‘Charlie Kirk Day’ declared by Gov. Cox one year after deadly UVU shooting

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Jeff Tavss

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSTU) — One year after the fatal shooting on the Utah Valley University campus, Gov. Spencer Cox announced that September 10, 2026 would formally be declared Charlie Kirk Day in the state.

Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a rally in Orem, and the conservative activist later died of his injuries. Tyler Robinson was taken into custody a day later and will face trial for murder in Kirk’s death.

“Charlie Kirk came to Utah to take part in a fundamental American tradition: speak openly, debate ideas, and persuade others,” Cox wrote on social media. “Today, we honor Charlie’s memory by choosing a politics worthy of our country, one where we stand firmly for what we believe and reject violence.”

On the anniversary of the shooting, classes were canceled at UVU, with a rally scheduled to take place at the school’s UCCU Center and hosted by Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk.

Sen. John Curtis also took to social media to share his condolences on the anniversary of Kirk’s death and how he will be remembered.

“Freedom of expression and open debate, enshrined by our Founders in the First Amendment, are core values of the American experiment. Charlie Kirk exercised that right with vigor and passion. His murder not only resulted in the loss of a conservative voice respected by so many, but was an attack on all voices,” Curtis wrote. “May we commit ourselves to debate respectfully, reject extremism, and most importantly denounce political violence. Sue and I continue to pray for the Kirk family and Charlie’s loved one.”

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Man accused of sex trafficking in multiple states, DA seeks additional victims

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Tim Fang

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    CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, California (KPIX) — An East Bay man has been charged for allegedly engaging in human trafficking that victimized women and minors in multiple states, prosecutors said.

According to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, 31-year-old Raymond Jamar Brooks of Antioch was arrested in connection with a yearslong investigation. The DA’s office said Brooks is facing multiple charges associated with human trafficking.

Prosecutors allege Brooks engaged in commercial sex acts with minors and adult women “through force, fraud, coercion and other means associated with sex trafficking.” The DA’s office said several victims have been identified and that trafficking spanned multiple states.

Brooks is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on $1 million bail.

Prosecutors said anyone who may have been victimized by Brooks or who has additional information is urged to contact Ann Shiraishi of the Contra Costa County Major Crimes Task Force at 925-917-6857 or ann.shiraishi@contracostada.org.

Anonymous tips can be sent to the DA’s Human Trafficking Tip Line at 925-957-8658. Support and resources for survivors can be found through Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273.

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First-ever adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway discovered in North Dakota badlands

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Eric Henderson

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Paleontologists have discovered the first known trackway made by a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex: four connected footprints found in the badlands of southwestern North Dakota, not far from the Montana border.

The find is described in a new paper published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Before it, only two isolated adult T. rex footprints had ever been confirmed anywhere in the world, one in New Mexico and one in Montana. Neither showed how the animal was moving.

“Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior,” said Dr. Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. “With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape. That is incredibly rare for T. rex.”

The trackway was found in 2025 on U.S. Forest Service land near Marmarth, North Dakota, by Kent Hups, a high school teacher and amateur fossil hunter who was volunteering on one of Lyson’s digs.

“As a teacher, I’m always telling my students that science starts with curiosity, passion and careful observation,” Hups said. “I never imagined that could lead me to a discovery like this.”

The trackway runs about 23 feet long and consists of four three-toed footprints, each roughly 3 feet long. Researchers used the spacing between the prints to estimate the animal was walking about 3.5 to 4.5 mph, despite weighing more than seven tons.

Researchers attributed the tracks to T. rex based on their size, their shape, and the fact that the surrounding rock has produced an unusually high number of tyrannosaur bones, including a juvenile specimen nicknamed “Teen Rex,” discovered in the same badlands by three boys on a family hike in 2022.

The site was scanned in 3D by Denver Museum researchers, and lead author Peter Falkingham of Liverpool John Moores University in England analyzed the data and wrote the paper without visiting North Dakota in person.

