Author: CNN Newsource

By Carlos E. Castañeda

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — The California High-Speed Rail Authority has paid out more than half a million dollars in wasteful travel expenses to consultants, such as first-class flights, trips to the gym, nightclubs, and other unallowable expenses, according to a state watchdog.

A report issued Tuesday by the authority’s Office of the Inspector General said allegations that the CHSRA failed to comply with state regulations and contract requirements when reimbursing consultants’ travel expenses were substantiated. Out of the more than $1 million of travel expenses reviewed between 2024 and 2026, the report states, 60%, or $680,500, did not comply with state regulations requiring advance approval, “indicating there was little to no upfront consideration of the need for or cost of the travel.”

Unallowable expenses Of the unapproved expenses, $592,000 were deemed to be unallowable, according to the report, under state travel regulations or under the contract with the consultants. The reimbursements included expenses for premium airfares, Uber Black and Lyft Black upgrades, trips to gyms, escape rooms, cigar lounges, tiki bars, and private residences with no documentation of a state business purpose.

Also not allowed, the report says, were reimbursement expenditures for international and out-of-state travel, or travel from locations other than the consultants’ approved office locations.

Other questionable practices, the report states, included reimbursement for rideshare cancellation fees, same-day flight booking, which typically means higher costs, and travel claims which lacked receipts or supporting documentation.

“Only in California could a project that is years late and billions over budget somehow find money for consultant rides to a cigar lounge,” said Assembly Minority Leader Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare) in a prepared statement.

Macedo added that Governor Gavin Newsom “should make taxpayers whole and claw back every improper dollar.”

“Californians are already paying some of the highest costs in the country,” Macedo said. “They should not be forced to subsidize consultant lifestyles for a rail project that still has not laid a single mile of track.”

CHRSA responds to report A list of recommended corrective actions was included in the report, among them enforcing state regulations regarding allowable travel expenses, obtaining written advance approvals from management, maintaining a list of approved office locations from which travel can be reimbursed, and requiring specific reasons why remote technology does not suffice.

The CHSRA, the report states, only committed to implementing some of the corrective actions and disagreed with the need for detailed justifications for each consultant trip. The authority also disagreed with the need to explain why consultant work must be in-person versus remotely, and cited a recent executive order requiring applicable state employees to work in office four days a week — an order the OIG said does not address consultant travel or negate state travel regulations.

A California High-Speed Rail Authority spokesperson said Wednesday it appreciates the OIG’s oversight and remains committed to transparency and continuous improvements. CBS News Bay Area reached out to the CHRSA and were emailed a statement.

“We take these findings seriously. In response, the Authority will strengthen internal controls around consultant travel, implement more rigorous documentation and approval requirements, and recover any improper costs identified,” a spokesperson wrote. “We are also working closely with the OIG to ensure corrective action that is both accurate and fair.”

High-speed rail delays California’s high-speed rail project has been beset by years-long delays and cost overruns since construction began in 2015. The CHSRA currently projects the initial Central Valley segment to open between 2030 and 2033, while the full Phase 1 link between San Francisco and Los Angeles is not expected until 2040. Phase 2 would extend the system south to San Diego and north to Sacramento.

When voters approved the initial bond funding for the project in 2008, the entire system was expected to cost between $33 billion and $45 billion. The CHSRA’s 2026 Business Plan showed it would take $126 billion to complete Phase 1 of the project.

In July, the OIG warned that the state’s high-speed rail project could run out of money as soon as December 2027 unless the state borrows billions to keep construction on schedule. A recent CBS California Investigation also showed that the CHSRA repeatedly missed deadlines to buy the trains at the center of a federal funding fight, and dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration weeks after missing its own revised deadline.

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 Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — One person died after a fishing boat on San Francisco Bay crashed into large rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge early Thursday morning, officials said.

Around 6:10 a.m., firefighters from San Francisco, Southern Marin and Sausalito, along with the San Francisco Police Department Marine Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard, were called to the bridge.

Authorities received reports of a boat with three people on board that struck rocks on the Marin County side. San Francisco police said the rocks were underneath the bridge, and that the vessel began to capsize.

According to the Southern Marin Fire District, the Coast Guard reached the boaters and removed them from the water. Officials said one of them was in cardiac arrest.

San Francisco police took the boaters to the Marin County shoreline, where they received additional care.

