Category: CNN Regional

By Maggie Bryan

Click here for updates on this story

    BOULDER, Colorado (KMGH) — One year after the deadly firebombing on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, survivor Ed Victor is reflecting on the attack and the fight against antisemitism.

Victor said he had joined more than a dozen peaceful demonstrations at Pearl Street with the local chapter of Run For Their Lives, an organization formed to call for the release of hostages held in Gaza. On June 1, 2025, a man targeted the group during their weekly rally, unleashing a makeshift flamethrower and throwing Molotov cocktails at participants.

Witnesses said the man yelled “Free Palestine” before targeting the group. More than a dozen people were hurt and 82-year-old Karen Diamond later died from her injuries in the antisemitic attack.

Victor said the group had lined up in front of the courthouse when the man targeted them.

“Suddenly it felt like glass was broken… and then I felt heat on my leg and then just turned, and a woman was on fire,” Victor said.

He said he and others scrambled to extinguish the flames using the only things within reach: the banners and flags they had been carrying moments before.

“It took too long. It’s horrible. And then my friend at the very end, finally put his body over her to get the last of the flames out,” Victor said. “One person is a tragedy, but his intention was to kill us all. I mean, he had a dozen Molotov cocktails.”

The Department of Justice said authorities found a handwritten document in the vehicle driven by the attacker, which said “Zionism is our enemies until [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land,” and further described Israel as a “cancer entity.”

When asked how he interprets the phrase “Free Palestine” since the attack, Victor said he thinks of it as a call to “kill the Jews.”

“I personally feel threatened when that phrase is being used, wherever it is being used,” Victor said. “Other people might use it as a rallying cry for their own reasons but I think it’s important for them to recognize not everybody’s going to hear a rallying cry.”

Victor also cautioned against conflating the actions of the Israeli government in the Gaza War with the Jewish people as a whole.

“It’s very difficult for me to help parse what happens in Gaza with Israel,” he said. “But the Israeli government is not Israel. The same way the U.S. government, and whoever our leader currently is in power, is not all of America. When people think about Israel, think about the Jewish people and separate that from the Israeli government.”

State Senator Iman Jodeh, who is Palestinian and Colorado’s first Muslim lawmaker, also spoke to Denver7 about the one year mark since the attack.

“What happened in Boulder was absolutely horrific, and my heart continues to be with the victim’s family and those that were injured and understandably shaken,” Jodeh said. “A year ago I was proud of the Muslim community for stepping up and standing with the Jewish community, especially in Boulder, understanding that you know what was happening was incredibly difficult and really wanting to make sure that we recenter what we all wanted to see and that was in fact peace and that his actions did not reflect our faith.”

For Victor, the one year remembrance of the attack is also a moment of personal transformation. He said the incident pushed him to step out of the anonymity he had long maintained as a Jewish man.

“I’ve always been anonymous. I am Ed Victor. You would not know I’m Jewish, and I decided on that day, at that time, at that moment, to put myself out there and to admit that I’m Jewish, and not just to literally hide behind my anonymity,” Victor said.

He said he now finds more power in advocating for Jewish identity and safety, and said his experience has become a source of momentum.

“For me personally, I’ve used my experience, I use it as propulsion. But I see other people still suffering in their grief and loss, and not sure what to do next,” Victor said. “The best way to push back against, I’ll say, Jew hate, demonizing Jews is to recognize when other people are feeling uncomfortable and pushed out of spaces, and to realize that some people are doing that.”

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 Mythili Gubbi

Click here for updates on this story

    OGDEN, Utah (KSTU) — A little girl’s trip to the emergency room a few years ago inspired a family’s mission to help others. The Mack family is trying to help kids in scary situations, one stuffed animal at a time.

“It’s scary for little people; they just don’t know,” said Alex Wilson, the emergency room manager at Ogden Regional Medical Center.

Wilson says kids can be frightened at hospitals if they are hurt or if they see a sick loved one. So having something like a stuffed animal to give them can help calm kids down.

“It’s just that little extra something that helps, that gives them that comfort and makes things better,” said Wilson.

The nonprofit “Savvy’s Stuffies” is helping keep hospital shelves stocked with comfort bears for the staff to give out.

“We are donating stuffies to hospitals to make people smile,” said 7-year-old Savannah Mack. The nonprofit is named after her because of an experience they had a few years ago.

“February of 2022, Savannah fell and we had to take her to the hospital,” said her dad, Stephen Mack. “When she got there, all she wanted was her teddy bear. The medical staff there were so fast, so quick on their feet, they blew up a medical glove and drew a face on it, and gave it to her to comfort her.”

After that, they decided to find a way to help make sure every child gets the support they need.

