Woodbury sisters transition from rival college dance teams to a shared professional career

CNN on February 3, 2026


WCCO

By Marielle Mohs

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Two Woodbury, Minnesota, sisters competed for rival dance teams in college. Now, they’re reuniting on the same team as professionals.

For the better part of the last decade, the University of Minnesota and the Ohio State University have been taking home the top two spots in jazz and pom at Universal Dance Association College Nationals.

But this rivalry was personal for Woodbury sisters Ava and Ellie Wagner.

“We grew up together, we went to school together, we did everything together, so I think it was really important for us to take our own paths and what was best for both of us,” Ellie Wagner said.

Ellie Wagner competed for the Buckeyes for the last four years. Her younger sister, Ava Wagner has been a standout for the Gophers the last two years. They welcomed the intense competition each season.

“It just pushes each program to be so much better,” Ellie Wagner said.

It put their parents in a unique position of rooting for both competitors. And they had fun with it, wearing split jerseys to nationals.

“I know they were loving it last year. They were sprinting from arena to arena,” Ellie Wagner said.

Even though they’re done competing, the Wagner sisters still have their mark on the competition. Ava Wagner choreographed her former team’s jazz this year, which earned a third-place finish.

“I’ve never really got to watch all my best friends dance before because I’m always focused on myself to see if I hit all my stuff. So, just to be on that side and be able to watch it [and] just acknowledge everything they’ve worked so hard for, it was honestly just a blessing and I was really grateful to be there,” Ava Wagner said.

The two are no longer rivals but teammates. They work as professional dancers, teaching kids of all ages at a dance convention that travels across the country.

“When we were at another convention when I was little, I was like, ‘I want to do this when I’m older.’ Now that we get to do it now, it’s like a dream come true,” Ava Wagner said.

“And we get to do it together. I said this is the most I’ve seen her in like five years,” Ellie Wagner said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Hutchins officials push back on rumors of immigration detention center near I-45

CNN on February 3, 2026


KTVT

By Erin Jones

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — After rumors started swirling that a massive building off I-45 near I-20 could become an immigration detention center, Hutchins resident Paul James started digging and documenting what he found on social media.

“Finding out who is the realty company that’s involved, who is the owner of the current property, and whether or not there is such a thing going on,” he said.

Monday night, he brought his concerns to the City Council meeting, where Mayor Mario Vasquez addressed residents directly.

“I know we’re all here and you have a lot of questions,” he said.

Vasquez said the city has not been contacted by the federal government. There have been no applications, building permits, or certificates of occupancy filed.

“So in other words, we haven’t had no communication with nobody,” he said.

Last week, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told CBS News Texas that while the agency is actively working to expand detention space nationwide, there are no new detention centers to announce at this time.

During the meeting, Vasquez directed everyone’s attention to a new billboard campaign: “A city on the rise.”

“We’re building a community here, and this doesn’t match what we’re trying to do here, so if you think that anybody up here is on board with it, you’re in the wrong building,” he said.

Several residents told him that’s exactly what they wanted to hear.

“It’s crazy what’s going on in this world,” one resident said. “I got four kids, I don’t want my kids having to go to school and deal with this in our city.”

The mayor said that when the city does receive new information, the citizens will be the first to know.

He also suggested hosting a town hall to provide updates and reminded residents that the city council will meet with the city attorney on Wednesday to further discuss the building.

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.

Nurse due in court on charges of giving fake Ozempic to Chicago patients

CNN on February 3, 2026


WBBM

By Adam Harrington, Jessica Popowcer

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A nurse was expected back in court on Tuesday after she was charged with giving fake Ozempic to patients in Chicago.

Prosecutors said Sharon Charitine Sackman, 52, gave the counterfeit weight loss drugs to three people in Chicago in 2023.

The drugs were labeled as Ozempic, but were not manufactured by Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk, and did not even contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight loss drug, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, prosecutors Sackman was a registered professional nurse, but did not have a license to prescribe, administer, dispense, or sell Ozempic.

Sackman previously pleaded not guilty to one count of distributing misbranded drugs and three counts of dispensing counterfeit drugs, prosecutors said. Each count could result in a year in federal prison upon conviction.

Sackman’s status hearing is set for 11 a.m. at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

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.

Jury selected in wrongful raid trial of Southwest Side family by Chicago police in 2018

CNN on February 3, 2026


WBBM

By Dave Savini

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — The civil rights trial of a wrongful Chicago police raid on an innocent family began on Monday.

The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said police pointed guns at them. It’s a case CBS Chicago first exposed years ago.

The botched raid happened back in 2018. The family said they’ve been living with trauma from it ever since. On Monday in a packed courtroom, they sat behind the officers involved as a jury was selected.

Attorney: “How did you feel when all this happened?

Lakai’ya: Scared.

