Category: CNN Regional

By Tim Fang

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    MONTEREY, California (KPIX) — Two orphaned sea otters that were rescued off the Central California coast are making their debuts at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

On Tuesday the aquarium posted video of the otters, named Willow and Suri, as they entered the Sea Otter Exhibit.

“After many adventures together, today Suri and Willow return to us as both charming ambassadors for their species and stellar candidates for our Sea Otter Program,” the aquarium said on its Facebook page.

Suri, whose name is derived from the Big Sur coastline, was rescued from Asilomar State Beach in nearby Pacific Grove in Jan. 2022 when she was four weeks old. In a written statement, staff described Suri’s personality as “bold, independent, and explorative.”

Willow is named after the Willow Creek Picnic Area and Beach in Monterey, near where she was rescued in Mar. 2022 as a six-week-old. Her personality is described as “social, industrious, and resourceful.”

Both otters were admitted to the aquarium’s rehabilitation program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed Suri and Willow not suitable for release back into the wild and the pair were sent to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach as they awaited placement.

The pair were then sent to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago in Oct. 2022 to be ambassadors for southern sea otters and to learn cooperative care behaviors, the aquarium said. Suri and Willow were transferred back to the Aquarium of the Pacific in April of last year before returning to the Central Coast.

“We’re deeply grateful to our fintastic conservation partners at Aquarium of the Pacific and Shedd Aquarium for helping us bring this whiskered and resilient duo home,” the aquarium said.

Aquarium officials said Suri and Willow may serve as surrogate mothers for other orphaned sea otter pups.

The pair join three other otters: Ivy, Opal and Selka.

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 Conor Wight

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    EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota (WCCO) — In just the past few years, Ashleigh Whitton of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, had begun competing in triathlons. After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she’s been left paralyzed from the neck down.

Whitton was in West Palm Beach, Florida, to participate in the BillBone Olympic Triathlon. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputies, a 74-year-old driver moved across a lane that had been shut down to vehicular traffic for the race. The driver was trying to enter a park, creating an “unavoidable” crash. Whitton and a second cyclist hit the passenger side of the car. Whitton was airlifted to a hospital with severe injuries.

Her family is now at her side. Sophia Yoerks, Whitton’s daughter, got to West Palm Beach as quickly as she could once she heard the news. Yoerks said that her mom has always been an inspiration not just to her but to everyone who met her.

While Whitton has a full-time job, her hobby and true passion is physical fitness. She’s known as a “warrior” at the Life Time gym in Eden Prairie where she teaches a no-nonsense fitness class.

“Whenever I’m at school or going to the gym myself or meeting new people, I’m like, ‘Ok, what would mom do?'” Yoerks said.

In just the past few days, Yoerks said there have been positive signs. Whitton has been able to move her eyes and begin to breathe unassisted.

“I have never met anybody stronger than her,” Yoerks said. “She’s pushing through this.”

So far, the driver is not facing any charges. The sheriff’s office did not respond to WCCO’s specific questions about what happened.

Bill Bone, the organizer for the triathlon, also did not respond in time for publishing, though there is a statement on Bone’s website, which says, “On behalf of the cycling and multisport community, we are all in shock about the incident which occurred during the race. As a triathlete myself, this was not something I imagined could happen and my thoughts and heart are with the two athletes and their families as they fight to recover. The Sherrif’s office is conducting an investigation, so it is not appropriate for us to speculate what happened at this stage.”

Friends and family say they are focused on recovery. So far, an online fundraiser has raised more than $62,000. The goal to handle medical expenses is at least $90,000.

Christine Dahl, a close friend of Whitton’s and a fellow trainer at Life Time, said that she isn’t surprised by the outpouring of support and that she has seen Whitton change lives by spreading the love of movement.

“She’d look around at everyone and say, ‘Isn’t it exciting to move your body?'” Dahl said. “She is like the joy of movement human being. She’s incredible.”

Dahl said that Whitton’s goal was to run a full IRONMAN competition this summer. For now, everyone is just hoping to see more “baby steps” in the right direction.

