Category: CNN Regional

By Joan Murray

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — Marine scientists are employing a technique known as “coral IVF” to help restore damaged coral reef systems in the Florida Keys.

The project, which involves a partnership between the University of Miami Rosenstiel School and other researchers, focuses on collecting floating coral egg and sperm bundles. These are fertilized and grown into “baby corals” before being attached to existing reefs once they reach a specific size.

Similar restoration work is being conducted at Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Research Center in Dania Beach.

Rachel Ionata, a research and development manager at the center, said the effort is driven by a desire to preserve the environment for future generations.

“My parents and grandparents used to dive and talk about what it was like on the reef,” said Ionata, whose team manages the corals through each stage of development. “We raise them for a year and a half. We feed them and do everything in stages”.

Graduate student Aidan Healy, who works in the water several times a week, explained that the young corals require protection after being placed on the reef.

“We’ll grow them and take them to the caged areas so fish can’t get to them,” Healy said. “That’s a problem with juvenile coral. Fish eat them”.

The reef system has faced significant decline for decades due to rising water temperatures, disease and pollution.

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 La’Tasha Givens

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    MARIETTA, Georgia (WUPA) — Back in 2022, Alonzo Kirkman and his wife, Brianca, were basking in the joy of their growing baby boy, whom they would name Brayden. But the glow captured in maternity pictures turned dim during delivery.

In the midst of several complications, Brianca began hemorrhaging. She was in excruciating pain and couldn’t communicate, leaving Alonzo not knowing what to do or say.

“What was supposed to be a joyous process, it really was a lot of turmoil at times, and honestly, there were some dark moments during that entire pregnancy journey,” Alonzo Kirkman said. “As a man, you want to be able to support your wife, but I just didn’t have the tools to do so.”

Brayden was born healthy and happy, but the Marietta father vowed to never repeat the despair he felt during those uncertain moments. With their second child due in June, Alonzo wanted to have his wife’s back, so he enrolled in the Dads to Doulas online course.

The program, which operates under the Dear Fathers media platform, was originally founded by Brad Edwards after he suffered the heartbreaking loss of twin boys during pregnancy.

Kirkman was part of a summer cohort alongside other Atlanta fathers. The six-week course offers in-person and online classes teaching men about pregnancy, labor, and the delivery process. Participants learn medical terminology and receive hands-on training using birthing tools so they can actively support their partners.

“So, we are in a crisis. And when you look at Black women, they are three, sometimes four, sometimes five times more likely to experience maternal mortality. That’s not even counting what’s going on with maternal morbidity, with these lifelong issues that women have,” said Kyra Betts, the lead facilitator working with Alonzo Kirkman.

Demand for the Dads to Doulas training has surged, Betts said, with the last online cohort having a waiting list of 400 men.

For Kirkman, the training made all the difference in how he prepared to advocate for his family while his wife Briance was pregnant with their second child.

“It’s really equipped me to have the words that I need in order to talk to the medical staff for the new baby that we have on the way,” Kirkman said.

Coffee table conversations for the Kirkmans became focused on upcoming doctor’s appointments and addressing any concerns before their visit. Ahead of the delivery, baby Aloni’s first outfit was picked out, mom’s bag was packed, and dad was fully equipped with the birthing plan and prepared for all scenarios.

Baby Aloni arrived six weeks early and had to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During that critical period, Kirkman says the doula training proved to be a lifeline.

“Being able to just get that education and learn those different things really helped when it came time for us being in the hospital for an extended amount of time. When they are talking, I’m like, ‘ Hey, I learned this in class.’ And it just helped me have confidence,” Kirkman said.

That confidence provided the blanket of protection his wife needed.

“It really made me feel seen and loved because I was really scared the second time around after what we endured with my son. It made me feel safe,” Brianca Kirkman said.

In addition to an abundance of love, this dad is now armed with knowledge.

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 Monique John

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    CHEROKEE COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — Ulmaria Williams has had a passion for caring for older adults since she was a child in her home country of Liberia. That passion grew even stronger in 2008 when her father battled dementia. Through that experience, she realized that many older adults struggle with social isolation and cognitive decline.

“I realized over the years that a lot of them are lonely, regardless of their status,” Williams said.

That realization inspired her to start Adopt a Mom and Pop, a nonprofit that connects groups of volunteers with older adults in nursing homes and community centers. The program helps them stay engaged, build relationships and make new friends.

Now based in Cherokee County, Williams said she strives to make older adults feel valued while helping them remain active.

“We have incorporated a lot of activities to suit everybody’s personality,” Williams said.

Williams and about two dozen volunteers spend time with seniors by playing games, providing entertainment and leading exercise and wellness activities. The volunteers are of all ages — including seniors themselves.

“We have middle-aged volunteers. We have kids because the seniors like intergenerational activities,” Williams said. “The kids like to play with them, and they like to learn from them.”

“It’s different,” said Nancy McConkey, one of the seniors Adopt a Mom and Pop visits at a Woodstock assisted living facility. “Since we’re here nonstop, it’s nice to have things that are different. And it’s loving. We need so much of that.”

