Author: CNN Newsource

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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    JONESTOWN, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a romance-catfish scheme that robbed a woman in Lebanon County of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

State police in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, said a 63-year-old woman reported a romance scheme in which she lost more than $384,000 and hundreds of Apple gift cards.

Authorities are reviewing financial records and transactions to determine the exact amount of her losses. State police are working to identify accounts and individuals associated with the scheme.

Police urge the public never to engage in financial transactions with someone they know only online.

Here are other tips from police:

Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be a celebrity, musician, military member, or other professional asking for money. Never send gift card security codes or make wire transfers or withdrawals at the direction of an online romantic partner. Never provide passwords, Social Security numbers, bank information, or verification codes to an online contact. Talk to family or a trusted friend before sending money to someone you met online. Remember that social-media profiles, photos, videos, and even video calls do not prove someone is who they claim to be.

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 Elijah Westbrook, Ali Bauman

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — New York City officials released thousands of previously unseen documents questioning the air quality at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks.

The city launched its public online portal Tuesday with more than 170,000 documents from across government agencies dealing with post-9/11 air quality and health risks.

The documents provide more evidence that concerns about toxic air persisted for months after the attacks. Meanwhile, officials assured the public the air at the time was safe.

The files released Tuesday include 68 boxes of documents that were found last year, the Harding Memo and records concerning World Trade Center 7.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched the release at a news conference with other city officials and 9/11 health advocates, including Jon Stewart.

“The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability,” Mamdani said. “For too long, New Yorkers have had to fight for access to records that should have been available to them in the first place. This portal is part of our administration’s enduring commitment to honor those we lost, care for those living with lasting health consequences and give thousands of New Yorkers the answer they’ve been asking for.”

The air quality reports, contamination records and correspondence among city staff show health officials were still finding evidence of asbestos at least 10 months later. That’s long after officials repeatedly assured New Yorkers that the air around Ground Zero was safe to breathe. “There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the window sills and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months. Everyone knew. And now it’s very clear that the city knew as well,” Stewart said.

The mayor also announced the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a multiyear legal battle over the records.

The Harding Memo is a notable document released after it surfaced earlier this year. The document was written just weeks after the attacks and discussed the possibility of lawsuits from people who could claim they were exposed to toxic air.

New York Rep. Jerry Nadler said government officials under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani predicted thousands of New Yorkers would face devastating health effects, according to the memo. “The failure of government officials to share this information with the public and adequately respond to the dangers has had devastating and in too many cases fatal consequences,” he said.

The records also include multiple reports documenting asbestos around the area. Some of them appear to show levels below limits set by environmental and worker protection agencies. Others indicate higher levels, but many don’t include a written analysis explaining the results.

More documents are expected to be added on a rolling basis.

Mamdani said dedicated personnel will be hired to help New Yorkers for whom these documents can serve as proof of presence in the exposure zone needed to obtain assistance from the victim compensation fund.

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 Steven Yablonski

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office released the names of the five people who were killed when an Amazon cargo plane overshot a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, slammed into vehicles near the airport and burst into flames.

All of those who were killed were in two vehicles that were hit during the crash, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said Monday.

Five people were also injured, including the pilot and co-pilot, who have since been treated and released from a Miami hospital, according to Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz.

The pilots have been identified as Joseph Carroll, 55, and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37. CBS News has determined the names of the pilots using the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office release, LinkedIn profiles, and the FAA pilot database. LinkedIn profiles list Carroll as a captain with 21 Air and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina as a 21 Air first officer.

In a news release, the MDSO said Tuesday that three people remain in the hospital in critical condition. Who were the victims of the Amazon cargo plane crash at MIA? The five people who were killed were identified as:

Rolando Aleman Leon, 55 Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53 Julio C. Pineda, 75 Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53 Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47

The five people who were injured were identified as:

Eugenio Corredor, 79 Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32 Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres, 36 Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37 Joseph Caroll, 55

“From the moment this tragedy occurred, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has maintained a continuous presence on-scene,” Cordero-Stutz said during the news conference. “Our mission remains clear – protect the scene, support the families and follow the facts.”

