Category: CNN Regional

By Morgan Trau

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio (WEWS) — Ohio leaders acknowledge that artificial intelligence should be regulated as both explicit and political content grows, but bills have remained stagnant. Now, they say they aren’t sure what they are able to enforce.

Political ads are required to come with some disclaimers, like who paid for them. But it’s getting even more difficult to tell what is real, because deepfakes — AI-generated pictures and videos — aren’t outlawed.

A video posted by a conservative political action committee called Ohio Flyer PAC features former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown sitting at a birthday party, refusing to leave. A woman in the video complains about the Democratic candidate, as text on the screen says, “THE PARTY’S OVER, SHERROD.” There is no admission that the video is AI.

In a contentious primary battle between two Republicans seeking the same state Senate seat, a mailer from candidate Craig Reidel includes an AI-generated photo of state Rep. Jim Hoops with drag queens. Another doctored animation, shown to me, has Hoops dunking on a teen girl while playing basketball, claiming that he supported males in female sports. From the images we obtained, no disclaimers were included. Reidel won the nomination.

“It is the government’s role to regulate responsibly new and emerging technologies,” House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) said.

Ohio doesn’t have regulations on the new-age type of AI-created content, but Isaacsohn said lawmakers have put forward a handful of bills to change that.

House Bill 185 would allow everyone to own their image, and it would be a trademark infringement to produce malicious content without someone’s consent. There could be civil penalties of tens of thousands of dollars.

H.B. 185 is further reaching, but a bipartisan bill introduced in 2024 would have required disclaimers on specifically election-related AI content.

House Bill 524 would establish penalties for developers whose AI models generate content encouraging self-harm or violence. The state would be able to investigate and impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation

Senate Bill 163 and House Bill 786 would prohibit AI-created child sexual abuse material. These would both make creating, transmitting and possessing AI-CSAM content criminal offenses. S.B. 163 would make it a third-degree felony, while H.B. 786 could result in a second-degree. That could result in up to eight years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

President Donald Trump also signed a bill into law last year that criminalizes AI-generated CSAM under federal law.

In April, a Columbus man became the first in the country convicted of creating this explicit and abusive material, the Department of Justice reported.

Gov. Mike DeWine, in his State of the State Address in March, advocated for these types of state provisions.

“Ohio law needs real consequences,” DeWine said. “The Ohio attorney general and county prosecutors must have clear legal tools to hold these tech companies criminally and civilly accountable.”

Despite little public opposition, each bill has stalled.

I asked each legislative leader why.

“Why hasn’t anything moved?” I asked House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima). There have been bipartisan bills about AI.”

“Well, I think, probably two or three points to make,” he responded.

Technology can be confusing, he said.

“It’s difficult for folks… to wrap our heads exactly around what it is that we can do to do this, or to effect good change,” the speaker said.

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said that he supports certain AI regulations, such as with pornographic material.

“I’m in favor of passing something that would address those issues, really make it illegal and put it on par with peddling other forms of obscene materials and child pornography,” McColley told me.

But there is a committee process that needs to play out, he said.

“I’m sure they have their reasons for taking time on these bills, and hopefully we’ll wind up somewhere here very shortly or before the end of the year,” the president added.

Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said that she is concerned about not handling artificial intelligence correctly and safely.

“I think we have to do our homework, and I don’t wanna see us just making knee-jerk responses and reactions to policy making without really doing a deep dive in what should this look like,” Antonio said.

Public safety concerns, like issues with children and sexual content, are important to “get in front of,” she said, but the legislation needs to be done right.

“We’re at the beginning of having these kinds of conversations and trying to understand the depth and breadth of what we can even do,” Antonio said.

Isaacsohn hammered that point home.

“We have to protect our communities and regulate this new technology in a responsible way,” he said. “It should come from the federal government, but no one believes that they’re going to do anything positive.”

What’s possible

Huffman brought up legal concerns, adding that the federal government has “far overreached” since 1803 (when Ohio became the 17th state).

“A state regulation of AI, that’s not just going to be within the state of Ohio,” Huffman said, noting that the feds typically rely on the Commerce Clause to stop statewide statutes impacting businesses.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year that punishes states that create their own AI regulations.

“My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones,” the White House executive order’s press release states. “The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order.”

