Canadian police identify body recovered from Detroit River in 2008

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Joseph Buczek

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — After nearly two decades, Canadian police have identified the body of a man who was found floating in the Detroit River in 2008.

On Aug. 15, 2008, police recovered a body that was floating on the western shore of Fighting Island in LaSalle, Ontario, Canada.

At the time, investigators worked with Canadian and U.S. law enforcement agencies to compare missing person files and issued media releases to Canadian and Michigan news agencies, but were unable to identify the man.

In 2011, investigators developed a DNA profile of the man and submitted it to the Canadian Human Remains Index, a database that houses and compares DNA profiles from human remains found across Canada, according to police.

In 2025, LaSalle police compared the man’s DNA with a U.S. DNA database. On Aug. 14, 2025, nearly 17 years to the date that the man’s body was pulled from the Detroit River, LaSalle police say they received confirmation of a positive identification from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Forensic Science and Identification Service.

Investigators have notified the man’s next of kin in the U.S. Police do not believe foul play was involved. Police will not be releasing additional information regarding the man.

“I am pleased our investigators were able to identify this man and close this investigation,” LaSalle Police Chief Michael Pearce said in a statement. “After 17 years, the family has some closure, and John Doe has been given back his name.”

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Minnesota TikTok creator adapting to vision loss while staying active

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Ubah Ali

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Imagine watching the world you’ve always known start to fade away.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 million people in the United States have vision impairment. That includes 1 million with blindness.

That’s what is happening to Sabrina, from Minnesota, after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease two decades ago. She says steroids led to a devastating side effect, glaucoma.

Her vision has gradually been deteriorating since she was 6 years old.

“I haven’t come to terms with it,” Sabrina said. “Every time I lose more vision, it’s another adaptation phase I have to go through, another grieving process.”

At 27, she’s learning to live differently and independently. She attended a blind school where she learned how to move through a world that moves differently from her.

“Walking with a cane and learning how to use it is one of the most important things I’ve had to do,” Sabrina said. “It’s given me independence and shaped the way I do everything.”

She’s a content creator on TikTok, using her platform to create community, inspire and educate.

Through her videos, Sabrina shares glimpses of her daily life, the apps she uses to edit her videos and moments of creativity. With her camera and accessibility tools, she’s the creator of beauty.

“Just because someone has a disability, it doesn’t make them any less of a human,” she said.

For Sabrina, blindness isn’t the end, just a different way to see.

“I’m very grateful for connecting with people who are also like me. That’s all I want to continue to do with my platform — spread awareness and create more community.”

Sabrina is also studying to go to law school to become an advocate for marginalized communities.

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North Texans honor loved ones with Día de los Muertos traditions of joy and remembrance

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Marissa Armas

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — North Texans across the metroplex are preparing to celebrate their loved ones during the annual Dia de Los Muertos festivities on Saturday.

From papel picado to calaveras, Dia de Los Muertos is more than colorful decorations. Observed on Nov. 1 and 2, it’s a heartfelt celebration of those who came before us — a remembrance of life, love, and the legacy of ancestors and loved ones who’ve died.

Tradition rooted in joy and healing “It’s also about laughter, food, and joy,” said Gerardo Robles, general manager at the Latino Cultural Center. “It’s a traditional holiday that’s celebrated in Mexico and Latin America; it has ties to indigenous roots. It’s a very spiritual feeling, but also a healing process as well, because when you lose that loved one, you never quite fill that vacancy they left behind.”

Altars, or ofrendas, are adorned with photos, flowers, food, and personal items — offerings to welcome the spirits believed to visit during this time.

Personal touches bring memories to life “As you’re building an altar, you’re thinking my Tia used to love Almond Joys, so, you know, you kind of go out to the stores and start buying these extra little things,” Robles said.

On Friday, volunteers were at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas adding final touches to their ofrendas ahead of Saturday’s festival, which is free and open to the community.

Altars honor veterans and icons “If you walk through, you know, some people have dedicated an altar to, army veterans, you know, who have served our country, not to mention other, famous, ones like Selena and others, you know, but then you get some more personal ones, too,” Robles said.

A celebration of life, not fear A spiritual celebration that connects people — not just with the dead, but with the living.

“It’s very different from Halloween; there’s nothing scary about it, so I highly encourage everybody to come by and visit us,” Robles said.

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Nearly 1,200 free Halloween costumes given away in memory of 19-year-old who loved bringing others joy

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Jessica Guay

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — When your kids are done filling their bags with candy on Halloween, don’t just throw their costumes in the back of the closet. You can donate them to a local organization, the Emma Munson Foundation, that brings Halloween joy to kids.

For kids, it wouldn’t be Halloween without dressing up, but the price of a new costume can cause quite the scare, averaging nearly $40.

The Emma Munson Foundation helps kids dress up as whatever they want to be during spooky season.