She said that the MDSO’s Airport Operations Bureau and Incident Management Team remains at the scene to maintain security, preserve the integrity of the scene and to assist with traffic control. In addition, the MDSO’s Homicide Bureau is also investigating the crash.

“Our investigators remain in contact with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives,” Cordero-Stutz said.

Victims killed, injured in crash were in vehicles, NTSB says Homendy said Monday that the flight, Amazon Air Flight 7598, was a Boeing 767-33 Alpha operated by 21 Air LLC. It had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was on its third flight of the day, having gone from Cincinnati to Miami, then Miami to San Juan and back to Miami.

The plane overran runway 30 on landing, struck navigational aids and hit a 2012 white Ford Econoline van owned by the Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a contract cleaning company for the airlines, Homendy said. Seven people were inside the van at the time.

Professional Ocean Service has issued a new statement to CBS News Miami on the tragedy that said:

“Our Professional Ocean Service Corp. family is heartbroken by this unimaginable tragedy. Our employees are far more than the people who work beside us each day; they are family, and they are deeply loved. Our hearts and prayers are with every employee and every family whose lives have been forever changed. We grieve with those who lost a loved one and pray for the healing and recovery of those who were injured. To our employees and their families, please know that you are not alone. We will stand beside you and support you through these difficult days ahead. Out of respect for the families and the ongoing investigation, we will not comment further on the circumstances of the accident. Our focus remains where it belongs: their families and ensuring they receive the love and support they need. We ask everyone to keep them in their thoughts and prayers and to respect their privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”

Amazon also issued a statement, expressing condolences to the families of the victims.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating tragedy,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a new statement to CBS News Miami. “The NTSB is on the ground at Miami International Airport conducting its investigation. We’ll fully cooperate with them and support any other investigating authorities, and we’ll also continue to coordinate with 21 Air, which operated the flight. Amazon leaders are also meeting with local officials, first responders, and others in the community to offer our support.”

The plane then tore through a perimeter fence and struck a Toyota Corolla Cross LE that was traveling on Northwest 67 Avenue.

It continued into the grass and hit another fence line in an area where Tesla robotaxis were stationed. In total, the plane traveled about 1,300 feet past the paved surface, Homendy said.

Homendy said the van was inside the airport, while the Toyota was outside. Cellphone video shows first responders finding a person alive inside the crushed Toyota.

“I would describe it in one word: devastating, utter devastation,” Homendy said. “The Econoline van is torn apart. You can see airbags, the surrounding airbags. You can see components from vehicles, both passenger vehicles and the aircraft itself. Certainly navigation components, some debris from the airport, and then certainly fencing everywhere. It’s pretty extensive.”

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 Mike Toole, Kristina Rex

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Patrick Clancy, Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband, issued a scathing statement to conspiracy theorists who have been claiming he was involved in the deaths of the couple’s children – “There will be consequences.”

“Enough is enough — this spread of blatant and baseless falsehoods must stop,” Clancy’s lawyer Howard Cooper said in a statement Tuesday morning.

As attention to Lindsay Clancy’s trial intensified over the summer, some conspiracy theories started to spread online claiming Patrick Clancy could be responsible for the crime, even though that never came up in court.

Patrick Clancy was the first witness to testify in his wife’s trial, which ended with a mistrial last week because the jury was deadlocked. Lindsay Clancy admitted through her attorney she killed their three children in their Duxbury, Massachusetts home in January 2023, but she pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

A key issue in the case is whether Clancy was criminally responsible for the murders or if she was too mentally ill to understand right from wrong.

Despite that, Patrick Clancy’s attorney said his client “has been subject to an escalating campaign of misinformation and defamatory statements.”

Cooper issued this statement, threatening legal action against the conspiracy theorists.

Over the past months, Patrick Clancy and his family have been subjected to a relentless, escalating and destructive defamation campaign. This campaign of misinformation has been launched and promoted by minor celebrities, so-called influencers and outright conspiracy theorists who appear intent on boosting their own social media profiles and potential profit by publishing what they know to be outright falsehoods that Patrick was somehow involved in the death of his young children and other vile claims.

