Category: CNN Regional

By Manuel Bojorquez, Abby Dodge

Click here for updates on this story

    SURFSIDE, Florida (WFOR) — Federal investigators released new findings Monday detailing design and construction flaws that led to the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South, as families prepare to mark five years since the tragedy that killed 98 people.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology identified problems with the building’s original design and construction, specifically citing support columns in the underground garage that held up the pool deck. Investigators noted that two of these columns had begun to deteriorate approximately three weeks before the collapse.

“Once the first connection failed, other elements of the pool deck were left to carry their loads,” said co-investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser. “But they were not strong enough to handle them due to problems that stemmed from the original design and construction of the building”.

“Those buildings, you know, had properly maintained themselves over the years and never let those same issues exacerbate into something greater,” said Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger.

As those columns gave way on June 24, 2021, it triggered the deadly collapse of the condominium building.

For the families of the victims, the report offers a somber look at the causes behind the tragedy. Judy Spiegel was among the 98 killed. Her daughter, Rachel Spiegel, said that while the findings cannot restore her mother, she hopes they serve as a warning to prevent similar disasters.

“Obviously, it’s not going to bring my mom back,” Rachel Spiegel said. “But I hope the report is a wake-up call ultimately to others to prevent this in the future”.

Rachel Spiegel is scheduled to speak at a remembrance event on Wednesday to mark the five-year anniversary of the collapse.

“I’ll never stop talking about her. I’ll never stop advocating for the person that she was,” she said. “I really want people to remember my mom and how incredible she really was”.

Danzinger said he expects a promised memorial for the tragedy to break ground by the end of the summer on 88th Street.

“But we are starting to see, I guess, light at the end of the tunnel as we move forward to give us something to give us that permanent remembrance,” Danzinger said.

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 David Yeomans

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Scientists at the University of Chicago are working on AI trained to model weather which could help create better, more accurate forecasts.

We’re all familiar with the unpredictability of daily weather; a forecast may say one thing, but what actually happens may be something else.

Gail Williams, a Chicago Public Schools crossing guard whose post is at 66th and California Avenue, knows perhaps better than most that a forecast that isn’t perfect isn’t fun.

“Chicago weather is very unique, you have to prepare. You have to prepare for Chicago weather,” she said. “It’s terrible, especially when you get rained on and you get soaking wet.”

Researchers at the University of Chicago are working to change that.

“Until a few years ago, whenever you saw a weather forecast on TV or on your phone, it came from a very complicated model of thousands of equations solved on super computers,” explained Dr. Pedram Hassanzadeh.

Hassanzadeh is on the team working to develop AI weather models.

“They’re energy-efficient, they’re cost-efficient, they are very fast,” he said.

Artificial intelligence is already providing to be a powerful tool in the medical field. A study of nearly a half million mammogram patients in Germany found that radiologists using AI support during breast cancer screening had a 17% higher cancer detection rate than doctors screening just with their own eyes, and have fewer false alarms.

AI accomplishes that using pattern recognition, scanning millions of pixels and examining subtleties that humans may miss.

So, Dr. Hassanzadeh had a thought.

“Maybe we can go back to that idea, and do weather forecasting as a pattern recognition problem,” he said.

Researchers trained AI weather models by digesting 40 years of high-quality weather observations. The model scans what the weather patterns look like now, finds a similar picture it’s seen before, and makes its prediction based on what happened last time.

“You can do weather forecasts for days and weeks,” Hassanzadeh said.

CBS News Chicago’s First Alert weather team already uses AI models to predict the weather every day, alongside the traditional supercomputer forecasts. The maps they produce look the same, and they’ve actually proven quite accurate.

But AI has limits. Since it’s trained on weather in the past, can it forecast more extreme storms in a changing climate? That’s a real concern for meteorologists working every day, and Hassanzadeh and his colleagues at the University of Chicago.

“That’s a real concern,” he said. “Can AI models actually get these kinds of events, that they haven’t seen anything like them in the past?”

So he and his team developed a new model that marries the two: the speed and efficiency of AI with the old school ability to forecast record-setting storms.

