Category: CNN Regional

By Randall Newsome

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A new biography about Tupac Shakur is offering a deeper, more personal look at the life of one of hip-hop’s most influential — and most misunderstood — icons. The book uncovers stories that may surprise even the most devoted fans, including some rooted right here in Baltimore.

But what may surprise readers even more is the man behind the book.

Jeff Pearlman is best known as a sports writer, covering everyone from Walter Payton to the 1990s Dallas Cowboys. So when he set out to write about Tupac Shakur, even he knew people might question it.

“I’m an untraditional Tupac author,” Pearlman told WMAR-2 News. “Obviously, I’m a sports writer, I’m a white guy, I’m from rural New York. There are going to be a lot of questions — ‘Why are you writing this book?’ I understand that 100%.”Pearlman decided to let his work speak for itself. Over the course of several years, he interviewed 652 people — an extraordinary effort that became Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur.

“You tell the journey,” he said. “Tell you what kind of soda he liked, who he dated, what his love letters sounded like, what went behind the songs.”

For Pearlman, one of the most fascinating chapters in Tupac’s life began right here in Charm City.

“Baltimore is my favorite part of his life,” Pearlman said. “He moves from New York to Baltimore, and it’s such a transformative time for him.”As a teenager, Tupac attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, and music. His classmates included future NBA star Sam Cassell — and a girl that would become the object of his affection in his younger years, Mary Baldridge, a ballet dancer.

After going down a rabbit hole during his time doing research in Baltimore, Pearlman tracked down Mary, now living in Nebraska. What she shared with him became one of the book’s most emotional discoveries.

“Mary told me her mom had found about 150 letters that Tupac wrote her under the bed,” Pearlman recalled. “She said, ‘If you come to Nebraska, I’ll share them with you.’ I said, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow.’”Through those letters, Pearlman found Tupac the poet, Tupac the romantic, and Tupac the dreamer — long before the fame.

The book also reveals heartfelt new moments from Tupac’s life — including a reunion between the real mother and son who inspired his 1991 hit, “Brenda’s Got a Baby.”

And while much of the world knows the story of Tupac’s tragic death at 25, Pearlman uncovered something few have ever heard about:

“On an abandoned lot in Lumberton, North Carolina — a town that time has forgotten — a portion of his ashes were buried,” Pearlman said. The location, he added, is known to only about a dozen people.

For Pearlman, this book is about more than fame or tragedy. It’s about showing the full human being behind the headlines.

“He wasn’t just ‘Thug Life’ or a slogan on a T-shirt,” he said. “He was a real human being who had to overcome so much. Even though he died at 25, I consider him a resounding success story.”

Originally, Pearlman had a different title in mind for the book. But his daughter suggested one that stuck — a phrase pulled straight from Tupac’s own words.

Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, was released October 21, 2025.

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By Annie Brown

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLEX) — A Louisville mother and daughter say they’re still shaken after witnessing a deadly plane crash Tuesday night that left them dangerously close to the scene of impact.

Debbie Graham and her daughter, both teachers, were driving home from work on Crittenden Drive when they suddenly found themselves at the crash site of a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F UPS plane at Muhammad Ali International Airport.

“Just suddenly in front of us was a gigantic fireball. Followed almost immediately by another fireball. We pulled over immediately and called 911,” Graham said.

The experience remains difficult for Graham to discuss.

“While we were at the site, there was a secondary, smaller explosion which shot more debris into the air and we ended up having to run from that,” Graham said.

Video captured by Graham shows the massive smoke cloud just moments after the plane’s fiery crash on the airport runway.

“You could see where buildings had been hit, trees had been hit, and where it had made the initial impact. Everything was on fire and black smoke was just rolling out of everything,” Graham said.

The mother and daughter were trapped near the scene for about 10 minutes before officers escorted them to a safer distance.

“Within five minutes of us being there the emergency services just came in what seemed like hundreds,” Graham said.

While both women are shaken by the experience, they say they’re thankful to be alive and grateful for the first responders who arrived on scene. Their thoughts remain with the families of the victims.

“Just thinking that…that people lost their lives in that. It’s overwhelming,” Graham said.