Three of the four footprints are set to be airlifted out by helicopter this fall and taken to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

The tracks date to about 66.5 million years ago, near the very end of the Cretaceous period, one of the last walks any T. rex is known to have taken before scientists believe an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs.

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MapQuest posts billboard in Chicago with directions to Lake Ontario in response to Trump’s executive order

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Matt Cramer

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — MapQuest is doubling down on its decision to continue to keep Lake Ontario on its map with a 6-foot billboard in Chicago.

The billboard is located at State and Hubbard Street and features directions on how to get from there to Lake Ontario, with the campaign line, “It’s still Lake Ontario. And we’re still here.”

MapQuest is touting keeping Lake Ontario with a new billboard on State and Hubbard in Chicago. This is in response to President Trump’s signing of an executive order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” last month.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Lake Ontario is much older than the Declaration of Independence, and “naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario.”

MapQuest says it’s seen a resurgence in popularity after refusing to change Lake Ontario’s name.

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Nashville International Airport to change its name to Dolly Parton International Airport

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Leilyn Torres

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville’s airport is on the verge of a historic name change.

A Nashville International Airport board member told NewsChannel5’s Nick Beres the board will officially vote tomorrow to approve renaming the airport Dolly Parton International Airport. All 7 board members are expected to vote in favor, making the decision unanimous.

The airport’s 3-letter BNA designation will remain in place to honor Col. Harry S. Berry, who helped build the airport in 1939. The official name, however, will become Dolly Parton International Airport.

The board vote follows endorsements from Gov. Lee and the airport’s CEO. Parton’s family and foundation also appear to be in agreement with the renaming.

Once the vote is confirmed, the process to make the administrative name change with the FAA will begin. The renaming is expected to cost between $8 million and $10 million, with funding expected to come from Metro, state, and airport resources.

The board will also move immediately to eliminate Rule 2010-33, which currently requires that airport properties can only be named for people who have been dead for at least 2 years.

Those involved estimate the full process, including changing all signage and completing administrative paperwork will take six months to a year before travelers can officially book a flight in or out of Dolly Parton International Airport.

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NC state trooper, Nekime Oxendine, indicted for murder in shooting death of Cumberland Co. Deputy

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Akilah Davis

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    HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) — A North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) trooper has been indicted and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a Cumberland County sheriff’s captain.

Capt. Adam Bean was shot and killed on March 27 at a home in Hope Mills.

Nekime Matu Oxendine, 44, was indicted on Tuesday. A judge ordered that he be held without bond. Oxendine is being held in Moore County.

“The North Carolina State Highway Patrol understands that Sgt. Nekime M. Oxendine has been criminally charged,” the Highway Patrol said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “The Patrol respects the integrity of the judicial process and our system of laws that we all hold dear. This is a difficult and tragic event for all involved. While this criminal investigation has moved forward, the Patrol has been conducting a separate internal investigation. That investigation is continuing, and Sgt. Oxendine remains on administrative duty pending the outcome of the internal investigation. The Patrol has no further comment.”

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said it completed its investigation and turned its findings over to a special prosecutor with the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.

How the case unfolded According to search warrants obtained by ABC11 in May, Oxendine was named as a North Carolina State Highway Patrol sergeant who, a witness said, pulled the trigger.

The documents state that the witness, who is a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office employee, told investigators that Bean arrived home upset that Oxendine’s truck was parked there.

The May warrants state that Oxendine walked out of the house holding a gun and fired one shot into the ground. Moments later, he allegedly fired several more shots, striking Bean.

Bean was found lying on his back in the front yard. Investigators say the woman was performing CPR when deputies arrived.

Oxendine is an 18-year veteran of the Highway Patrol and remains on administrative leave. Bean had been with the sheriff’s office since March 2006.