“It helps out so many families that need it because some kids might have went without costumes this year,” said Vanessa Ernst, a McKeesport resident.

“It’s mostly all donated from throughout the community, so it’s the community helping the community,” said Denise Munson, co-founder of the Emma Munson Foundation.

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Penn says it wasn’t hacked after a vulgar email was sent to campus community

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — The University of Pennsylvania is investigating a vulgar email that was sent to members of its campus community.

Penn told CBS News Philadelphia that it was not hacked, but the university is working to find the source of the fraudulent email.

The email’s subject line read “We Got Hacked” and included explicit language while urging recipients to “stop giving money” to the university.

The email used Penn’s Graduate School of Education’s letterhead and appeared to criticize the Ivy League school’s admissions and hiring practices.

University officials said they are continuing to investigate the source of the email.

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Baltimore County neighbors concerned after deer seen with bucket stuck on its head

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Janay Reece

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Some neighbors in Baltimore County are expressing concern after a deer was seen with a Halloween pumpkin bucket stuck around its head.

Residents in the Carney-Parkville community saw the deer and are now worried about its survival.

Neighbors raise concerns When Joy Mays and her partner, Patrick Lynch, saw the young deer in their backyard on Saturday, Oct. 25, all they wanted to do was help.

“It’s got this silly bucket, and its eyes are like a little bucket. Help me,” said Mays, a lifelong Carney and Parkville resident.

“It stood out when you look down the hill, this blue plastic thing,” said Lynch, a longtime Parkville resident.

“When he was with his other deer friends, he was trying to butt it, you know, head butt the other deer, but it stuck,” said Mays.

“Its eyes are not covered, but below that, it just doesn’t seem to position itself to, like, get free. It doesn’t know how to, I guess,” said Lynch.

Mays posted photos of the deer on social media, hoping to find someone who could step in and save it.

“About 10 people referred us to Bob Swensen there,” said Mays.

Swensen immediately jumped in to help. He’s a longtime volunteer with Lost Animal Resource Group and First Response Drone Pet Search & Rescue.

“When I first saw the picture of the post, I’m like, that looks fake,” said Swensen. “We’ve done goats, pigs, tortoises and now deer.”

His drone gives him a bird’s eye view. Helping him track and locate animals, pets and species that can be tricky to track.

“Animals can go a while without food, but not without water. So we’re very concerned about his health,” said Swensen.

“So once we locate him, we have somebody named Darlene coming, who is a lasso person,” explained Swensen. “Maybe with the lasso we’ll, you know, hit the bucket and just be able to pull it off. If not, we’ll try to get him, corral him and then pull the bucket off.”

Swensen said it can take a few hours or days to locate a deer, but he has hope they’ll find it soon.

“This is always a very dynamic thing to try, especially a wild animal,” said Swensen.

“All this sympathy for the deer renews my faith in humanity, said Mays.

Wildlife officials respond Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service has been aware of this deer since Monday, Oct. 27, and staff have made multiple attempts to locate and assist the deer.

“Just today (Oct. 31), a WHS staff member received a report, searched the area, and spoke with residents without locating the deer. This deer is highly mobile and has covered a large area since the first report, making it extremely difficult for staff to locate and assist the deer,” a spokesperson for the department said.

DNR would like to remind individuals to pick up empty containers and dispose of them properly. Containers that are not cleaned prior to recycling may be attractive to wildlife, but ultimately very dangerous.

DNR urges anyone who sees sick, injured, or distressed wildlife, please do not attempt to approach the animal, as it can be unsafe for you and the animal.

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Sewage could be dumped into Charles River under new proposal from Massachusetts water authority

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Samantha Chaney

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A new proposal by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to change the Charles River’s water-quality classification is sparking controversy, with advocates saying that sewage dumping could undo decades of cleanup.

The plan announced at a meeting on Wednesday would declassify the Charles River as swimmable and allow sewage to flow into the water.

Advocates were shocked to hear the news.

“There could be more sewage, more trash, more debris, more odors,” she said. “We could be going back to what we worked so hard to improve,” said Laura Jasinski, executive director of the Charles River Conservancy.

The Charles River is now one of the cleanest urban rivers in the country, according to the MWRA. Jasinski says that the state of the river has come a long way.

“There was a time when people used to talk about the stench,” she said. “We used to get a ‘D’ letter grade, like on a report card, from the EPA. Back up to we’re getting a ‘B’, ‘B+’ these days.”

What would this mean for recreational activities? Visitors like Rangan Gajural worry that the change could make it unsafe for recreational activities.

“I think it’s kind of disgusting,” he said. “I come over here to do paddleboating and canoeing. So this will definitely change my mind if it’s going to stink.”

“It’s a place where people come to make memories. It’s a place where you can come and watch a sunset. People get engaged here,” Jasinski said.