Attorney: Why were you scared?

Lakai’ya: Because I didn’t know what was going on.”

Lakai’ya Booth and her siblings answered questions during a pre-trial deposition as part of their federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. She was just four years old when CPD officers wrongly raided her family’s home.

She’s one of dozens of children documented over the last eight years who said police pointed guns at them during similar raids.

Attorney: What do you remember happening that day?

La’niya: A big boom sound.

Her older sister, Laniya, was 11 at the time of the raid.

“A lot of like five to 10 police officers rushing in with these big guns,” she said.

One after another, they relived that moment in 2018 when officers burst into their family’s home in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Attorney: Why do you think you felt afraid when the guns were pointed at you?

E’Monie: Because there’s weapons pointed at a 13-year-old.

Now, over seven years after the raid, they will testify against the officers involved, accusing them of excessive force, pointing guns at them, and leaving them traumatized.

Their mother and grandmother were also there when police raided the home looking for a gang member and a handgun, but an investigation by CBS News Chicago found they were in the wrong house.

They took the word of a paid informant and didn’t properly vet the information.

“I’m like, oh my god. Please don’t let him shoot my baby,” Cynthia Eason said in 2018.

The CBS News Chicago investigators have spent years exposing how innocent people are treated by officers during these raids, especially children.

Some of the children from other wrongful raid cases are also expected to testify as part of the trial. Attorneys for the family will work to prove that CPD engages in a pattern of pointing guns and using excessive force against children.

“What are you doing, pointing guns at innocent young children? Wake up,” said Attorney Al Hofeld Jr.

Hofeld is the family’s attorney and said the jury will also hear the traumatic impact on the adults who were in the home at the time of the raid, like Eason, the children’s grandmother, who was in her underwear when officers burst into the home.

Eason said police forced her outside in a state of undress in front of her neighbors.

“When I was sitting there, one officer was laughing at me,” she said.

She said she kept asking for clothes but was denied.

“I looked at him, he’s laughing, and imagine how that feels,” she said.

Data shows the cities already spent $600,000 on legal fees for private law firms to defend the officers involved, and that number is expected to increase as the trial is expected to last a month.

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.

Mother warns of TikTok trend involving Needoh cubes that left her 9-year-old son with severe burns

CNN on February 3, 2026


WBBM

By Marissa Sulek

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A Plainfield mom is warning parents and kids about the danger of a popular toy that burned half of her son’s face.

In the last couple of months, Loyola Medicine says they have had four patients come in with burns from a Needoh cube — a sensory toy filled with gelatinous material.

The toy itself has no problems, but there’s a TikTok trend going around that encourages kids to put the gel toys in the microwave — causing them to explode and leading to significant burns.

It’s the flexible jelly-like toys that are causing concern for parents after a TikTok trend is pushing kids to stick the Needoh cube toy in the microwave to make them more pliable, since they firm up over time.

“Him and a friend, through conversation, were talking about it at school, and then he, i guess, just got the idea to try it,” said mother Whitney Grubb.

She said her 9-year-old son Caleb Chabolla put one of his Needoh cubes in the microwave a few weeks ago as they were getting ready for school.

“I heard him scream and I saw him take off running towards one of our bathrooms and that stuff had popped on his face,” she said.

Grubb said when Caleb opened the microwave, it exploded all over his face, causing second-degree burns on one side and his hands. Whitney drove him to the emergency room.

“By the time, you know, we were settled in at Loyola, his eye was completely swollen shut, so I was immediately worried about his eye,” she said.

“Because it’s so viscous, it sticks, and it stays hot longer, it’s going to cause a more significant burn,” said Kelly McElligott.

McElligott with Loyola Medicine’s burn center said once Caleb got to the hospital, they washed the burns, cut away dead skin, and applied ointment. They also had an ophthalmologist check on Caleb’s eye and found his vision was thankfully unimpaired by the accident.

Doctors said Caleb is not the only patient falling for the trend.

“A child who heated it up in the microwave, then put her finger on it and her finger went through, and it burned her finger,” McElligott said.

She said Caleb spent two days in the hospital and did not need skin grafts, but may develop scars.

Both she and Whitney now want families to be cautious.

“Do not heat these up in any way, shape, or form. Whether it’s the microwave, hot water, those things can really be dangerous,” McElligott said.

“Just talk with your kids, make sure they understand the safety of the things,” Grubb said.

CBS Chicago did reach out to the company, Schylling, that manufactures Needoh, but did not hear back.

There are warning labels on the product that tell users not to heat them.

As for Caleb, he has a follow-up appointment at the burn clinic tomorrow morning and goes back to school later this week.

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.

