Category: CNN Regional

By Jennifer McRae

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    LONE TREE, Colorado (KCNC) — A Cybertruck crashed into the Primrose School in Lone Tree on Wednesday morning, sparking a fire that ignited the building. According to investigators with South Metro Fire Rescue, crews rushed to the structure fire at 9200 Teddy Lane around 9 a.m.

When crews arrived, the Cybertruck was on fire and the flames had spread to the building.

The evacuation was already underway at the preschool. Everyone was able to get out of the building, according to South Metro Fire. Investigators said all 100 people inside the building, including 78 minors and 22 adults, safely made it outside after the crash. The ages of the children ranged from 6 weeks to 5 years old.

“In this case, all of the students had safely evacuated far enough away that when our crews arrived on scene, they thought the building was vacant because of how efficiently those students had evacuated from the structure,” said South Metro Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Matthew Assell.

“With this being an electric vehicle, that absolutely complicates the scenario and escalates it quite a bit. Electric vehicles are something that South Metro has in our community, and the lithium-ion batteries are something that our department is working on in response to calls,” said Assell.

Investigators said the fire was contained to the exterior of the structure and did not spread inside the building. Crews placed a fire blanket over the burning Cybertruck to extinguish the fire.

“With it being isolated to the exterior of the structure, we were able to treat it more like an electrical vehicle fire, so crews were able to contain that fire and then we applied a fire blanket over the vehicle, and that’s used to contain the fire and essentially smother the oxygen from within those lithium-ion batteries so that we can prevent any further possible concerns,” said Assell.

According to the City of Lone Tree, the driver of the Cybertruck was a grandparent with two children as passengers. One of those children was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Lone Tree said no drugs, alcohol or medical issues are suspected.

Parents began to be reunited with their children just minutes after the crash.

What happened leading up to the crash is being investigated.

The Primrose School will remain closed until further notice.

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 Sarah Horbacewicz

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    DENVER (KCNC) — Late Friday night, more than 200 people sat alongside the tarmac at Denver International Airport. Their Frontier flight stopped during take-off after hitting a person. Thermal imaging shows a man walking onto the runway moments before getting pulled into the engine.

Adam Berger was on that flight.

“I had been pretty stoic about the situation, but I just burst into tears when I saw that footage, because, I mean, the fact that it did take someone’s life in the process,” he said.

Berger saw the explosion before smoke began filling the cabin.

“All of us were kind of covering our mouths trying to, you know, like, not breathe all this in. Within five to seven minutes, they had popped the doors,” Berger said.

Passengers went down emergency slides, where a few got hurt. In the chaos, Berger said not everyone knew what to do.

“I also was in shock in the moment, and not grabbing my small bag was not something that was going through my mind… There wasn’t a ton of people dictating what we should do in that capacity,” Berger said.

In videos taken inside the cabin, it’s clear that many passengers took their smaller bags.

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said in a press conference Tuesday, “Kind of tough for us to answer about what went on within the aircraft… We are working with Frontier Airlines to determine what we can do as an airport to facilitate, sort of, a better evacuation.”

The airport is also looking at its security procedures and says that proper alarms went off. Berger acknowledged how rare this situation is.

“If someone is that determined, it’s pretty difficult to stop them,” Berger said, “I’m realistic about these things, I feel, and if they’re passing their security checks, I can’t ask for that much more.”

Now Berger credits the pilot for stopping that takeoff and protecting passengers on board.

“Thank you. I mean, like it could have gone very differently, obviously. And I mean, could have totally changed all of our lives far more than it did,” Berger said.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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 Max Goldwasser

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    LA MESA, California (KGTV) — La Mesa has reaffirmed its ban on children under 12 riding e-bikes, but the vote has renewed debate over whether the policy actually addresses the root cause of safety concerns on the city’s streets.

The City Council’s vote Tuesday mirrored the outcome of a unanimous decision passed in mid-April — with only one councilmember — Laura Lothian — changing her position.

