North Carolina Senate approves redistricting map, aiming to secure more Republican seats

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Marisa Sardonia

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    RALEIGH, North Carolina (WLOS) — Republicans in the North Carolina Senate have approved a new map that redraws the state’s congressional districts, plainly stating their intent to help Republicans gain another U.S. House seat under President Donald Trump’s push to retain his party’s grip on Congress next year.

The proposed map is now headed to the House, which is expected to give it final General Assembly approval later this week.

The new map aims to shift District 1 from a swing seat to one favoring Republicans. The current 1st District covers a region that has elected African Americans for over 30 years and where some counties have majority Black populations.

The push to retool congressional district boundaries for the ninth-largest state comes amid an emerging nationwide battle between the major parties as they seek advantages in states like Texas and California ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

An Oct. 13 news release from Senate leader Phil Berger, with support from House Speaker Destin Hall, says this move “follows President Donald Trump’s call urging legislatures across the country to take action to nullify Democrat redistricting efforts.”

On Oct. 17, Trump took to Truth Social to express his thoughts on the redistricting proposal in North Carolina. Trump wrote, in part:

“Thank you to North Carolina’s incredible Republican State Legislators, who just introduced a new, fair, and improved, Congressional Map, a situation I am watching, and strongly supporting, very closely[…] This new Map would give the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections, which would be A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda, not just in North Carolina, but across our Nation.”

Shortly after the North Carolina Senate approved the state’s redrawn U.S. House district map on Tuesday, Sen. Phil Berger posted to X, stating that “this new map respects the will of the North Carolina voters.”

Not everyone agrees with the GOP’s plan.

The North Carolina branch of Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization focused on protecting voting rights and fighting gerrymandering, released a statement in response to the proposal. The statement reads, in part:

“It’s an insult to the citizens of our state that lawmakers are prioritizing rigging a congressional map over meeting the needs of the people by passing a budget[…] The plan by Republican legislative leaders to further rig our state’s already extremely gerrymandered voting maps is a slap in the face of the people of North Carolina.”

Various North Carolina Democratic lawmakers, including Governor Josh Stein, have also outwardly opposed this proposal.

“They are failing the voters of North Carolina by deciding for them who their congressional representation will be,” Gov. Stein said, in part, in a video posted to X on Oct. 20. “It’s outrageous. The people should be choosing our representatives.”

State law prevents Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp on redistricting action. Litigation challenging the map is almost certain, with allegations of harming the voting power of Black residents likely.

Residents were asked last week to submit public comments on the proposal.

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Fargo activist pleads guilty to misappropriation of state grants

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By April Baumgarten

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    MANDAN, North Dakota (WDAY) — A Fargo activist has pleaded guilty to theft charges that allege she misappropriated state-issued funds to her family.

Faith Monique Shields-Dixon, 46, entered guilty pleas to three felony counts on Monday, Oct. 20, in Burleigh County District Court. Two other counts of theft will be dismissed.

The charges allege Shields-Dixon gave grant money from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to businesses owned or managed by her relatives from Feb. 3, 2022, to April 10, 2023. Those businesses included her husband’s food stand, her brother’s music and production company, and her sister-in-law’s dance studio, according to court documents.

Shields-Dixon applied for $1.5 million in grants from the DPI through her nonprofit, the Faith4Hope Scholarship Fund, according to court documents.

The grant was meant for after-school programs that help students who were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 school closures, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement issued after Monday’s hearing.

Shields-Dixon started her nonprofit in 2016 as a way to help low-income families, according to the Faith4Hope website. That website is no longer available online.

The DPI approved $350,000 for the fund that would be handed out over the course of three years to Faith4Hope, court documents said. Shields-Dixon allocated $124,000 to her family’s businesses, according to reimbursements described in court documents.

The DPI asked the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which Wrigley’s office oversees, to look into Shields-Dixon’s nonprofit after “initial disbursements revealed significant conflicts of interest in violation” of the DPI grant program, Wrigley said in his statement.

“The DPI works hard to support strong programs for students while also making sure public dollars are spent responsibly and with accountability,” Wrigley said in the statement. “We all want to ensure the money is being used to benefit children who participate in after-school programs, and this criminal prosecution should serve as a deterrent to others who might try to use these funds unlawfully.”

Charges were filed Oct. 10, 2024, in Burleigh County District Court because state money was involved and the DPI is based in Bismarck. Monday’s plea hearing was held in Mandan, which is the Morton County seat. Burleigh and Morton counties use each other’s courthouses interchangeably.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 20 in Morton County. Prosecutors from Wrigley’s office plan to ask Judge Bobbi Weiler to sentence Shields-Dixon to 11 months in the Burleigh-Morton Detention Center, according to a plea agreement she signed.