A part of the executive order restricts states from accessing a portion of federal funding if their AI regulations are too “onerous.”

Congressional Republicans and the White House aren’t going to safeguard technology, Isaacsohn said.

“They are bought and paid for by the tech billionaires, and so it is incumbent on states, especially here in Ohio, for us to step up and protect our communities, particularly children, from the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence,” he said.

Trump’s order does state that he wants Congress to come up with a plan that does “ensure that children are protected.”

Ohio is one of five states that don’t have laws criminalizing AI CSAM, according to Enough Abuse, a child advocacy organization. Because federal law already exists making it a crime, this type of regulation likely wouldn’t violate the “onerous” warning in the executive order.

But the DOJ is already fighting some regulations. Colorado is currently in a legal battle with both xAI and the DOJ after it passed a law requiring tech developers to prevent “algorithmic discrimination,” which could result in “unlawful differential treatment” to users, according to the law.

AI companies have repeatedly said that their products are protected by the First Amendment.

“I don’t have a specific answer on AI,” Huffman told me. “But we’re going to work on it.”

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 Kenny Graves

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    BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Lawyers, business leaders and residents gathered at the Brazos County Administration Building for the 16th annual Atticus Finch Day, an event focused on promoting civility and ethics in the legal profession.

Shane Phelps, a local attorney who founded the event, said the day carries a simple but meaningful purpose.

“This idea that we get together once a year and promise each other we’ll try and do better,” Phelps said.

Phelps started Atticus Finch Day 16 years ago after a tense confrontation with a fellow lawyer nearly turned physical inside a courtroom.

“His face was red. I looked down and his hands were clenched. I had never seen that part of Phil before. He was a wonderful man. Um, and he looked at me and he just stared me in the eye and said, make my day, Phelps. I mean, he was ready to throw down in the courtroom,” Phelps said.

The two lawyers reconciled, and the experience inspired Phelps to create the annual event. He said it has had a real impact on the local legal community.

“When Atticus Finch Day, um, the inspiration occurred, the courthouse was a pretty unpleasant place to work. And today that’s not true,” Phelps said.

Eva Guzman, a former Texas Supreme Court Justice, attended the event and spoke to its broader significance for the legal profession.

“What a wonderful occasion to remind lawyers that we are stewards of the rule of law,” Guzman said.

Local attorney Josh Davis said the event stands out for the sense of community it builds among legal professionals.

“One of the reasons why I like this event so much, it, it celebrates the collegiality amongst attorneys,” Davis said.

Local resident Eusha Azmain said the lessons from the event extend beyond the courtroom.

“When you fight with opposing counsel, you see the amount of fervor they fight with, and just remember, you know what, they’re human beings as well, you know, and yeah, we are fighting in the courtroom. It’s nothing personal,” Azmain said.

Guzman said those lessons apply to everyday life as well.

“Treat your friends, your neighbors. Your people at the PTA like you’d like to be treated. You can disagree without being disagreeable,” Guzman said.

Phelps said he hopes the law students who attended will make ethics and civility a hallmark of their careers.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KXXV 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 Olivia Acree

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride will bring together thousands of people around the world Sunday to raise awareness and money for men’s mental health and prostate cancer research.

Between 100 and 150 riders are expected in Kansas City alone.

Leather jackets are traded for ties and suits as riders roll through downtown Kansas City.

Host Anthony Brower said the event is about more than the unexpected style — it’s about changing the conversation around men’s health.

“One of the stylistic images behind it was a photo or a scene of Don Draper from Mad Men sitting in a suit astride a motorcycle. And it was really just that incongruity of the idea… and their intention was to change the face of men’s health,” Brower said.

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place in more than 1,000 cities worldwide to raise money for Movember’s prostate cancer and mental health programs. The event also challenges stereotypes about both motorcyclists and men’s mental health.

According to the CDC, men account for nearly 80% of all suicide deaths in the U.S.

For Brower, the event has taken on a new and deeply personal meaning this year after his own brother died by suicide.

“I’ve been advocating for it for the last 12 years, and as much experience as I have talking about it, I never saw it coming. So you just don’t know what somebody’s hiding,” Brower said.

