Category: CNN Regional

By Paula Wethington

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    Michigan (WWJ) — Controversy has erupted over a history professor’s remarks during the University of Michigan spring commencement program Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Derek R. Peterson, a history professor and the outgoing Faculty Senate Chair, “made remarks regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict that were hurtful and insensitive to many members of our community,” U-M president Domenico Grasso said later in the day.

Grasso said that Peterson “deviated from the remarks he had shared before the ceremony.” Furthermore, the remarks made “were inappropriate and do not represent our institutional position.” The college president said in response that he will work in the coming weeks with university leadership to “review and refine future commencement programming.”

What did Derek Peterson say? Short video clips of his remarks have been circulating on social media, during which the professor called out “pro-Palestinian student activists who have, over these past two years, opened our hearts to the injustice and inhumanity of Israel’s war in Gaza.”

Peterson provided a YouTube link to a longer clip of his speech. During the 5½ minute video link he posted, Peterson began his remarks with the fight to allow women to become students at the University of Michigan.

He challenged the graduates, when they sing the school’s fight song “The Victors,” to remember those first women students, and the first Jewish professors and Jewish students on campus.

He continued:

“Sing for the students of the Black Action Movement, whose members demanded a curriculum that would reflect the experience and identity of black people in this country.

“Sing for the pro-Palestinian student activities who have over these past two years opened our hearts to the injustice and inhumanity of Israel’s war in Gaza.

“The greatness of this institution does not only rest on the shoulders and on the accomplishments of our student athletes who deserve all the congratulations we can offer them.

“But the greatness of this university rests also on the courage and the conviction of student activists who have pushed this university down the path toward justice.

“It is to them that we can rightly sing ‘Hail! to the victors valiant. Hail! to the conquering heroes. Hail! to Michigan. The leaders and the best.”

University of Michigan leaders call speech “troubling and disappointing” Those publicly criticizing Peterson’s statements include two Republican-endorsed candidates for the Board of Regents election, Michael Schostak and Lena Epstein, who issued a joint statement saying, “Commencement ceremonies exist to unite the University community around academic achievement, personal growth, and the promise of what comes next. It should not become a stage for political activism that leaves students feeling excluded or uncomfortable during one of the most important milestones of their lives.”

“I am disgusted by this educational ‘leader’ who used his platform at spring commencement to attack Israel,” Schostak said while sharing the statement.

And Sarah Hubbard, a Republican who is currently serving as a U-M regent, said in a social media post, “While I wasn’t there yesterday to see it in person, what I have seen is incredibly troubling and disappointing. It is very difficult to execute meaningful consequences on tenured faculty but as a leader I can help set the tone and expectations for their conduct.”

Hubbard said she expects to discuss the circumstances both with the Board of Regents and the university administration.

“Make no mistake, we will not allow a 30-second soundbite to tear down the goodwill that so many on our campus have worked to build,” Grasso said. “Together, we have made Michigan a welcoming, safe and inclusive community – one that we can be proud of, reflects our values, and serves as a model for other institutions around the world. That work continues now and always.”

Professor responds: “The idea that graduations should be apolitical is ridiculous” CBS News Detroit reached out to Peterson for comment, and he provided the following statement:

“I have respect for Regent Hubbard and her colleagues: theirs is not an easy job, and we here at Michigan benefit from their leadership.

“I would however urge Regent Hubbard to review the comments I actually made at yesterday’s commencement. It should not be controversial to have one’s “heart opened to the inhumanity and injustice of Israel’s war in Gaza”, which is what I credited activists with doing. Having an open heart to other people’s suffering is a fundamental human virtue. It is a quality that I hope we teach our students, whatever their political posture might be.

“So I am mystified about what I have done to earn Regent Hubbard’s ire. I have – like many of us here in Michigan – been convicted by the evidence of human suffering in Gaza; and I credit my awareness of that to pro-Palestinian activists. That is why I gave the speech that I did. On a day meant to honor students for their accomplishments, I thought it important that we would honor the student activists who have, over the course of time, pushed the institution toward justice.

“The University has taken down the commencement video. But here is my talk, if you’d like to hear the whole of it. As you will see, it is a talk about the salience of student activism in this institution’s long history.

“Allow me to add, if I may:

“The idea that graduations should be apolitical is ridiculous. Michigan is not a finishing school for polite young men and women. Our students are not wilting flowers. They have just finished their degrees at the foremost public university in the country. They can handle controversy.

“They do not need sentimental, cloying nostalgia. They need encouragement to face a flawed and unjust world head on, using the tools we’ve given them: critical reasoning, careful research, sympathy for the oppressed.

“That is why I spoke as I did. If parents want sentimental graduation ceremonies, perhaps they should send their kids to a different institution. Here at UM we teach our students to face controversies, not run away from them. That’s what being the leaders and the best is about.”

The keynote speaker for spring commencement was former basketball star Jalen A. Rose of Detroit. Three students were also chosen to represent their class as speakers.

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 Lesley Marin

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    LOS ANGELES COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A security camera captured the intense encounter between a family’s pet cat and a wild coyote in a Los Angeles County neighborhood.

Owner Debbie Beltran said she was shocked when she later saw her neighbor’s footage.

“Holy cow, that’s our house, and that’s our cat,” she said. “That’s Mama. Oh my god!”

