Author: CNN

KTVT

By Lacey Beasley

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    NORTH TEXAS (KTVT) — A revolutionary way of education is in North Texas, and most people don’t know about it. Two private schools are powered by artificial intelligence teachers.

It’s called Alpha School for grades K-8, and it’s the most expensive private school in Texas. One campus is in Plano, where the cost of enrollment is $50,000, and the other is in Fort Worth, where it’s $40,000.

Alpha School has locations nationwide. There are four campuses in Texas, with another campus set to open this year in Houston. Its flagship is in Austin, then there’s Plano, Fort Worth and Brownsville.

Alpha School leaders claim their model fixes faults in traditional education and the technology does things humans can’t.

“Alpha School is the future of education,” said Samantha DePalo. DePalo has been called a teacher for nearly 15 years, but at Alpha School, she goes by something else. She’s now called a guide and essentially supervises the students.

The Fort Worth campus is tucked in a small room of a rec center, and students are taught by AI teachers on their laptops.

“It’s not like an AI person on the other end,” said DePalo. “It is just these lessons and questions that are being generated exactly for them.”

Kate Johanns with the Association of Texas Professional Educators is skeptical of this AI model. ATPE is the largest community of public educators in Texas with 70,000 members.

“I think with an experience like that, it may work well in some instances, but I think the benefit of a good teacher is the ability to differentiate instruction,” said Johanns. “The other thing that I think AI might miss is the ability to form relationships with parents.”

DePalo is confident in Alpha School’s model and believes it’s the way of the future.

“You cannot teach every single student exactly what they need every moment, you just can’t as a human being,” said DePalo. “That’s better left, in my opinion, to the technology.”

Below is a Q&A with CBS News Texas lead education reporter Lacey Beasley, DePalo and Jacob Vandercook, a seventh grader who attends Alpha School.

DePalo: “I don’t have to teach out of a textbook or an online curriculum. I don’t have to teach to a test and say, ‘you must get these questions right.'”

Beasley: “Well, do you teach?”

DePalo: “At Alpha School? No, I don’t teach at all. Well, what I should say is what I’m designing are workshops.”

No teaching, but at Alpha School, leaders claimed students will learn twice as much in only two hours of core subject instructional time per day, taught by AI.

When students have a question, they do not raise their hands and ask the guides. Instead, students schedule online appointments with human teachers on their laptops and ask them the questions.

The other six hours of their school day are spent off technology.

Students participate in what they call ‘life skill workshops.’ It focuses on teaching things like perseverance and independence, which Alpha School leaders believe traditional education does not teach.

Vandercook: “This workshop was about balance. Balance in our lives, minds, school, work, food, anything.”

Beasley: “Would you rather be in school or on vacation?”

Vandercook: “I would rather be in school. Alpha is the best of the best.”

DePalo: “We have nine enrolled. We have a few more starting in January.”

Beasley: “Oh, nine? Single digit nine?”

DePalo: “Single digit nine right now.”

Beasley: “The classroom that we were in, is that the whole school?”

DePalo: “As of right now, yes.”

Beasley: “If there is such a high paywall, an education like this is not accessible to everyone. Why does it cost so much?”

DePalo: “A couple of reasons. Alpha School is a high-end private school. I will say as teachers, as guides, we are paid a very livable wage. Teachers start at $100,000.”

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WJZ

By Mike Hellgren, Andrew Adeolu

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    TOWSON, Maryland (WJZ) — An assault inside Towson Town Center led to the arrest of four juveniles Saturday night and attempted murder charges against one of the teens, who allegedly used a screwdriver in a stabbing.

Baltimore County police said those arrested are between 14 and 17 years old. Three of the teens were released to their parents, according to police.

Police responded to the mall around 8 p.m. Saturday for a reported stabbing.

According to the dispatch audio WJZ Investigates reviewed, it happened outside a shoe store on Towson Town Center’s second floor.

Officers later arrested four teenagers at Dulaney Valley Road and Fairmount Avenue.

Authorities described the incident as an assault and robbery and said they later recovered stolen items.

The teenager charged with attempted murder is being prosecuted as an adult.

Most shoppers WJZ spoke to said they continue to feel safe at the mall, but expressed dismay and sadness at the violence.

“I think it’s a tragedy that people feel like they have to resort to violence if they have a dispute with somebody,” said one longtime shopper who declined to give her name.

