Category: CNN Regional

By Luis Miguel Echegaray

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    New York (WCBS, WLNY) — With the FIFA World Cup set to kick off shortly, Panini sticker trading has become all the rage in New York City.

CBS News New York’s Luis Miguel Echegaray went on Thursday to Rockefeller Center, where the decals of a lot of soccer stars were being swapped.

The mission is simple: fill the album The name of the game for those in attendance was trying to get as many of the 980 total stickers to fill their album.

“I only need 15 stickers, 15, but it gets difficult for you to find that much after a while. So I have to exchange with my friends,” said Rodrigo Costa, who was visiting from Brazil.

Many people like Costa said they have been doing the sticker album tradition all their lives.

“Since I was little. Yeah, it’s an amazing tradition. It is. It is. And I have two kids. They are 3 years old, but I pretend it’s for them, but it’s actually for me,” Costa said.

For others, this World Cup marks the first time taking part in the Panini sticker mania.

“I’m really excited, yeah, yes sir,” said Hank Johnson of Georgia. “I got the, like, multipack FIFA World Cup and the album.”

Collecting and buying stickers of players who will take part in the biggest tournament of the most popular has a stranger effect on people.

“I can’t wait for the World Cup,” Johnson said.

It’s a tradition like no other.

Eli Manning trades with an Italian legend New York Giants Super Bowl champions Eli Manning and Shaun O’Hara were on hand and exchanged stickers with Alessandro Nesta, a center back on Italy’s World Cup-winning side in 2006.

For Manning, the tournament in the U.S. represents an exciting moment.

“For me, I think it’s to see the fandom and seeing these countries representing coming here, seeing these fans singing the songs and waving the flags,” Manning said.

As they swapped stickers for their albums, Nesta, who is renowned as one of the best defenders in the history of the game, was asked to his pick who he thinks will be the player of the tournament.

“Yamal, Lamine Yamal. For me, he’s the best after Messi,” Nesta said, referring to Spain’s star right winger.

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 Jennifer McRae

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    Colorado (KCNC) — The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the criminally negligent homicide convictions for the former paramedics in the death of Elijah McClain. The decision by the court states that both men will be remanded for a new trial on that charge, which was announced on Thursday morning.

McClain was walking home in August 2019 when the 23-year-old Black man was confronted by police officers who forcibly restrained him and then the Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, injected him with ketamine. He went into cardiac arrest in an ambulance a few minutes later and died three days after that.

After McClain died, the coroner’s office in Adams County initially couldn’t determine how he died, but after social justice protests drew attention to the case, a medical examiner ultimately found that he died from complications of ketamine following forcible restraint. That led to a 2021 indictment of three police officers and two paramedics.

The case was prosecuted by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in Adams County Court.

Cooper and Cichuniec were both convicted on charges of criminally negligent homicide in December 2023.

The Colorado Court of Appeals stated on Thursday that it affirms Cichuniec’s conviction for second-degree assault- unlawful administration of drugs. In September 2024, Cichuniec’s five-year prison sentence was vacated, and a judge reduced his sentence to probation.

Cooper was sentenced to four years probation, 14 months work release and 100 hours of community service in April 2024.

After the Colorado Court of Appeals vacated the convictions for Cooper and Cichuniec, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser issued this statement, “A jury convicted two paramedics for the death of Elijah McClain, an innocent Black man who did nothing wrong that tragic night seven years ago. Bringing these cases to trial was the right thing to do for justice, for Elijah McClain, and for healing in the Aurora community. The attorney general’s office is committed to defending these convictions through the appeals process. Justice demands it.”

Three officers from the Aurora Police Department have been tried in connection with McClain’s death. In the fall of 2023, two of the officers were acquitted in Elijah’s death, and a third was found guilty.

A jury found Randy Roedema guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault in October 2023. A jury also found Nathan Woodyard not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in McClain’s death.

In January 2024, Roedema was sentenced to 14 months in jail along with four years of probation. He has filed an appeal and is asking the court to review nine different aspects of the case.

The City of Aurora agreed in 2021 to pay $15 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by McClain’s parents.

