Category: CNN Regional

By Neal Augenstein

Click here for updates on this story

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTOP) — Cary Hatch was enjoying retirement after years as a marketing strategist in D.C. Then, she got diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

With one-pill-a-day targeted therapy, her EGFR-mutated lung cancer is “in check.”

Now, she’s raising awareness about radon, which is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke and the No. 2 cause overall, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“I didn’t see this one coming at all,” Hatch said; she had no symptoms. After her diagnosis in 2024, she and her husband bought an inexpensive radon monitoring kit. It came back with double the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended safe threshold.

“Many people don’t know it’s a radioactive gas that’s naturally occurring,” said Hatch, making it “tricky because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it — but you can test for it, inexpensively and easily.”

Hatch is pulling together a public awareness coalition, called “People vs. Radon,” in an effort to make radon testing as routine as changing the batteries in a smoke detector.

Radon testing and mitigation Radon testing kits are available at hardware stores, and are often provided free by jurisdictions, Hatch said.

“You put it in the lowest part of your home, most likely in a basement or the lowest level, close to the slab,” she said. Even in an apartment building, Hatch said, “I would encourage people to do testing, just to make sure.”

Depending upon the test, after a period of time “you’ll get a reading, and if your home levels are over four, you definitely want to have that eradicated in a way that can make your air safe again, because you’re breathing radioactive gas, potentially,” Hatch said.

After living in her current home for 25 years, she had a reading of 8 picocuries per liter, twice the EPA threshold.

“You have to have a certified examiner come in and look at your home to see where this could be coming from,” Hatch said. “This gas can come in through any avenue — it could be cracks in your foundation, it could be through plumbing, there’s gas that comes out in your shower water.”

If a home tests high for radon, Hatch said mitigation in the D.C. area costs between $800 and $1,500 — a fraction of the human and financial cost of a late-stage lung cancer diagnosis.

Hatch recommends going to an online resource, The EPA Map of Radon Zones, and consulting your jurisdiction “to see a map with the hot spots.”

The National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society also provide resources about radon.

“Get a test kit,” Hatch said. “You have to test your home in a way that allows you to take action.”

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 Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    June 2, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin has been appointed to serve as Harris County Attorney, effective Monday, June 15, 2026, time to be announced, positioning her to become the first woman and first mother to hold the office in Harris County history. The appointment, approved by Harris County Commissioners Court, places Kamin at the helm of the county’s chief civil legal office during a pivotal moment for local government, public trust, democracy protection, voting rights, and the everyday legal machinery that keeps Texas’ largest county moving.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, this is more than a political appointment. It is a civic milestone. Kamin’s rise from native Houstonian, civil rights attorney, and District C council member to the county’s top civil lawyer tells a story familiar to every neighborhood that believes public service still matters: show up, do the work, answer the call, and keep your heels steady when the water rises.

And in Houston, the water does rise.

During her time representing District C, Kamin worked on flood mitigation, drainage improvements, disaster preparedness, public safety, parks, family-centered policies, domestic violence awareness, gun violence prevention, climate resilience, labor issues, and quality-of-life concerns. In her own farewell reflections to constituents, she pointed to projects like Turkey Gully and Beechnut drainage work, while also honoring the smaller but deeply personal victories — missed trash pickups resolved, water leaks addressed, and residents reminded that government can still pick up the phone and deliver.

That blend of big-picture policy and block-by-block service may be exactly what Harris County needs as Kamin prepares to succeed County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne. The County Attorney’s Office does not prosecute criminal cases; instead, it serves as the civil legal backbone for county government, advising elected officials, defending county actions, handling civil litigation, and protecting public interests. Kamin steps into the role after a season of rapid transition, with Christian Menefee having left the office to run for Congress and Fombonne serving in the interim.

photo

Kamin’s appointment was not without debate. Commissioners Court voted 3-2, with some officials raising concerns about the timing and process because Kamin is also the Democratic nominee for the November election. Still, supporters point to her legal background, council record, and public-service experience as reasons she is ready for the assignment.

Her own words offer the clearest window into the mission ahead. Kamin said she is “deeply honored” by the opportunity and pledged to “defend and protect” Harris County. She also framed the role through the lens of family, saying that as the first mother to serve as Harris County Attorney, she would fight for Harris County families with the same fierceness she brings to her own.

That message lands strongly in a county where families are watching legal battles over voting rights, local control, public safety, disaster recovery, reproductive freedom, environmental justice, and democracy itself. Kamin’s résumé includes civil rights and voting rights litigation, work with the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest Region, service in the Texas Legislature, and legal training from American University Washington College of Law. She also earned her undergraduate degree from Tulane University, where her experience as part of the “Katrina Class” helped shape her interest in local government and resilience.

Kamin’s transition also marks a new chapter for District C. Joe Panzarella has been sworn in as Houston’s new District C council member after winning the runoff to fill Kamin’s seat, allowing the district’s next era of representation to begin as Kamin prepares for countywide service.

As Harris County looks toward Tuesday, November 3, 2026, when voters will decide the county attorney race, Kamin enters the summer with both history on her shoulders and Houston in her stride. She will face Republican Jacqueline Lucci Smith in the general election.