Every donation raised during the ride supports prostate cancer research, suicide prevention, and mental health resources.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB 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 Lily O’Shea Becker

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    LAWRENCE, Missouri (KSHB) — University of Kansas architecture students celebrated Friday the completion of their design and build of the Kaw House in North Lawrence, which will help community members transition out of homelessness.

Nonprofit Tenants to Homeowners purchased the land and worked with KU’s Dirt Works Studio class to build the first of eight tiny, affordable homes on the lot.

“As both a building and a teaching instrument, Kaw House stands as an example of how innovation in architecture can simultaneously advance sustainability, education and social good,” the press release about the development said.

In May 2024, the City of Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board said its goal is to add 1,200 affordable units to the city’s housing stock by 2029.

“We love working with Dirt Work Studio because, basically, there’s free student labor. They get a learning experience, and we get more affordable but higher-end houses,” Rebecca Buford, Tenants to Homeowner executive director, said.

Junior KU architecture student Camryn Strope said she could talk about the house’s tiling for 30 minutes. She knows the project inside and out, and showcased it Friday as people lined up out the door to take a look.

“It was crazy how much we (students) actually got to do,” Strope said. “I was doing electrical work, I was doing some of the plumbing, cutting things, using power tools — all these things I never thought I’d be doing myself.”

Students started designing the house in August 2025, and in March, the build process began and lasted eight weeks.

During the build, students met the woman who will move into the home.

“Just the joy I felt at seeing her appreciate someone looking out for her and providing a home for her was really special,” said Tori Schmidt, junior architecture student.

Federal, state and county funds and rental assistance programs will help keep the tiny homes affordable on a sliding scale for tenants, according to Buford.

Some of the units will be supportive housing, which can include on-site supportive services for people with disabilities, mental health conditions or chronic illnesses.

Buford said there is no time limit on how long a tenant can stay in their home.

“We have KU students learning about designing affordable housing. How great is that? Maybe they’ll go on to be architects and design more affordable housing, because that’s a special niche,” Buford said.

Students also focused on where their materials come from and what kind of environmental impact they have.

“We need to really focus on the impact we have as humans as a whole on our Earth,” Schmidt said. “That goes down every tiny building that we build. A small home can make a huge impact.”

The house marks the first project in Kansas to utilize mass plywood panel construction to enhance environmental performance. Other materials and features included in the project “create a highly insulated, air-tight building envelope that reduces embodied carbon, accelerates construction and supports long-term durability,” according to a press release from the University of Kansas.

“We’re all so passionate about it because it’s such a special project to us, and it’s so close to our hearts because it’s for such a good cause,” Strope said.

The junior KU student said her class has a story for each part of the house.

“It’s crazy because we physically left our mark here,” Schmidt said. “I can come back here whenever and be like, ‘I built that house.’”

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 Rachel Henderson

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — A Kansas City, Kansas, mother is speaking out after her son was shot and killed by a KCKPD officer Thursday morning.

Susan Aikichy called police late Wednesday night because her 27-year-old son, Jesse Fitzgerel, was drinking and causing a disturbance.

She said police told her they couldn’t do anything because he was a resident at the apartment complex.

Police said they received a second call from the same number the next morning.

Aikichy said she was not expecting officers to return Thursday. When they did, Fitzgerel was shot and killed.

She was just inches away when it happened.

“My son laid down here like a dog,” Aikichy said.

Aikichy retraced her exact steps leading up to the moment her son was shot.

She said the metal object police said Fitzgerel ran at an officer with was a spoon he used to cook chicken and rice — a meal she will always remember as his last.

Aikichy claimed her son was not trying to fight the officer, but push them off him.

Fitzgerel had just returned home in March after being released from prison and came back “changed.”

She described her son’s hobbies as listening to music and going to the park.

This year’s Mother’s Day was the first time he had been back with his mother in a long time.

“It’s really hurting me a lot,” Aikichy said.

Fitzgerel leaves behind three children.

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson reached out to Kansas City, Kansas, police to make them aware of Aikichy’s comments.

A spokesperson said the department stands by their report on the incident.

The KCKPD officer is currently on paid administrative leave.

Nikki Richardson with Justice for Wyandotte said her organization supports families like Aikichy’s, particularly with victim services.

Richardson is calling for the body camera footage to be made public, and for KCKPD’s use-of-force policy to be reexamined.

“I am grateful that we’re not out here every month, but we don’t want to be out here at all,” Richardson said.

