Category: CNN Regional

By Najahe Sherman

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — Surrounded by family, friends, and supporters, this year’s Walk to Defeat ALS Champion, Lourdes Machado, was shining with hope.

Diagnosed with ALS in May 2025, she’s turned her journey into a mission to raise awareness and inspire others in the fight against the disease.

“Obviously there’s no cure, and that’s why we’re walking,” Machado said. “We’re walking so no one else has to go through this again, and so I can spend more time with my daughter and be there for her.”

By her side through every challenge has been her mother, Marianela Perez, serving as both caregiver and unwavering source of strength.

When she first learned of her daughter’s diagnosis, Perez said there was only one thing she wanted her daughter to know.

“I wanted to say I love you a lot and I’m going to be here for you and here to support you,” Perez said. “And I’ve done it for the last year, and I will continue to do it. I’m very proud of her. Very proud.”

The ALS Association is helping families like Machado’s while also investing in groundbreaking research through its partnership with the University of Miami.

ALS researchers work to find new treatments, new possibilities From clinical trials to genetic therapies, researchers are working to unlock new treatments and new possibilities.

Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Miami, Dr. Nathan Carberry, said scientists are seeing encouraging progress in genetic treatments, including improvements in patients’ strength that were once thought impossible.

“I liken it to the moon landing, where we’re really seeing finally, a true impact on a neurodegenerative disease which is really powerful,” Carberry said.

For families facing ALS, breakthroughs like these are delivering something that once felt out of reach – hope.

All the money raised through the Walk to Defeat ALS stays right here in Florida, helping families access resources, support and care.

The organization welcomes support year-round.

Check out the ALS Association website to learn more about how you can get involved.

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 Joshua Cole

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WUPA) — As Black Music Month enters its final full week, one famous Atlanta family is already shaping its next chapter.

Heiress Harris is 10 years old. She’s also the daughter of music royalty, and she’s building a name in the music industry that’s her own.

“I want to either be in a global girl group or I want to be a soloist,” Harris told CBS News Atlanta.

Atlanta has long been an entertainment powerhouse — for Harris, stardom may be written into her name.

Her brother, Buddy Red, performed at the Atlanta Jazz Festival this year. Her mother is Grammy-winning artist Tameka “Tiny” Harris. Her father is legendary rapper T.I.

But the 10-year-old is carving her own path. Her sound spans gospel to K-pop, and her collaborator list is already growing and turning heads.

“I have a gospel song I did with Lecrae … and Busta Rhymes, we’ve been talking. He wants to do a song with me,” Harris said.

Harris released her single “In the Wind” on her birthday in March. She has an album in the works.

“I’m really good at it, and it’s fun to do,” Harris said.

The young artist described her approach to performing as a package deal.

“Singing comes with the dancing, it’s like a starter pack,” Harris said.

Harris said her mother is often by her side in the studio, and that both her parents are proud of her work. As for her father —

“Yeah, I think he’s hilarious,” Harris said.

The Harris name carries its own weight in Atlanta’s music scene, but Harris said she isn’t looking to inherit that legacy. Instead, she wants to build her own. She’s already taking steps toward it, holding auditions for what she’s calling, on her own social media, a possible global girl group.

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 Rashad Williams

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WUPA) — For 25 years, Chastain Horse Park has offered a broad range of therapeutic services that utilize their array of horses.

The nonprofit equestrian center in Atlanta continues to reimagine what therapeutic services look like for kids and adults with disabilities.

“We offer therapeutic riding, we offer hippotherapy, we offer equine psychotherapy services all here at the park, along with equine-assisted learning programming as part of our community engagement projects,” said Kate Robbins, Chastain Horse Park’s director for therapeutic programming.

The horse park is the only PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International Premier Accredited Center in metro Atlanta.

Michelle Winer is a physical therapist and Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist at Chastain Horse Park. She said she’s treated patients from the ages of 2 to over 70.

“We see things like genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, post-stroke, multiple sclerosis, anything and everything, autism,” Winer said. “Every second that the horse is moving is therapeutic for them. What we’re doing is purposefully maneuvering that horse through different movements to facilitate rehabilitation goals in our patients.”

CBS News Atlanta was there during a private hippotherapy session with a 5-year-old patient named Charlie. Charlie’s mother, Jenny Harris, said she tried sending Charlie to a standard clinical therapy setting, but it didn’t seem to work for him. She said a friend mentioned hippotherapy to her, and she has been bringing her son for the last three years.

Harris said hippotherapy is not covered by their insurance, but for her son, it has made the biggest impact on improving his condition.