The ban aligns La Mesa with several other San Diego County cities that have adopted similar ordinances under the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program laid out in Assembly Bill No. 2234, allowing any city in the county to prohibit riders under 12 from operating a Class 1 or 2 e-bike, which can up to 20 miles per hour.

For some La Mesa families, the ban hits close to home.

“Kind of makes me feel sad and mad and upset,” said 10-year-old Charlie Knight.

Charlie and her family had used e-bikes as a way to spend time together in a city that prides itself on being bike friendly.

“It was something we could do together as a family that, we can’t do anymore,” Cassie said.

After the ban first passed in mid-April, Cassie, her husband Deric, and other residents urged the council to reconsider — arguing the ordinance targets age rather than the actual problem: reckless rider behavior.

“Nothing’s gonna change with the wheelies and the reckless driving because there’s already laws for that. They would have stopped that if that was the problem,” Deric said.

Not all residents share that view. La Mesa resident Stacey Turner said she supports the age restriction.

“I feel like we need to protect them until they’re, you know, a little more mature and able to take on this danger. I think this is dangerous,” Turner said.

Those concerns from families like the Knights were enough to change the mind of Councilmember Laura Lothian, the one vote that shifted from the first decision.

“We realized that we had a problem with teenagers and e-bikes, and the solution wasn’t addressing the problem,” Lothian told ABC 10News in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m feeling like 9-, 10- and 11-year-olds are being scapegoats for the 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds that are actually doing the reckless riding.”

La Mesa police have reportedly responded to more than 50 e-bike-related calls. Despite that volume, enforcement has been minimal — Lothian said the police chief told her the city has only ever issued 3 e-bike citations, none of them to children under 12.

Cassie said she remains skeptical about whether the ban will prove effective.

“It will be very interesting to see what data we actually collect to see if this is effective at all,” Cassie said.

Because the vehicle code is set at the state level, the council cannot change the language of the ordinance itself (as in, increasing the minimum age, for example).

Councilmembers did, however, promise to consider additional measures to address safety concerns, including increased enforcement targeting reckless riding and expanding bike lanes near schools.

In response, the city manager said, “We’ll do what we can.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KGTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Jared Aarons

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    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new mobile trailer is bringing Holocaust education to San Diego students in a way that has never been done before.

Spark Interactive is a 600-square-foot classroom on 18 wheels, packed with touchscreens, tablets, and state-of-the-art technology designed to give students an immersive, interactive, and inspiring experience learning about the Holocaust and their role in confronting hate today.

“We are looking to spark conversations. We are looking to spark action. So it’s not just the learning of the material, but it’s the ‘so what’ of it all. What will students take with them when they leave?” said Darren Schwartz, Founding Director of the Legacy of Light Goldberg Institute for Holocaust Education.

More than 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust in World War II. It was part of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany’s plan to seize world power and create a “Master Race.”

The trailer puts students in an active role during the lesson, creating a deeper connection with the material. It focuses on the rise of Nazi Germany and the techniques Hitler used to dehumanize Jews and other minority groups.

After each session, teachers receive a personalized report, allowing them to continue the lesson back in the classroom.

“Holocaust education, I think, hasn’t been more relevant than it is today, Schwartz said. “If we’re not learning the lessons of the past and informing the future, we’re doomed to repeat them.”

Spark Interactive already has partnerships with the San Diego Unified School District, San Dieguito Union High School District, Poway Unified School District, Carlsbad Unified School District, and Sweetwater Union High School District — reaching half of the middle and high school students in San Diego County.

Beyond schools, organizers plan to eventually offer the trailer to community groups and other organizations like first responders and the YMCA.

“We think for students, for them to apply the lessons of the Holocaust, they can look at those conditions and then look at our society today to make informed decisions about how they want to step in and make a difference,” Schwartz said. “The Holocaust teaches us a lot about our own civic responsibility. The importance of standing up for others, the importance of confronting hate and countering indifference.”

The multi-million dollar trailer arrives at a critical moment. Data from a state study shows just 1 in 4 California school districts teaches about genocide and the Holocaust, despite a state law requiring it.

For survivor Lou Pechi, it’s a new way to ensure his legacy, as well as other stories of survivors and the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust live on.