“They just need more stuff to do. I don’t know what you can do to resolve a situation. You don’t have to resort to violence,” said Jeremiah Weddy. “It’s just so crazy. Why would you go into the mall and do that?”

Isabel, who declined to give her last name, called the violence “heartbreaking.”

“All you can do is like pray for the families of everyone and really hope that everyone can turn their lives around from such a violent incident,” she said.

Saturday night’s violence follows other high-profile incidents in recent years involving groups of unruly juveniles.

Last month, a woman was critically injured during a domestic-related stabbing in the parking lot of Towson Town Center.

Towson Town Center has implemented a curfew after 4 pm on Friday and Saturday in the mall — unless those 17 and younger are accompanied by an adult.

You can read more about the mall’s parental guidance policy here.

After a steep increase in 2024, crime is now trending down in Towson, according to police data.

In 2023, there were 515 victims of assault in Towson, with the most cases being reported in December.

In 2024, there were 537 victims of assaults in Towson, and so far in 2025, there have been 379 victims of reported assaults in the 21286 area code.

Theft offenses account for the most reported crimes in Towson, with 729 victims so far in 2025.

However, juvenile crime has been a topic of discussion in the Baltimore area over the last couple of years.

Between 2023 and 2024, juvenile crime arrests increased by 146% in Baltimore, according to State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.

This time last year, Bates stopped by WJZ to discuss his effort to hold young offenders accountable.

“We have more of a checks and balances of what’s going on with DJS,” Bates said. “We are having more communication and dialogue on how to hold young people accountable.”

Last month, in October, three teens were arrested in Baltimore for their role in 14 burglaries across the city.

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WFOR

By Sergio Candido

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida sheriff’s office is diving into a new kind of innovation — literally. Meet Splash, a 2-year-old otter trained to assist the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in search and rescue missions by detecting human remains underwater.

Traditionally, K-9 units lead investigators to the water’s edge in missing persons cases. But now, the sheriff’s office is taking that next step into the water with Splash, believed to be the first otter in the U.S. trained for recovery missions.

Authorities said Splash uses a unique technique to locate human scent underwater: he releases air bubbles that capture and carry scents to the surface, allowing him to pinpoint areas of interest for divers and investigators.

Law enforcement officers from across Florida watched Splash in action during a recent demonstration, where the otter showed off its remarkable skills. Officials said Splash has already been deployed on more than 20 missions, helping locate four bodies so far.

“We see a lot of innovative technology, but this is really going back to basics: using an animal to do what it does best,” Sheriff John Budensiek said. “He works in his natural environment and detects things that don’t belong there.”

The sheriff’s office said Splash represents a new kind of partnership between humans and animals in public safety, one that blends instinct, training, and trust. And while artificial intelligence continues to expand in policing, Splash proves that sometimes, nature still has the upper hand.

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KCBS

By Lauren Pozen

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    EATON, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A coalition of Eaton Fire victims is calling on California officials for help after their testing showed that toxins remained inside homes despite remediation.

Bill and Nina Malone live in one of the homes that still has toxins deep inside, despite having a remediation company clean their home twice.

“This house is contaminated,” Bill Malone said. “They didn’t clean under any of this. We are still finding soot and stuff in our drawers and cabinets. And, if it’s in our drawers and cabinets, we can’t trust anything.”

The organization, Eaton Fire Residents United, stated that their testing revealed thousands of homes that survived the disaster were still contaminated with lead and other toxins.

“We started digging into it, and our neighboring scientists — JPL, Cal Tech — a bunch of us came together,” said Dawn Fanning, a member of Eaton Fire Residents United. “We started collecting the data that came from the industrial hygienist testing.”

Fanning said their samples from a majority of homes tested positive for chemicals despite remediation:

-96% tested positive for lead -69% tested positive for wildfire debris contamination -36% tested positive

Eaton Fire Residents United will present their findings and urge state officials to enforce clear safety standards before anyone is allowed to return to their homes.

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KDKA

By John Shumway

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Pop quiz: What is the most common street name in the United States? From town to town, and community to community, street names repeat, and that can create a problem for emergency responders.

The answer to the pop quiz: Second Street, followed by Third Street, First Street, and Fourth Street. First Street would be the leader, but so many towns changed their First Street to Main Street that it diluted the pool.