In an update posted at 10:25 a.m., the SFPD said that all three were taken to a hospital in Marin County with life-threatening injuries. Despite life-saving efforts, one of the people on board succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital during surgery, the fire district said.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office identified him as 35-year-old San Jose resident Daniel Zhengyu Qin.

The second patient remained in critical condition and the third patient was in stable condition. Authorities have not said what led up to the collision.

Coast Guard Boatswain Richard Smith said when crews arrived, the 22-foot recreational fishing vessel was pinned between two rocks and was in the process of capsizing, with two boaters in the water and the third still on board. All three boaters had life vests on, Smith said, adding that it was still very dark when the boat struck the rocks.

“When we arrived on scene, it was still pretty dark and our crew members had a difficult time actually identifying people while they were in the water, and we actually had to use our spotlights to identify them,” Smith said.

Smith added that there was slightly restricted visibility because of the fog, but nothing significant. The incident was under investigation by the Coast Guard.

The San Francisco Fire Department said it regularly trains with the Coast Guard, police, and Marin County firefighters for Golden Gate Bridge response scenarios and water rescues.

“This type of quick, multi-agency coordination is the direct result of ongoing joint training,” firefighters said in a statement. “That includes marine drills, unified command exercises, and shared radio communication systems, so when a call comes in near jurisdictional lines, all agencies are operating from the same playbook.”

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office said its marine unit recovered the capsized boat and towed it to Coast Guard Station Golden Gate at Horseshoe Cove east of the bridge’s North Vista Point, where the San Francisco Police Department would process it for evidence.

The Sheriff’s Office said the cause of the collision was under investigation, and a post mortem examination with toxicology testing was to be completed by next week. The cause and manner of death is pending following investigations by the United States Coast Guard, Marin County Sheriff’s Office, and San Francisco Police Department.

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 Rylee Curry

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    HAUGHTON, La. (KTBS) — Four days after 24-year-old Caddo Parish correctional inmate Tre’Veon Jackson escaped deputy custody in Shreveport, residents in the Haughton area remain on edge as authorities continue searching for him. Jackson was last seen in Bossier Parish near the Country Place subdivision in Haughton, prompting some residents to take extra precautions. “We need answers,” said Brandon Kitchens, president of the Country Place homeowners association. “We know that there is information that law enforcement cannot give us. Sure, I understand. But we need to know something.” Longtime Country Place resident Ronnie Jordan said he does not believe Jackson is still in the area, but he is still being cautious. “I don’t think that he’s out here. He’d be a fool if he was,” Jordan said. “I don’t think he has any ties to this neighborhood.” Jordan said he called his wife after learning Jackson had been traced nearby and told her to stay inside and not answer the door. Neither the Bossier Parish nor Caddo Parish sheriff’s offices provided an update on the investigation Thursday. However, Lt. Breck Scott with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said investigators have received more than 100 tips from the public since Monday. Deputies are following up on those tips and taking each one seriously, he said. One tip led investigators to the Shell gas station on North Market Street. Scott said that lead turned out to be unfounded. For residents, the lack of information is becoming more noticeable as the search continues. Kitchens said he has faith in law enforcement but would feel more at ease knowing more about the investigation. “They’re fully capable of doing their jobs, of course,” Kitchens said. “But with multiple agencies, with Louisiana State Police, Caddo and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, multiple agencies that should be able to take this guy down if he’s supposedly within the local area still.”

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 Matthew Rodriguez

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Uber was ordered to pay $40 million to the family of a woman killed on an Orange County freeway after a rideshare driver left her on the side of the road.

Carol Normandin and Ken Parker said their 23-year-old daughter, Emily Normandin-Parker, and a friend ordered an Uber after a night out on Aug. 12, 2023. During the ride, Normandin-Parker’s friend became sick and vomited in the car. The driver pulled over to the side of State Route 73 and kicked the women out of the car, leaving them on the side of the freeway.

Normandin-Parker was fatally struck by another car as their Uber drove away.

“The reason we’re talking is because he didn’t take responsibility and neither did Uber,” Parker said. “They’re still not taking responsibility. We do not want this to ever happen to another mother or another father.”

During a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber argued that the driver was an independent contractor under California law and that the ridesharing company should not be held accountable for his actions.

A retired judge acting as the arbitrator awarded Normandin and Parker $20 million each.

In a statement, Uber disagreed with the decision.

“No family should have to suffer the loss of a child, and our thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family,” Uber said. “While we respect the arbitration process, we believe the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night.”

After the decision, Uber initially offered a settlement agreement that prohibited Normandin and Parker from publicly discussing the incident, with a provision requiring them to pay $10 million each time they did, according to Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, the law firm representing the family.