“In a year or two, we won’t be able to talk to Holocaust survivors. Only through the technology they’re putting together,” Pechi said.

Pechi estimates he’s spoken to more than 10,000 people as a survivor. But he knows Holocaust education has to evolve to reach a new generation more comfortable with technology than with books or traditional lessons.

“It’s been millions of years, and we kept history alive by carving stuff in stone. Now we carve it in pixels,” Pechi said.

Spark Interactive isn’t the only San Diego program pushing the envelope in Holocaust education. Several other local efforts are working to keep the history alive.

Grossmont College currently has an exhibit in its library titled “Americans and the Holocaust.” The exhibit uses video, audio, and interactive QR codes to show how people in the U.S. learned about and experienced the Holocaust. Grossmont was one of just 50 libraries across the country selected to host the exhibit. It runs through May 21 and is open to the public.

The Butterfly Project, which started in San Diego in 2006, uses hands-on arts and crafts to teach kids about the Holocaust and injustice. Based on the poem “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” written by a child in a concentration camp, the project aims to create 1.5 million ceramic butterflies to spread awareness.

RUTH — Remember Us the Holocaust — is a museum-style exhibit featuring artifacts and first-person accounts from San Diego survivors. The exhibit has grown significantly since launching in 2020 and has moved to multiple locations across the county. The people behind it hope to eventually create a permanent Holocaust museum in San Diego.

Over the past year, the Academy of Critical Thinkers, or ACT program, put a cohort of 20 San Diego teachers through intensive training, giving them new tools and strategies to engage today’s students in Holocaust education. The program included a trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

Schwartz believes the addition of the Spark Interactive trailer to all of that puts San Diego at the forefront of Holocaust education for the next generation.

“As our survivors are no longer with us, we have to have a new chapter,” he says. “And I think we are piloting and perfecting this new chapter of Holocaust Education.”

A major donation from San Diego philanthropist Lee Goldberg helped fund the trailer. Other support came from the Prebys Foundation and several other Jewish institutions across the County.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KGTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Jarah Wright

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man with ties to an illegal biolab in Las Vegas has been found guilty of charges associated with another illegal biolab in California.

After a two-week trial, Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national, was found guilty of fraudulently selling more than a million COVID tests for nearly $4 million through his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc.

Zhu was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of substantive wire fraud, two counts of distributing adulterated and misbranded medical devices, and one count of making a false statement to the FDA.

His partner, Zhaoyan Wang, has also been charged in case and fled the United States shortly before Zhu’s arrest. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wang “remains a fugitive from justice in China.”

Trial evidence showed Zhu and Wang hired inexperienced employees, like cellphone salespeople, supermarket workers and childcare workers, who “would not ask any questions.” Some of the employees were hired through the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, which is a public organization that helps find jobs for unskilled workers and provides significant subsidies to employers that hire them, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Investigators state that between August 2020 and March 2023, Zhu, Wang and others at UMI conspired with each other to import faulty COVID tests from China and then sell them to customers based on several false representations, including the tests were authorized by the FDA, were made in the U.S., were made in connection with a certified medical lab, and worked.

Several employees testified saying they knew what they were doing was wrong, but went through it because they did not want to lose their jobs and were afraid that Zhu would physically hurt them. Victims also testified stating the tests they received were missing basic parts and could not detect COVID.

It was a victim’s civil lawsuit against UMI that led to a court-ordered inspection of UMI’s Fresno facility. That inspection showed UMI “lacked the ability to manufacture COVID tests and that it was nothing more than an unsanitary warehouse that was far below established quality standards for facilities that house medical devices.”

One example is inspectors found multiple fridges with pathogens and toxins in juice, soda, and other inappropriate containers.

Inspectors also found hundreds of boxes of COVID tests from China.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Zhu tried to escape the civil lawsuit against UMI by moving from Fresno to Reedley and changing the name of the company to Prestige Biotech Inc. However, that attracted the attention of the FDA, which began its own investigation.