Now, why would we ask this question? It’s become a challenge for 911 and emergency response. In Allegheny County alone, there are 130 municipalities, and plenty of repeated street names.

Having the same street names was no big deal in days gone by. For instance, Thompson Run Road is used in Ross Township, Penn Hills, and West Mifflin.

“Those things happen, or happened, a long, long time ago, prior to us having a central 911 center,” explained Deb Beiber, Allegheny County Address Management Administrator. “When you were in West Mifflin, and you called 911, you were only calling the West Mifflin police, so there was no problem.”

Nowadays, centralized 911 centers have changed things.

An example is Sharpsburg and Etna, which are adjacent. According to Bieber, they both have the same street names with the exact same street numbers, which can cause confusion.

“It’s a legitimate issue, but we’ve got ways to vet that out to make sure that we’re getting the right one,” she said.

Meanwhile, Emergency Management Chief Matt Brown said that seconds count.

“If we can’t confirm where you are, we can’t send the help,” he said.

Brown said that you should always start with a city, township, or borough.

“Then they match what the caller gives them with what they’re seeing on their mapping tool,” Brown explained. “That, again, is our connection to the phone system.”

However, Brown said to remember that Allegheny County has 130 municipalities. That means plenty of Main Streets, River Roads, and yes, Second Streets.

So, what do they do when the county comes to them with new street names that could pose a conflict?

“I do a very harsh recommendation,” Bieber said. “I do a, ‘Please, please, please, don’t do this.’ The county itself does not have the authority to say no.”

Even a name seemingly as unique as Third Degree or Turkeyfoot, you will find multiples in western Pennsylvania. Those streets are decided by local towns, and they are reluctant to make changes. While PEMA has a committee that is working on state guidelines, that’s simply all they will be, guidelines with no teeth.

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KYW

By Joe Holden

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — It’s 7:06 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood.

Video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows a man eating an apple and lobbing something through the plate-glass window of a business near 2nd and Market streets, smashing it.

Police say the thief took the cash register, which they say had $1,500 inside. By this point, investigators say the thief has burglarized six Center City and Old City small businesses in a week, including Sonny’s Famous Steaks.

“When they got here at 9 o’clock, my boys called and said someone had busted the glass,” said Chrissy, a manager at the store. “So their first instinct was to go to the basement and check and make sure everything was OK. They did get the register, and they didn’t take the tablets, thank God, but they did take the register.”

Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith said officers detected a pattern.

Over 10 days, investigators say a total of nine small businesses were burglarized overnight. Officers then started working earlier shifts, and police say on Oct. 29, they caught 66-year-old Derek Wilks breaking into a business.

“Mr. Wilks was using a iron-cast gas cap and he was throwing that through plate glass windows of establishments,” Smith said. “And in all these instances, he was going for the cash register.”

Detectives say Wilks has a distinctive walk given recent hip surgery. They’ve since charged him with all nine burglaries. Smith said given his arrest history, they believe he’s responsible for more.

“He has 34 prior arrests,” Smith said.

“Out of those 34, 29 are commercial burglary,” he added. “He’s been at it for a very long time.”

Police say they believe Wilks took more than $5,000 out of the pockets of small businesses — those businesses glad to hear of the arrest.

“The detective called us and let us know, which is great, great work Philly PD,” Chrissy said.

“Can’t destroy Philly businesses. We need Philly business,” said Mike, a patron at Sonny’s.

“You do the crime, gotta do the time,” he added.

According to records, there’s been a 50 to 60% increase in commercial burglaries in Philadelphia.

But police say they’ve seen an 86% increase in arrests and cases being closed with commercial burglary within the last year.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Wilks’s attorney, and we’ve yet to hear back.

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KYW

By Madeleine Wright

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    CHESTER, Pennsylvania (KYW) — The beat of the drums echoed outside Chester City Hall as retired professional athlete Fredia Gibbs returned home to be celebrated for making history as the first Black woman to win a world kickboxing title.

“It takes a village to build a champion and Chester is my village,” Gibbs said. “They built me. Chester made me who I am today.”

On Thursday, the city gave Gibbs a hero’s welcome, complete with a bronze statue dedicated to her legacy. Originally displayed at her alma mater, Cabrini University, the statue now has a permanent home in Chester, the place where her journey began.

