also has some nice connections with Catholicism when you think about it, if you do something wrong in hockey, you go to the penalty box for a couple of minutes, if you do something wrong as a catholic you go to confession,” said Father Len. “To love your neighbor, even if they are the stinking Florida Panthers.”

Inside his office, Father Len has signed hockey sticks alongside a photo of him with the Pope.

“Sometimes the perception of priests is kind of two-dimensional, all we do is pray the rosary and sing religious hymns and so forth, but we are real people who have real interests,” said Father Len.

Tampa Bay 28 asked Father Len if it’s all right to pray for your favorite sports team.

“It is, I’m not sure God is that interested in answering your prayer for a hockey game, but it doesn’t hurt,” said Father Len. “I remember a few years back, they were struggling, and the GM at the time invited me to come down and bless the ice and hope that that might help them win.”

Father Len said he is optimistic that the Lightning will be back in the Stanley Cup Finals soon, and he’ll be ready to debrief the students on the games during his weekly appearance at the morning assembly.

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 Andie Bernhardt

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    MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — An entire apartment building in Milwaukee is being forced to temporarily close its doors, leaving dozens of people without a home tonight, Jan. 22.

The Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) says the people living in the apartment complex near N. 29th St. and W. Wisconsin Ave. have been without water and heat for days in the extremely cold temperatures.

“Overnight it’s very cold, you have to wrap up,” said apartment resident, Robert James.

James says he’s lived in this apartment building for two years now and says for the last almost four months he’s had no heat.

“You know mostly everybody is buying a heater up in here, you know to stay warm,” said James. “You know I see people in the hallway wrapped up in covers and blankets.”

The DNS says two days ago they were informed the building had no heat and water, giving the owners 48 hours to fix it.

“We’ve communicated with them,” said Jeremy McGovern, with the DNS. “We’ve given them 48 hours, but unfortunately those 48 hours expired and now we are dealing with a situation of entering much colder weather than we have right now and it’s just going to get worse.”

Thursday, the DNS shut the building down, causing more than 40 people to leave their homes, which were ruled unlivable.

“What it’s generating is a life safety issue,” said McGovern. “When we have weather like this and we are entering a weekend with worse weather of having residents with no heat and no water.”

The DNS says the building had pipes burst and leak, even finding a car frozen in the garage.

The apartment complex is owned by Berrada Properties, who has had issues in the past, something Milwaukee Alderwoman Sharlen Moore says has not gone unnoticed.

“There’s only so much legally that the City of Milwaukee can do,” said Ald. Moore. “We are still looking at and fighting for other options to hold landlords like Berrada and anyone else accountable for making sure that if you are going to be in the business of housing our residents, we want you to be a responsible landlord. Period, point blank.”

We reached out to Berradas Properties lawyer, Joe Goldberger about the current state of the building and he said he had no comment.

As for how long until residents can get back to their homes, Alderman Moore says it could be a while.

“I reached out to one of the staffers from Berrada,” said Ald. Moore. “They said we ordered the part; I have no idea how long it’s going to take, and so days could be weeks. We have no idea.”

The DNS says the people that were displaced from this apartment are being placed in a hotel temporarily. The DNS says they are worried they could get more calls like this as colder temperatures are on the way.

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By Sarah Horbacewicz

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KCNC) — In Boulder, University of Colorado students are excited for next year’s Sundance Film Festival, which will be a great learning experience for putting together festivals of their own.

Sundance kicks off its last year in Utah this week, and students are studying hard. CU Boulder Associate Professor of Cinema Studies and Moving Image Arts Kelly Sears says there’s a waiting list of students eager to get into this classroom.

“I knew there’s a lot of interest in film festivals, but maybe not a lot of understanding about how they function,” explained Sears.

After Sundance announced it would be moving to Boulder next year, Sears signed on to teach a course on similar festivals. She says this is the perfect opportunity for students to learn firsthand.

“We have a front row seat,” Sears said. “I’ve gone to Sundance several times, and I often run into colleagues from other institutions who’ve brought their students there, and I’ve always thought, ‘I wish I could bring CU students to Sundance.'”

That class focuses on more than just Sundance; it also highlights festivals around the world. A long list of guest lecturers signed up to speak to the class, including representatives from the Denver Film Festival, the Boulder International Film Festival, and, of course, Sundance.

Students are also tasked with creating their own festivals by the end of the year.

“They can think about everything from curation, location, funding, audience, community, engagement workshops, whatever they would want in their dream festival,” said Sears.

Some students are diving into the world of cinema for the first time, while others, like Caroline Locke and Annaluna Grandt, are learning how to send their senior films out into the real world.

“I’m very much more creative, centered and driven and so, having someone really give you the tools [for], unfortunately or fortunately, the business practices that you need to know to be successful, it’s really important,” said Grandt.

The students hope to put what they learn into practice when the Sundance Film Festival comes next year.

“I’m hoping that, with the university being here, it’ll really open those doors for students to go to those places,” Grandt 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.