“I think it’s a really exciting time for meteorology, for climate science, to have this powerful set of tools in our arsenal to do better prediction,” Hassanzadeh said.

And in turn, these more accurate forecasts will help people like Gail as she tries to keep her students safe.

“We can call the neighbors and tell them, put an extra sweater on this child, or that. That would help out a lot,” she said.

The new University of Chicago weather prediction model has been tested, but is a long way from being used daily by weather forecasters.

The University of Chicago team that developed the forecast model blending AI weather prediction with physics-based methods was featured in a recent article in Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) News.

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 Amelia Mugavero

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — A Fort Worth educator’s reassignment after online criticism of her social media posts has sparked community protests and a federal lawsuit alleging violations of her constitutional rights.

Shayma Alzubi, a Palestinian American and Muslim educator who has worked for Fort Worth ISD for 13 years, was recently promoted to principal of Western Hills High School.

According to the lawsuit, criticism intensified after the district shared a photo of Alzubi wearing a hijab to announce her promotion. Critics then began reviewing her social media activity and raising concerns about several posts.

Among the posts cited in the lawsuit was a photo of Alzubi posing with a drawing from a Chili’s coloring contest that included the phrase “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.” Other posts highlighted in the lawsuit promoted mask‑wearing during the COVID‑19 pandemic and featured a Black Lives Matter image.

Fort Worth ISD has launched an investigation into Alzubi and reassigned her to administrative duties away from the principal’s office.

The controversy drew a large turnout at Tuesday’s school board meeting, where more than 60 people signed up to speak.

Many speakers voiced support for Alzubi, including students who urged district leaders not to let criticism of her social media activity determine her future with the district.

Others argued that her past posts raise concerns about her ability to remain impartial in a leadership role.

The lawsuit alleges the district “gave in to anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hysteria,” violating Alzubi’s First Amendment rights.

Alzubi’s legal counsel from the Council on American-Islamic Relations said during a Tuesday news conference that the district’s actions amount to a constitutional violation and called for her reinstatement.

Supporters also argued that Fort Worth ISD risks losing a highly qualified educator.

The district declined to comment, citing pending litigation. It has not indicated when its investigation will be completed.

Alzubi is seeking reinstatement as principal of Western Hills High School through the federal lawsuit.

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 Matthew Ablon, CBS Texas Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    ALVARADO, Texas (KTVT) — Eight people who were found guilty of terrorism-related charges earlier this year for a 2025 attack on an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, learned their punishments on Tuesday. One member of the group, identified as the group’s leader, was sentenced to a century in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said on Monday that sentencing for the defendants would happen Tuesday morning. The verdicts, handed down in March, came as the defendants stood accused in the July 4, 2025, plot targeting the Prairieland ICE detention center following weeks of testimony from investigators, law enforcement and cooperating witnesses.

Benjamin Song was hit with the longest prison sentence: 100 years behind bars. Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Autumn Hill was sentenced to 50 years, along with Zachary Evetts, Savanna Batten, Meagan Morris, and Elizabeth Soto. Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Prosecutors said that the group launched a premeditated terror attack on the detention facility inspired by antifa ideology, by setting off fireworks, vandalizing property, and shooting at police officers who responded. One officer was struck in the neck with a bullet and survived.

In September 2025, the Trump administration designated antifa as a domestic terror group. However, the designation did not create new criminal charges. Instead, it directed federal agencies to focus more resources on investigating antifa-related activity.

Critics of the move argued that antifa, short for anti-fascist, is an ideology, not an actual group with an organized leadership structure and membership. Subscribing to a specific ideology, they say, is not a crime.

There were nine defendants who went to trial and faced a total of 65 charges that included attempted murder, aiding terrorists, and weapons charges. Those who supported the defendants called the charges outrageous, saying the defendants were there protesting ICE and that the government had gone overboard to send a message.