“Why am I crying?” Gibbs said as she saw the statue. “Because it’s home, that’s why! Right where it belongs.”

Gibbs’ journey wasn’t easy. As a child, she faced bullying and fear until her uncle, William Grose, taught her karate to build her confidence.

“My goal was to teach her to be the best that she could be,” Grose said. “I automatically saw that she had champion blood in her body.”

From karate to kickboxing, Gibbs shattered stereotypes and became a champion.

“Being in a male-dominated sport, combat sports, and breaking barriers there in that area right there, that was very, it was very tough,” Gibbs said.

Her statue stands as a testament to perseverance, showing that the toughest battles can shape the strongest champions.

“Don’t quit because sometimes when we just about to quit, we got maybe two more steps to go before we win,” Gibbs said.

Dubbed the “female Rocky,” Gibbs’ story is now heading to Hollywood, with a feature film about her life set for release in 2026. Academy Award-nominated screenwriters and producers Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, along with Emmy-nominated producer Marc Ambrose, are working on the project.

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WCBS

By Christina Fan, Christine Sloan, Justin Lewis

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    RIDGEFIELD, New Jersey (WCBS) — Windy conditions took down trees around New York City and New Jersey overnight.

One tree was blown over and hit the power lines in Queens. Limbs of another fell onto cars and blocked the street on the Upper West Side.

A tree crashed into a multi-family home in Ridgefield, New Jersey, taking out a chunk of a brick wall and exposing the interior of a second story room.

The family said they were asleep inside when they heard a thunderous boom around 1 a.m. The father said he ran to his son’s bedroom, couldn’t get through the door, called out to him for several minutes in a panic and received no response. He ran outside and started to pray.

“I was asleep, and I just hear a little noise and my son shouting. I was calling. He wasn’t responding. He passed out, so I just ran outside naked, shouting for help. I didn’t take my phone, anything. I asked the neighbor to call for help, so I was just there praying to God for a miracle to happen, and after 30 minutes, he stepped outside,” the father Rubicon Okudzeto said.

“I didn’t know it was a tree, exactly. I just felt like something pressing down on me. And I just knew I was in pain, so I had to get out of there. So I started crouching out, then I went trying to find anyone in the house, but there was no one there. Then I went to my neighbors, knocking on the door, but no one answered. So I went outside and I found my dad over there,” said the son, Gael Okudzeto. “I was just thankful. I am really lucky to survive this, because not everyone would be this lucky.”

The 18-year-old was checked out for bruising to the side of his body. He came home after spending hours in the hospital, but is expected to be OK.

He said all he remembers is a loud noise. He thinks he was unconscious for a few minutes in his room, which he said was filled with debris.

“Everything is destroyed. Like, everything’s covered by the roof. I lost all my clothes,” he said.

Another family downstairs was able to get out without injuries.

Neighbors said they heard a loud thud on Bruce Street, while all of New Jersey was under a wind advisory with gusts reported stronger than 50 miles per hour.

A woman who lives in the building said the ground shook so violently, at first, she thought it was an earthquake, looked online to see if there were reports of one, couldn’t find anything and then went back to sleep. She came outside hours later to walk her dog and realized what happened.

“I texted my neighbors – I’m close with them down here. I haven’t gotten a response, but I think they’re OK, I didn’t see that it hit them — it didn’t hit them directly,” said neighbor Marissa Blanco. “I mean, these winds, these trees, got to be careful.”

While it appeared most of the branches and trunk fell in the direction of the road, there was still noticeable damage to the building. One branch also shattered the rear window of a car.

First responders taped off the apartment complex, and two of the units closest to the tree were evacuated.

Peak wind gusts reached up to 70 mph in parts of the Tri-State Area late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Stony Brook, New York reported the strongest at 70 mph, followed by Bayville, N.Y. at 61 mph and White Plains, N.Y. at 60 mph.

New Jersey’s peak gusts were reported in Bayonne, which saw 57 mph.

Today started off brisk, with wind chills making it feel like the 30s and 40s, especially north and west of the city. This afternoon stays mostly sunny, but blustery, with highs only reaching the low 50s — about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than yesterday.

You’ll want to bundle up tonight, as it could be the coldest night of the season so far in the city, with lows near 40°. Suburbs will dip into the 30s, and some distant spots could even flirt with the 20s. A Frost Advisory has also been issued across our suburbs, so do be mindful of those plants before you turn in.

