Category: CNN Regional

By Juliegrace Brufke | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday, nearly tripling economists’ forecasts and offering some relief after months of mixed economic signals.

The unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% from 4.4% in February, while wage growth slowed to 3.5% from 3.8%.

The report also issued revisions for January and February figures which combined showed that payrolls fell by a net 7,000 during those months, putting the three-month average at a modest 68,000.

Health care posted the largest gains, adding 76,000 jobs. Around 35,000 of those workers were returning Kaiser Permanente employees whose absence due to a strike had weighed on February numbers. Hospitals added 15,000 jobs of their own, contributing to a sector that has averaged 29,000 job gains per month over the past year.

Elsewhere, construction gained 26,000 jobs, transportation and warehousing added 21,000, and manufacturing saw a surprising uptick, adding 15,000 new positions, after analysts had projected a decline.

Federal government payroll fell by 18,000, while financial services shed another 15,000, pushing the sector’s losses to 77,000 since it peaked last May.

The report provided encouraging numbers, but it came with caveats. Around 396,000 people left the labor force in March and have stopped looking for further employment. The share of Americans working or seeking a job slipped to 61.9%, the lowest in more than three years. A broader measure that counts the discouraged and those in part-time work climbed to 0.8%.

The Middle East conflict didn’t have a substantial effect on March’s employment figures, but economists warn that could change. The trajectory of the U.S. labor market will depend heavily on how long it lasts and how far it spreads, according to experts.

“The question now is how much blowback will come from the war in Iran and the associated uncertainty around energy prices,” Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economics at Fitch Ratings, wrote in a note to investors, MarketWatch reported.

Long-term unemployment, those out of work for six months or more, has seen a 300,000 uptick over the course of the past year, representing more than a quarter of all unemployed individuals in the U.S.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, was measured in her assessment.

“The big picture: The US economy has added only 260,000 jobs in the past year. 380,000 jobs were added in healthcare. Most other industries *lost* jobs,” Long wrote on X.

U.S. stocks finished mixed Friday as oil prices surged following President Donald Trump’s remarks that the Iran conflict would continue for weeks. The Dow slipped 0.13% while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq edged higher.

The next BLS jobs report is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 8.

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 Giacomo Luca

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    WILMINGTON, Ohio (WLWT) — Burial services will take place on Friday morning for Captain Curtis Angst, an Ohio airman killed in a plane crash during Operation Epic Fury.

Captain Curtis Angst, 30, with the Ohio Air National Guard, was one of six crew members killed when their plane went down over Iraq.

“Curtis was doing what he loved most—flying and serving alongside the men and women he cared so deeply about,” the Kettering City School District wrote. “His life was defined by service, generosity, and a genuine love for people.”

Mindy McCarty-Stewart, Angst’s mother-in-law, serves as superintendent at Kettering City Schools.

He grew up in Wilmington, Ohio, in a family with deep roots in aviation.

There will be a nine-mile procession from the Edgington Funeral Home at 97 W. Locust Street in Wilmington beginning at 9:15 a.m. Friday. The procession will run to the Roberts Centre, where a celebration of life will take place at 123 Gano Road.

His father was a private pilot and mechanic, and his mother was a flight attendant. They told NBC News their son had loved airplanes ever since he was a baby.

That passion led him to the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in aerospace engineering.

His military career began while studying in Cincinnati. He first served as a mechanic with the 123rd Air Control Squadron in Blue Ash.

Angst went on to pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, rising to the rank of captain while flying the KC-135 refueling aircraft.

His loss is being felt in his hometown and across the nation, along with the 12 other U.S. service members killed in the 34 days since the U.S. launched its war against Iran.

“It’s so painful when you think about it because you can relate to your own families, and it could have been anybody, but unfortunately, it was Curtis, and our hearts are just broken for him,” said Wilmington Mayor Patrick Haley.

During his first national address this week on the war with Iran, President Donald Trump honored the sacrifice of the U.S. service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said. “As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran.”

Captain Angst had nearly 900 hours of experience in the cockpit when his refueling plane went down in friendly airspace over western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew members.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, but did say another aircraft was involved and landed safely. CENTCOM is now investigating the cause.