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 Erin Jones, J.D. Miles

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    Texas (KTVT) — Jurors in Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial heard from eyewitnesses on Thursday, including coaches and an athletic trainer who were at the Frisco Independent School District track meet when the stabbing occurred.

Anthony, now 19 years old, is charged with murdering Austin Metcalf during a Frisco ISD track meet last year. He pleaded not guilty before testimony began Thursday morning.

In a packed courtroom, the families of both Anthony and Metcalf sat on opposite sides of the gallery.

During opening statements, prosecutor Bill Wirskye told the jury, “This case has nothing to do with race, this case has nothing to do with self-defense … This was an unprovoked, unjustified murder, it is senseless”.

Anthony’s attorneys argued the stabbing was an act of self-defense.

Jurors then watched both original and enhanced surveillance video from the stadium.

The video analysis expert testified that the footage appears to show one person push or shove another, and the other person push or shove back. However, he acknowledged the video does not appear to capture the actual stabbing.

Jurors also heard from Memorial High School head track coach Rob Starr. He testified that team tents are designated for specific schools and said, “It’s a big deal to keep everybody separated.”

He also emphasized that weapons are never allowed at track meets and students sign a code of conduct acknowledging those rules.

Fighting back tears, Starr described rushing to Metcalf after the stabbing and the condition he found him in.

Another witness, Heritage High School coach Vincent Hooper, testified he was asked to stay with Anthony after the incident.

Hooper told jurors he warned Anthony that if Metcalf died, it would change the rest of his life. According to Hooper, Anthony initially said Metcalf would not die, but later began crying after Hooper again stressed the seriousness of the situation.

The court wrapped just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, and jurors are expected to return on Friday at 9 a.m.

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 Andie Bernhardt

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    KOHLER, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Graduation season is here, and one local school district has an ongoing tradition to celebrate that’s unlike any other.

This year marked Kohler High School’s 100th graduating class, and each of those classes celebrated with the coveted tradition called “Scroll Night.”

“Tonight is a night we call ‘Scroll Night’ and, in the village, this is a tradition for us where all the graduates come down and there’s a memory speech and the maypole dance,” said Riley Holzrichter, a 2026 Kohler High School graduate. “It’s kind of just a way for the village to celebrate the local graduates before graduating on Sunday.”

For Holzritcher, the event is more than just a school tradition, it’s a family one.

“They had us look back in a few of the books, all the way back I can find my Mom’s signature, my uncle’s signature, so it’s really cool they keep all of them,” said Holzritcher.

Seniors walk between cedar chains carried in by underclassmen, showing off their personalities with those who were by their side every step of the way.

Then it’s time to take a stroll down memory lane, as students shared the highs and lows of their time in kindergarten all the way to senior year.

“I think it’s just really brings the community together and also just allows the class to have some time to kind of reflect before graduation and also build the excitement for graduation Sunday too,” said Holzrichter.

Musical performances lead up to the big moment where the 60 seniors got to sign the scroll that’s been passed down from generation to generation.

“You know in 5th grade we did the maypole dance, and then we got to hold the tassle and then now we’re here,” said Helena Saunders, a 2026 Kohler graduate. “Now we’re graduating, which is wow.”

Celebrating all they’ve accomplished and those who will follow in their footsteps next.

“I think it’s like really creative of our school, especially since I don’t think any other school does this,” said Ava Erlien, a 2026 Kohler graduate. “So, I think it’s very unique.”

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 Maggy Wolanske

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    DENVER (KMGH) — While flying can come with surprises, one Colorado family experienced something far worse than delays: the smells of sewage filled their plane when they boarded a Turkish Airlines flight out of Denver International Airport.

Farhung Bharucha was traveling with his wife and four kids for an annual summer vacation to India. He said the boarding time was pushed back with no explanation as to why. After an hour of waiting, Bharucha said his wife asked a gate agent what was happening.

“They said that one of the toilets is leaking and it smells really bad and it’s wet everywhere, there is sewage water, and so they are just trying to get that cleaned up,” Bharucha explained.

As they continued to wait at the gate, there was no “official communication” until the airline sent out a message saying the flight was delayed “due to an act of God,” according to Bharucha.