Investigators from the FDA and CDC met with Zhu in May 2023 and he claimed to be another person, Qiang “David” He, who had recently come to the United States from China on an asylum application.

Evidence shown during the trial showed Zhu was previously an executive at a company called IND in Canada in the early 2000s, and that IND had gotten in trouble with the Canadian equivalent of the FDA for misconduct like this case. Investigators say Zhu came to the United States unlawfully and founded UMI shortly after.

Zhu also has ties to the illegal biolab that was found in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Clark County property records show the home where the lab was found, near Sugar Springs Drive and Temple View, is registered to David Destiny Discovery, LLC, which is a business registered through the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office to David He, which is one of Zhu’s aliases.

Investigators say they were tipped off by someone who worked at the home.

That source identified Ori Solomon as the property manager.

Solomon is an Israeli citizen in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa and is not allowed to possess firearms. Several weapons were seized from his home, according to an affidavit obtained by Channel 13.

Las Vegas police say the lab was primarily located inside a locked garage within the house. More than 1,000 samples were collected and stored safely at the Southern Nevada Health District laboratory before they were sent to the National Bioforensic Analysis Center in Maryland for testing.

In March, the FBI revealed what some of the materials recovered inside the home were.

In a statement to Channel 13, FBI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto said most of the items recovered are consistent with components used to develop medical diagnostic test kits.

Investigators also found “components you would find in the Influenza A & B vaccines” and “older influenza samples; however, full genetic sequencing confirmed they were not new or engineered variants and there is no indication of an ongoing threat to public health at this time.”

According to investigators, materials stored at the Sugar Springs garage may have been leftover from Zhu’s activities in Reedley.

“Based on the totality of the investigation, there are no legitimate reasons for maintaining these types of biological materials within a private residence, or in the manner in which they were stored,” Delzotto stated.

As for what happens next, Clark County District Court records show Solomon has been charged with one count of disposing or discharging hazardous waste. Court records show the next hearing in that case is on June 4.

Zhu is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Aug. 24.

He is facing up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and each of the wire fraud charges, three years in prison for each of the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges, and five years in prison for the false statements charge.

The illegal biolabs being discovered prompted biosecurity concerns from both law enforcement and lawmakers.

California Congressman Jim Costa has proposed the bipartisan “Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act.” That piece of legislation aims to close regulatory blind spots, strengthen federal oversight, and provide state and local officials with the resources needed to detect and dismantle illegal biolabs.

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 Bob Evans

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    BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (KSTU) — Kevin O’Leary, an investor in the proposed 40,000- acre Stratos data center campus in Box Elder County, accused two Utah groups opposing the project of being funded by the Chinese government.

O’Leary made the accusation on Fox News, targeting Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies.

“Who would want us to stop building our electrical grid? Who would want to stop us from having compute capacity to develop AI? Which adversary would want that? There’s only one. It’s China.” O’Leary said.

In a social media exchange, Gabi Finlayson of Elevate Strategies pushed back on the claim.

“If we were Chinese operatives, we would be the worst operatives in the entire world. Someone alert Beijing that the payment portal to Jackie and I’s Amex bills is somehow broken,” Finlayson said.

Elizabeth Hutchings of Alliance for a Better Utah also denied the accusation.

When asked by FOX 13 News Anchor Bob Evans if Alliance for a Better Utah is funded by the Chinese government, Hutchings said, “No. I, would probably get paid a lot more if I was. I would hope if I were doing some foreign international espionage, but no, we are not. We’re funded by a lot of grassroots donors, and a lot of people from around Utah that believe in what we do, and that’s as simple as that.” Hutchings said.

In the social media exchange Finlayson and colleague Jackie Morgan responded directly to O’Leary.

“You know, it’s not every day you get called out by first and last name on Fox News by a Canadian billionaire trying to ruin my state, but here we are. Kevin, are you OK? But after sitting with this for a moment, we decided to take it as a compliment because first of all, how are these men scared of us? Have you met us?” Finlayson said.

O’Leary responded by doubling down on his call for financial transparency.