The nine defendants found guilty at trial included:

Autumn Hill (formerly Cameron Arnold) Zachary Evetts Benjamin Song Savanna Batten Meagan Morris (formerly Bradford Morris) Maricela Rueda Elizabeth Soto Ines Soto Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada

Prosecutors said Morris, Rueda, Song, Arnold, Evetts, Batten, Sanchez-Estrada, and Elizabeth Soto were sentenced on Tuesday. Ines Soto is set to be sentenced on July 1.

Seven additional defendants pleaded guilty to a single count of providing material support to terrorists, and each faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

The trial featured testimony from investigators, law enforcement officers, and several cooperating witnesses.

Prosecutors showed surveillance footage of fireworks along the facility’s tree line and evidence gathered after police arrived, including weapons, tactical gear, and vandalized vehicles.

Witnesses described how protesters set off fireworks, spray-painted cars, and fled when officers responded, while one cooperating witness testified that Benjamin Song later admitted to shooting an officer.

Investigators also traced the defendants’ phone locations and presented seized items from their homes. Testimony also detailed meetings, group chats, and efforts to help Song evade capture after the shooting.

Defense attorneys challenged the credibility of cooperating witnesses, questioned the use of terms like “tactical,” and argued the group had gathered to protest rather than carry out a coordinated attack. None of the defense attorneys chose to present their own cases, feeling that the government did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Alvarado Police Chief Teddy May welcomed the guilty verdicts, noting that Lt. Gross, the officer shot in the neck during the attack, has fully recovered. May said the outcome reflects the consequences of the choices made that night.

“It’s unfortunate for Mr. (Benjamin) Song,” he said. “He made some poor decisions, and it seems like he’s now going to have to be paying his debt to society.”

He also agreed with prosecutors that the defendants could not have reasonably believed they were attending a peaceful protest.

“I don’t believe any reasonable person could believe the suspects didn’t know what they were doing,” May said.

He said the convictions bring closure for the injured officer, his family, and the department. May said officers were doing their jobs when they came under fire and thanked investigators and prosecutors for their work. He said the verdict reinforces their faith in the justice system and that the department remains focused on supporting officers and serving the community.

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 Nick Lunemann

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — For 11 years, Joe Carr has spent part of his summer behind a lemonade stand outside his family’s home.

What started as a small fundraiser following one of Joe’s surgeries at Gillette Children’s has grown into a community tradition that has raised nearly $100,000 for the hospital.

Joe Carr and his family started the stand in 2015. According to his mother, Kristi Carr, the fundraiser brought in just a few hundred dollars during its first year. Last year alone, the stand raised more than $17,000, bringing the overall total to more than $88,000 before this year’s event.

All donations support Gillette Children’s Adaptive Bike Fund, which helps provide adaptive bicycles for children and adults with disabilities.

Kristi Carr credits the fundraiser’s success to Joe’s outgoing personality and the connections he has built over the years.

“Anybody meets him as a friend after a couple of minutes,” she said.

The annual event attracts a mix of neighbors, returning supporters and first-time visitors. Some travel from other parts of Minnesota after hearing about the fundraiser through friends or social media.

This year’s lemonade stand included a special surprise.

Representatives from Blaze Credit Union, a longtime supporter of the fundraiser, brought country music artist Haley James to the event. James performed her song “Lemonade,” which was inspired by Joe Carr and his annual fundraiser.

The performance served as a tribute to a young man whose lemonade stand has become much more than a summer tradition.

As the donations continue to grow, Joe Carr and his family hope this year’s event will push the fundraiser past the $100,000 mark.

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 Jacob Murphy

Click here for updates on this story

    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Throughout the day on Tuesday, June 23, Milwaukee Bucks fans stopped by the Giannis Antetokounmpo mural downtown on Wisconsin Ave.

Fans took pictures, dropped items off, and said goodbye to the superstar after waking up to the trade that sent their superstar to the Miami Heat.

I couldn’t sleep, it’s never gonna be the same, Bucks basketball won’t be the same,” Bucks fan Jacob Koller said.

Giannis spent 13 seasons in Milwaukee and won a championship in 2021.

“I think he’s the greatest Buck of all time, I know people compare him to Kareem Abdul on the impact, but he brought relevancy back to Milwaukee and basketball,” Koller said.