This campaign, now fueled by insatiable media coverage, remains at a fever pitch and has resulted in real life threats to his reputation, livelihood, and life. Patrick has no choice but to address this situation – with the clear goal of stopping injurious behavior, creating accountability for lies that are self-serving to the perpetrators, and being able to return his attention to what matters: preserving the memory of Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy and supporting other women facing perinatal mental health challenges.

Enough is enough — this spread of blatant and baseless falsehoods must stop. Those responsible should understand that there will be consequences, and every appropriate measure will be pursued to hold them accountable, including legally. Law enforcement has been notified.

CBS News legal analyst Caroline Polisi said the statement is essentially a “cease and desist letter” and it may be an indicator that Patrick Clancy plans to formally litigate this issue on a civil level if it continues.

Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz has not decided yet if there will be a second trial for Lindsay Clancy.

After the mistrial was declared Friday, WBZ-TV’s Kristina Rex asked Lindsay Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington what he thought about Patrick Clancy conspiracy theories.

“You know, regarding the people on the internet, you know, I certainly don’t dismiss them. It’s amazing what people on TikTok and on Instagram – I do know those things – you know, it’s amazing how they’re able to ferret out facts and they do investigations,” Reddington said.

Rex spoke to Reddington again Tuesday and asked him about Patrick Clancy’s statement.

“The guy’s been through hell and back,” Reddington said. “He has, as I’ve said repeatedly, stood by her, during the period of time dealing with the doctors, dealing with the medications. While she’s awake at night, in their house, taking her to doctors, taking her to the hospital, going to McLean. taking her to, dropping her off at the, Rhode Island hospital, the suicide lines, all of it. He’s been there with her, and still stands by her by way of his testimony. And…it’s — I think it’s just horrible what he’s been going through.”

Patrick Clancy was the first person to find his children on the night of the murders. The couple divorced after their deaths and Patrick Clancy remarried.

Lindsay Clancy remains in state custody at Tewksbury Hospital, north of Boston, where she has been held since February 2023. Reddingon visited her there over the weekend.

“She’s sad, she’s scared, she’s upset and she’s not in a real good place,” Reddington told Rex.

The next hearing in Lindsay Clancy’s case is scheduled for Sept. 29.

Shanelle Kaul contributed to this report.

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 Ayron Lewallen

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    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WVTM) — The family of a man shot and killed by a Birmingham police officer will go back to the place he was killed — not to focus on how he died, but to remember how he lived.

Otis Phillips’ family plans to have a balloon release Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the same place where he was fatally shot Aug. 24. For his brother, Martinez Phillips, the loss is measured in moments that will never come — another conversation, another visit or another call.

Martinez talked to Otis on Aug. 14, Otis’ birthday. He never imagined it would be their last conversation.

Birmingham police said officers met Otis after neighbors reported a man walking along Avenue I in Ensley with a gun and knocking on people’s doors. Police said he was waving the gun, pulling on car doors and shot at one of the homes before he was shot by an officer.

Martinez said his family still does not know what happened before the deadly encounter or what may have led to his brother’s reported behavior.

Martinez said what police described does not match the brother he knew. He said Otis had never shown signs of drug or alcohol abuse or mental health concerns.

According to his family, Otis worked in security and was licensed to carry a gun. Martinez worries the situation surrounding his brother’s death will outshine the person he was — someone who Martinez said he shared his dreams and goals with, cried with and slept next to in the same bed with when they were kids.

“My brother is a very kind person,” he said. “My brother will give you the shirt off his back. He will give you the last penny in his pocket. He’s a very colorful person. He’s going to crack a joke. He’s going to make you laugh. That was just my brother. He was a confident man. My brother was more than just a brother. My brother was a friend, man.

The family is planning Otis’ funeral for the Saturday after the balloon release. It will be an especially difficult day for Martinez because his daughter, Otis’ niece, will also celebrate her 7th birthday that day.

Birmingham police have not given an update on the investigation of the shooting that killed Otis. WVTM 13 reached out to the department, but hasn’t heard back yet.