In May, the Mack family brought almost 100 stuffed teddy bears to MountainStar Healthcare’s Ogden Regional Medical Center.

“We try and make smaller deliveries like this because we know you guys have only so much storage,” Stephen said.

The family says they have given more than 800 bears to different hospitals, foster care organizations and law enforcement agencies to hand out to kids.

“Makes us feel great to know that our teddy bears are going to a great cause and that they’ll help,” Stephen added.

Stephen said what they do is more than just about helping kids but also teaching his daughter valuable lessons.

“It’s not always about receiving; it’s good to think outside of ourselves and give back,” he said.

Hospital staff said what they do is making a difference, whether it’s to comfort kids or help explain to them what care could look like.

“It is so helpful for us to have just that little bit of something else that we know that we have, and that we can get it for them in a moment’s notice. To see those kids’ faces, it just lights up the room when you walk in with a little stuffed animal,” said Wilson.

“We just want to give as many teddy bears out as we can,” Stephen added.

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 WABC News Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    NEW YORK, New York (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is making sure that New York City schools students can stay up late to watch the Knicks play in the NBA Finals.

The mayor was joined by a group of students Monday morning to sign an executive order that repeals bedtime so the kids can stay up late to watch the Knicks.

“Bedtime is repealed! All of you can watch the Finals,” the mayor declared.

Game 1 of the finals is Wednesday night on ABC 7.

After Mamdani signed the executive order, a group of children crowded around him at City Hall to “sign” it with their handprints.

On Wednesday, ahead of Game 1, Mornings @ 10 will be live from Madison Square Garden. Then at 7:30 p.m., we’ll have the Countdown to Tip-off. That’s followed by NBA Tip-off at 8:00 p.m., and then Game 1 starts at 8:30 p.m.

Plus, Ryan Field, Sam Ryan, and Anthony Johnson will all be on the road in San Antonio. You can watch their reports on Eyewitness News.

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 Eric Graves

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Argentina national team is settling in at a place not many would have imagined them being even a year ago.

The Origin Hotel along the Berkley Riverfront in Kansas City, Missouri, is decked out in Argentina colors and has two giant banners on the south side of the hotel featuring Messi’s face.

Most of the defending World Cup champions arrived from Argentina on Sunday morning at Kansas City International Airport.

However, the star of the show didn’t get in until that night. Messi arrived in a private jet from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Kansas City’s downtown airport.

As the team arrived at the Origin Hotel, so did international media and Argentina fans.

Come Monday morning, people living in some of the hundreds of apartments right next door to Argentina’s hotel started to notice something was up.

“I had no idea they were living this close to me,” said Belle Simecka, who was taking a walk along the riverfront with Kayla Ruther.

On their morning stroll, they also happened to see two team personnel in full Argentina apparel walking the same route.

“We were walking around today and we saw the coaches and you’re like, ‘They must be close by,'” said Ruther. “But we didn’t know where.”

More and more locals passed by the Origin Hotel. Some also didn’t realize Argentina would be so close. Others were well aware one of the best soccer players ever is now their new next-door neighbor.

Riverfront visitors Michael Taylor and Mary Brooks drove in from Overland Park to ride the streetcar for the day. They’re hoping Messi and Co. do the same and check out what Kansas City has to offer.

“They need to go to the Kauffman Center, Union Station,” said Brooks. “They need to go and walk the Plaza.”

As the day went on, the crowd outside the Origin Hotel grew. Argentina planned to leave the hotel at 5 p.m. to head to Compass Minerals National Performance Center for the team’s first training session in Kansas City.

Kansas City, Kansas, resident but native Argentine Jose Miguel stopped by for the second time on Monday, hoping to get a glimpse of or a picture with Messi.

“I never thought, you know, Kansas is going to be a place, they’re going to stay here,” Miguel said. “I love this, you know, yesterday we came, and we just tried to see him.”

Right around 5 p.m., players loaded onto a bus on the opposite side of the hotel from where the crowd was waiting.

Despite not seeing Messi board the motorcoach, fans outside still cheered loudly as the players, led by a KCK police escort, headed to their first training session.

Argentina will stay at the Origin Hotel throughout the World Cup, giving locals hope of seeing their new soccer superstar neighbors walking along the riverfront.

“I hope I go grab some coffee at 8 a.m. and I just run into Messi,” Simecka 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 Pepper Purpura

Click here for updates on this story

    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — Every graduation gown tells a story.

For Marshalltown High School graduate Carter Nunn, his gown came with more than two decades of history already stitched into it.

The blue graduation gown Nunn wore Sunday has been passed from family to family since 2003. Over the years, it has been worn by seven Marshalltown graduates from three different families, all connected through the Marshalltown Community School District.

For many graduates, a cap and gown represent years of hard work, friendships and memories. For Nunn, it also represented a tradition larger than himself.

