Category: CNN Regional

By Elle Meyers

Click here for updates on this story

    DETROIT (WWJ) — Giving blood might seem a little scary for some, but less than 10 minutes in a comfy chair can save three lives at once.

Scott Eisenberg said he first donated because he saw his mom giving blood, and there was a drive in his apartment building. On July 24, Eisenberg donated his 100th pint.

“My first pint was in 1991, and I just kinda, ‘I can do that,’ and two years later, there was another drive in my building and, ‘I can do that.’ And somewhere along the line, it just became a habit, and it became important to me knowing that I could save a life,” he said.

In the years since, Eisenberg has donated about 15 gallons of blood. He said the whole donation process usually takes less than an hour.

“I literally can leave my house, donate, eat my cookies, and be home in an hour, and it’s painless, and it’s saving a life. And you know to do that once every two months, take an hour, it’s so easy,” Eisenberg said.

According to the American Red Cross, the blood supply dropped by 25% in June, and officials said we’re getting close to an emergency blood shortage. Shannon Walters with the American Red Cross said they’re looking for people of all blood types to donate.

“We especially need type O positive and B negative, but all blood types are needed,” she said.

Walters said, unfortunately, science hasn’t created a synthetic blood that works well for everyone.

“It’s something that we can’t manufacture in a lab; we have to have it from humans,” she said.

Eisenberg said he’s never gotten money for donating.

“No money, but cookies,” he 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.

By Megan De Mar

Click here for updates on this story

    LOCKPORT, Illinois (WBBM) — A Lockport foster parent said he lost his kids, job and home for months after a mix-up that landed his name on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.

While he has since been reinstated after CBS News Chicago Investigators started asking questions, he’s still fighting to clear his name.

“These are my kids. I don’t say foster kids. I don’t say I’m their foster dad. I’m their dad,” said Megail Waiters.

Waiters had been a licensed foster parent in Illinois for nearly four years, until May, when he was suddenly placed on unpaid leave by his employer, One Family Illinois.

“I had my kids taken away from me,” he said.

Waiters and his biological son were also kicked out of their agency-provided housing in Lockport. It all happened because a periodic background check by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services shoed his name now appeared in a search of the Sex Offender Registry.

“I was blown away. I still have no words for it,” Waiters said. “How did I get there?”

Waiters is not, nor has he ever been, a registered sex offender. But it turns out his brother, Patrick Waiters, who he has been estranged from for decades began using his name as an alias.

Waiters said he’s aware of at least two attempts his brother made to use his name to fraudulently receive unemployment benefits. As a result, his name is technically listed on the registry under the alias section.

“I never went after someone’s child,” he said. “I’ve never done these things, and yet they’re attached to my name.”

Waiters said he’s been trying to get someone to listen to him since May 1, as he blew through his son’s college fund living in a hotel.

One Family Illinois said Waiters has been a valued foster parent for them, but they were following protocol. But soon after CBS News Chicago Investigators reached out to them for comment, we learned he had been placed back on paid status.

Then, a few days after CBS News Chicago Investigators reached out to DCFS and Illinois State Police, the agency the manages the registry, he was reinstated as a foster parent.

“After review and consultation with the DCFS legal team and communication with the Illinois State Police regarding our licensing policy, DCFS has determined that Mr. Waiters will be reinstated as a licensed foster parent by end of business today,” DCFS wrote in a statement.

Waiters said he’s looking forward to being reunited with his kids.

“They want us back, and we want them back,” he said.

There’s still one unresolved issue: Waiters’ name is still listed as an alias on his brother’s profile.

Illinois State Police said they “cannot remove an alias name from the Sex Offender Registry without legal authority provided by a court,” so Waiters would have to hire a lawyer.

Waiters’ brother did not respond to CBS News Chicago Investigators’ request for comment. He is currently listed as “noncompliant” on the sex offender registry.

DCFS also said they are working on “new technologies and processes” to prevent something like this from happening again in the future.

Full statement from Illinois State Police In response to your question to ISP about removing an alias, ISP has a duty to ensure the integrity of the Illinois Sex Offender Registry and must rely on appropriate documentation from local law enforcement agencies and the courts. ISP cannot remove an alias name from the Sex Offender Registry without legal authority provided by a court. Megail Waiters is not listed as an offender on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry and a thorough background check conducted by an employer would confirm any qualifying convictions, or the absence of qualifying convictions.

Full statement from DCFS “Protecting children and youth is the highest priority for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Background checks are conducted on all licensed providers to ensure they meet the regulatory standards to serve children and youth. This includes a Child Abuse and Neglect (CANTS) background check, the Law Enforcement Automated Data System LEADS check, and a check of the National Sex Offender Registry.

After review and consultation with the DCFS legal team and communication with the Illinois State Police regarding our licensing policy, DCFS has determined that Mr. Waiters will be reinstated as a licensed foster parent by end of business today. This information has also been shared with the leadership of Mr. Waiters’ employer, One Family Illinois.”

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 Hunter Sowards

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A college pitcher survived a scary situation during his run through a Claremont trail last weekend.

“I was just in agonizing pain, causing everything obviously hurt,” pitcher Jake Entrup said.