Captain Curtis Angst will be laid to rest this morning during a private ceremony at Dayton National Cemetery with full military honors. He leaves behind a devoted wife, his parents, and his sister.

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By Jonathan Greco

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    MOORE, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A federal jury ruled in favor of the family of an 18-year-old girl who was killed in a crash involving an off-duty Moore police officer in late 2019.

What Happened

On Dec. 14, 2019, Kyle Lloyd, who was a sergeant with the Moore Police Department, hit a car driven by Emily Gaines near Southeast 134th Street and Sooner Road in Oklahoma City. Gaines, a Moore High School senior, was on her way to take the ACT when she was hit.

The prosecutor said Lloyd was driving almost 100 mph when he crashed into Gaines’ car, saying he was speeding to pick up keys to a squad car for a “Shop with a Cop” event. She said this was a “deliberate, conscious choice to disregard the law,” adding that it brings her no joy to prosecute a member of law enforcement – but the law is the law.

Lloyd pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 2021 and was sentenced to 18 years, but he will effectively spend nine years in prison.

Federal Jury Ruling

This week, a federal jury awarded Gaines’ family $36 million in a lawsuit against the city of Moore. The estate was also awarded $90 million on a civil rights claim.

City of Moore Statement

“Emily Gaines death is a tragedy. The City of Moore respects the jury’s verdict holding Kyle Lloyd liable for his negligence. While a portion of the verdict applies to the City, those damages are limited by statute. The City disagrees that Kyle Lloyd was acting within the scope of his employment and is considering its options, including appeal,” Moore City Manager Brooks Mitchell said in a statement.

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By Kurtis Ming

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    California (KCRA) — The Sierra Avalanche Center has released its final report on California’s deadliest avalanche, revealing that guides led a group into avalanche terrain during dangerous conditions on the Feb. 17 trip near Lake Tahoe.

Nine of the 15 people in the group died in the avalanche. The Sierra Avalanche Center’s final report states the slide occurred in an area that was “likely or very likely” to experience an avalanche that day.

For the first time, it has been revealed that some of the people caught in the avalanche had airbag backpacks that were not deployed. These backpacks are designed to create a space to breathe when trapped under snow.

The Sierra Avalanche Center said an equipment problem likely saved the lives of four of the survivors. Two fell behind the rest of the group and then helped dig out two other survivors.

Four guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides led the group on that backcountry trip near Frog Lake. Five guests and one guide survived.

The victims of the deadly avalanche were:

Andrew Alissandratos, 34, from Verdi, Nevada Michael Henry, 30, from Tampa Bay, Florida Nicole “Niki” Choo, 42, from South Lake Tahoe Carrie Atkin, 42, from South Lake Tahoe Liz Clabaugh, 52, from Boise, Idaho Danielle Keatley, 44, from Marin County Kate Morse, 45, from Marin County Caroline Sekar, 45, from San Francisco Kate Vitt, 43, from Marin County

Since 1950, California has experienced 57 fatal avalanches.

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 Meghan Mosley

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — An April Fools’ Day prank sparked a real multi-agency response Wednesday night, with police, firefighters and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers responding to the false call.

Now, there are serious questions about how this all unfolded.

KOCO 5 has confirmed that a dispatcher called out over Oklahoma City police radio that police were involved in a chase, where a baby was reportedly thrown from the window of a car.

It was all a prank, and now the state’s 911 coordinator is sounding the alarm, calling it dangerous.

‘It wastes resources’ “Anytime we have emergency calls that are false, it wastes resources within the 911 center and also the response. And it also endangers the public,” said Lance Terry, Oklahoma’s state 911 coordinator.

KOCO 5 played the radio dispatch for Terry, which our team first heard over a police scanner radio on Wednesday night.

“Officers, be advised, suspect in pursuit, Southwest 29th and Walker, northbound, red Charger, no tag,” a dispatcher could be heard saying.

The dispatcher, who works for the Oklahoma City Police Department, went on to report that the suspect, at one point, threw a baby out of the car and then minutes later reported a “transient” had been run over.