Hot dog vendor kicked out of normal spot for Super Bowl’s clean zone

CNN on February 1, 2026


KPIX

By John Ramos

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    SANTA CLARA, California (KPIX) — Businesses in San Francisco and Santa Clara are gearing up for what they hope is an influx of customers during Super Bowl week. But one long-time vendor in the South Bay has been shut down, a casualty of what the NFL calls its “clean zone.”

Howard Gibbons knows a good hot dog when he sees it. Known as “The Hot Dog Dude” of Santa Clara, he takes pride in his product.

“Freshly chopped onions. None of that fake bagged stuff,” he said, as he set up his condiments table.

But for Gibbons, the success of his business has always depended on three things: location, location, location. For the last 12 years, his hot dog cart has called the underpass to the Great America VTA station home. But unfortunately, it’s right next to Levi’s Stadium, the home of Super Bowl LX.

“They shut down all vendors,” Howard said. “All street vendors are not allowed within what they call their ‘clean zone.’ Why it’s called the ‘clean zone,’ I don’t know. I didn’t know I was dirty. I thought I was a pretty clean guy.”

On Saturday, he was hired for a private event, providing lunch at a local Adult Education Center.

But as of last Thursday, he’s been kicked out of his normal location, where he serves commuters walking to and from the VTA train station. And for the last three weeks, he’s lost about half his business as the VTA commuter parking lot was closed for the exclusive use of the NFL.

Gibbons finds that ironic since for the last eight years, he said the city has been trying to attract vendors to the area.

“And now they’re being closed down for this event,” he said. “It’s kind of like, you got ’em out of the closet, you got ’em to come out and be clean, and then you tell ’em, well, you don’t get to play in the big game. You’re sitting the big game out.”

As he hung up his “Hot Dog Dude” banner above the serving area, Gibbons said that when the Super Bowl comes to town, the NFL basically owns the area around the stadium, including banning any advertising within the clean zone.

“Me putting this up during the Super Bowl would be, ‘Call the FBI. We got an advertisement violator here,'” he said, laughing.

But Howard is luckier than most. The Bay Area Host Committee has offered to subsidize some of his losses for the weeks before and after the game. His daughter, Wendy Rogers, said it helps that he’s so well-connected in the community.

“He’s pretty well known. I mean, he knows the mayor, he knows everybody,” she said. “You know, I try to call him sometimes and he’s like, ‘I can’t talk, I’m in a meeting.’ He’s at a City Hall meeting, letting ’em know, and fighting for what’s right.”

What doesn’t feel right to Gibbons is what’s happening to all the other vendors, especially with all the big talk about the economic boost of hosting the Super Bowl.

“I guess they’ll play,” he said. “The billionaires will make their money. And they’ll leave a mess, and ‘Y’all have a nice day.'”

Gibbons said he used to operate a full-sized food truck 12 years ago but switched to a hot dog cart when they began building Levi’s Stadium, so he could stay in the area. He said he was allowed to operate when the Super Bowl was last played there in 2016, but this time he’s been completely shut down.

Super Bowl organizers say there are closures to streets and public infrastructure surrounding Levi’s Stadium for safety and security reasons for the event. There are similar closures around the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

All closures for the Super Bowl are available on Santa Clara’s website.

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.

Researchers train dogs to detect “silent killer” canine cancer

CNN on February 1, 2026


KYW

By Stephanie Stahl, Will Kenworthy

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — There is new hope in the fight against a devastating cancer in dogs that is often deadly.

Researchers at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center in South Philadelphia are training dogs to help detect hemangiosarcoma, a form of canine cancer.

The dogs learn how to identify the cancer by smelling three boxes, with one containing a sample of malignant blood.

“It really does feel like magic because I can’t smell anything from the samples. It’s a tiny drop of blood serum,” Clara Wilson, a researcher at the Working Dog Center, said. “We wanted to focus on hemangiosarcoma, which is a really devastating canine cancer.”

Hemangiosarcoma is a tumor that is often called the silent killer because it grows in the body and goes unnoticed until it’s too late.

In the first phase of the research, the dogs identified the cancer 70% of the time. And when they get it right, they get a treat.

Until now, the research primarily focused on human cancers, with the dogs being able to identify ovarian and pancreatic cancer.

“Dogs are very unique because they have this incredible sense of smell,” Wilson said. “It just really does feel amazing and gives me a lot of respect for understanding that there’s a lot of things that I can’t understand that they’re picking up on.”

Once the dogs identify the cancer, researchers look for markers in the samples that could eventually be used to create a test that would find the cancer early, when it’s more treatable.

“The idea is that if dogs can smell something, that means that there’s a signal to detect,” Wilson said.

These dogs are laying the groundwork for eventually being able to find cancer early and save lives for both humans and animals.

The working dog center also trains dogs to detect drugs, bombs and alert for medical conditions.

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.

14 people have died during dangerous cold snap in NYC, Mayor Mamdani says

CNN on February 1, 2026


WLNY

By Alexa Herrera

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a total of 14 people have died outside during the dangerously cold weather.