“I just can’t really put it into words,” Nunn said after the ceremony.

Nunn’s family is the third to receive the gown. Like the two families before them, the Nunns are an educator family with three sons.

“We’re the third family to have this gown, and it’s been passed down in Marshalltown amongst educator families that have three boys,” said Nunn’s mother, Mandi, who is an elementary teacher.

The tradition began with another Marshalltown teacher’s family in 2003. After all three of her sons graduated wearing the gown, it was passed to Amy Williams, a Marshalltown principal with three boys.

Williams’ sons wore the same gown when they graduated in 2016, 2021 and 2022.

“Once my three boys used that, I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve now had two families with three boys. Why don’t we keep that tradition going?'” Williams said.

After her youngest son graduated, Williams passed the gown to the Nunn family, where it sat waiting for four years until Carter’s graduation day arrived.

Along with the cap and gown came a box documenting its journey. Each graduate who wears it signs the box before passing it on to the next family.

After Sunday’s ceremony, Nunn added his name to the list.

“It’s cool to be a part of this tradition,” he said. “And I just can’t wait to hand it down to my brothers and then see who gets it next.”

The tradition is far from over.

Nunn is the oldest of three brothers, meaning the gown will be worn by at least two more times before it leaves the family’s hands.

“I hope that they see their brother as a role model,” Mandi Nunn said. “Seeing him in it and being able to wear that and feel that nostalgia, that they’re wearing something that these seven men, as well as other Bobcats, wore, is pretty cool.”

As graduates crossed the stage Sunday, the blue gown blended in with hundreds of others.

But for the families who have shared it for more than 20 years, it’s become much more than a graduation costume. It’s a piece of Marshalltown history.

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 Kelby Wingert

Click here for updates on this story

    MUSCATINE, Iowa (KCCI) — Seven people, including a suspected gunman, are dead following a series of shootings Monday that authorities say stemmed from a domestic dispute involving members of the same family.

The Muscatine Police Department said officers were dispatched at approximately 12:12 p.m. Monday to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 200 block of Park Avenue.

When officers and emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found four people inside the home suffering from gunshot wounds. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators quickly identified the suspected shooter as Ryan Willis McFarland, 52, of Muscatine. Police said McFarland had left the residence before officers arrived.

Authorities located McFarland on the Riverfront Trail near the pedestrian bridge. He was suffering from what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers and emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but McFarland was pronounced dead at the scene.

As the investigation unfolded, police developed information suggesting additional victims could be involved.

Officers subsequently discovered an adult male dead from an apparent gunshot wound inside a residence at 1509 Mill St. Investigators later responded to a business at 808 Grandview Ave., where they found another adult male who had also died from an apparent gunshot wound.

In total, seven people died in the shootings, including the suspect.

Police said preliminary findings indicate the shootings were the result of a domestic dispute. Investigators believe all of the victims were family members of McFarland.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims pending notification of family members.

The Muscatine Police Department is leading the investigation with assistance from the Muscatine Fire Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The investigation remains active as detectives continue processing the crime scenes and conducting interviews with witnesses.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Lt. David O’Connor of the Muscatine Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at 563-263-9922, extension 608. Anonymous tips will be accepted.

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

Click here for updates on this story

    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — What started off as a day celebrating his 4-year-old son turned into a day full of grief for the whole family.

“Gigi killed my daddy,” said Pepe Sikisi-Belle Jr.’s son, Ja’aire.

Saturday was meant to be a day full of celebration for young Ja’aire’s fourth birthday, until gunshots went off in Center Street Park.

“He had to die on his son’s birthday,” said Marissa Bopilo, Pepe Sikisi-Belle’s mother. “That’s something that his son is always going to remember. My dad died on my birthday.”

Bopilo says an argument broke out at the party when a woman they once considered family pulled out a gun and shot Bopilo’s son twice.

“She told him, ‘I’m going to kill you,'” said Bopilo. “‘I’m going to kill you,’ and then she killed him.”

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office says a 25-year-old woman with two firearms was arrested at the scene.

“Why would you bring two guns?” said Bopilo. “Not one, but two guns, to a kid’s party. If it is conflict, you could’ve just picked up your car and left. There was no threat.”

Now, Pepe’s loved ones are mourning the man who they say kept their family together and could always put a smile on their face.

“He was a good person,” said Damanique Mcadory, Pepe Sikisi-Belle’s family member. “He was a dad. He was a friend. He was family, and he just didn’t deserve this.”

His family says they won’t rest until there is justice.

“I want to see justice,” said Bopilo. “I don’t want to see her ever be free.”

CBS 58 is not naming the woman arrested in connection to this shooting at this time, because she hasn’t been formally charged.

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.