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By Derek Heid

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    LOCKPORT, New York (WKBW) — For 106 years, the final resting place for Pvt. Thomas Ryan was an unmarked grave in Lockport until his great-grandson stepped in this year to give this Civil War veteran a proper burial.

James Joustra Jr. has learned more and more about his great-grandfather over the past few years. Specifically, his upbringing in Lockport, after moving there from Ireland at age 7, and his Army service for the Union in the Civil War for the 116th New York volunteer infantry regiment.

“I read about this regiment, it was amazing what they did,” Joustra said. “It fought in about 12 major battles. I don’t know how you live through that.”

Ryan served through the end of the war, spending the rest of his life in Lockport, where he died in 1919 and was buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

With the cemetery’s help, a group cleaned up Ryan’s plot, but when they unburied the headstones, they only found markers for Ryan’s two wives.

His name was engraved on both stones as their husband, but for 106 years, he’s had no headstone to call his own.

“You’ve got a veteran without a marked grave, and that really motivated me to get involved with it,” Joustra said.

Joustra, an Army veteran himself, got to work, reaching out to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, which, this summer, funded a headstone to place atop Pvt. Ryan’s grave.

“It really warms one’s heart because I feel closer to him. I know more about it. I never knew what he looked like. I still don’t. I don’t have a photograph of him, but I know a lot about him,” he said. “Knowing what he lived through, I felt it was the right thing to do.”

It took a century to get him a headstone of his own, but there’s more honor for Pvt. Ryan on the way.

Saturday, November 8, will be ‘Private Thomas J. Ryan Day’ in Lockport, as the city honors him with a public ceremony.

The ceremony is at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Lockport at 10 a.m. All are encouraged to attend.

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By Taylor Anthony

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    BUFFALO, New York (WKBW) — One Western New Yorker is turning his passion for fitness into a mission to feed families this Thanksgiving.

Marty Kretz, owner of MBody Health and Fitness, is organizing the “Pavement to Plates” fundraiser, a one-day challenge to walk 100,000 steps, nearly 50 miles, on November 23. His goal is to raise funds and awareness for FeedMore Western New York, which provides meals and nutritional support to families across Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties.

“I got into what I do training-wise because I enjoy helping people,” Kretz said. “So this is just another way for me to do that…to get some attention for FeedMore Western New York and help them out.”

Kretz has already raised more than $500 and hopes to grow that total before the big day. He’s inviting others to get involved by donating, sharing information, or joining him for part of the walk. Sponsors and participants will receive recognition, and there are incentives for donations, including T-shirts.

Collin Bishop, FeedMore WNY, Chief Communication Officer, says Marty’s effort comes at a crucial time.

“Right now we’re seeing an increase in the number of people who need nutritional assistance across our four-county service area,” said Bishop. “The smallest thing makes a huge difference; it doesn’t have to be a big donation. Everybody in our community has the ability to do something like this and make a huge difference.”

Kretz hopes his steps will inspire others to take action, proving that even the smallest gestures can lead to a big impact.

If you’d like to donate, sponsor or participate in the “Pavement to Plates” walk, visit the website freefunder.com/campaign/pavement-to-plates.

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By Robert Boyd

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    PALM HARBOR, Florida (WFTS) — When Bob Evans stops you on the golf course, first he’s going to ask how you’re hitting them, and then he’ll ask if you’ve been checked for prostate cancer.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t aware that one out of eight men will get prostate cancer, same as one out of eight women will get breast cancer,” said Evans.

Bob knows these stats all too well, he was diagnosed in 2009. He says if not for early detection, he doesn’t think he’d be alive today.

“It’s pretty devastating, and I had a choice, I could either crawl in a corner and say, ‘woe is me,’ or I could get after it, and I chose to get after it,” said Evans.

During his battle with cancer, Bob became familiar with Movember, one of the world’s leading non-profit organizations when it comes to men’s health.

“They focus on prostate cancer, men’s mental health, which kind of go hand in hand when you get that diagnosis you have cancer,” said Evans.

Since his diagnosis, Bob has raised more than $130,000 for the charity.

“Sometimes I think I’ve been put on this earth to get prostate cancer so I can raise awareness,” said Evans.

He uses his position at Lansbrook Golf Club to spread the word about early detection.