“Charlie has a rare genetic disease that’s called PIP5K1C, and it’s called numbers and letters like that because it’s so rare,” Harris said. “It doesn’t actually have a name. When Charlie came here, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t jump, and his language was lower. Now he’s running. He’s jumping. He’s super chatty, and I really think it’s because of being on this horse. It’s a relief, knowing that there is something we can do to improve his quality of life and allow him to be part of this world as a normal human being.”

Winer said that, depending on a patient’s needs, riding sessions will include a multitude of tasks such as standing up out of a sitting position, sitting up, turning around, and cone placement, all while on the horse, to target core stability strength and overall gross motor skills.

The horse park has also started Specialized equine therapy for veterans.

More information can be found here.

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 Ryan Shiner

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    COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ) — A woman has filed a lawsuit against a man who pleaded guilty in April to filming women while they were undressed at a Columbia Planet Fitness in 2024.

Kenneth Steele — who was a trainer at the Planet Fitness on Nifong Boulevard in Columbia – pleaded guilty on April 6 to invasion of privacy and was sentenced to two years of probation. He was previously charged with invasion of privacy and third-degree domestic assault.

The plaintiff in the civil case — which was filed on Friday in Boone County — is described as a female employee of the same Planet Fitness location. She was one of the recorded victims, the petition says.

The woman would allegedly use the tanning booth when she was off-duty, the petition says. Steele is accused of placing a camera in a towel holder in that same area in order to watch women undress, according to court documents in previous reporting.

The petition claims Steele would try to “lure” women into using that specific tanning room with phrases such as “Use this room, the tanning bed just got new bulbs installed.”

The lawsuit accuses Steele of invasion of privacy.

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 Alyssa Munoz

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    HOBBS, N.M. (KOAT) — A former Boys & Girls Club employee in Hobbs has been charged with nine counts of child abuse following allegations.

Diamond Rosemond, 24, was initially arrested in April on one charge and released, but she was arrested again this month for eight additional charges. According to court records, parents contacted Hobbs police in April, alleging their children were being abused at the Boys & Girls Club.

Mike Hendon, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, gave police videos from inside the club and explained he was internally investigating Rosemond and another employee. Police said the videos showed Rosemond pushing, grabbing and hitting children. In one video, police said the other employee pulled a child from under a table, dragged her across the floor, lifted her a few inches off the ground and dropped her.

Five victims, ranging in age from 3 to 4 years old, were identified. In one incident, Rosemond allegedly “dragged a student, threw her against a wall and kicked her before walking away.”

John Day, a legal expert, said, “A lot of questions remain unanswered. But in New Mexico, if you are basically in a position of authority at a daycare and you have suspicion that children are being abused, you don’t get to wait and conduct your own investigation. You’ve got to take action right away to report it.”

Mike Hendon, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs, issued a statement addressing the situation:

“The safety and protection of the young people we serve is always our absolute highest priority, and we take any situation that might impact their well-being very seriously. Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs has learned of the recent arrest of a former employee. This individual was previously arrested in April 2026 and was immediately terminated and barred from all programs and facilities. We remain both shocked and deeply concerned by the charges surrounding both arrests as crimes involving children run counter to everything our mission stands for—no harm should come to any child, under any circumstance. We have and will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities in these investigations.

“Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs is committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity and does not tolerate inappropriate or illegal activity on the part of any staff, volunteer, or youth member. All employees and volunteers must undergo a thorough criminal background check prior to hire and annually, and all supervisory policies and practices are designed to promote the maximum safety and protection of Club members and staff.

“As this is an active police matter, we are unable to offer further comment. Our commitment to our Club members, their families, and our community is unwavering.”

As of Friday, the other employee mentioned in the complaint has not been charged and is no longer working at the Boys & Girls Club. Rosemond and her attorney have not yet responded to requests for comment. Rosemond’s next court appearance is June 25.

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 Ashley Zavala

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    California (KCRA) — California state workers are challenging a new mandate requiring them to return to the office four days a week starting July 1, as lawmakers advance a bill to ensure telework options.

A billboard off a Sacramento highway warns of future traffic jams caused by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order. State workers argue they have been working efficiently under hybrid schedules since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since COVID we have been working and doing the jobs and being efficient and doing the jobs to keep California running,” said Anica Walls, the president of SEIU Local 1000, which represents state workers in Sacramento. “This mandate as overarching as it does not give departments the space to bring back our workers as needed.”

It’s not clear which departments exactly are struggling with space and how the Newsom administration is handling it. A spokesman with California’s Government Operations Agency declined an interview request with California Politics 360.

At his budget presentation in May, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged the challenges of returning to the office but emphasized the benefits of in-person work.

“Change is hard. I’m empathetic” he said. “Everyone has unique criteria, circumstance. We try to accommodate for that. I mean, four days a week, nice to see you again. I mean, would be nice to see you again, nice to see you again, nice to run into you in the hall, nice to develop a relationship, nice not feel so alone,” Newsom said.