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 Todd Feurer, Sabrina Franza, Lauren Victory

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — The City Council on Wednesday failed to override Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of an ordinance that would have stopped scheduled pay hikes for tipped workers in Chicago.

The proposal, approved by the City Council last month on a 30-18 vote, would freeze tipped wages at the current rate of $12.62 per hour. Alders would need 34 votes to override Johnson’s veto, but fell short with a 30-19 vote on Wednesday.

With the mayor’s veto upheld, tipped workers in Chicago will see their minimum wage increase on July 1, 2026, to 84% of the full minimum wage, which currently stands at $16.60 per hour. The city’s minimum wage increases every year on July 1 by 2.5% or matching the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, so it’s not yet clear how much those wages will increase in July.

In 2023, the City Council approved the “One Fair Wage Ordinance” to gradually increase the wage for tipped workers to the full minimum wage by July 1, 2028. It was one of Johnson’s first signature wins for his progressive agenda.

“Making sure that people can afford their rent and pay their bills and put food in their refrigerator is not a politically correct thing to do, it’s a human thing to do, it’s a just thing to do, it’s the right thing to do,” said Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th), the chief sponsor of the One Fair Wage ordinance.

Before the ordinance passed, businesses were allowed to pay tipped workers 60% of the standard minimum wage. If tipped workers’ wages and tips do not add up to the full minimum wage, employers must make up the difference.

Restaurant owners said the mandated raises actually wound up hurting employees — with hours reduced, jobs cut, and customer prices raised to keep up with the required payments.

But Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed the freeze, calling it “tone deaf and shortsighted.”

Despite the City Council’s failure to override Johnson’s veto, both sides vowed to continue efforts to find ways to support small restaurants struggling to stay open with higher wages for tipped workers.

“They’re reducing hours, and they’re reducing staff, and that’s not what we want. That’s counterproductive. We want restaurants flourishing. We want people working,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), who was among the alders voting to override the mayor’s veto.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) said the mandated pay increases for tipped workers are harming the city’s restaurant industry.

“This is not a myth. This is not something that they just made up. We have data that shows it’s harming Chicago, and so that’s why we have to stand up today and do what’s right instead of doing what’s politically we think is correct,” he said.

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), who supported the One Fair Wage Ordinance when it passed in 2023, but supported overriding the mayor’s veto of freezing pay hikes for tipped workers, criticized her colleagues for not finding a compromise to help support smaller restaurants while still phasing out lower wages for tipped workers.

“What is so disheartening about all of this is you’re sitting in a City Council full of organizers, and what we should have done was have both sides come together a long time ago and have the conversation, because now we’re in this who is right and who is wrong? And neither one.” she said. “I want tipped workers to get paid, I want them to make a living wage, but I also don’t want to see the Soulés and the Virtues and those small businesses close either, and so where is the compromise?”

Johnson, however, said there was a compromise on the One Fair Wage Ordinance before it passed, noting he and his allies originally planned to phase out the lower wage for tipped workers over three years, but agreed to a five-year phase out at the request of the Illinois Restaurant Association.

“We didn’t shove this raise down, you know, to shove them through, right? It’s why there’s a five-year gradual increase, and that did demonstrate compromise. These individuals were at the table,” Johnson said.

However, even with the five-year phase out of lower wages for tipped workers, the Illinois Restaurant Association has opposed the One Fair Wage Ordinance from the beginning.

Fuentes said talks are planned next week between leaders in the restaurant industry and backers of the tipped wage hike.

“There’s a lot that can be done here. It’s going to take different levels of government. I’m committed to making sure that we support workers and that we support industry,” she said.

Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia said he’ll be at the meeting.

“Let’s just talk about it. Let’s communicate. Right now, I’m worried about our small independent restaurants, and making sure we don’t see more empty storefronts throughout our great city,” he said.

Chicago City Council approves first taxi fare hike since 2016 Meantime, the City Council approved the city’s first taxi cab fare hike in a decade. Some drivers told CBS News Chicago they are appreciative, but others say it is too little, too late.