“It’s not something that men regularly talk about, but I open that door and make it free for men to share,” said Evans. “Being able to kind of joke back and forth but then also mix in some of the serious topics about cancer and men’s mental health.”

November has become Movember’s most prominent month, from fundraisers to mustaches, or as Bob calls them, ‘Moes.’

“People would go, ‘hey what’s with the Moe,’ and I would say, ‘I’m glad you asked I’m raising awareness for our men’s health,’ so it’s a conversation starter,” said Evans.

On Friday, Nov. 7, Bob is holding his biggest fundraiser of the year, The Big Swing for Men’s Health, at Lansbrook Golf Club starting at 8 a.m.

“Come on and sign up and let’s have some fun and raise awareness, it all goes for a great cause, I’m living proof that Movember and their efforts have paid off,” said Evans.

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By Loureen Ayyoub

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    REDWOOD CITY, California (KPIX) — Some gyms offer more than just fitness. They can also provide a way forward, and for professional fighter Victor Pasillas, Undisputed Boxing Gym has done exactly that.

Pasillas said the gym, based in Redwood City, changed his life so profoundly that he left his old life in East Los Angeles behind to start anew with his coach, Brian Schwartz.

“This is the gym that brought me from Los Angeles to the Bay Area.”

Moving from Southern California to the Bay Area shifted the entire trajectory of his life. Growing up surrounded by gang violence, Pasillas said the Bay Area taught him how to thrive despite hardship.

“It’s been very, very hard times, you know. Moments where we had to live in very uncomfortable circumstances, eating oatmeal at night,” he said. “And the Bay Area is what taught me to truly be a provider. And not worry about having one source of income, but six, seven incomes. It just taught me to be an entrepreneur. That’s something I can say the Bay Area has taught me.”

But the transformation didn’t come without a fight. Pasillas faced heavy trauma as a child, including the incarceration of his mother. It’s why boxing became so much more than a sport.

“Boxing has adopted me. It has made me its child. It has loved me, and I loved it back. It saved my life, point blank,” Pasillas said. “Sometimes, as a kid, things are given to you that you don’t want. You want a set of parents, you want something that’s yours. And as a kid, I never had that. So boxing — I knew it was mine. It was my sport. I belonged there.”

Undisputed Boxing Gym, founded by kickboxing veteran Brian Schwartz, has become a place of empowerment for athletes and beginners alike.

“Especially as fighters, sometimes we don’t talk about the emotional components and the psychological components that go into fighting,” Schwartz said. “When you talk about being tough, being strong, and having that killer instinct — there are things that go on in your head, those natural thoughts that people have, that just aren’t really acceptable for fighters to talk about. But to be able to talk about that kind of stuff and pass that on, along with all the moves, is such a great gift. I feel like he’s learned so much through that whole process because of that.”

Now preparing for his next match, Pasillas said he hopes to inspire unity and growth within the Bay Area boxing community.

“We got to put our fighters together so we can learn from each other,” he said. “I feel like the only way to get better and succeed in your world is by competing and being competitive.”

For Pasillas, that healthy competition has done more than sharpen his skills, it has helped him grow and rewrite his story on his own terms.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

KPIX

By Loureen Ayyoub

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    REDWOOD CITY, California (KPIX) — Some gyms offer more than just fitness. They can also provide a way forward, and for professional fighter Victor Pasillas, Undisputed Boxing Gym has done exactly that.

Pasillas said the gym, based in Redwood City, changed his life so profoundly that he left his old life in East Los Angeles behind to start anew with his coach, Brian Schwartz.

“This is the gym that brought me from Los Angeles to the Bay Area.”

Moving from Southern California to the Bay Area shifted the entire trajectory of his life. Growing up surrounded by gang violence, Pasillas said the Bay Area taught him how to thrive despite hardship.

“It’s been very, very hard times, you know. Moments where we had to live in very uncomfortable circumstances, eating oatmeal at night,” he said. “And the Bay Area is what taught me to truly be a provider. And not worry about having one source of income, but six, seven incomes. It just taught me to be an entrepreneur. That’s something I can say the Bay Area has taught me.”

But the transformation didn’t come without a fight. Pasillas faced heavy trauma as a child, including the incarceration of his mother. It’s why boxing became so much more than a sport.