Bean was recognized at Wednesday’s 2026 VALOR Awards Ceremony, the sheriff’s office said. . Bean received the Merit Award in recognition of his outstanding service, forward-thinking leadership, initiative, and lasting contributions to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

“Capt. Bean played a pivotal role in advancing a modernized Career Development Step Plan, addressing a pay structure that had not been comprehensively updated since its inception in 1980. His efforts helped strengthen the agency’s ability to recruit, retain, and support highly qualified personnel while contributing directly to the continued effectiveness of public safety operations throughout Cumberland County,” the sheriff’s office told ABC11.

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Albuquerque police find fake police car with weapons and gear

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Vincent Rodriguez

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    Albuquerque (KOAT) — Albuquerque police are investigating after officers pulled over a black Crown Victoria that appeared to be a fake police car.

According to the Albuquerque Police Department, officers found light bars, police radio equipment, a PA system, ammunition, a ski mask, and a sawed-off shotgun inside the vehicle.

Police said the driver is a convicted felon.

APD recommends calling 911 if you are unsure whether a traffic stop is legitimate.

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Escape charge dropped against inmate accused of leaving Indian River County Sheriff’s BBQ to have sex with woman

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Malcolm Shields

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    VERO BEACH, Fla. (WPBF) — A State Attorney’s Office on the Treasure Coast determined whether to prosecute an inmate at a county jail on an escape charge.

According to court documents in Indian River County, on Aug. 23, an agreement was reached to not prosecute Hartley E. Sanchez, 36, on an escape charge.

As part of a negotiated plea, Sanchez pleaded no contest to a 2025 possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest charges. In exchange, the state attorney’s office declined to prosecute the escape case.

Court documents note Sanchez was adjudicated guilty by the court, sentenced to one year and one month in state prison for the drug charge, 364 days in county jail for resisting arrest of an officer without violence, his driver’s license was suspended for six months, and he was ordered to pay court costs.

All charges were served by Sanchez at the same time.

The State Attorney’s Office in Indian River County told WPBF 25 News on Wednesday, Sept. 9, that the facts of the escape case revealed that Sanchez did not leave the facility, but went to the restroom that was on the facility grounds.

While going to the restroom, the state attorney’s office said Sanchez walked past sheriff’s deputies and was not stopped.

There was no evidence that Sanchez attempted to leave the facility, but he went to the restroom for an unauthorized activity.

Florida Department of Corrections database records indicate that Sanchez, who has a lengthy criminal record, was an inmate in the state prison system from Aug. 28, 2026, to Aug. 31, 2026, and is out of the department of corrections custody.

Sanchez had been in the Indian River County jail since his arrest on Aug. 15, 2025.

According to an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office report, on March 4, 2026, Sanchez, who was in custody at the Indian River County Jail on drug, theft and resisting arrest charges, was working a sheriff’s office-sponsored barbecue event serving barbecue.

At some point, Sanchez is seen on surveillance video leaving the food serving line and meeting two unknown women at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boat display where the portable toilets were.

According to the sheriff’s office report, Sanchez and one of the unknown women entered a portable toilet and engaged in intercourse inside the portable toilet.

During an interview with deputies, Sanchez said he engaged in sex with one of the women in the portable toilet.

It was also determined that the woman was a former inmate of the Indian River County Jail.

WPBF 25 News contacted the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for comment on changes to the sheriff’s barbecue event and is awaiting a response.

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York County girl’s photo to appear in Times Square as part of a national Down syndrome celebration

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Morrissey Walsh

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    MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WGAL) — A bright smile belonging to a little girl from York County is about to light up the big screen in Times Square to help to represent people with Down syndrome around the country.

Shyla chosen for Times Square presentation Shyla, a sassy 4-year-old from Manchester Township in York County, was chosen to be part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual presentation in Times Square.

“I just want to tell everyone here she is. Yeah, she has Down syndrome. It doesn’t define her, but it definitely makes her who she is,” Shyla’s mom Sharee Gunther said.