From an economic perspective, the return-to-office mandate could benefit local businesses, according to Robert Heidt, president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber.

“There is a lot of value in bringing people back to the office. The ebb and flow. The next generation of workforce. There is a value in experiencing by observation. Even me as the CEO, if I wasn’t here every day, there are things I wouldn’t notice or pick up or see in the office,” Heidt said.

“I can’t imagine that we can sustain an acceptable level of business and commerce with everyone remote. It just doesn’t make sense,” he added.

State workers packed committee hearings at the Capitol this week, advocating for a law that would require state agencies to provide telework options or justify why specific roles must be performed in-office. Democratic Assemblyman Alex Lee, who authored the bill AB 1729, said the issue is critical for many state employees.

“I have heard from so many state workers from even the Bay Area all up and down the state who said this is the thing that matters the most to them,” Lee said. “They don’t want to move. They love their job, but they don’t, they aren’t willing to move after working 4-5 years in state service.”

Lee’s proposal also requires the state to establish an online dashboard to show how much taxpayer money is saved with telework. Lee and SEIU have estimated remote work saves the state up to $225 million a year.

When asked about concerns that state workers might misuse telework arrangement, Walls defended her members.

“I have no doubt that our members are in the spaces they need to be and to successfully produce and do the job that they are assigned to do,” Walls said.

She also warned of potential consequences if the mandate remains in place.

“I feel like there will be a mass exodus. I feel like the state needs to be ready for a mass exodus. We have individuals who have been teetering retirement, who look at this 4-days a week when they have been doing their job efficiently in a hybrid schedule will probably send them into a retirement,” Walls 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 Alyssa Munoz

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — The Albuquerque Police Department is dealing with a shortage of dispatchers and call-takers, forcing some employees to work long hours and prompting calls for better pay and support.

Emergency Communications Manager Jessica Solis said the department has 14 call-taker vacancies and 14 dispatcher vacancies. APD is authorized for 73 call-taker positions and 42 dispatcher positions.

Solis said staffing shortages in emergency communications are not unique to Albuquerque and reflect a nationwide challenge. She said APD’s staffing needs vary depending on call volume, which continues to grow.

Dispatcher Jasmin Arias raised concerns before the City Council, saying the workload and forced overtime are taking a toll on employees.

“We have dispatchers and call-takers coming in on two to three hours of sleep,” Arias said.

Arias asked councilors to consider first responder pay and hazard pay for dispatchers and call-takers, saying the stress of the job is compounded by long shifts and intense emergency calls.

“As they sit at their console and set up for the day, their first call is a domestic violence call where the female is getting battered by her boyfriend,” Arias said. “As they’re working that call, they get a message from their supervisor saying, ‘I’m sorry, you’re going to have to stay late. You’re going to have to come back for the last four hours of your shift to finish that 16-hour force.'”

Between April 2025 and April 2026, call-takers averaged 37 forced overtime instances, while dispatchers averaged 30, Solis said. Those shifts ranged from a few minutes to as much as eight extra hours.

“We have prescheduled overtime that we do the month prior,” Solis said. “We try and fill those with voluntary overtime slots. If we can’t fill it that way, we do have to mandate at that point.”

Under the union contract language, employees can be required to work up to eight hours of overtime in one day and four hours the following day, Solis said.

She said APD is working to hire more employees, but the process takes time as full training can take six to nine months. Solis said the department is pulling applications and moving candidates through the process every two to three weeks.

APD is also offering a $3,500 hiring bonus for the positions.

“I pitched that to our staff a lot. You know, just bring people in. Point them in our direction,” Solis said. “And to be patient with us because our hiring efforts, they are in full swing.”

Solis said the department offers support resources for employees, including behavioral health services, therapy, peer support and employee assistance programs.

APD officials said the city is still negotiating with the union representing 911 call-takers and dispatchers. The department said its goal is to make both positions among the highest-paid in the state and to include any agreement in the budget.

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 Spencer Schenkel

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    PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida (WBBH) — A man was arrested after deputies say he and two other suspects were committing fraud at multiple Home Depot stores across Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

Deputies with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office say Raphael Davis, 20, would enter a Home Depot to return items that another suspect bought at that location in cash. They say that he would make the return using a photo of the receipt used to make the purchase. Surveillance footage from the Home Depot reportedly shows the fraudulent returns being made.

Then, deputies say a third person would make a return on the same item at another Home Depot location, this time using the physical receipt. They say that these returns would be made within 60 seconds of each other, because Home Depot security negates the receipt after the return when one minute passes.

This happened to multiple Home Depots, their organized theft investigator told deputies. On Friday, CCSO pulled Davis over as he was leaving a Port Charlotte location.

Davis was arrested and faces a charge of scheme to defraud obtaining property less than $20,000.

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.