Tomorrow will be a touch milder under partly to mostly cloudy skies, with highs in the upper 50s. But don’t get too comfortable — showers move in tomorrow night.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday starts with early showers, but clears up nicely by afternoon. Expect highs in the mid 60s. Sunday, however, looks soggy again, with showers likely and highs around 60°.

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WFOR

By Tania Francois

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — For 33 years, South Florida has come together to make the holidays brighter for families who need a hand. Neighbors 4 Neighbors’ Adopt a Family campaign is back, and this year the Boggs family is hoping for a little help to make their Christmas feel like home.

Meet Yancy and Luna, ages 9 and 10. Their wish lists look a lot like other kids their age.

“I would like some clothes, shoes and a hoverboard,” Yancy said.

Luna, meanwhile, wants “an electric scooter, some clothes, shoes, something for me to play with, and a nail kit”.

The girls live with their father, a single dad doing everything he can to keep his daughters happy, healthy and whole.

“[I] raise them by myself. I had to get out and get some help for them,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the sisters stay focused at school.

“We are really good kids and we don’t like to be mean to people. I think we deserve it because we do good things and not bad things,” they said. “A, B honor roll and we’re gonna be thankful.”

The family has been through a lot. For a time, they moved from hotel to hotel. Their father is grateful for the community groups that stepped in and helped.

“I lived hotel to hotel for a while. Picket Fences helped me out and Broward Solutions helped me out,” Dad said. “It’s another year and I didn’t want to put them through the same things again. Something has to change for the better.”

Now they are in a new apartment. What they want most is a first good Christmas in a place that finally feels like home. The girls are also thinking about Dad.

“I want him to get some new clothes and some shoes” said Luna while Yancy added, “I want him to care for himself a little bit.”

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WBZ

By Mike Sullivan

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — An East Boston corner grocery store is generating donations after a tongue in cheek sign out front of the store voiced their displeasure for the loss of SNAP benefits and spoke of their support for those impacted. The sign includes a certain, crass four-letter word that serves as both a punchline and a rallying cry.

The sign reads, “Did your SNAP benefits get taken away? We think that is extremely (expletive) up. Please take what you need.”

“Sure does! It has been getting a lot of photos and attention, but that’s my personality right there,” said Alexis Cervasio, owner of EBO & Co Groceries on Meridian Street in East Boston.

Cervasio not only owns the corner spot but leads a secret supper club. Between her store and the club, they started with a $250 run to Market Basket, so they could put the food and sign out in front of her store.

“Then people started to match us. You just have to get it started, and the people make it happen. I knew we could count on our following,” said Cervasio. “We aren’t looking for people to show us their card, but people feel compelled, and I am like, ‘Put it away! Take what you need.'”

Cervasio says even people who receive SNAP benefits have been donating to the cause if they feel like they can get by with what they have.

“I have been in tears all week. It’s been an emotional week here,” said Cervasio. “We had a father come in here yesterday, he’s like, ‘I’m a single father with two kids, I work at the airport. I am not getting paid right now, plus I’m not getting my SNAP benefits.’ He is like ‘so this is awesome.'”

They are still accepting donations of food at EBO but also are accepting monetary donations that they will use to buy food. Her grocery store carries a wide range of items that includes a fresh fruit and vegetable stand, fine wines, oysters, caviar and boutique foods. She has been going to major grocery stores to get more canned goods and non-perishables that her store may not supply.

“I filled up four baskets yesterday at Market Basket, so that was about $1,000, and it was gone by the end of the day,” said Cervasio.

EBO’s fresh fruit and vegetable stand is offering deals like six oranges for $1 or three avocados for $5.

“Our fruit stand is probably one of the most approachable on this side of the harbor,” said Cervasio. “It’s nice that we have a balance for both.”

“It’s a blessing and everyone should be grateful for it,” said Bernice Gordon, a woman who has been without her SNAP benefits and came by to look at the donations. “Everyone is trying to help out because nowadays everyone needs to stick with each other.”

Gordon spoke with WBZ then chose not to take anything from the table, saying off camera, “I only take what I need, and someone may need it more.”

“When I heard, it might get shut down, I started preparing my family. We look out for each other,” said Gordon. “Every day is a good day if you can eat something and wake up.”

Cervasio can be contacted via the store’s Instagram @ebo.grocery.

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