Shyla’s photo was chosen from more than 2,500 entries to be featured with people from around the country as part of the presentation before the annual Buddy Walk.

“It’s the moment we’re giving them to celebrate and be with people just like them. But then it’s for the passersby who are walking in Times Square, like, what is this huge crowd? Why are all these people with Down syndrome up on this screen? The more that we are doing that and just embracing the beauty of the Down syndrome community, we are seeing so many small changes each year,” said Michelle Sagan of the National Down Syndrome Society.

Milestone follows years of health challenges Seeing her daughter on the big screen marks a milestone for one mother after more than four years of challenges.

“Shyla has come a long way. She’s had several surgeries, several serious surgeries. We almost lost Shyla a couple of times,” she said. “Just to see how she just keeps plugging along, how strong not just she is, but when you meet children with Down syndrome, you realize you hear their stories. And they all kind of have similar stories with heart conditions and breathing conditions and how they just fight, fight, fight through that. And it makes them who they are,” she said.

The presentation will be livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Sept. 12.

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FBI says Howard County man tried to join ISIS, targeted Jewish sites in Columbia

CNN Newsource on September 10, 2026

By Barry Simms

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — The FBI has detailed the arrest and conviction of Michael “Teekaye” Junior, a Howard County man who was apprehended in 2024 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport while attempting to board a flight out of the United States.

How the investigation began The investigation began after federal agents obtained social media posts showing the man shooting an assault rifle at a gun range in Severn.

The FBI also released photos from his Instagram account, where he claimed he was training and displayed a machete. According to the agency, Teekaye had tried to travel to Africa to join a terrorist group.

The FBI obtained a social media post showing Teekaye shooting an assault rifle at a gun range in Severn. Federal agents also released photos from Teekaye’s Instagram account, where he claimed he was training at the shooting range and displayed a machete.

“Michael Teekaye wasn’t somebody who was just talk. He took very concrete steps to enact his plans,” FBI Special Agent Thomas Szymanski told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.

‘Self-radicalized online’ Szymanski told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that Teekaye self-radicalized online but went beyond the actions of lone-wolf actors by seeking guidance and logistical support from ISIS operatives.

The FBI revealed that Teekaye attempted to purchase a 9mm assault rifle but was unable to do so due to being on probation for a disorderly conduct charge.

Despite efforts by the FBI during his teenage years to intervene by interviewing him and his parents and enrolling him in a de-radicalization program, Teekaye continued to focus on extremist groups.

“What we found after we looked through his phone post-arrest was that rather than change his ways, he changed his tactics. He became more aware of the FBI presence in his life and tried to do many things to obfuscate his true intentions,” Szymanski told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.

Teekaye eventually shared his plans with an undercover officer and conducted online searches for Jewish individuals and institutions to target in Columbia.

Why prosecutors found the case challenging Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman, who prosecuted the case, described the case as challenging.

“We had quite a lot of evidence against Teekaye, but on the other hand, he was young and he did have a mental health history. It was very important that we explained to the judge what a danger he was,” Hoffman told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.

After his arrest, Teekaye made alarming statements, captured in recorded audio, vowing that prison would not deter him: “I’m just gonna get out in 20 years and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Okay? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll just do it here then when I get out.”

In another recording, Teekaye stated, “You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill.”

‘(He) was clearly not remorseful about his choices’ Szymanski told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that Teekaye was unremorseful at the time of his arrest.

“He actually kicked and spit on me and another agent and was clearly not remorseful about his choices at that time,” Szymanski told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.

Hoffman emphasized the broader implications of the case.

“I think we are seeing more American young people go down that pathway to violence.”

“One of the striking aspects of the case is that he self-radicalized. I think we are seeing more American young people go down that pathway to violence,” Hoffman told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.

Once Teekaye gets out of prison, he will be on lifetime supervised release under monitoring by federal probation officials.

The FBI said during the investigation there was no risk of an immediate attack on anyone in Maryland.

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