For now, the pre-appointment moment is one of reflection and readiness. Abbie Kamin leaves City Hall having served through storms, civic strain, family milestones, neighborhood wins, and public pressure. She arrives at Harris County with legal experience, lived leadership, and a message that feels tailor-made for this region: protect families, defend democracy, and keep government working for the people.

Houston loves a builder. Harris County now gets a lawyer who has already spent years building — policy by policy, neighborhood by neighborhood, case by case, and constituent by constituent. And as history opens the door, Abbie Kamin appears ready to walk through it — briefcase in hand, Houston grit in her step, and families at the center of the fight.

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
4096658446

By Gracie Palmer

Click here for updates on this story

    SHELBY, North Carolina (WLOS) — The assault charge filed against a Shelby police officer is prompting renewed discussion about how law enforcement responds to people experiencing mental health crises.

Home security video obtained by CNN shows Shelby police officer Karson Hyder repeatedly punching 34-year-old Cherrie Moore during an arrest. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced on June 1 that Hyder was charged with one count of assault inflicting serious injury. Hyder turned himself in at the Cleveland County Detention Center at 10 a.m. on June 1, the SBI confirmed. He was then processed and released on a $10,000 secured bond.

He will be in Cleveland County court today to have electronic warrants assigned.

Moore’s father has said his daughter suffers from mental health issues.

News 13 spoke with Brandon McGaha, a staff representative with the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association. McGaha said Hyder, 22, is a member of the organization.

“Use of force situations are ugly. There’s no way to make them pretty. And they’re always going to look bad, especially when only part of the story is being released. That’s not anybody’s fault. That’s just kind of the way it must be,” McGaha said.

When asked whether situations like the one in Shelby are preventable, McGaha said it varies.

“You see some officers dealing with mental health crisis where they talk to the person, the person calms right down, right? And then you see the other ones where the uniform just sets the person off,” McGaha said.

He said training officers for these situations has improved over the years.

“For somebody who’s in crisis, it teaches you how to speak with that person and hopefully de-escalate the situation,” McGaha said.

At Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in their Basic Law Enforcement Training program, cadets are prepared for these instances.

“We train officers to take every situation differently. In order to use force, you have to have a good reason,” said Daryl Fisher, director of law enforcement training at A-B Tech.

“What we teach is whenever you are encountering someone who has any type of mental health issues is you want to make sure that you are not only dealing with the situation itself, but if that person needs some type of assistance, you try to get them that assistance,” Fisher said.

He said cadets also learn that their actions can have lasting consequences.

“Because if we don’t do things right, bad things happen, and our reputation is extremely important to us, not only as officers, but as trainers. We want to make sure we do things right,” Fisher 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 Angela Cifone

Click here for updates on this story

    HONOLULU (KITV) — When the earthquake struck, one local farmer says the damage inside his home was immediate.

“Everything that was glass or breakable was on the floor, broken. So took us a long time to even get outside to see what was going on,” said Colehour Bondera, a Farmer at Kanalani Ohana Farm.

But it wasn’t until he stepped outside that he discovered an even bigger problem.

“I heard water, and I lost my composure for a minute, because I knew it wasn’t raining,” said Bondera.

He followed the sound and found his farm’s water catchment tank had burst.

“I also knew at that moment there was nothing I was going to do about it, so I didn’t even look at it again. I just let it be, but I could tell from the flow of water that it was all history,” said Bondera.

Like hundreds of other residents who rely on catchment systems, he suddenly found himself without a reliable water supply.

He says finding replacement materials wasn’t easy and believes county officials need to be more proactive when disasters strike.

“I just think that we need sort of better emergency response capacity and treat an emergency like it’s an emergency,” said Bondera.

More than 150 people attended a community meeting at Yano Hall in South Kona last week to discuss recovery efforts.

Big Island Mayor Kimo Alameda says the county is working to connect residents with resources while pursuing additional funding.

“We’re kind of like the liaison; the county serves as a middle person, but we’re also looking for funding as well. States willing to help us, and so we’re exploring opportunities for funding,” said Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda.

The mayor says the county is helping residents access water, replacement liners, and federal assistance programs, while also reviewing lessons learned from this event.

“It’s a team approach, working with our residents, our farmers, with the county, but you know, the state and the feds, like we all got to work together to make sure that we’re ready for any disaster, including an earthquake,” said Alameda.

For some, the most reliable support so far is neighbors helping neighbors.

”I think in the shorter term, to answer your question, it has to just be community support, because there’s nothing else we can rely on,” said Bondera.

As recovery continues, many farmers say that community spirit may be their most valuable resource.

For more information, you can check out GHawai Farm Bureau at hfbf.org.

This is the website to submit comments and concerns to the county.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/mayor/comments-and-concerns

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 Tyra Tillman

Click here for updates on this story

    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Five former cruise ship passengers left UNMC’s quarantine unit and began finishing hantavirus monitoring at home.

Gov. Jim Pillen called it a positive development and said the departures were coordinated with UNMC, the CDC and health officials in the passengers’ home states.

In a statement, Pillen said no guest who posed a public health risk left the National Quarantine Unit “in an unsecured way or at an inappropriate time.”

Officials said the five passengers stayed symptom-free and will complete the rest of their 42-day monitoring period at home.

Travel was coordinated through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and local health departments. Officials said the passengers did not travel on commercial flights, and biocontainment measures were in place.

Thirteen other former passengers remain in Omaha for monitoring.

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.