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 Sean DeLancey

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    TRENTON, Ohio (WCPO) — As Tri-State towns and law enforcement agencies re-evaluate their use of license plate-reading Flock Camera systems, Trenton’s police chief stood before a packed city council chamber to explain to council members and the public why he still believed they should be used.

During the presentation, Chief Patrick Carr candidly answered questions from the public, pledged to get answers for portions he wasn’t completely sure about, and laid out Trenton’s plan to change policy to regain the public’s trust.

Carr said misuse by officers in other departments across the country has been central to spreading distrust.

“Mandatory misuse detection and abnormal activity lockouts are now the norm moving forward,” he said. “So, if someone is doing something wonky, they’re going to get locked out of the system.”

One person watching from the crowd brought the issue to the forefront with a question directly to Carr.

“You hear so many bad things, people searching for other people illegally,” the person said before Carr cut him off.

“That’s called a felony in the fifth degree in the state of Ohio, if they do that,” he said. “We will refer them to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. We will terminate them, and they will be prosecuted.”

Carr told the crowd that .00022% of all plates read by the 11 total cameras in Trenton are searched by officers in the department, actively restricting what outside organizations can access data from Trenton’s Flock cameras, reducing standard storage time for collected data and requiring searches to be accompanied by an offense type to produce results.

The chief argued they were powerful law enforcement tools that have allowed them to find a missing person incapacitated in a car crash, catch a serial flasher, and arrest a pair of armed robbers.

“Some individuals out of the City of Middletown walked up to an individual who was using the ATM, put a gun to his head and relieved him of his cash,” Carr said.

Mayor Ryan Perry said council had invited Carr to give a presentation on the cameras because of how controversial they had become.

“I do think that there is probably a deeper conversation that we have about this later because this is something, it obviously has become a hot-button topic nationally,” Perry said.

Carr told us he’s organizing a town hall on Flock cameras to have more informal conversations with people with concerns.

Perry said council would eventually have to consider the technology’s future.

“We’ll look into it, we’ll do some research, and see what happens.”

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By Kaitlin Gehlhaus, Peter Eliopoulos

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    EVERETT, Mass. (WCVB) — More than 1,300 union workers at Encore Boston Harbor spent Labor Day on the picket line as contract negotiations with Wynn Resorts remained at a standstill.

The strike began Friday after UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 failed to reach a new labor agreement with the casino operator. The unions represent housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, warehouse workers, drivers and other employees.

Workers said they will continue picketing until a new contract is reached.

“They don’t want to negotiate with us. Negotiations are at a standstill,” said Keenan Green, a cook at Encore.

The unions are seeking higher wages, continued healthcare benefits and protections against job losses as automation expands throughout the casino. They also want wages comparable to those earned by union hotel workers in downtown Boston.

“We’ve got hotels that are downtown that don’t make half as much money as Encore that are getting better wages than us,” Green said. “We just want to get to the standard of where they’re at.”

Union leaders said Encore workers deserve compensation that matches the property’s status as a luxury resort.

“Right now, they want to claim that they’re a five-star resort, and they are paying three-star wages,” said Nancy Campbell, of Teamsters Local 25.

Workers on the picket line said the strike has brought together employees from a wide range of backgrounds.

“We are a group of people from different cultures and experiences, and the fact that we can all come together and be here as one to get what we all want together, because we all do deserve it,” said Melissa Velasquez, a valet cashier.

Local, state and federal elected officials joined workers on the picket line Monday, including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

“We believe another world is possible, one that chooses people over profits, workers over billionaires, and freedom over fascism,” Pressley said.

Encore Boston Harbor disputed the unions’ claims, saying wages and benefits for employees represented by UNITE HERE and the Teamsters have increased 36.8% over the past four years while company revenue has increased 1.9% during the same period. The company also said the average represented employee earns $95,000 annually in wages and benefits.

In a statement, Encore said, “We are committed to finding common ground that is fair, financially sustainable and protects jobs for the long term.”

Negotiations between the two sides remain ongoing.

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.