Cab drivers have seen the value of their taxi medallions — the required city licenses — plummet. Cab driver Mohamed Ali bought his medallion for $25,000 several years ago, but it’s now worth only $6,000. City records show, before Uber and Lyft began operating in Chicago in 2012 and 2013, respectively, medallions often sold for as much as $350,000 or more.

Lyft and Uber have far fewer regulations than taxis in Chicago. Ride-hailing services can charge higher fares and have normalized surge pricing during peak demand periods, all while cabbies can only charge what the city allows.

As for the fare bump, it would mean about 20% more for a ride, with a $2.50 rush hour fee between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. There would also be a $1 overnight fee from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Alders also were set to vote on a proposal to ban extremism from within the ranks of the Chicago Police Department, but that vote was delayed until next month.

More than a few officers have been investigated in the past for ties to the Proud Boys and other anti-government groups.

The proposal would block all members of the Chicago Police Department from “advocating, engaging in or supporting the overthrow of any federal, state, or local government of the United States.”

Alders approve settlement with man who spent 19 years in prison for wrongful conviction The council also approved a $9.5 million settlement with a man who spent 19 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of murder.

Carl Reed was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2005 for the killing of 66-year-old Kim Van Vo, who had been stabbed 11 times in his apartment at an assisted living facility.

Reed suffers from severe cognitive difficulties and learning disabilities, and according to his lawsuit, police obtained his confession after “shackling him to a wall on a bare, metal bench for 55 hours—denying him diabetes medication, physically beating him, and psychologically torturing him until he signed a prewritten confession that he could not even read.”

The lawsuit claims the lead detective, Richard Zuley, has “a truly disturbing track record of procuring false confessions.”

It also noted that no physical evidence tied Reed to Van Vo’s murder, stating Reed had no blood on his clothes and no injuries on his hands, even though Van Vo was stabbed to death with a five-inch blade with no handle.

After his conviction, forensic testing of evidence at the crime scene – including the knife blade, a towel covering Van Vo’s face, and hairs in Van Vo’s hands – could not be linked to Reed.

In April 2020, Gov. JB Pritzker commuted Reed’s sentence, and three years later, Cook County prosecutors agreed to drop all charges against him.

In other business on Wednesday, the council also tapped Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) to serve as chair of the Zoning Committee, which has been without a permanent chair since former Ald. Walter Burnett resigned from the council last summer. Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th), the Zoning Committee’s vice chair, has been serving as interim chair since Burnett’s departure, and had sought the permanent seat, but the council went with Villegas instead.

Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) was installed as chair of the Economic Development Committee, replacing Villegas.

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By J.D. Miles

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    ARLINGTON, Texas (KTVT) — On a day Major League Baseball celebrates inclusiveness, several North Texas civil rights groups gathered outside Globe Life Field to again urge the Texas Rangers to remove a controversial statue displayed inside the ballpark.

The push comes on Jackie Robinson Day, when MLB honors the legacy of its first Black player. The Rangers are on the road in Oakland, but activists said the timing was intentional.

The 12‑foot statue – depicting a Texas Ranger law enforcement officer – was relocated earlier this year from Dallas Love Field, where it stood for six decades. Critics say the figure represents a painful history of segregation and racial injustice.

Concerns over historical ties Yolonda Trigg with the South Dalworth Historical Society said the issue isn’t about erasing history but about what the team chooses to elevate.

“While history should always be preserved, the symbols we choose to display in prominent public places must reflect the values that bring people together,” Trigg said.

Activists argue the statue’s inspiration was Ranger Jay Banks, who enforced segregation in Texas public schools and appeared in a widely circulated photograph standing in front of a Black man hanging in effigy.

Activists cite offensive symbolism Imam Khalid Shaheed of the Dallas Muslim Peace Society called the statue “a symbol of hate and backwardness.”

“This man tried to forbid the rights of Black students here in North Texas,” Shaheed said. “That’s offensive.”

The groups are asking the Rangers to replace the statue with one honoring Jackie Robinson. Team ownership has not publicly addressed the renewed criticism.