“I’m not sure where the Charger is,” a person said during the radio conversation.

The call led to officers, firefighters and troopers to be dispatched.

“They are currently southbound on Robinson from Southwest 29th,” a dispatcher said. “The unit in pursuit, something’s wrong with their radio, so they’re not broadcasting, but we’re watching on the map, and they’re getting … messages.”

You can hear the moment Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers became involved.

“Sounds like Santa Fe is in pursuit. Can we see if they need our assistance? 157 all units, unless it’s a felony, we’re going to stay out of it for the 10-13 right now,” troopers said.

“Oklahoma City to all units, we have advised Santa Fe is in pursuit, it is going to be felony charges, they’re going to be westbound from Grand and Robinson. It’s going to be a red Charger with no tag, city just advised the suspect threw a baby out the window,” a dispatcher said.

The Oklahoma City Fire Department confirmed that one of their engines, rescue ladder trucks, an entire “blood unit,” and a district chief responded.

“157, be advised this vehicle supposedly ran over a transient,” a trooper said. “782 city, can you tell us if this was eastbound, westbound?”

‘It was an April Fools’ prank’ Five minutes into the call, a dispatcher said it was an April Fools’ Day prank, but there’s no indication of where it all originated.

“We’re going to terminate this pursuit,” a person could be heard in the radio exchange. “It was an April Fools’ prank.”

“My initial feeling is, is how much stress and workload did it take on all responders, including the 911 dispatchers, to manage that event. And also, what was going on in the background, what other calls may have been delayed or put on the side as this incident was rolling out,” Terry said.

Oklahoma City Fire Department officials told KOCO 5 that when they found out from police that the call wasn’t real, they called off their response.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials said they did not have a statement to release about the incident.

Oklahoma City Police Department officials released a statement about the incident Thursday evening. “We are aware of a reported pursuit involving some of our officers that included serious claims, which has since been determined to be false. The matter is currently under review as part of an internal investigation. Due to the ongoing nature of this process, we are unable to release any additional information at this time. We take this situation seriously and are committed to ensuring a thorough review is conducted,” officials wrote.

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 Jazmon DeJarnette

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    BOULDER CREEK, California (KSBW) — Residents of the Santa Cruz Mountains felt every second of a magnitude 4.6 earthquake early Thursday morning, marking the strongest quake in the region since the 1989 Loma Prieta disaster.

“I did go outside expecting to see the Earth open, and it was that intense,” said Keith Swick, a mountain resident.

Home cameras captured the moment the world started shaking just before 2 a.m. The earthquake originated in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

“This felt like the whole forest fell,” Swick said.

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that this is the largest earthquake in the mountain region since the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.

For neighbors who lived through that disaster, Thursday’s quake brought back some scary memories.

“The role of the floor was definitely different because Loma Prieta was a really quick shake back and forth. It just kept going. This one had that long swaying, rolling feeling which made it feel more dramatic,” said Krista Cheshire, another resident.

Since the initial jolt, the U.S. Geological Survey hasn’t recorded any major aftershocks.

However, experts caution that there is still a chance of a larger earthquake following any magnitude 4 or 5 event.

“It’s well documented that there is still a chance of a larger earthquake followed by any magnitude four or five event,” said Natalia Ruppert, early warning earthquake program coordinator for USGS.

Mountain residents say they are used to staying prepared for the possibility of more shaking.

“Well, living in the forest, we actually have some things together ready, like a to-go box. And so we have all our paperwork in an easy-access place,” Chesire said.

Experts say serious damage usually starts at a magnitude 5, but in the mountains, the rules are a little different.

“If it’s a mountainous region like this, there are always loose rocks that can be shaken off the slopes,” an expert said.

For Richard Swick, the earthquake meant finding a new crack in his roof that wasn’t there before the sun went down.

Scientists say while we can’t predict when the next one hits, the advice for when it does remains the same.

“If you’re in a building, in a room, home or office, be prepared to drop, cover and hold,” Ruppert said.

You can sign up for Early Earthquake warnings at: earthquake.ca.gov/get-alerts

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.