“Finally they boarded us at about 9:45 p.m. so our plane was supposed to take off at 8:15 p.m.,” said Bharucha. “We boarded at 9:45 p.m. and my seat is 9C, which is right in front of the lavatory, that was leaking and I could see the carpet was wet all around my feet and it it smelled like toilet, sewage water.”

While on the plane, Bharucha described passengers in complete disbelief over the smell and what was happening.

“Then the plane started taxiing, and the lavatory started leaking actively at that time,” said Bharucha. “So you could actually see brown-color water coming out of it into the hallway, where they where they start prepping the food for the flight. I think finally word got out when people started like smelling and making faces.”

Thankfully, he said, the pilot turned the plane around and they did not have to experience this leaking toilet and the smells that came with it on an international flight. The Bharucha family stayed at a nearby hotel thinking they would be booked on the next flight out.

“About 12:30 a.m., we got our bags. At about 1 a.m., we checked into the Westin next to DIA, after that they just didn’t book us. They first booked us for May 31, then for June 1, and then finally for June 2. All of this happened in the span of about 30 minutes and we were like, no we booked our leave, we want to get out earlier,” Bharucha said.

Several days and hotel nights later, the Bharucha family landed in Istanbul on Wednesday as part of their layover. He expressed his frustration towards the airline for shrugging off responsibility and not fixing the technical issue.

“I just did some research thinking that maybe I’m being unrealistic, but all the research points are no, this is not an act of God, nor is this an uncontrollable event. This is a technical issue that the plane, the airline, should have managed a lot better,” Bharucha said.

Aviation expert, Steve Cowell, flew 38 years professionally and teaches aviation safety risk management. He explained how airplane bathrooms operate and are maintained in between flights.

“When you go to the lavatory, essentially all of the waste goes into this big holding tank, it is filled with a chemical as well as, of course, a lot of water,” he said. “When the plane comes in to the gate, one of the service items is to service the lavatory. They’ll hook a hose up to remove the waste products, and another hose to put in new water and new chemical.”

Having decades of experience flying, Cowell explained a leaky bathroom is very rare and is an issue between the airline and the ground service personnel.

“What the airline should have done was work with their ground service personnel, and then they should have called in a biohazard team to make sure that the airplane was not only clear of any biohazard that might have flowed onto the floor, such as sewage, but also, you know, sanitized the airplane and gotten rid of the smell before they even would have had any passengers on board,” Cowell said.

Ultimately, he said the responsibility falls on Turkish Airlines.

“It’s incredibly arrogant for an airline to think that they’re going to board a couple hundred passengers on an airplane, they’re going to be sitting there for hours on end on an international flight smelling toilet fluid. That’s ridiculous. This airline is clearly responsible for the problem and clearly responsible for the contractor that they engaged to service their toilets,” Cowell said.

Denver7 reached out to Turkish Airlines but did not hear back by the time of publication.

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 Claire Lavezzorio

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KMGH) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s first major attempt to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, offering supporters of the iconic lab a moment of relief.

NCAR, framed by the Flatirons and considered a crown jewel of climate research, employs more than 800 people.

Monday’s ruling by Senior U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson keeps the lab intact for now, by blocking the transfer of the lab’s Supercomputing Center in Cheyenne, Wyo. to new management with the University of Wyoming.

NCAR uses the supercomputing center for computing capacity and data storage.

In the ruling, the judge noted the push for a transfer of management by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) may have been retaliatory, writing it may “have been motivated by the Trump Administration’s dispute with the State of Colorado.”

According to the ruling, that dispute began in December 2025, when President Trump called Governor Polis “weak and pathetic” for refusing to release Tina Peters. Coincidentally, Peters was released on the same day of the ruling.

On Tuesday, Denver7 spoke with Carlos Martinez, a former NCAR employee who now is a senior climate scientist the Union of Concerned Scientists — an advocacy organization representing 20,000 scientists across the country. He celebrated the decision, but said more work needs to be done.

“The ruling from the judge was very welcome news,” Martinez said.

Martinez said the stakes for NCAR extend well beyond Boulder.

