Category: CNN Regional

By Abby Dodge, Ana Maria Soler

Click here for updates on this story

    MIAMI (WFOR) — Family and friends gathered at a Coconut Creek park to hold a vigil for 4-year-old Christine, who died in a rollover crash in Deerfield Beach Saturday night. Two of her young cousins remain in medically induced comas.

The crash happened on West Hillsboro Boulevard when a driver attempting a U-turn was struck by a motorcyclist, flipping the car, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The motorcyclist, 18 years old, also died. Four family members who were inside the car remain hospitalized.

Christine’s brother, Jake Varela, spoke at the vigil, describing his sister as someone who made it her mission to bring joy to others.

“Every day she woke up and was always like I want to make somebody else smile today. I want to wake up and make somebody laugh, have joy,” Varela said.

Christine’s cousins, ages 7 and 8, are in medically induced comas at Broward Health Medical Center. Their family has been at the hospital since Saturday night.

“They are pushing through, and we are trying to bring as much love and support to them,” Varela said.

911 calls were released on the day of the vigil In 911 calls released on the day of the vigil, bystanders described the scene in the moments after the crash.

“I think somebody is dead here; somebody is dead,” one caller said.

Varela said his father, who was also in the car, managed to get out and pull other family members from the overturned vehicle.

“He pulled everybody out of that car. He did everything he could. My dad was really a hero out of all of this,” Varela said.

The family is raising money to cover Christine’s funeral costs and mounting medical bills. Varela said his father has been released from the hospital, but his mother remains hospitalized with broken bones.

Varela said he wants the community to hold onto his sister’s spirit rather than grieve her absence.

“I don’t want anyone to be upset that she’s gone. I want everyone to know and be happy that she was here and she was able to live life,” he said.

The two cousins in medically induced comas continue to receive treatment at Broward Health Medical Center.

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 Kristina Rex

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Some fans with Ed Sheeran tickets to his concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, are struggling to resell them amid controversy.

“I’m not interested in ever going back to Gillette,” said Michelle Smith of New Hampshire, who purchased tickets with her girlfriends specifically to see Macklemore open for Ed Sheeran.

Macklemore was canceled from the tour by the promoter, according to a statement from Sheeran, following a speech Macklemore gave on the tour in which he preached “Free Palestine” among other political opinions.

“Art has always been political and some of our most memorable artists have stood up for what they believed in, so I think it’s really important in America that people have the freedom to stand up for what they believe in,” Smith said. She is trying to resell her tickets, abandoning her own attendance in support of Macklemore and the Palestinian people. “Macklemore has, for as long as I’ve been listening to him, has been standing up for different groups of marginalized people,” she said.

John Higgins, the owner of Higs Tickets, says his company sold all its tickets to the show early on and won’t be investing in more. “We had them in advance, we were anticipating the show to be very good,” Higgins said. “Luckily we sold them in advance because right now ticket sales have fallen way off.”

He said ticket sales have come down to a point where they aren’t touching it anymore.

“I don’t have any faith in the show,” he explained. “I hope it does happen, but I’m not jumping into it now.”

Sheeran’s opening acts all backed out of the tour once Macklemore was let go. Macklemore claimed in a statement that Patriots owner Robert Kraft pressured other stadium owners to put pressure on the tour to cancel Macklemore’s participation, calling his remarks and history “antisemitic.”

On Wednesday, Macklemore announced he would donate his $1 million in profits from the tour to charities that help Palestinian people, and he challenged Kraft to match his donation.

In a statement, Kraft said:

“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting. Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis. Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges. In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”

Sheeran is set to play Gillette Stadium on September 25 and 26. Tickets are still widely available and became even more available once the supporting acts backed out. Some tickets in the front section of the stadium were listed as low as $190 on Wednesday.

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 Tom LoBianco | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: The Federal Reserve’s quarter-point rate increase drove markets Wednesday, with stocks falling after the central bank signaled additional rate increases could come this year. For consumers, higher interest rates can make it more expensive to carry a credit-card balance or borrow money, while people with savings may earn more interest.

The Dow fell 1.2%, the S&P 500 declined 0.4% and the Nasdaq was little changed. Treasury yields rose following the decision, with the 10-year yield reaching about 5%. Oil prices fell, with Brent crude settling at $105.83 a barrel as Saudi Arabia offered additional crude supplies through Oman.

Congress approved legislation Wednesday that would give President Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China. The bill now goes to Trump for his signature; the tariffs would not take effect automatically.

Today’s Focus: U.S. stock futures pointed higher Thursday morning after Wednesday’s post-Fed decline. Investors are now weighing the prospect of additional rate increases after Fed projections showed most officials expect at least one more hike this year.

Weekly jobless claims and August housing starts and building permits are due at 8:30 a.m. ET. Pending home sales follow at 10 a.m. ET.

The Bank of Japan is scheduled to announce its interest-rate decision Friday.

ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

-8:30 a.m. ET – Weekly jobless claims, August housing starts and building permits

-10 a.m. ET – August pending home sales

-1 p.m. ET – Treasury 10-year TIPS auction

-Friday, 9:30 a.m. ET – Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman speaks

-Friday, 10 a.m. ET – Conference Board Leading Economic Index

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 Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    September 16, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — Long before Harris County voters walk into a Vote Center and make their selections this fall, election workers are putting the machinery of democracy through a dress rehearsal of its own.