Jerilyn Nighttraveller once performed as a clown. Now a volunteer and board member with the group, she said telling stories to other seniors helps keep her spirit and comedic skills alive.

“It keeps us active mentally,” Nighttraveller said. “It’s an activity socially, you know, and sometimes there are outings to restaurants.”

Williams and her team hope to expand Adopt a Mom and Pop to serve older adults outside Georgia.

“Every time I meet a senior and I can help them, it’s such a joy,” Williams said. “It’s fulfilling because I know God called me for a time like this.”

Williams said she and her volunteers take pride in brightening the days of the seniors they visit.

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 Louisa Moller

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    RHODE ISLAND (WBZ) — On a picture-perfect day on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, four small boats rock peacefully next to each other. Then, with the touch of an iPad, they are on the move. They have no captain, no crew, just assigned tasks and software that allows the boats to decide how to achieve their goal.

The boats are called Rampage, the flagship craft of Rhode Island-based defense tech company, Havoc AI. They are made in Rhode Island, outfitted with commercially available parts, and completely autonomous.

“You never really drive them,” said Havoc CEO and co-founder Paul Lwin.

Lwin gave WBZ an on-water demonstration and tour of Havoc’s North Kingstown, Rhode Island facility. The startup was founded in 2024 and immediately took off, expanding from unmanned boats to aerial drones, and land drones.

Havoc’s uncrewed maritime vessels have been used all over the globe including by the U.S. military in the Pacific.

“The U.S. Army actually used six of these vessels to find maritime targets and to use Army helicopters to go and target them,” Lwin said.

Havoc’s innovation was spurred on by success overseas, where Ukraine pioneered drone warfare saving in cost and in human casualties.

“Without Ukraine, if we had gone to the U.S. government, either the U.S. Navy or U.S. Army and said, ‘hey, you can buy all of this commercially,’ they would have laughed at us,” Lwin said.

The U.S. military is not laughing now. Already, drones are deployed in the U.S. conflict with Iran where an autonomous boat was used to rescue Apache helicopter pilots who went down near the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this year, the Pentagon proposed tripling its drone spending which would require congressional approval.

“The U.S. government in general, our allies are prioritizing autonomous systems over exquisite systems that cost millions of dollars and require lots of humans to operate,” Lwin said.

For Lwin, who came to the United States as a political refugee from Myanmar and decided to join the Navy as a way to give back, Havoc and its autonomous systems fit his mission.

“We want to remove humans from what we like to say is dull, dirty and dangerous jobs,” Lwin said. “Right now, just people sitting out in the ocean protecting vital maritime areas. We could deploy five of these things to replace 10 boats with 20 human beings.”

He also sees applications for Havoc’s autonomous systems outside of defense. Havoc is now collaborating with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on a pilot project to evaluate how its Rampage autonomous surface vessels can operate as a mobile acoustic receiver network to track tagged fish throughout the Broad River estuary.

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 Crystal McQuay

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore has a bit of a love-hate relationship with rats, but in one Federal Hill neighborhood, they’re the very reason people are stopping by.

Meg Murray’s hobby of crafting small rats out of soft material turned into something much bigger – a tiny neighborhood attraction where anyone can stop by and adopt one.

After making more needle-felted rats than she knew what to do with, inspiration struck when Meg found an old medicine cabinet at a local vintage store. That cabinet would become the Rat Shack.

She wanted to do something fun for people in the community to connect, and connect they did.

It has gone beyond the neighborhood, going viral on social media and bringing curious visitors from across the region to collect one of Meg’s handmade creations.

Person after person stops by to give one of the fuzzy little creatures a new home.

The adoption process couldn’t be simpler: pick a rat and give it a new home. The challenge is getting there before someone else does. Meg puts out about eight rats a day – and they don’t stick around long.

Those lucky enough to snag one can give their rat a home wherever they choose. One adopter told us hers is headed straight to the trinket shelf.

No matter what you choose to do with your furry friend, Meg says this is just the beginning. What she’s really creating is a place where neighbors and strangers can connect.

“I think we need each other now more than we ever have. I really encourage people to get out there and talk to their neighbors and make some friends.”

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 Tara Lynch

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    ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Sun Country Airlines flight attendant was charged with assault in Anne Arundel County after a passenger accused her of making racially motivated comments toward her group.

The flight attendant, identified as Jean Riegelman in court documents, is accused of attempting to swat a phone out of a passenger’s hand while passengers were deplaning.

The passenger’s sister also accused Riegelman of making what she described as racially motivated remarks toward her and members of her girls’ flag football team.

Sun Country Airlines was acquired by Allegiant Travel Company in May 2026.

Lauren Price boarded a flight from Minneapolis to Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) Airport Monday morning and said an encounter with a flight attendant was demeaning and degrading.

She was flying with her girls’ flag football team, DMV Prime Elite, from the Junior Olympics in Iowa.

Price, who is a Black woman, said she was removed from the flight with her father after standing up to a flight attendant who made “racially motivated” comments toward her and her team, overshadowing her team’s experience at the tournament.

