Category: CNN Regional

By Francis Page Jr.

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    June 6, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston Style Magazine is shining a proud community spotlight on two young athletes whose dreams are now larger than life — literally.

For 9-year-old soccer standout Sophia Miranda, seeing herself towering above one of Houston’s busiest highways was not just exciting; it was the kind of moment that makes a young athlete stand a little taller, smile a little wider, and believe a little deeper.

“It’s so big, and I can’t believe everyone can see me up there!” Miranda said after being featured in a new billboard campaign for TDECU and HTX Soccer. “I’m really thankful for this chance. Wow, I never imagined I’d be on a billboard. I love playing soccer, learning new things, and having fun with my coaches and teammates.”

The billboard, located along the northbound lanes of I-45 near the University of Houston, also features Bryana Molina, a junior at Conroe High School and fellow HTX Soccer athlete. Together, the two young players represent more than a marketing campaign. They represent Houston’s growing soccer culture, the power of youth sports, and the beautiful truth that big dreams often begin on neighborhood fields.

The campaign is part of an ongoing partnership between TDECU, Houston’s largest credit union, and HTX Soccer, one of the region’s leading youth soccer organizations. TDECU has announced its role as HTX Soccer’s official banking partner through the 2027 season, with support that includes jersey branding on thousands of HTX Soccer uniforms and sponsorship of recreational programming. HTX Soccer describes its mission as providing youth soccer opportunities for all ability levels across the Greater Houston community.

For Molina, the moment carries special meaning.

“I’m honored to represent HTX Soccer and TDECU in this campaign, and proud to share this experience with Sophia,” Molina said. “Being a role model for younger players is something I never take for granted.”

Now that is the kind of leadership Houston loves to celebrate: young, humble, driven, and already passing the ball forward.

The billboard debuted in early June, just as Houston welcomed an energetic wave of soccer excitement tied to major international competition and the city’s broader momentum as a soccer destination. That timing could not have been better. Houston is preparing for a major soccer moment as the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings global attention to the region, including scheduled matches at NRG Stadium and community investments aimed at expanding access to the sport.

With the message “Make Life Goals Happen,” the TDECU + HTX Soccer campaign scores on and off the field. It reminds families that success is not built overnight. It is built through practice, encouragement, coaching, teamwork, and institutions that invest in young people before the world knows their names.

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Crystal Harris, Vice President of Community Development & Partnerships at TDECU, said the initiative reflects a deeper commitment to community empowerment.

“Our partnership with HTX Soccer is about more than just financial support. It’s about empowerment,” Harris said. “By supporting youth programs, TDECU is helping athletes build teamwork, discipline, and leadership skills that will serve them long beyond the game.”

That message lands powerfully in Houston, a city where diversity, determination, and opportunity have always played on the same team. HTX Soccer serves thousands of boys and girls across the region, helping players from early childhood through elite levels grow in skill, character, and confidence.

As the billboard remains on display throughout the summer, Sophia Miranda and Bryana Molina are giving Houston drivers more than a reason to look up. They are giving families a reason to dream bigger.

And somewhere, a young soccer player sitting in the backseat may look out the window and say, “That could be me.”

In Houston, it just might be.

For more information, go to: tdecu.org

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
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By Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Waymo is evaluating a couple of incidents on the Fourth of July in San Francisco in which its autonomous vehicles drove over fireworks, including one that caught fire.

The company said an unoccupied vehicle drove over a small firework in the street and caught fire. No injuries were reported and the fire department and local authorities helped put the fire out and remove the vehicle from the road.

A video on social media from a Waymo rider showed another vehicle driving over what the company called an illegal firework in the street.

Waymo said no injuries were reported in that incident and the vehicle was not damaged. The company added that it has reached out to the rider to check in on them.

Some Waymos also had their operations disrupted on July Fourth due to traffic. A spokesperson said its roadside assistance team cleared the vehicle from the area.

The spokesperson added that it is evaluating and learning from events like this. The company said it’s committed to keeping its riders safe and earning the trust of the public.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office issued a statement about the traffic in the city Saturday night, saying safety was the top priority.

“We understand that with more than 100,000 people in the area, some people experienced delays getting home, and we will have conversations with our public and private partners to ensure the experience is smoother next time,” Lurie’s office said in the statement.

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 Alexa Herrera

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    CARTERET, New Jersey (WCBS) — A whale that surfaced for air slammed into a New Jersey fire department’s boat, sinking the ship with firefighters on board.

A Carteret Fire Department boat was heading back to Carteret after helping with security on July 4 for the New York and New Jersey Port area.