“Boxing has adopted me. It has made me its child. It has loved me, and I loved it back. It saved my life, point blank,” Pasillas said. “Sometimes, as a kid, things are given to you that you don’t want. You want a set of parents, you want something that’s yours. And as a kid, I never had that. So boxing — I knew it was mine. It was my sport. I belonged there.”

Undisputed Boxing Gym, founded by kickboxing veteran Brian Schwartz, has become a place of empowerment for athletes and beginners alike.

“Especially as fighters, sometimes we don’t talk about the emotional components and the psychological components that go into fighting,” Schwartz said. “When you talk about being tough, being strong, and having that killer instinct — there are things that go on in your head, those natural thoughts that people have, that just aren’t really acceptable for fighters to talk about. But to be able to talk about that kind of stuff and pass that on, along with all the moves, is such a great gift. I feel like he’s learned so much through that whole process because of that.”

Now preparing for his next match, Pasillas said he hopes to inspire unity and growth within the Bay Area boxing community.

“We got to put our fighters together so we can learn from each other,” he said. “I feel like the only way to get better and succeed in your world is by competing and being competitive.”

For Pasillas, that healthy competition has done more than sharpen his skills, it has helped him grow and rewrite his story on his own terms.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Zoe Hunt

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    SALINAS, Calif. (KSBW) — The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has a new honorary community ambassador, a miniature horse named Cookie.

Cookie lived at a kill pen in Texas, where she suffered severe neglect. However, just when she was about to be sent to Mexico for slaughter, Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputy Rebecca Gordano stepped in to rescue her.

“When I first got her, she came to my house. She looked almost like she had mange; she was missing fur in multiple spots, she was thin, you could see her ribs… very withdrawn. She never really trotted around the yard,” said Deputy Gordano.

However, after a year and a half of healing, Cookie’s loving personality started to shine through. She began to bond with Deputy Gordano’s other animals, including her rescued blind donkey.

“If they are separated… they both let out a neigh,” said Deputy Gordano.

Deputy Gordano is known for her animal rescue efforts. She has 35 animals living on her family’s farm. Her colleagues describe her as someone who never fails to stop for an animal in need.

“To see Cookie today and how confident she is compared to a year and a half ago, it’s just an amazing story of resiliency,” said Sheriff Tina Nieto.

On Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office swore Cookie in as their Honorary Community Ambassador. She got to shake “hands” with Sheriff Nieto and even got her own badge.

Cookie’s care is all funded by the Gordano Family, who will continue to look after her.

Sheriff Nieto said she hopes Cookie will serve as a bridge between the public and law enforcement.

“Cookie’s now going to be that ambassador to say that second chances matter… She’ll be the bridge to building trust,” said Sheriff Nieto. “You may be afraid to approach a deputy, because we look intimidating at times, but a miniature horse… You saw Cookie, you see the love in her eyes. Who doesn’t want to come up and just pet Cookie?”

Cookie’s first day on the job will be Thursday, when she will attend the Salinas Farm Day event at the Salinas Sports Complex.

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By Alyse Jones

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — The life of a convicted murderer now rests in the hands of Oklahoma’s governor.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 Wednesday to recommend clemency for Tremane Wood, convicted of murder, ahead of his scheduled Nov. 13 execution. The board’s decision was based on claims that Tremane’s attorney more than 20 years ago failed to adequately represent him.

Tremane’s family made an emotional plea to the governor.

“We’re more than thankful for the clemency board doing this. They didn’t have to grant my uncle clemency, but they saw what Oklahoma has done is wrong to my uncle and how they treat him. The injustice in his trials, they finally saw everything, and I’m glad they granted him clemency because he deserves it. He really does,” Brooklyn Wood, Tremane’s niece, said.

Tremane Wood was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf.

“My uncle is not a monster. He’s not,” Andreyana Wood, Tremane’s niece, said.

The board’s recommendation marks the first step in potentially sparing his life, with the final decision resting with Stitt.

“Gov. Stitt, if you hear this, as one last act of human compassion while you are in office, please, please save my son’s life. His life is in your hands now,” Linda Wood, Tremane’s mother, said.

Since Gov. Stitt took office, the Pardon and Parole Board has recommended clemency in four cases, but he has granted clemency only once, in 2021 for Julius Jones.