Beltran said the face-off happened last Friday on the street in the Pico Rivera neighborhood. In the security camera video, Mama and the coyote square off for several seconds, with the pet cat rushing the wild animal, which is twice her size. It continues until Mama rushes up a neighbor’s tree

“She was pretty high up. She was just hidden in there,” Beltran said. “She’s very smart because she knew where to go to get away with it.”

The Pico Rivera family, who owns several cats, adopted Mama five years ago. She came to them pregnant, which is how she got her name. They said that while the video shocked them, they weren’t completely surprised that their feline was so fearless.

“She does what she wants,” Beltran said. “She’ll come out, and if there are any cats around, she’ll rumble.”

Beltran’s family believes Mama is about 10 years old. They said she doesn’t like to be held and is a bit sassy. The family believes she may have been trying to protect her other cats when she encountered the coyote.

“I know she was protecting whatever felines are here at night or during the day,” Beltran said.

The Beltrans said coyotes are not new to their neighborhood. A year ago, one of their cats was killed by one. This time, Mama escaped practically unharmed.

“Her neck was literally wet, so I panicked,” Beltran said. “One of her paws had slight blood, but there was really no blood. I don’t know if it came from the coyote.”

The family is glad Mama is back home safe. They said their fearless feline will most likely become an indoor cat now. Beltran said Mama has been sleeping and eating a lot more since the encounter.

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 Lisa Valadez

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    Houston, TX (Houston Style Magazine) — Earlier today, a press conference was held on the steps of the U.S. District Courthouse for the Western District of Texas in Austin, where three Texas women announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging their continued bans from the Texas Capitol Complex.

The Austin Community Law Center said the lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Angel Carroll, Jessica Cohen, and Jill Van Voorhis, and targets the Texas State Preservation Board along with state leaders including Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, Dustin Barrows, and other board members. The legal action challenges year-long criminal trespass notices issued following a peaceful protest in August 2025, which the plaintiffs argue remain in place despite the Travis County Attorney declining to pursue charges.

According to the lawsuit, the bans function as an unconstitutional restriction on First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, amounting to what the plaintiffs describe as a prior restraint on future political speech and assembly.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Carroll said the case stems from what she characterized as retaliation following protest activity connected to redistricting debates. She said that after the August 2025 demonstration, she and others were arrested and held in county jail for several hours before being released, and that prosecutors ultimately rejected the charges due to insufficient evidence. Carroll added that the broader implications of the case extend beyond the individuals involved.

“This is so much bigger than one night. When a government can arrest peaceful advocates, ban them from public spaces without charge, and offer no path to appeal, they are not simply bending the rules, they are dismantling the very framework that protects every American, regardless of party and ideology. This is an attempt to set another dangerous precedent and the implications will reach far beyond the walls of the Texas Capitol. If we allow the rights guaranteed to us by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to be quietly eroded without consequence, we will have failed not only ourselves, but every generation that comes after us,” Carroll said.

Carroll said that despite the dismissal of charges, she and the other plaintiffs remain barred from entering the Capitol Complex, including surrounding grounds and facilities, with no formal appeal process available. She described the restriction as overly broad and said it effectively prevents access to public spaces beyond the Capitol building itself.

The plaintiffs also referenced State Representative Nicole Collier of Fort Worth, who previously resisted compliance measures tied to the protest response and remained inside the House chamber for several days in solidarity with demonstrators. State Senator Sarah Eckhardt was also present at the press conference in support of the legal effort, along with attorney Brian McGiverin of the Austin Community Law Center.

The nonprofit law center, which focuses on civil rights litigation and public interest advocacy, said the lawsuit seeks to challenge what it views as unlawful restrictions imposed without due process. Carroll said the group is pursuing legal action after concluding that other avenues of redress had been exhausted.

The case is expected to proceed in federal court in the coming months.

Read full complaint here:

Case 1:26-cv-01169

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.

Lisa Valadez
Lisa@stylemagazine.com
713-748-6300

By Ashley Loose

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    PRESCOTT, Arizona (KNXV) — The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office says a bobcat believed to have been involved in multiple attacks in the Prescott area was killed by a dog Monday morning.

On Sunday evening, deputies responded to an attack involving a bobcat in the Inscription Canyon area. A man suffered “significant injuries” and was taken to a hospital for treatment, but the bobcat was not located.

On Monday morning, deputies and animal control officers responded to another incident in which a bobcat reportedly attacked a woman. This attack was more than seven miles away from the first incident.

A third attack was reported a short time later by a person who was walking in an area nearby. The walker’s German Shepherd dog “heroically intervened, successfully fending off and killing the bobcat,” YCSO says.

Officials say the dog was injured during the attack and is receiving care from a veterinarian.

Another dog was reportedly attacked by a bobcat, marking the fourth known incident in this string of attacks. Officials are now looking for any other possible victims or pets that may have been attacked.

All three people who were attacked are getting treatment for cuts and bites, and it’s believed that the same bobcat was involved in all of the attacks due to the extreme rarity of these occurrences. However, officials are asking the public to remain cautious.

Anyone with information or additional incident reports, including pets, is asked to contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department. You should seek immediate veterinary care if your animal was attacked, YCSO says.

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.