“What are we — talking about? I want a forensic auditor who’s funding their platforms. Who is it? So these are proxies for the Chinese government is my argument. And if they’re not, because I want them to be able to defend their name to Gabby, come out, come out wherever you are.” O’Leary said.

Responding to O’Leary’s transparency argument, Finlayson and Morgan said, “We’re just saying we should maybe look into people that stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars off this project and let’s be so for real and so clear, that is not us. It is not us.” Finlayson said.

O’Leary continued to press the issue.

“And they should thank me for this promotion I’m giving them right now. And let’s shine the light of transparency on what you’re doing because they’re also going after the leadership in Utah itself, these two cells.” O’Leary said.

Morgan responded directly.

“Well, Kevin, you say that like it’s a scandal, and it’s not because we are damn proud of the fact that we will continue to be shining a light on the corruption and insanity that is going on in this state, not just with this project, but with many others.” Morgan said.

Alliance for a Better Utah responded online to O’Leary’s claims by posting a video on Facebook asking for donations, with Chinese-sounding music playing underneath.

O’Leary says he is putting his forensic accountants to work to determine who is funding opposition to the data center in Utah. He says the center is necessary to stay ahead of China in artificial intelligence development.

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 Mya Constantino

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    OGDEN, Utah (KSTU) — One Utah family is sharing their daughter’s hearing-loss journey during National Speech-Language-Hearing Month.

Four-year-old Stella Chugg was born with progressive hearing loss, meaning her hearing was expected to worsen over time.

“It’s so overwhelming and sometimes just based on what you’ve heard in your life, you might think, ‘Oh no, will she be able to live a normal life?,’” Zach Chugg, Stella’s father, said inside their home in Ogden.

Her mother, Kennedy Chugg, says that at first, their care provider believed it could have simply been fluid and hoped things would improve over time. But her condition didn’t.

Her parents noticed Stella could only hear certain things. After more tests, they learned Stella had progressive hearing loss.

Stella got her first pair of hearing aids when she was just over 2 1/2 years old. The Chugg family says the hearing aids helped, but that she needed more support.

“Everything just hit us all at once,” Zach explained. “We didn’t know a single person in the Deaf community.”

So, the Chugg family decided on a different option. In September, Stella had cochlear implant surgery. Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that help people like Stella by sending sound signals directly to the hearing nerve.

“Just the other day, it was raining, and the sound of the rain on the windows was blowing her mind,” Kennedy explained. “She had her hands on the screen, feeling the rain and the wind.”

On TikTok, Kennedy Chugg has amassed over 600,000 followers. There, she shares their day-to-day routines while navigating Stella’s condition. The Chugg family has built a space online focused on support and community.

“It’s been amazing to be able to connect to other parents with similar stories,” she said. “It’s amazing for me to see kids a little older than Stella and know that they have a super bright future as well.”

But cochlear implants aren’t the only tool available to families.

The Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers services including case management, employment help, hard-of-hearing services, budgeting classes, art classes, and ASL classes.

“Deaf individuals often feel isolated if they’re not around a lot of Deaf individuals,” Pamela Mower, who works for the center’s research and administrative team, explained through American Sign Language (ASL). “So, they’re able to come here for various activities, projects, and can socialize. The center is extremely important to us.”

Kennedy said watching her daughter grow has changed how she thinks about limits. “Seeing her just accomplish everything she loves and wants to do changed my opinion on what limitations you can set for yourself and your kids,” Kennedy said.

More information about resources and classes at the Sanderson Community Center is available at jobs.utah.gov/usor/dhh.

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 Dustin Dorsey

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    SANTA CLARA, California (KGO) — Part of a Santa Clara park remains closed after the discovery of rodent poison pellets that sickened a dog and raised concerns among residents.

The incident began Monday when a dog owner contacted the city after their pet ingested pellets at Jenny Strand Park, located near Apple’s headquarters.

The dog ate 14 pellets, became ill and later vomited the poison. The pet is expected to recover.

City crews responded quickly and removed the pellets, but the park remained closed Tuesday as inspections continued. Officials said they are taking extra precautions to ensure public safety.