The Harris County Clerk’s Office began Logic and Accuracy testing on Tuesday, September 15, ahead of the November 3, 2026 General and Special Elections. The testing is designed to verify that electronic voting equipment properly displays ballots, records voter selections and accurately tabulates predetermined test results. Texas law requires logic and accuracy testing before electronic voting systems are used in an election.

The scale is unmistakably Harris County-sized. Local reporting from the Election Headquarters on September 16 said officials expect to test more than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment before they are distributed to more than 600 voting locations. Workers use preset test ballots with known outcomes, allowing election personnel to compare what the machines record against what the results are supposed to be.

It is technical work, but its purpose is easy to understand: test before voters arrive.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, whose office resumed responsibility for administering county elections in 2023, has described L&A testing as an important component of election transparency and accuracy. Representatives associated with both major political parties participate in or observe portions of the testing process, providing another layer of review. The Clerk’s official website lists the 2026 Logic and Accuracy testing announcement among its current election communications.

photo

The testing also comes at an important point on the election calendar. Federal, state and local contests will appear on ballots for the November election, and Harris County voters will soon be able to review their individual ballot information through the county’s election website.

Early voting begins Monday, October 19, and runs through Friday, October 30. Harris County Vote Centers will generally operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, October 25, when hours are noon to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with Vote Centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For voters eligible to vote by mail, applications must be received—not merely postmarked—by Friday, October 23. Texas eligibility includes voters who are 65 or older, meet the statutory sickness or disability standard, will be outside their county during the applicable voting period, expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or meet certain confinement requirements.

Texas also identifies seven primary acceptable forms of photo identification for in-person voting. Voters who cannot reasonably obtain one may have additional options using supporting identification and a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

For Harris County voters, the smartest equipment in the building still has one job: correctly record the choices made by the people standing in front of it.

For sample ballots, Vote Center information, voting-by-mail guidance and election updates, visit HarrisVotes.com and follow on Social @HarrisVotes

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.

kierra lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point Wednesday in a unanimous vote, delivering its first rate increase in more than three years, as Chair Kevin Warsh cited persistent inflation and a strengthening economy.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to raise its benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%. The Fed said economic activity continues to expand at a solid pace, while inflation remains elevated and the move would support a “timelier return” to its 2% goal.

The consensus marked a sharp shift from July, when policymakers voted 9-3 to hold rates steady and three regional Fed presidents favored an immediate quarter-point increase.

Warsh said three developments changed the Fed’s calculus over the seven weeks since that meeting. Evidence that the economy has strengthened, inflation trends that have shown little meaningful improvement, and a changed geopolitical environment. He said the economy is operating roughly at full employment, allowing the Fed to put its “predominant focus” on price stability.

“The plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long,” Warsh said.

Projections Point to Additional Rate Increase

The Fed’s new projections offered a notably firmer outlook for interest rates. The median policymaker now sees the federal funds rate at 4.1% at the end of both 2026 and 2027, up from June projections of 3.8% and 3.6%. Sixteen of the 18 officials submitting forecasts project at least one additional quarter-point increase by year-end, while four project two more hikes.

Officials also raised their median 2026 GDP forecast to 2.3% from 2.2%, lowered their unemployment forecast to 4.1% from 4.3%, and nudged their PCE inflation projection higher to 3.7% from 3.6%.

Warsh did not submit an individual economic or rate projection and repeatedly distanced his own assessment from the Summary of Economic Projections.

“Those aren’t my forecasts,” Warsh said when pressed on why the median projection does not show inflation returning to 2% until 2029. “Those are the forecasts of my 18 colleagues.”

Warsh also sharpened his explanation of what it means for this Fed to watch incoming information. Trends matter, he said, but individual reports should not dictate policy.

“I was not waiting breathlessly” for either the latest retail sales report or last week’s CPI, Warsh said. “Data point dependence is a dangerous preoccupation,” he added.

Energy Prices, Global Rates and AI

When asked how higher interest rates could help when they cannot reopen the Strait of Hormuz or directly increase energy supplies, Warsh acknowledged the limits of monetary policy.

“We cannot affect any individual price,” he said. The Fed’s job, he said, is to prevent individual price shocks from spreading into broader second- and third-order inflation effects.

Warsh also noted that the U.S. is not alone. After recent meetings with other central bankers, he said most advanced economies are also confronting price pressures. Rate decisions by foreign central banks can have “spillovers and spillbacks” into the U.S. economy, though he declined to predict what other central banks will do.

Artificial intelligence also surfaced as a significant policy question. Warsh said the Fed has established a task force expected to report by the end of the year on AI’s implications for both supply and demand.

But he again returned to the Fed’s boundaries. Broader decisions about the risks and regulation of AI belong to other parts of government, he said.

Warsh repeatedly framed the inflation fight around households with the fewest financial cushions, saying Americans who do not own significant financial assets feel rising prices most directly.

“Those who are least well off have the most to gain from a durable expansion, a solid labor market, and stable prices,” he said.

Changes to the Fed Press Conference

The changes under Warsh were visible in the press room itself Wednesday.

Reporters were seated by outlet in alphabetical order, a break from the previous arrangement, and the Fed instructed journalists to ask one question rather than multipart questions so Warsh could get to more people. The result was a noticeably faster, more rapid-fire news conference.

Markets initially took the widely anticipated hike in stride before closing lower. The S&P 500 fell about 0.5%, the Dow declined 1.2% and the Nasdaq was little changed. The 10-year Treasury yield settled at about 5%.

The Fed’s next policy meeting is scheduled for October 27-28.

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.