Her defense attorney, Dane DeKrey, will argue for four months behind bars, the agreement said.

In a news release issued earlier this month, Shields-Dixon asked the public to wait until after her sentencing to draw conclusions. Facts of what did and didn’t happen in the case are expected to come out during sentencing, DeKrey told The Forum after the Monday hearing.

He and prosecutors agree Shields-Dixon did something illegal, DeKrey said.

“The specifics of what and how are going to be the central focus of the sentencing hearing,” he said, adding that will determine her sentence.

Shields-Dixon is an activist in the Fargo-Moorhead area who has fought for the rights and voices of people of color.

Her husband, Charles Dixon, was also charged with two felony counts of theft in connection to her case. A four-day trial for his case is scheduled to begin Nov. 18.

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Bald eagle stuck in truck grille rescued by DNR

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Matt Henson

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    KITTSON COUNTY, Minnesota (WDAY) — A church trip took an unexpected turn for Cindy Vagle on Sunday, Oct. 19, when a bald eagle became an unlikely co-pilot.

Vagle was driving along U.S. Highway 59 from Lancaster to Lake Bronson when she spotted the bird in the opposite lane. A few miles later, she discovered the eagle clinging to the grille of her pickup.

“Here the dang bird is hanging on the front of the truck still alive,” Vagle said.

About an hour earlier, Vagle had slowed down when the eagle flew across the road. She heard a thump but didn’t see the bird until she reached town. She carefully avoided disturbing it.

“Very beautiful, but just hanging there moving its head side to side just looking at me. I was like ‘Ohh … I better not get too close to that thing because it had quite the beak,” Vagle said.

The eagle’s feet were caught in the grille. About an hour later, an officer with the Department of Natural Resources arrived and rescued the bird, releasing it back into the wild. Vagle said the officer confirmed the eagle was not hurt.

“I wish I knew what was going through that bird’s mind, that must have been quite the experience for it,” Vagle said.

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Family searches for missing Marine veteran in Santa Fe

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Alyssa Munoz

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    SANTA FE, N.M. (KOAT) — Joel ‘Deano’ Valdez, a Marine veteran, has been missing for a month, prompting his family to search for answers in Santa Fe.

Valdez’s cousin, Monique Garcia, said Sept. 18 started as a normal day for him. Valdez had finished a job in Silver City and stopped in Santa Fe on his way home to Coyote, visiting an ATM and Allsup’s.

After not hearing from him the rest of that day, the family grew concerned. The next few days, charges were made on his debit card. The family said the amount used at another gas station was out of character for him and was enough to fill up a few cars.

“On the 19th is where things got suspicious with the amount of money that was charged at a gas station. Then, on the 20th, there were some abnormal charges at a local store. It kind of escalated from there where we don’t know who was using his card,” Garcia said.

Valdez, who grew up in New Mexico, served two tours in Afghanistan and is a father of three. While New Mexico State Police are investigating his disappearance, the family has conducted their own searches, hoping to bring him back to his wife and children.

“He’s an ordinary person living an ordinary life, and if this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. He was combat trained and had situational awareness. So, for something like this to happen, it just lets us know that something sinister happened,” Garcia said.

State police have not said whether foul play is suspected in Valdez’s disappearance. Valdez was last known to be driving a white truck with New Mexico license plate 248THP. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Mexico State Police. Those who want to assist with the search can also reach out to Garcia.

Family’s timeline of September 18: 11:45-12:15 p.m.: Valdez left Silver City.

2:30 p.m.: Valdez texted his wife saying he was on his way home.

3:30 p.m.: Valdez spoke with his cousin, confirming he was on his way home.

5:30- 5:40 p.m.: Transaction at Wells Fargo and Allsup’s on Cerillos Road in Santa Fe.

6:49 p.m.: Valdez’s father called him, but the family said his phone was off.

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Sacramento’s Indian community celebrates Diwali as local businesses brace for the impact of increased tariffs

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Cecil Hannibal

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — Sacramento’s Indian community is celebrating Diwali with traditions that include cooking sweets and offering prayers for family prosperity.

“Everyone is like a family here. Food is a big part of our celebration. We love to cook a lot of sweets,” said Shrdha Shah from BAPS Sacramento.

For Pizza Twist owner Sean Dutt, the celebration means cutting out early to be with family.

“The store’s open but I’m going to go and celebrate with my family,” Dutt said.