“We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition,” Parker said. “The case was never about money in the first place.”

The family created the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to honor their daughter and advocate for stronger rideshare safety regulations.

“In a private car, it’s whatever rules they have,” Normandin said. “It’s whatever they’re offended by. I think the whole business model of someone getting in a stranger’s car, a stranger to both Uber and a stranger to us, is just dangerous.”

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 Terell Bailey

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — When a fire truck is racing to an emergency, every second counts.

A new pilot program launched in Detroit is testing technology designed to help fire and EMS vehicles move through intersections faster by communicating with traffic signals before they arrive.

The 90-day pilot is taking place at five intersections in Detroit’s Corktown and Michigan Central area. The system combines technology installed in emergency vehicles with technology at designated traffic signals.

Michael Wieck, focus accounts director at Miovision, explained that the two pieces work together to put the system in place. The technology can request a green light before the emergency vehicle reaches the intersection, while cross traffic gets a red light, giving drivers time to clear the way.

Similar technology is already being used in other states, including Texas and Florida.

Shobhit Jain of Miovision said the 90-day pilot will give officials enough data to create a blueprint for potentially expanding the technology.

“Once we have enough data, a blueprint in 90 days, we can scale it in a much more confident way,” Jain said.

The goal is to improve emergency response times while making intersections safer for first responders and drivers.

At the end of the pilot, officials will determine whether the technology could be expanded.

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By Jeremiah Estrada

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    WAIKAPU, Hawaii (KITV) — Maui firefighters are working to extinguish a brush fire near Kuihelani Highway in Waikapu on Thursday afternoon.

The Maui Fire Department (MFD) was alerted about a brush fire at 3:22 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, located west of Kuihelani Highway and south of Waiko Road. Firefighters arrived at the scene and found a multi-acre area of brush and grass burning in the direction of Kuihelani Highway.

Firefighters on the ground halted their efforts as an MFD helicopter dropped water onto the brush.

Firefighters are continuing to fully contain and extinguish the fire. MFD said forward progress in this fire stopped at 4:26 p.m.

The brush fire does not pose a threat to any nearby structures. No injuries were reported from this incident.

The fire led to the temporary closure of Kahului-bound lanes on Kuihelani Highway between Honoapiilani Highway and Waiko Road. The Maalaea-bound lanes are anticipated to reopen around 5:30pm.

The cause of the fire has not been determined at this 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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    FLINT, Michigan (WWJ) — Two brothers who were acquitted in the Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plot case have filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan State Police and FBI officials, alleging that they were framed and unlawfully detained, which impacted their business.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Michael Null, of Plainwell, and William Null, of Shelbyville, on Sept. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. It is seeking a jury trial and asks that the brothers be compensated for damages and attorney fees.

A jury acquitted the brothers and a third person, Eric Molitor, in September 2023 of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge. The men were the last of the 14 men facing charges in state and federal court. Nine were originally convicted and five were cleared.

The lawsuit alleges that the Null brothers were deprived of their right to bear arms, had their Fourth Amendment rights violated, and suffered humiliation, lost wages and reputational harm.

The lawsuit claims that federal officials “knowingly and intentionally caused Plaintiffs to be arrested, detained, and prosecuted without probable cause by fabricating evidence and making materially false statements to federal prosecutors.”

It also alleges that the accusations against the brothers were “drummed up” by an FBI agent, his paid confidential informant, and other agents and officers.

“The only terrorists in the courtroom were the government, pursuing a frame against the Plaintiffs,” read the lawsuit. “AG Nessel’s administration has lost the important cases, and failed to get justice for the people of Flint. Rather, she spent her time in office with an agenda.”

CBS News Detroit reached out to Nessel’s office and the FBI for comment and is awaiting a response.

The lawsuit comes after convictions for three of the men — Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar — were overturned in 2026. The men were accused of having secondary roles in the scheme and were not charged with having a direct role.

The key players, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy in 2022 in a different court. They were accused of running a plot to kidnap Whitmer at her vacation ahea of the 2020 election in response to their frustration with COVID-19 restrictions.

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By Todd Feurer

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    WILMETTE, Illinois (WBBM) — Two people were injured when a semi-trailer truck hauling steel beams hit the underside of the Lake Avenue bridge over the Edens Expressway near Wilmette on Thursday evening.