It started out like any normal weekend hike for Entrup. He was running the Claremont Wilderness Trail with his dog and his mom not far behind.

“I got blindsided by the snake, which was right at the turn,” Entrup said. “Nothing I really could have done.”

When he looked down, he could see the bite marks.

“I turned around, and I saw the snake. It coiled,” Entrup said. “I saw it coil up. Hissed at me, and then it slithered off into the bush.”

Luckily, Entrup’s family friend was a nurse and happened to be hiking the trail that morning.

“She calmed me down,” Entrup said. “She was a really big part of it because, at times, I couldn’t see my hand.”

He was airlifted to Pomona Valley Trauma Center and placed in the ICU. After 20 doses of anti-venom, he still needed additional care.

He was transferred to a different hospital where he got 14 more doses. His mom was by his side through it all. She had to watch the neurotoxin from the venom take over his body.

“When you sit there and you watch your son, who is already in pain,” mom Staci Entrup said. “The whole time you’re talking, his eyes are twitching, his body is twitching.”

Dr. Gabriel Campion with Dignity Health Northridge said the amount of anti-venom Entrup needed is on the high end.

“It’s really dependent on the symptoms someone has,” he said. “For a life-threatening case, you may need a very large amount.”

After almost a week, Entrup is walking around with the help of crutches. He’s eager to get back onto the pitcher’s mound and the trails.

He’s thankful for everyone who helped him and urged everyone to be wary while on Southern California trails.

“Always be aware,” he said. “You never know what’s around the bush.”

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

Click here for updates on this story

    GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — Authorities are investigating the “suspicious deaths” of a family of eight, including six children, following a house fire Friday morning in Grand Haven Township, Michigan.

According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, authorities first received calls between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. local time about a smell of smoke in the area of Riverside Trail. Deputies assisted the Grand Haven Fire Department, but no fire was immediately located.

The sheriff’s office says deputies and fire personnel returned to the area at about 11:42 a.m. after receiving calls about white smoke coming from a residence in the 14900 block of Riverside Trail. Fire crews were able to control the fire and checked the home for any victims, locating them inside.

Their identities are currently unknown.

The sheriff’s office did not release any additional information at this time.

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 Juliegrace Brufke | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — A series of economic reports this week pointed to resilient growth and persistent inflation pressures ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting, though markets continued to expect officials to leave interest rates unchanged.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously last month to hold its benchmark rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. Most investors expected the central bank to leave rates unchanged at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, but new data on the labor market and business activity have added to signs that higher borrowing costs may eventually be needed.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 187,000 in the week ended July 18. That was the lowest level since September 1969 and came in well below forecasts.

Separately, S&P Global’s flash PMI data on Friday showed service-sector companies raising prices at the fastest rate in nearly four years. Input costs across manufacturing and services rose at their strongest pace since May 2025.

Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the survey is consistent with gross domestic product growing at an annualized rate of about 2% early in the third quarter. He cautioned that the improvement may not last.

“Some of this improvement may prove short-lived as July saw hospitality spend boosted by the FIFA World Cup and USA 250 anniversary activities,” Williamson said. He also noted a “concerning intensification of supply chain delays and accompanying renewed upturn in price pressures.”

Williamson said the ongoing U.S.-Iran war is likely to add to those pressures.

“Events over recent days in the Middle East will have only further exacerbated these supply chain and price worries and raise downside risks to the near-term outlook for the economy,” he said.

The business survey contrasted with the June consumer price index, which showed the annual inflation rate falling to 3.5% from 4.2% in May.

Federal Reserve officials have cautioned against reading too much into the cooler inflation reading. Chair Kevin Warsh has said the effort to bring inflation down remains unfinished. Fed Governor Lisa Cook said in a July 15 speech that elevated inflation remained top of mind and that inflation risks currently outweighed risks to employment.

Interest-rate futures on Friday implied a roughly 38% chance of a quarter-point rate increase at Wednesday’s meeting, up from about 12% a week earlier.

West Texas Intermediate crude traded around $89 a barrel Friday after topping $90 the previous day, while the yield on the 10-year Treasury note traded near 4.68% after briefly reaching 4.71%.

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 Rushaad Hayward

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WMAR) — Another domino falls in the opioid epidemic.

Attorney General Anthony Brown announced a $13 million settlement with seven opioid drug manufacturers.

These are funds are set to be used for the state’s efforts to continue fighting the opioid crisis.

“Maryland communities are still living with addiction and loss caused by the opioid crisis,” Brown said. “These settlements will fund treatment and recovery that helps Marylanders break the cycle of addiction and also require safeguards that keep the drug companies responsible for the crisis from fueling another.”

According to the complaint, these seven companies manufactured and sold generic opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl patches throughout the country, including in Maryland. These sales started as early as 2005.

The seven companies and the estimated amount they will pay Maryland in opioid abatement funds are: Alvogen: $402,150 paid in a single year Amneal: $2,450,965 paid over 10 years Apotex: $1,370,968 paid in a single year Hikma: $2,065,728 paid in a single year Mylan: $5,982,176 paid over 10 years Sun: $667,204 paid in a single year Zydus: $317,892 paid in a single year

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.