“Now more than ever, funding staffing, and the data that NCAR has is so critical for our preparedness and understanding of our changing climate,” Martinez said.

The Boulder Chamber has fought to protect the lab since the dispute between the Trump administration and Colorado began. Jonathan Singer, senior director of policy programs for the chamber, described what losing NCAR would mean.

“I hope we never go there, but it was foundational in defining who Boulder is today, and so it would be a massive blotch on Boulder, but also the nation as well,” Singer said.

Scientists are celebrating the ruling but say more work needs to be done to protect the lab — whether through community support or efforts at the national level.

“Congress has a really critical role here, and not just providing funds to NCAR, but writing iron-clad language that keeps all of NCAR intact,” Martinez said.

Governor Polis released a statement in response to the ruling which said in part, “I am pleased the court recognized the serious harm this transfer would cause and I, alongside Colorado’s federal delegation, remain committed to protecting Colorado’s research ecosystem from the Trump Administration’s unjust attacks.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMGH verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Mike Castellucci

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    ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colorado (KMGH) — Joshua Maupin has known he wanted to be a teacher since elementary school. On Tuesday, he got his chance.

The Eaglecrest High School senior spent time at the Cherry Creek Innovations Campus working alongside teacher Amy Jaster before heading to Prairie Middle School to teach an 8th grade math class — using Rubik’s cubes.

Jaster said the experience is part of a broader mission.

“One of my missions in this program is to change how we see teaching. Teaching is a great career,” Jaster said.

Maupin, who started solving Rubik’s cubes in 4th grade, used the puzzle to connect math concepts to students in a hands-on way. The Cherry Creek Foundation provided a Rubik’s cube for every student in the class.

“I am a senior at Eaglecrest High School right now, graduating next week. I’m going to teach you Rubik’s and connect it to math,” Maupin told the class.

The 8th graders had mixed reactions as they worked through the puzzle.

“It’s making me lose brain cells,” one student said.

“It kind of makes sense, some parts of it,” another student said.

Jaster said Maupin’s ability to connect with students is what sets him apart.

“You got people like Josh who can bring it to real life fun and not a chore, that’s when you start opening doors for students,” Jaster said.

For Maupin, the day only reinforced what he has long believed about his future.

“I’m just excited to become a teacher in the future, cause it’s what I wanted to do for a long time,” Maupin said.

After the bell rang and the lesson wrapped up, Maupin said his plans have not changed.

“Oh, for sure,” Maupin said, when asked if teaching is still in his future.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMGH verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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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    New York (WCBS, WLNY) — A Long Island man was found guilty of second-degree murder Thursday for the crash at a Deer Park nail salon that killed four, including an off-duty police officer.

Police said Steven Schwally drunkenly rammed his car into the Hawaii Nail and Spa in June 2024. He did not deny causing the horrific crash nearly two years ago, but did deny that he was intoxicated at the time.

Schwally was on trial for more than a dozen charges, including four counts of murder. He could spend 27 years-to-life in jail. He previously turned down a 22-years-to-life plea deal.

The horrific crash Prosecutors said the Dix Hills man stopped at a liquor store to buy two bottles of Long Island iced tea on June 28, 2024 before he barreled through a parking lot. Surveillance video showed Schwally crashing into the business at 78 miles per hour on Grand Avenue.

His blood-alcohol level was .17, more than twice the legal limit, prosecutors said.

The crash killed salon owner Jiancai Chen, 37, and two employees, Meizi Zhang, 50, and Yan Xu, 41. Off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, a 30-year-old newlywed to a detective, also died. Nine people, including a 12-year-old girl, were hospitalized. Schwally was also injured.

Alcohol or leg problem? Schwally’s lawyer said he was a handicapped driver whose right leg locked up on the gas pedal when the crash happened.

“He was not intoxicated, and from day 1 we said he had a problem with his leg and he could not remove his leg from the gas pedal,” said defense attorney Christopher Cassar.

The defense also claimed a video of the crash shows he tried to avoid the accident, and his blood alcohol test was inaccurate.

“That’s contaminated,” Cassar 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.