The MWRA says the proposal would not make the river less safe.

In a statement, the agency said, “The draft plan as presented reflects a responsible approach that balances potential environmental benefits with rate impacts to all MWRA customer communities.”

Officials said they are working with the cities of Cambridge and Somerville to reduce sewage overflows. The MWRA Board plans to discuss the proposal at its next meeting on Nov. 19.

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McDonough hairstylist survives breast cancer, empowers other survivors by making wigs

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Alexa Liacko

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — The CDC says about 10% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are in women younger than 45.

As the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month nears, Tameshia Effinger is starting a project she wants to last far beyond October.

Earlier this year, the 39-year-old hairstylist was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Three weeks after celebrating her birthday in Paris, she found a lump in her breast.

“Initially, I was terrified. I work on my feet. I work with my hands. I need energy. And so I didn’t know what it was going to look like going forward,” she said.

A breast cancer diagnosis meant rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and tons of pain.

Still, every Friday, she wore pink in observance of breast cancer awareness. Through doing so, she found sisterhood with other survivors and eventually found purpose.

By making her own wig to deal with chemotherapy hair loss, she came up with the idea to provide free or discounted glueless wigs to women who’ve lost their hair.

One of those clients is Erica Silimon, who turned to Effinger for help after being treated for lupus and losing her hair.

“In that moment just to get your hair done and feel pretty again…and I told her you will always be blessed because you’re a blessing to others,” Silimon said.

“I see myself as just the little girl who always knew how to braid hair. Now I’m realizing how big of an impact I’ve made for so many women — and I didn’t even know it at first,” she said.

Now, Effinger encourages other women through social media posts to get mammograms sooner and to see their own beauty no matter what they see in the mirror.

And on Friday afternoon, she rang the bell at Piedmont Cancer Institute in Henry County, signaling the end of her cancer treatment and the start of what she hopes is a new chapter in her health.

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3 children dead in Paterson house fire, New Jersey officials say

CNN Newsource on November 1, 2025

By Elijah Westbrook, Mark Prussin

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A family of five, including three children and two adults, is dead after a fire tore through their home overnight in Paterson, New Jersey, the mayor said.

Strong winds fueled the flames on Emerson Avenue as firefighters also battled frigid temperatures to get the blaze under control, officials said Saturday.

Family of 5 dead, mayor says The children killed were 14, 12 and 7 years old, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said. Two adults, a 39-year-old male and 38-year-old female, were also pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said.

They were a family, according to Mayor Andre Sayegh.

“This tragedy really hurts my heart considering that there are five fatalities, but you don’t view it that way. They’re not numbers. It’s a father, mother, and three children. It was a family of five, unfortunately, no longer with us,” Sayegh said.

Paterson’s fire chief said crews were on the scene for hours after the house started burning just before 10 p.m. Friday.

“It was a fast-moving fire due to the wind conditions, which contributed to the rapid spread to the upper floors where the victims were found,” Chief Alex Alicea said.

The rear of the home was completely charred by the morning.

“Really good people” Neighbors were devastated after learning about the fatal fire.

“Very good people. Really, really good people, friendly. Every time I drive by, they would always wave. If they were outside, they would see my car, I would beep the horn and I would wave to them … and then to hear about this, it’s unbelievable,” John Miller, a neighbor, said.

The fire chief said it could take time to fully identify the victims.

The American Red Cross said it was helping seven people displaced by the fire by providing temporary housing, food, clothing and other emergency supplies.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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New survey shows growing support for more affordable housing in New Hampshire

CNN Newsource on October 31, 2025

By Alanna Flood, Adam Sexton

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    MANCHESTER, N.H. (WMUR) — News 9 got an exclusive first look at a new survey that shows Granite Staters want to see more action on the issue of affordable housing.

According to the latest annual statewide Survey on Voter Attitudes on Affordable Housing, 78% of New Hampshire voters think their communities need more affordable housing.

“You really see this across party lines, across demographics, across every region of New Hampshire. In fact, some might say it’s the most unifying issue of our time,” said Elissa Margolin, with the Initiative for Housing Policy and Practice.

The survey also shows that 68% of voters support allowing people to convert large, single-family houses into up to four apartments. The survey was released on Wednesday morning by Saint Anselm College.

The average rent in New Hampshire right now is $2,100 per month, according to Zillow. Housing Action New Hampshire said full-time workers would need to earn at least $35 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment in New Hampshire.

“We are starting to see some relief, and we’ve made some progress, and that’s really exciting. But at the end of the day, we’re starting from one of the worst affordability metrics and environments we’ve ever seen, and so there’s a long way to go for policymakers local, state and federal, to solve this,” said Nick Taylor, with Housing Action New Hampshire.

The survey shows that the number of New Hampshire voters who believe there needs to be more affordable housing built in their towns has risen 15% over the last five years.

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