Many residents said they were shocked and concerned about rat poison being found at Jenny Strand Park, especially given the number of children and dogs who visit daily.

“Definitely something that’s surprising and irritating,” resident Xiayun Zhang said.

City spokesperson Janine De La Vega said crews conducted thorough sweeps of the park and expanded their inspections citywide.

“This is obviously very concerning – pets are family members,” De La Vega said. “(Crews) inspected and picked up all the pellets off the ground, and they kept doing checks today. They are going around to all city parks and inspecting and doing a thorough check to make sure no pellets are at any of our parks.”

De La Vega emphasized that the city does not use poison to control pests in parks, noting those areas are heavily used by children, families and pets.

The park saw fewer visitors Tuesday following news of the incident, as some families chose to stay away.

“We spend a lot of time in our local park. And my daughter, she loves to explore the whole park. And I’m afraid she could put something very colorful and very attractive into her mouth, and that could be very scary to me,” resident Ivy Liang said.

Authorities have not said when the park will reopen, noting the decision will depend on when police determine the area is safe.

Residents said the incident has heightened their vigilance.

“I’m very sad to hear about this surprising news about poisonous pellets here. That’s very dangerous to kids as well,” Zhang said. “Hopefully we can figure out who did this and potentially prevent them from doing further things like this.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact city staff.

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 Adam Mintzer

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    SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (KNXV) — Arizona has gained an international reputation as a factory for UFC talent, and one Scottsdale fighter is using the Valley’s training culture to chase the sport’s biggest stage — while also navigating the increasingly political world of combat sports.

Eitan Kagan, an American-Israeli MMA fighter, was born in the United States but spent most of his life in Israel. A few years ago, he returned stateside, a move he says was necessary to reach the highest level of the sport.

the state’s training culture to chase a UFC title fight Screenshot 2026-05-12 at 10.52.36 AM.png Photo by: KNXV Tough, hungry, resilient: How Arizona became the proving ground for the next UFC champions Screenshot 2026-05-12 at 10.52.36 AM.png By: Adam Mintzer Posted 7:44 AM, May 13, 2026 and last updated 10:00 AM, May 13, 2026 SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Arizona has gained an international reputation as a factory for UFC talent, and one Scottsdale fighter is using the Valley’s training culture to chase the sport’s biggest stage — while also navigating the increasingly political world of combat sports.

Eitan Kagan, an American-Israeli MMA fighter, was born in the United States but spent most of his life in Israel. A few years ago, he returned stateside, a move he says was necessary to reach the highest level of the sport.

“I always wanted to be the best in the world at something. So if I could do that, I’ve had a dream to be in the UFC. So if I could do that, I’m going to shoot my shot,” Kagan said.

Training in Arizona has put Kagan alongside elite competition every day.

“Being here, being surrounded by fighters, by UFC guys, by Bellator champions, whatever it is, brings you closer. Iron sharpener sharpens iron,” Kagan said.

That environment is no accident. Joel Lopez, owner of RUF MMA, has built his Arizona-based promotion into a proving ground for fighters chasing a Las Vegas main event.

“We want to create true champions on and off the cage,” Lopez said.

Lopez says the road to a Vegas main event runs directly through the Valley.

“We’re like the provinces in The Gladiator movie… It’s close enough for the Vegas fighters to come here,” Lopez said.

But Lopez says Arizona’s dominance in the sport goes beyond its proximity to Las Vegas or the talent pipeline flowing from Arizona State University’s wrestling program and area boxing and jiu-jitsu gyms. He says the desert heat itself forges champions.

“Fighters in the state are tough. They’re hungry and very resilient,” Lopez said.

More fighters in the state also means more fights — and more time in front of crowds. That exposure introduces athletes to another dimension of the sport: politics.

Kyle Green, who studies the intersection of UFC and politics at SUNY Brockport, says combat sports have moved to the right over the past decade, in part due to President Trump’s close relationship with UFC CEO Dana White. Trump is even hosting a bout on the White House lawn in June.

“It’s a stage where we get to see all these tensions that exist in society play out, and they’re often very magnified. And in combat sports, it’s less subtle,” Green said.