Aikichy left with a message for other parents to protect their children.

She said she doesn’t want any parent to experience what she is feeling.

“It’s really hurting me,” Aikichy said.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB 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 Lily O’Shea Becker

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    LAWRENCE, Missouri (KSHB) — Many parents and grandparents are used to being in the audience to cheer their loved ones on, but that won’t be the case for a group of people 55 years and older this July in Lawrence.

Theatre Lawrence began rehearsing “Guys and Dolls Sr.” — a version of the Broadway show for those who are above the age of 55 — on Tuesday.

“We’re the first theater in the whole region to do a Broadway Senior — not Kansas City, not Topeka, not Ottawa,” said Bruce Douglas, Vintage Players director at Theatre Lawrence.

The cast was so large, theater staff had to grab more tables and chairs to accommodate everyone for the first rehearsal Tuesday.

“It’s being able to do what I love at a point in my life when I didn’t think I was going to be able to do this,” said Jeff Lady, who will be playing the lead role of “Sky Masterson.”

For Lady, the audition held a surprise.

“I turned around and it was Terry, and we just screamed and hugged each other,” Lady said. “It made it a very comfortable audition.”

In the role of “Masterson,” Lady will be playing opposite “Sarah Brown,” who will be played by Terry Thoelke.

“We were shocked when we saw each other at auditions because we haven’t seen each other in several years,” Thoelke said. “We first met 42 years ago when we were working in a show at Worlds of Fun.”

For several people in the rehearsal room, Tuesday was about getting together with friends. For others, it was about making new ones.

“A big part of the point of this is to let other people know you can do this too, you don’t ever have to stop being a kid, you don’t ever have to stop having fun, and in a way, you don’t have to grow up,” Lady said.

The performances will be held July 17, 18 and 19 at Theatre Lawrence, located at 4660 Bauer Farm Drive.

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By CJ Maclin

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    BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma (KJRH) — Students with opportunity gaps at Arts @ 302, a free after-school arts program in Broken Arrow, created an art car designed to reflect the mental health struggles children face every day.

The car, named Aumbre, was donated by the president of First National Bank, who requested the design include flames. Julian Delesdernier, director of Arts @ 302, added a stipulation: the flames had to connect to a mental health message.

The result layers words of negativity and hatred throughout the flames while raining down affirmations and positive words from a cloud above. The design represents the mental struggle people face and how they can beat themselves up — but also the idea that someone is always there to pick you up.

“They were writing stuff about simple things like homework but then other things like body image stuff like that. The kids even though their young their thinking about these things at a young age and its being engraved in them through different things like social media and peer pressure. In the flames you will see the words of negativity but from up top we have things like harmony, creativity, community, all the kinds of positive things that kids can think about to try and weigh out that negativity,” Delesdernier said.

The project comes as data shows Oklahoma children are facing a growing mental health crisis. According to the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, 60 percent of Oklahoma’s children and youth experience high or moderate psychological distress. Almost 20 percent consider suicide, and almost 10 percent have tried at least once.

Aumbre will be on display at the 95th Roosters Day Parade this weekend in Broken Arrow.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KJRH 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 Brodie Myers

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    TULSA, Oklahoma (KJRH) — As bikers from across the region enjoy the Black Wall Street Rally, some public art is drawing eyeballs. A window at Tulsa’s Living Arts Gallery, shows the American flag made of nooses.

Able Dodd is one of the bikers in town for the rally. He is visiting Tulsa from Phoenix. 2 News Oklahoma listened to his reaction.

“Well, I thought it was odd. I was interested in knowing what the representation was, and wanted to find out more about it,” Dodd said, “I think a lot of people are gonna ignore it, you know? It’s got a lot of bad taste in a noose.”

2 News Oklahoma spoke to others too. Some had not seen it. Others were too shook up for an interview.

Leaders at Living Arts declined the chance for an interview, but did accept questions over email. At press time, they had not responded to those questions.

The exhibit extends throughout the whole floor of the gallery, including supplemental pieces. Leaders say it is part of a commentary on the death penalty and prisons.

“We encourage the public to come in during gallery hours to see the works in totality rather than briefly from outside through a window. To understand the magnitude and significance of the exhibition, the works should be explored and viewed together, not taken out of context.”

Despite the context, some question the timing.