Illinois State Police said the truck was headed south on the Edens when it hit a girder on the underside of the bridge around 5:20 p.m., spilling part of its load of steel beams, damaging multiple cars.

Two people who were injured were taken to the hospital, but their conditions were not immediately available.

Police said two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes of the Edens Expressway were blocked after the crash. The Lake Avenue bridge was closed in both directions while Illinois Department of Transportation crews inspected it to make sure it was safe to reopen to traffic.

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By Kimberly King

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    EDNEYVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Nearly two years after Helene devastated western North Carolina, some bridges that were destroyed by the storm remain without repairs or reconstruction.

Ray Lyda, an apple farmer in Edneyville, says he has tried to call the North Carolina Department of Transportation for an answer on why the agency hasn’t started to rebuild two Helene-destroyed bridges on public roads in the heart of apple country.

Lyda’s right. The two broken bridges are on Waters Road and Townsend Road.

“When you’re driving tractors with spray machines before daylight and pulling bush hogs and farm equipment, it’s tough,” he said.

Lyda showed News 13 a multi-mile detour his workers must drive in large tractors and machines to get to farm acreage they need to work on the other side of Waters Road.

“Why haven’t you let people know when you’re going to do something? When are you going to start?” he said.

On Thursday, News 13 found out that it will be soon.

“Delays with right-of-way acquisition and the design process pushed back the construction start date, but that’s scheduled to begin this fall,” said Stephanie Johnson, spokesperson for NCDOT. “Once construction begins, the contractor will have four months to finish the Waters Road bridge and six months to finish the Townsend Road bridge.”

Johnson confirmed both bridges were part of an emergency express design-build contract awarded in March 2025 for approximately $5 million.

“The damage to these bridges necessitated full replacements, so the contractor had to design entirely new structures,” she added.

This news was welcome for Lyda, but he still feels there’s been a lack of urgency by the NCDOT for farmers like him, who he said need the bridges for work.

“We used it every day,” said Billy Ellis, a longtime Edneyville farmer. “Hauling apples out, we would go this way. We’ve had to go the opposite direction all year now.”

At the Townsend Road bridge, heavy machinery was parked on both sides of Clear Creek, and rebar and beams appeared to be staged about 50 feet from the Creek bed.

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By Robbie Owens

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    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — Three months ago, Dallas firefighter Ian Kammerer found himself on the unfamiliar side of a 911 call.

Call it instinct, or perhaps intuition, but something was suddenly, seriously wrong with his healthy 5-week-old son, Kenji.

“We just picked him up,” Kammerer said, “and he just screeched and then [we] just saw the blood was drained from his face.”

Paramedics rushed the baby to Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas. Kenji’s intestines, for no obvious reason, had suddenly twisted, shutting off the blood supply.

“And literally we were sitting in that room, and those doors kept opening,” Lindsey Kammerer, Kenji’s mom, said from a hospital waiting area. “And we kept watching for an update.”

Doctors said they were worried, too.

“And she came right to my face and said, `Do you think he’s going to make it?'” Dr. Kris Bysani of Medical City Children’s said. “And he was dying.”

Doctors there said that had the parents not acted so quickly, Kenji almost certainly would have died.

“We were so worried about him,” Dr. Shweta Murthi said. “And on the way up to the ICU, as we were bringing him up on the stretcher, I remember he opened his eyes, and he looked at us, and we brought Mom to the bedside, and we said, `There’s hope. There’s still hope.”

Now, 77 days and four surgeries later, Kenji is going home.

“You’re happy. Excited. Scared?”, Lindsey said, before deciding on “all the above.”

As dozens of Medical City Children’s staffers lined the halls with rattles and signs, Ian’s fellow firefighters joined them. The makings of a dream day began to emerge from what could only be described as a nightmare.

“It was overwhelming,” Ian said. “I remember, at my station, they were already thinking of things that we would need. Even the first week, we were just focusing on him, and everything was already taken care of.”

Now 4 months old, Kenji is a chubby, squirming, sometimes fussy bundle of joy. Before his parents began to embrace the bliss of normal life, Lindsey couldn’t hold back the tears as she thought of her much-expanded family at Medical City Children’s.

“I don’t think there’s enough words to tell them. And I don’t think that they even truly understand how, as individuals, each impacted us,” Lindsey said. “Like you could put each person in front of me, and I could probably tell them a moment where they just saved me, or they saved Ian.”

All while saving her precious baby boy.

“It’s everyone,” Lindsey said, “everyone.”

Ian said, “We’re just so thankful.”

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.