Pizza Twist on Sacramento’s K Street which serves Indian fusion pizza along with classic options as well.

“This is some of the stuff that comes from Indian,” Dutt said as he showed KCRA 3 some of the sauces he imports from India that now cost more, and prices could rise even higher.

He received an email indicating that his prices are going up soon after the Trump administration implemented 25% tariffs on imports from India. The Southeast Asian country also issuing tariffs putting a nearly 50% tax on certain goods.

“There’s nothing I can do, you just got to go with it, just pray. Pray for a change, everybody’s trying to survive,” he said.

“We haven’t really seen that big impact right now because maybe some of the shops are still using the stocks that they have already,” said Selvi Jana, the president of Indian Association of Sacramento. “It is definitely impacting our lives.”

During this time of celebration, the Indian Association of Sacramento is preparing its community for the economic challenges ahead.

“Times tough are right now when you see restaurants closing every day, just hanging in there hoping for change,” Dutt said. “It’s just hard times right now.”

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Surfboard pirating sea otter in Santa Cruz prompts ‘aggressive sea otter’ signs

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KSBW) — Sea otters in Santa Cruz are once again making waves by hopping onto surfboards, two years after the notorious sea otter “841” first captured attention, leading to new warning signs for surfers.

Beachgoers expressed their support for the otters, with one local capturing the interaction on video. “I was out with one of my friends and out of nowhere this otter just hops onto this guy’s board and it almost looks like he’s biting it but it kind of looked chill so I think it’s good,” said Nathan Santiago.

Last week, a similar incident led to the installation of signs at Steamer Lane, warning surfers of an “aggressive sea otter” and advising them to enter at their own risk.

“They’re in their territory, the otters, so they have every right to be there,” said another observer.

A tourist, Kristian Voulopos, who caught the incident on camera shared their surprise.

“I was wondering why everybody was standing here looking. I was like what’s happening,” Voulopos said. “I thought it was the waves…I thought the waves were good and I was really excited but it was actually the otter which is cool.”

Other beachgoers expressed their enthusiasm for the otter’s surfing skills.

“I think the otter should be catching waves here that’s so cool,” said one person.

“Honestly, who would have thunk it? Like an otter on a board that is just too cool,” another person added.

According to those at the scene, the otter did not harm anyone and was simply enjoying itself, with many people also enjoying the rare sighting.

It is unclear wheter this is the same sea otter hoping on surfboards or multiple.

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Parents arrested in West Allis 4-year-old’s death investigation

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Mariana La Roche, James Stratton

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    WEST ALLIS, Wis. (WISN) — A 4-year-old boy died after being found unresponsive in West Allis, leading to the arrest of two suspects.

According to the West Allis Police Department, the incident began when the West Allis emergency dispatch center received a call Saturday around 8 a.m., from a mother driving to the hospital with her unresponsive son.

Dispatchers told the woman to stop near a West Allis Fire Department station on 108th Street (Highway 100) and Greenfield Avenue, where they provided CPR instructions.

Fire department personnel arrived at the scene, rendered aid and transported the boy to Children’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police arrived at the scene to initiate an investigation. Officers arrested the parents, a 21-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, both from West Allis.

The medical examiner identified the child as Dante Campbell.

According to search warrants obtained by 12 News, when the family woke up Saturday morning, the father told police the boy was “stiff” and “smelled bad.”

Records show he told police the child had fallen down the stairs Friday night, but court records indicate photographs showed bruises “on all sides of his body” that were inconsistent with a fall.

Before contacting emergency services, the parents dropped off Campbell’s twin at a friend’s house near 114th and Walker. A search warrant states the mother told the friend, “I need to go to the hospital my son is not breathing. I think he is dead!”

During interviews, the mother described the boy’s father as being “heavy handed” with disciplining the children, the search warrant states.

Police executed a search warrant on Cruz’s Chevrolet Malibu, 2004 model, where they discovered a gray child’s shirt with apparent bodily fluids.

The West Allis Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau continues to investigate the case, which will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office for review and potential criminal charges.

Police are not seeking any additional suspects.

WISN 12 News spoke to Rosy Hudson, a family member who says she took care of the boy and other kids for years.

“He was my baby,” she said Monday.

She said she, another family members, are all devastated.

“I was planning for graduations, girlfriends, their college,” she said. “I wasn’t planning for any of this. He wasn’t even given a chance.”

Hudson created this GoFundMe for funeral arrangements and to help the other children in the family.

Hudson said she and other family members reported abuse of Campbell to the Wisconsin Child Protective Services several times in the last few months.