“I don’t know if the timing has anything to do with anybody. Everybody’s here to enjoy themselves. I guess nobody wants to say anything negative about something that’s been going on over so many years,” Dodd said.

The exhibit is scheduled to close on May 23.

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 Logan Smith

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    Colorado (KCNC) — State and county authorities took possession of dozens of bison from a private ranch in northwestern Colorado on Saturday and expect to charge the owner with multiple counts of cruelty to animals.

The owner, however, claimed that his bison are raised drug-free and healthy and only appear thin compared to other commercial livestock.

The Moffat County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the herd a month ago “in an effort to remediate ongoing concerns regarding the care and condition of the animals,” MCSO stated in a press release. “Despite those efforts, investigators determined that further action was necessary to protect the welfare of the animals involved.”

Approximately 90 animals were removed from the Lay Valley Bison Ranch, located between Craig and Maybell, on Saturday. Personnel from the Colorado Bureau of Animal Protection and the Colorado State Veterinary Office assisted Moffat County during the seizure of the animals.

Two bison died during the operation. Two other bison and a mule “were humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering,” according to the sheriff’s office.

“It was pretty rough on the buffalo, the roundup,” Lay Valley owner Dan Martin told CBS Colorado a day later, using a more general term to describe the animals.

Martin said he has been raising buffalo for 45 years. For the last 30 years, they’ve been raised without antibiotics, growth hormones, or grains.

“I do my animals natural,” Martin said. “They’re always on the slender side. People now think they should be a little fatter, more robust.”

His animals are turned loose on pasture grass, Martin said, and supplemented with a high-protein alfalfa hay. They will not look like beef cattle at the National Western Stock Show, he added.

“I’m not trying to impress you with size,” Martin said. “Today’s people have pushed the buffalo a little harder. I don’t believe in that. (Lay Valley bison) do get fed. I don’t think they were unhealthy at all.”

John Graves, the current President of Rocky Mountain Bison Association, co-owner of JG Bison in Sheridan, Wyoming, and former Ralphie program manager at CU Boulder, says the animal protection authorities are professionals. He has spoken to Martin, the sheriff’s office, and the state board of agriculture, but he has not seen the seized bison or their body condition scores.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for everyone involved,” Graves said Sunday. “They (authorities) never want to get to the situation where they have to seize animals. It’s a last resort.”

But, he added, “Dan knows what he’s doing. Bison are vastly different than lay cattle. They might appear like their bones are sticking out more than beef cattle. They lose weight naturally over the winter and look ‘raggedy’ when they lose their hair. To the average person, comparing bison to beef cattle is different. Bison appear to be much more slender. They’re lean animals by nature.”

Bison typically lose 10% of their body weight during winter, then fatten up during the summer, according to Graves.

The 2022 U.S. Census counted 9,555 head of bison in Colorado private herds, according to the Rocky Mountain Bison Association. That was the fifth-highest bison count among U.S. states. Colorado then had the second-most bison producers in the country. The average herd size that year was 87 head.

The seized Lay Valley bison are being cared for and evaluated, according to the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office press release.

In that release, MCSO included photos of bones and skulls, presumably of deceased bison, and presumably taken on the Lay Valley property. No explanation was provided.

Martin acknowledged piling bison carcasses in a gulley for erosion control. The image shows dead animals he has placed there for 45 years.

“Every rancher loses some animals,” he said. “Nobody likes to see an animal die. But it’s a natural thing to contend with when you’re raising animals.”

Graves also called the selection a single site for the disposal of deceased animals, “standard practice.”

Martin stated that 85% of the animals seized “were in pretty fair shape.”

The ones not in fair shape, he said, were the result of inbreeding in a closed herd. He explained that he tries to breed stronger animals within the herd and does not bring in outside stock. This gets him superior animals when the genes “match up,” as Martin described. But he admits this also creates a greater risk of genes “not matching up,” as he put it, and weaker animals – runts – are produced. These, he tries to give a couple of years of good life before an early slaughter.

Martin said he is being charged $10/day per animal for the animals that were seized.

“Not a bad rate,” he said, “but I can’t afford to stay in business too long at that rate.”

He wants the case before a judge as soon as possible. He will argue that the disagreement is a matter of different management styles, and not one of neglect or abuse.

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.