As the freezing temperatures continue, new single-room shelter units will open for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, Mamdani said at a news conference Saturday.

Preliminary findings found hypothermia played a role in the deaths of eight people. Officials are still waiting for the final results from the medical examiner’s office.

“This is one of the longest, most sustained cold stretches our city has endured in years, and it is showing no signs of abating. We remain in a Code Blue,” he said.

The emergency code went into effect Jan. 19, and officials have resorted to forcibly removing people experiencing homelessness from the streets to save lives.

Single-room-occupancy style shelter units opened Sunday in Upper Manhattan. They are designed for people who are reluctant to go indoors because they don’t want to share rooms or are skeptical of other shelter options.

“By making new single-room units available, we are meeting people where they are and removing barriers that keep too many New Yorkers out in the cold,” Mamdani said.

The mayor also said a new low-barrier-bed shelter site will open to make spaces more accessible.

Mamdani said officials ramped up outreach to get New Yorkers into shelters.

They have made more than 860 placements into shelters and safe havens since the start of the cold snap. Sixteen people were involuntarily transported who were determined to be a danger to themselves or others, he said.

Warming shelters remain open to anyone across the five boroughs. There are also 20 warming buses parked across the city.

“We have expanded shelter capacity, relaxed intake rules and worked with faith-based and community-based organizations to scale up outreach. As we have made clear, we are not going to slow down in this work,” he said.

On Friday night, 17 on-call ambulettes were deployed, which offer people on the streets warmth, food and medical attention.

Anyone who sees a person whom they think may need help is asked to call 311.

“It takes everyone stepping up and keeping an eye out for those across the city for us to be able to protect each and every New Yorker,” Mamdani said.

The mayor said an additional 130 city workers will help clear snow across the city.

“That means, in addition to the 2,500 sanitation workers who are working each 12-hour shift, we now have more than 1,200 additional workers who will be assisting in the cleanups of this city,” he said.

Mamdani also highlighted the 67 million pounds of snow melted and the 188 million pounds of salt used.

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.

Boy recovering after sparkler accident that caused severe burns

CNN on February 1, 2026


WFOR

By Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A 9-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital one month after suffering severe burns while playing with sparklers.

From his hospital bed, holding a teddy bear, Santiago Claudio recalled the moment his upper body caught fire.

“I was on fire. I was so hot,” Santiago said.

Vitini Rammin, director of the Trauma and Burn Program at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, said Santiago suffered second- and third-degree burns to about 18% of his body. She said injuries that severe often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts and long hospital stays.

“They took skin from my leg, from my back to put it in my stomach,” Santiago said.

Santiago has been hospitalized since Jan. 1. The accident did not happen at midnight on New Year’s Day, but later that afternoon.

His mother said she was working at the time. Santiago was being watched by his brother, but went into the backyard with another child without telling anyone.

“He was lighting one of the sparklers for his cousin,” she said. “Suddenly, a spark caught his T-shirt.”

Santiago ran back into the house screaming that he was burning.

“It was so hard. I was so desperate,” she said.

Santiago has since undergone several surgeries and remains under strict medical supervision because of the risk of infection. Doctors say he is still vulnerable to germs and must be closely monitored.

Despite everything, Santiago is focused on one simple goal.

“I want to play with my dog,” he said.

His dog, Bruno, has been waiting at home for him.

Santiago is expected to be released from the hospital on Monday.

Next week marks National Burn Awareness Week. Hospital officials say they treated more than 100 pediatric burn cases last year and hope Santiago’s story serves as a warning to parents about the dangers of fireworks and sparklers, especially when children are unsupervised.

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.

Beauty school student considered changing her number before ex fatally shot her, family says

CNN on February 1, 2026


WFOR

By Joan Murray

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    DAVIE, Florida (WFOR) — Flowers line the wall of the Aveda Institute in tribute to 20‑year‑old Aileen Martinez, who was shot to death in the parking lot of the cosmetology school on Tuesday.

On Friday, Davie police identified the shooter as 25‑year‑old Jose Orpi of Pembroke Pines. Police said Orpi, who once dated Martinez, shot her before turning the gun on himself. Orpi later died at the hospital.

Orpi’s family declined to comment Friday.

A memorial post online says, “Orpi’s passing has left family, friends, and neighbors deeply saddened. Jose was known for his warmth, kindness, and unwavering dedication to those around him.”

That picture is difficult to reconcile for Martinez’s devastated family, who said that after she broke up with Orpi last fall, he called her “excessively,” and she had recently considered changing her phone number.

Martinez’s family said in a statement, “We condemn the violence and stalking that led to this unimaginable loss. No parent should have to bury their child, and no one should ever live in fear for choosing to walk away from a relationship.”

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.