But Green says that doesn’t mean the fighting fanbase all shares the same views.

“Gyms become places where fighters and coaches speak out on these issues. It can divide communities,” Green said.

That division played out after Kagan’s latest title fight. He won — and after the victory, he wrapped himself in the Israeli flag, drawing a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.

“I think there was extra because Israel and now the whole political situation… it’s not neutral,” Kagan said.

Four years into his Arizona fighting career, Kagan knew what message he wanted to send.

“We need more love in this place. We’re all similar. We’re often the same thing. We all try to do better things like these divisions. Don’t help anyone,” Kagan said.

The UFC bout scheduled for the White House lawn is set for June 14 and will include Sean O’Malley, who trains at Red Hawk Academy in Peoria.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KNXV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Karina Nova and Juan Carlos Guerrero

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    DANVILLE, California (KGO) — It’s not often a lesson plan gets a whole classroom so excited that students give themselves extra work. But that’s what has been happening regularly in Sara Stinson’s science class at John Baldwin Elementary School in Danville.

The excitement revolves around Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles in Big Bear Valley. A webcam points at their nest 24 hours a day.

“When I found out about the Jackie and Shadow camera, I started watching it in all of my classes,” Stinson said.

The lives of Jackie and Shadow fit right in with Stinson’s unit on life cycles.

“We get to see the eagles set up their nest, then we get to see them lay eggs, and then we get to see the eggs hatch and the chicks grow,” Stinson said.

The webcam has been a regular part of her lesson plan for years.

Then a few months ago, she learned that the area where the eagles hunt could be developed into luxury homes, unless the San Bernardino Mountain Land Trust can raise $10 million dollars to buy the land by July 31st.

“I started sharing the information with them and they felt so passionate about it. They were like, ‘What can we do?'” Stinton said.

The students took that concern into their next class with teacher Nancy McCaul.

“They were furious that it was happening and they were like literally yelling, ‘We need to do something,'” McCaul said.

It just so happened McCaul was starting a persuasive writing unit.

“Instead of doing the normal unit, we shifted a little bit to persuade people in the community, famous people, to donate to this cause,” she said.

The letters the students wrote are being sent to people around the world, from family members of the students to social media influencers and famous singers like Taylor Swift.

“When we first heard about this news, it was very sad for us because we are worried that the thing we have been watching for years can go away,” fourth grader Evie Cook said.

The students have also been raising money on their own by doing bake sales and lemonade stands, and even making bald eagle origamis.

“They’ve been walking up and down the streets of downtown Danville with posters informing people. They have been thinking about starting a social media campaign,” McCaul said.

All this has deeply moved the group trying to save the area, known as Moon Camp.

“It touched my heart, tears me up,” said Jenny Voisard of Friends of Big Bear Valley.

The group has been fighting the new development near Fawnskin for 25 years.

Earlier this year, the developer gave them one final chance to buy the land for $10 million dollars, so they launched a campaign to raise the money.

“We don’t plan to do anything with it. We want to keep the trees for the flying squirrels and the eagles and everybody else. It’s the last undisturbed shoreline,” said Voisard.

The concern is not just the bald eagles. Big Bear Valley is home to rare plants like the Ash-gray Indian paintbrush and the area is considered a biodiversity hotspot.

While the development would not directly threaten the tree where Jackie and Shadow have their nest, it will impact their hunting grounds.

“Jackie and Shadow use the area extensively for perching and foraging for food. That is their chosen nesting place,” added Voisard.

So far, Friends of Big Bear Valley has raised a quarter of the $10 million dollars needed to buy the land before the July 31st deadline.

Students in Stinson’s class get daily updates on the fundraising.

“Every class, first through fifth grade, comes in and one of their first questions is how much money have we raised?” Stinson said.

Voisard says that if Friends of Big Bear Valley can’t raise the full $10 million in the next three months, the group plans to take out loans and pay the debt off with more fundraising.

“Failure is not an option,” Voisard said.

For more information on the fundraiser, go to savemooncamp.org.

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