Monday, a CPS spokesperson tells WISN 12 News CPS can neither confirm nor deny any investigation, citing confidentiality laws.

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13-year-old dies after fall at Buffalo National River

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Abner Sosa

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    SEARCY COUNTY, Ark. (KHBS) — A 13-year-old boy died Saturday after falling from a bluff at Buffalo National River, according to Searcy County Sheriff Kenny Cassell.

The victim was identified as Kayleb Lynn Eddings, 13, of Searcy County. He was with a friend when he slipped on gravel off the edge of the bluff. Cassell said the area is near where he and his family live.

Cassell said his office received a call about the fall around 11:00 a.m. on Oct. 18 near Brewer Bluff. The National Park Service shared details of the incident in a post on the Buffalo National River’s social media page, which Cassell confirmed.

Emergency responders from Buffalo National River, the Marshall and Harrison fire departments, Survival Flight, and Buffalo National River Search and Rescue arrived at the scene. Cassell said members of the Harrison Fire Department rappelled about 260 feet over the bluff while park rangers reached the area from the river below. Eddings was found unresponsive.

The boy’s father, Toby Eddings, said he was the first to arrive and find his son. He said the family is together as they grieve and has asked for privacy.

Cassell said the National Park Service is leading the investigation, with Searcy County assisting. He described the death as a tragic accident and said the terrain in the Buffalo National River area can be rugged and steep.

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Family pleads for answers 18 years after Kansas City drive-by shooting

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Jackson Kurtz

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Almost 20 years and still no answers.

It was the summer of 2007, when 21-year-old Chris Bartholomew died after a drive-by shooting.

The shooting happened at 39th and Broadway in Westport.

Before his death, Bartholomew had dreams to be a police officer in Kansas City.

“Chris believed in good in the world. He believed in the best in people,” said Misty Kirwan, Bartholomew’s mother.

But Bartholomew’s dreams were cut short on May 20, 2007, when he was trying to give his friends a ride home and was shot in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting.

“It’s Sunday morning. I can’t find him. I know he’s hurt, and that’s all I know,” Kirwan said.

He died the next day.

“He’s missed so much. He’s missed out on so much. I watch his friends having kids, knowing he’ll never have that,” Kirwan said.

But as his posthumous 40th birthday approaches next month, his mother is pleading for anyone with information in his son’s death to come forward.

“I know people are scared. It’s been 18 years. Put the fear aside,” Kirwan said.

Reward money with tips in the case is now up to $54,000.

Kirwan hopes someone, somewhere will do the right thing.

“Never be closure. I hate that word. My life’s not going to change. I still live every day without Chris. There’s got to be somebody that knows something. There has to be,” Kirwan said.

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Hundreds gather to honor the life of sous chef killed in Mid-City carjacking while picking up son

CNN Newsource on October 21, 2025

By Shay O’Connor

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — An emotional scene as loved ones remembered a beloved sous chef who was killed in an armed carjacking on Sept. 30.

WDSU reporter Shay O’Connor was live from outside of Brennan’s restaurant along Royal Street in the French Quarter where Morgan worked. Those who knew and loved the chef said he would not be forgotten. She caught up with his crew at Brennan’s who said they will always remember his infectious personality.

Thomas Jones said, “He was always able to share food with love. Service first. But tasty little snacks next.”

“He was a total comedian … he made everyone laugh even if you wanted to or not,” said Alvin Bentley.

“Peanut” said, “He made a name for me. ‘Peanut.’ Because I couldn’t remember anything in the kitchen. I had just started working there.”

Chef Morgan’s crew at Brennan’s remembered his life, along with Morgan’s family and other loved ones who traveled to New Orleans from other states. They all said Morgan loved his family.

Bentley said, “He talked about his girlfriend everyday. There wasn’t a day that didn’t go by that he didn’t talk about his son. Especially with the Disney trip.”

Morgan left his mark in the culinary field, training those who wanted to learn to cook, like Shallin, who is from Zimbabwe.

“One day I burned something. I said, ‘Sorry chef, I burned this.’ He said, ‘Don’t be sorry, Shallin, be better.’ He was that person. He would push you to the limit … And that’s what I loved about him.”

The sous chef was shot and killed in late September while attempting to pick up his 2-year-old son from day care, just a block away from where his funeral was held weeks later. His partner and son seen releasing butterflies at his service.

Before a second line in his honor outside of the restaurant where he gave his all.

“There’s no chef like him.”

Morgan’s crew said they called themselves the Party Kitchen. They said they will miss Morgan’s fried chicken sandwiches, an all-around Brennan’s favorite.

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