During his tenure, 16 people have been executed.

The board said death penalty cases require a high bar.

“You’re asking and the state of Oklahoma is asking the board to approve an execution of a man who’s been convicted of murder. Not every inmate convicted of murder gets the death penalty, so I think this is a little different case than normal,” a board member said.

Tremane’s family is now begging Stitt to side with the board and the bar they set.

“In a perfect world, we would love for him to come home. He has done enough time for his role in this, but as long as his life is spared, we can deal with whatever else happens. Commuted to life without, we can deal with that. He’s still alive and breathing on this earth,” Linda said.

Stitt’s office released a statement Wednesday afternoon on the clemency hearing.

“Governor Stitt will follow the same process he does following every clemency recommendation. He will meet with the defendant’s attorneys, the attorney general’s office, and the victim’s family to ensure he has all the information needed to make a decision. He does not take the process lightly,” officials withing Stitt’s office wrote.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond voiced his disappointment in the board’s decision and plans to urge Stitt to uphold the jury’s original sentence.

Tremane’s attorney released a statement to KOCO 5 after the clemency recommendation. Read the full statement below:

“We are grateful to the Board for carefully considering all of the evidence showing that Tremane’s death sentence is excessive and is the direct result of a trial lawyer who abandoned him and who failed to give the jury all the information it needed to reach a fair and reliable decision over his punishment. The Board’s clemency recommendation today restores public faith that, when confronted with manifest miscarriages of justice, criminal justice system actors can, and will, intercede to correct course and prevent those from occurring. Given the facts that Tremane is facing execution for a felony murder conviction where he did not kill anyone, where the confessed killer received a life sentence and is now deceased, and where the victims have also publicly called for mercy for Tremane, we hope Governor Stitt will accept the Board’s recommendation and agree that clemency is warranted in this case,” said Amanda Bass Castro-Alves, an attorney for Tremane.

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By John Grinvalds

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    LINCOLN, Neb. (KETV) — Nebraska’s top lawyer put a Swiss billionaire in his sights on Wednesday, announcing a lawsuit to shut down what he called “an unprecedented assault of foreign money” influencing state politics.

“What we have found is really a scandal hiding in plain sight,” Hilgers said. “We have a billionaire from Switzerland by the name of Hansjörg Wyss, who has spent a half $1 billion in United States that have flowed into elections around the country and a massive amount, relatively speaking, a massive amount of those dollars have flowed into Nebraska.”

Hilgers unveiled a flowchart, showcasing what he says is a trail of dark money from Wyss, who is worth up to $12 billion, through foundations and onto advocacy groups and ballot initiative campaigns.

“We do not want foreign funding of state ballot initiatives in the state of Nebraska,” Hilgers said.

The ballot questions Hilgers said were boosted by that money include Lincoln for Fair Housing, Support Our Schools, Protect our Rights, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana and Nebraskans for Paid Sick Leave — all issues Hilgers identified as left-wing.

Reporters asked if Hilgers applied that same scrutiny to right-wing causes.

“I’ve noted this is a far-left radical, we believe,” Hilgers said. “Have I seen anything on the right? We see no evidence that. Be very clear. The statute has no ideological carve out.”

Hilgers filed the suit in Madison County Court on Wednesday. He said he chose that venue because of his policy to spread cases across the state.

Hilgers said his office hadn’t “forensically” traced money directly from Wyss to specific ballot campaigns in the state, but he said in Nebraska, indirect donations from foreign nationals are unlawful.

Nebraska Appleseed and Civic Nebraska were named in the lawsuit as part of the flow of money, but Hilgers said he’s not targeting them and that they’re not defendants. Most of the initiative campaigns and nonprofits named in the lawsuit did not provide comment on Wednesday.

But Sixteen Thirty Fund called the lawsuit “baseless” and “politically motivated.”

“Sixteen Thirty Fund fully complies with all laws and regulations governing social welfare organizations in Nebraska, and we’re proud to have supported local organizers who fought to secure paid leave, fair housing, and reproductive freedom for Nebraskans,” a spokesperson said.

The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund released a joint statement.

“These allegations are false. We are confident the facts will demonstrate that the Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have always complied with the law.”

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