“We all were violated,” Price told CBS News Baltimore.

The story has now gone viral on social media, garnering more than two million views.

Price said she booked 19 seats for herself and her team, but only 17 were being used after two people did not make the trip.

She sat in one of the unused seats instead of her assigned seat so other players could sit together. Price said the seating arrangement had been allowed on the team’s previous flights to Iowa.

After she moved seats, Price said Riegelman asked her to return to her assigned seat. Price said she was complying and trying to move when the comments began.

“Before I could even just get to the row in front of me, Jean began just berating me,” Price said. “She said, ‘If you people would sit in your right seat, we would be able to push back, because of you 186 people we’re delayed.'”

Price said she asked Riegelman to stop speaking to the group in that manner. She said her father also spoke up, and Riegelman responded that she could do whatever she wanted.

Price said another flight attendant apologized for Riegelman’s behavior and told her that Riegelman would not be removed from the flight. After that conversation, Price said security was called and escorted her and her father off the plane.

The rest of the team and Price’s family remained on board. Price said her two children were among those on the flight and became upset during the incident.

At the gate, Price said she was not allowed back onto the plane and had to book another airline, costing her $500. She said Sun Country employees at the airport apologized and told her they would process a refund for the flight. As of Wednesday afternoon, Price said she had not received any additional details about the refund.

During the flight, members of the flag football team also alleged that Riegelman avoided serving them.

“[She] switched with another flight attendant. She didn’t want to, ‘Go back there with them,'” Price said.

After the plane landed, Price said her sister tried to record video of the flight attendant while passengers were deplaning. According to charging documents obtained by WJZ, the incident led to an assault charge.

Price said Riegelman attempted to knock the phone out of her sister’s hand.

“[She] tried to smack the phone out of her hand and hit her hand, which is assault,” Price said.

Riegelman was charged with second-degree assault in Anne Arundel County. She is scheduled to appear in court in September.

Price said her team has been traumatized by the incident, and some players do not want to fly with the airline again.

In a statement, Sun Country Airlines said it is investigating the allegations.

“Sun Country Airlines takes reports like this very seriously. We have been in conversation with the passenger and are working to get all details surrounding the situation.”

Price said the airline only contacted her after her social media post gained attention online, and she has not heard back since. She said other people on social media have shared similar negative experiences involving Riegelman.

“Sun Country probably would have never held themselves accountable, and they probably would have never responded to me had I not taken the avenues that I did,” Price said.

Price said her team filed multiple complaints with the airline. She has also filed complaints with the FAA and the Department of Transportation.

CBS News Baltimore reached out to Riegelman for comment and is awaiting a response.

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 Monique Lopez

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    SAN LUIS OBISPO, California (KSBY) — An eight-year-old cat from a military family slipped into restricted brush near Chevron’s San Ardo Oil Field during a roadside stop. After a tireless two-day effort by North County Paws Cause, a happy reunion took place Wednesday, August 5 at San Luis Obispo County Airport.

It was a day filled with relief for Roseannette Moreno. After more than a week, she was finally reunited with her beloved cat Sasha.

“Literally did not know what to do!” Moreno said. “Had it not been for the non-profit, I wouldn’t have been able to get her back.”

Moreno’s husband is in the U.S. Air Force Special Forces, and the family was racing to a new assignment in Washington when they made what was supposed to be a quick pit stop last Tuesday.

Unbeknownst to them, the spot they chose was next to the Chevron oil fields – a restricted area. And, what started as a quick roadside break turned into a family’s worst nightmare.

Sasha, their eight-year-old cat, slipped free of her harness and bolted into the thick brush.

“She whipped out of it, so we stayed there overnight, like, hoping that she would come out,” Moreno said. “While we were still there, he had contacted the non-profit, and they had coached him through some steps on how to get her out, but she didn’t come out all night.”

Moreno and her husband searched through the night, and after hours of trying to get Sasha to come out, the family had no choice but to leave.

“It is so terrifying but, with the military, there is not anybody that’s gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah, you can stay for your [cat],’ like, he had to check in,” said Moreno. “There was nothing that we could do.”

That’s when cat trapper experts with North County Paws Cause and SAV-Cats came in, but even they hit an immediate roadblock.

“I was out there for about five minutes calling her,” SAV-Cats cat trapper Kristen Kelley said. “I had cat food, you know, trying to get her, heard a couple ‘meows,’ and then security came and asked me to leave.”

Volunteers still worked nonstop, reached out to Chevron and finally got permission to set a humane trap.

Hours and hours went by and, just as the team was about to call it quits for the night Thursday, Sasha came out.

“We just got lucky, honestly…stubborn, maybe!” said North County Paws Cause cat trapper Kayleigh Villars. “We just didn’t want to leave without her!”

And because of that stubbornness, there’s now an incredibly rare, happy ending to this story.

“The whole thing about our outcome was reuniting Sasha with her family,” said North County Paws Cause director Laura Hughes.

Sasha will be back with what has always been her forever family in their new Washington home by Wednesday night.

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.