Around 4:30 p.m., a whale breached the water in Raritan Bay and capsized the boat. The incident “caused catastrophic damage to the vessel,” according to a post by the fire department.

The boat began taking on water, and firefighters had to abandon it. Someone on a personal watercraft nearby and a boater helped rescue the firefighters from the channel.

The Perth Amboy Fire Department Marine Unit also helped rescue the crew. No one was injured, according to fire officials.

Staff pointed to the value of wearing lifejackets, as the crew on board all had ones on, playing “a critical role in keeping them safe until rescuers arrived.”

“No matter how routine a mission may seem, every emergency response carries risks—and we are incredibly grateful that every member made it home safely,” the post read.

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 WUPA Staff

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Researchers at the University of Georgia recently found that marigold flowers contain protein levels comparable to established plant-based protein sources like quinoa and may offer added benefits for food production, according to a study published in ACS Food Science & Technology and a UGA release.

The study examined proteins extracted from Calendula officinalis, a common marigold species often used as an ornamental plant. Researchers found that the flower yielded about 9.2% crude protein on a dry-weight basis, with albumin making up the largest share of protein fractions at 65.47%.

Beyond protein content, the study found several functional properties that could make marigold proteins useful in food manufacturing. Researchers reported that certain protein fractions showed strong water- and oil-holding capacity, as well as emulsifying ability that helps ingredients bind together in foods like dressings and sauces.

The proteins also demonstrated thermal stability, meaning they remain stable at higher temperatures, which researchers said could make them useful in baked goods and other heat-processed foods.

“Billions of dollars of flowers are thrown away each year,” said Anand Mohan, an associate professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and corresponding author of the study, in a university release. “Can you imagine if we were able to take those flowers and use them for food instead?”

Researchers also found that marigold proteins contain amino acid profiles that may contribute flavor characteristics, including umami notes, and that the flowers contain antioxidants, fiber, and minerals such as calcium, potassium and iron.

The study also highlights broader sustainability concerns that large amounts of floral biomass are discarded annually, including in commercial flower production systems.

Fidele Benimana, a doctoral student and first author of the study, said the findings challenge how people think about flowers.

“Most people see marigolds as ornamental plants, but they also contain proteins with unique functional properties that could be useful in food formulation,” Benimana said in the release.

Researchers cautioned that not all marigold species are safe to eat, and that the study focused on Calendula officinalis, commonly known as pot marigold, which has been used in food and herbal applications in some cultures.

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 Ricardo Tovar

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    DAVENPORT, Calif. (KSBW) — CAL FIRE CZU says it rescued six people on the Fourth of July after an unauthorized rope broke while they were attempting to climb coastal cliffs at Davenport Beach.

Just before midnight, six people on Davenport Beach tried climbing the cliffs to reach the bluff when an unauthorized rope installed near the top gave way, sending three of them tumbling an estimated 30 to 40 feet to the beach, according to CAL FIRE CZU.

Officials said three people were on the rope when it broke, while the other three were stranded about halfway up the cliff because the terrain was too steep to go up.

Using a ladder truck, firefighters deployed a high-angle rope rescue system to reach and rescue the three people who fell.

Those three were taken by ambulance to a hospital. One patient was in critical condition, while the other two suffered moderate injuries, per CAL FIRE CZU.

The remaining three people were assisted to the bluff by firefighters using ropes and harnesses.

Air support was not used because of heavy fog, officials said.

Fire officials are reminding the public that coastal cliffs are highly unstable and dangerous, and visitors should never attempt to climb up or down cliff faces.

Emergency crews from CAL FIRE CZU, Santa Cruz Fire, California State Parks, AMR and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

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 TJ Dysart

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A boat carrying six adults and four children capsized on Geneva Lake during a powerful storm Friday afternoon, leaving three children dead and casting a somber shadow over Independence Day celebrations in Lake Geneva.

“It was just a shocking, horrific experience,” said local resident Jeremy Yonan.

Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, but three other children went missing and were later found dead.

“It hurts, you know, just to even know that somebody else is going through that,” Yonan said.

Yonan, who watched the storm from his lakeside home, said he was deeply concerned for his own family, who were still out on the water. “We saw the weather come through as fast as it did, and we only had moments to spare,” he said.

He captured the storm’s rapid progression in photos, taking one at 12:17 p.m. as the weather began to shift and another at 12:19 p.m. as the winds turned violent.

On Saturday, the public boat launch, usually crowded during the holiday weekend, was nearly empty. “I can tell everyone is still very uneasy about this, so it is going to be a very somber night,” Yonan said.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the three children who died, but they did say all four children, including the child who survived were wearing life jackets.

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.