The departure comes after months of rumors spreading about the future of Giannis and the Bucks.

“I’ve seen a couple people on twitter describe it as ripping the band aid off, that’s kind of what it feels like,” Bucks fan Colin Hoch said.

For Giannis and the fans CBS 58 spoke with on Tuesday, it was more than just the name and number on the back of a jersey.

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 Matthew Ablon, CBS Texas Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    Texas (KTVT) — Eight people who were found guilty of terrorism-related charges earlier this year for a 2025 attack on an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, learned their punishments on Tuesday. One member of the group, identified as the group’s leader, was sentenced to a century in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said on Monday that sentencing for the defendants would happen Tuesday morning. The verdicts, handed down in March, came as the defendants stood accused in the July 4, 2025, plot targeting the Prairieland ICE detention center following weeks of testimony from investigators, law enforcement and cooperating witnesses.

Benjamin Song was hit with the longest prison sentence: 100 years behind bars. Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Autumn Hill was sentenced to 50 years, along with Zachary Evetts, Savanna Batten, Meagan Morris, and Elizabeth Soto. Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Prosecutors said that the group launched a premeditated terror attack on the detention facility inspired by antifa ideology, by setting off fireworks, vandalizing property, and shooting at police officers who responded. One officer was struck in the neck with a bullet and survived.

In September 2025, the Trump administration designated antifa as a domestic terror group. However, the designation did not create new criminal charges. Instead, it directed federal agencies to focus more resources on investigating antifa-related activity.

Critics of the move argued that antifa, short for anti-fascist, is an ideology, not an actual group with an organized leadership structure and membership. Subscribing to a specific ideology, they say, is not a crime.

There were nine defendants who went to trial and faced a total of 65 charges that included attempted murder, aiding terrorists, and weapons charges. Those who supported the defendants called the charges outrageous, saying the defendants were there protesting ICE and that the government had gone overboard to send a message.

The nine defendants found guilty at trial included:

Autumn Hill (formerly Cameron Arnold) Zachary Evetts Benjamin Song Savanna Batten Meagan Morris (formerly Bradford Morris) Maricela Rueda Elizabeth Soto Ines Soto Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada

Prosecutors said Morris, Rueda, Song, Arnold, Evetts, Batten, Sanchez-Estrada, and Elizabeth Soto were sentenced on Tuesday. Ines Soto is set to be sentenced on July 1.

Seven additional defendants pleaded guilty to a single count of providing material support to terrorists, and each faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

What happened at the trial The trial featured testimony from investigators, law enforcement officers, and several cooperating witnesses.

Prosecutors showed surveillance footage of fireworks along the facility’s tree line and evidence gathered after police arrived, including weapons, tactical gear, and vandalized vehicles.

Witnesses described how protesters set off fireworks, spray-painted cars, and fled when officers responded, while one cooperating witness testified that Benjamin Song later admitted to shooting an officer.

Investigators also traced the defendants’ phone locations and presented seized items from their homes. Testimony also detailed meetings, group chats, and efforts to help Song evade capture after the shooting.

Defense attorneys challenged the credibility of cooperating witnesses, questioned the use of terms like “tactical,” and argued the group had gathered to protest rather than carry out a coordinated attack. None of the defense attorneys chose to present their own cases, feeling that the government did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Reaction after the verdicts Alvarado Police Chief Teddy May welcomed the guilty verdicts, noting that Lt. Gross, the officer shot in the neck during the attack, has fully recovered. May said the outcome reflects the consequences of the choices made that night.

“It’s unfortunate for Mr. (Benjamin) Song,” he said. “He made some poor decisions, and it seems like he’s now going to have to be paying his debt to society.”

He also agreed with prosecutors that the defendants could not have reasonably believed they were attending a peaceful protest.

“I don’t believe any reasonable person could believe the suspects didn’t know what they were doing,” May said.

He said the convictions bring closure for the injured officer, his family, and the department. May said officers were doing their jobs when they came under fire and thanked investigators and prosecutors for their work. He said the verdict reinforces their faith in the justice system and that the department remains focused on supporting officers and serving the community.

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.