What’s next CBS News Texas did not receive a response from the Rangers regarding Wednesday’s statements. Activists say if the team remains silent, they will consider additional actions.

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By John Shumway

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    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — As Pittsburgh prepares to host hundreds of thousands of people next week, a security expert has weighed in on how difficult it might be to secure a large event like the upcoming NFL draft.

Plans have been designed to keep the NFL draft safe from the unexpected, which is a tall order with no room for error.

When the NFL draft comes to Pittsburgh next week, it’s expected to be the largest event in the city’s history. Officials have estimated 500,000 to 700,000 people will come to Pittsburgh for the draft.

With hundreds of thousands of people coming to Pittsburgh, it keeps security planners hyper vigilant.

“Why you have to worry is you have to worry about a mass casualty event,” said Dennis Lejeck with Vitalis Security. “With the event being outside, it makes it even more challenging to secure.”

Lejeck said that because there are more points of vulnerability, there will be the need to create points of entry using fencing, using bollards, and securing roadways.

“You have to secure the rivers and you have to secure the air,” Lejeck said.

On top of physical security, with the crowd that’s expected for the draft, Lejeck said it means you need more people, as well.

“1,000 human beings, and that’s just the private sector, local law enforcement, the state, the county, the federal agency, the NFL security team, that doesn’t include first responders,” Lejeck said.

Lejeck said that adding a security presence has to be done in a user-cooperative way.

“People want security, but they also don’t want security to be an inconvenience,” Lejeck said.

While there will be a lot of technology in play during the draft along with things you will never see, Lejeck said to expect to see a sizable uniformed presence.

“I feel like you should be reassured by that,” Lejeck said.

While an event of this size might be new territory for Pittsburgh, Lejeck said that the NFL and the federal agencies have their models and know how to secure the NFL draft.

Pittsburgh’s topography can add to the challenge for security teams as the three rivers and the highways intersect the draft footprint, along with having no real way to know how many fans will show up for the event.

Cooperation and patience will be important as the events get underway and as the crowds begin arriving in the city.

The NFL’s clear bag policy will be in effect and security checkpoints will be similar to ones travelers go through at the airport.

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding rules and security for the draft can found inside the NFL’s OnePass app.

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By Tom Dougherty, Joe Holden

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Major League Baseball umpire was among two victims allegedly robbed and assaulted in separate incidents last week in Center City, police sources tell CBS News Philadelphia.

Multiple law enforcement sources identified the umpire as Brock Ballou, who has umped in MLB since 2022.

The two alleged robberies and assaults happened on Thursday, April 9, within 30 minutes of each other, the Philadelphia Police Department said. Police released surveillance video of the suspect, who they said appears to be in his teens.

Police said the first incident happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. at the 7-Eleven in the 1200 block of Chestnut Street. They said the suspect entered the convenience store and allegedly stole several items. An employee then confronted the suspect and was punched multiple times before the suspect fled the store, police said.

About 30 minutes later, police said the same suspect approached Ballou from behind in the 1600 block of Walnut Street, stole Ballou’s phone while the umpire was looking at directions and then ran off.

“The suspect approached the male and snatched his cellphone out of his hands,” Capt. Jason Smith told CBS News Philadelphia. “The victim went chasing after the male, at which time they got involved in a physical altercation at 16th and Walnut.”

Investigators said when Ballou tried to take his phone back, the suspect punched him several times in the head. Surveillance video shown to CBS News Philadelphia shows the suspect repeatedly punching Ballou.

“They ended up on the ground, at which time the victim struck his head, causing injury,” Smith said. “The male continued his assault, violently punching him.”

The suspect then ran away without the phone, which was later returned to Ballou by someone on the street, police said. Ballou’s injuries were not serious, police said.

Ballou was in town to work the Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks series last weekend. He was umpiring first base the following night and was behind home plate two days later.

MLB declined to comment when contacted by CBS News Philadelphia.

Police are asking anyone with information about the alleged crimes to contact the department’s central detective division at 215-686-3093/3094.

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