Category: CNN Regional

By Keith BieryGolick

Click here for updates on this story

    NEWPORT, Kentucky (WCPO) — When I ask Emily Robbins what she’d be doing if I weren’t here, she responds quickly.

“Working,” she said.

Robbins is a family attorney in Newport, a job she says requires her to be on her feet a lot — a difficult job that she says has been made much more difficult because of a problem in her neck.

“I had no idea just how debilitating a neck injury could be,” Robbins said. “And so I tried everything.”

Physical therapy. Two steroid injections. Massage therapy. More medications than she can list.

She describes the way she felt like this: “My body was a broomstick and my head was a bowling ball that at any point was going to tip over.”

All because of a herniated disc in her neck. Something that sent pain shooting down her arm, so much so that she once called her mom because she thought she was having a heart attack.

“It was that horrible,” Robbins said.

For months, the 30-year-old said she was misdiagnosed. And then, because of her age, she said people told her not to have surgery.

“I think there’s a stigma about having neck and back surgery,” Robbins said.

She felt it every day, when all she could do was lie down after work — forget having dinner with friends.

“It was lonely,” Robbins said. “It’s hard for people to understand that.”

Then, a doctor at Mayfield Brain and Spine recommended putting an artificial disc into her neck. It’s a procedure the surgeon tells me he’s performing more and more.

“The pain that people get from a herniated disc is unbearable,” said Dr. Bryan Krueger, an attending neurosurgeon there. “Life as you know it is essentially over.”

Krueger tells me the typical surgery would put more pressure on other joints, but an artificial disc helps maintain normal movement in the spine. That’s especially important when someone like Robbins has so much more life to live.

“When we operate on somebody in their late 20s, we have to think about the downstream effects of it on the rest of their life,” Krueger said. “This is what Emily needed to feel better.”

And at the coffee shop near her work, somewhere she once couldn’t even walk to, Robbins runs into a friend. Someone who remembers an embarrassing picture of her in a neck brace. Someone who is happy they can now go on longer walks together.

Someone who is happy she had surgery.

Please note: 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 Stephanie Stahl

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Philadelphia nurse is sharing the power of art, weaving her way through life as an artist and health care provider.

Taking care of people and knowing about their medical conditions supplies this nurse with all kinds of ideas for her art.

Weaving, creating art – this is what Linda Ruggiero does when she’s not working as a nurse at Penn Medicine.

“I definitely get my inspiration a lot from those experiences in the lab and in other areas of nursing,” Ruggiero said.

In the cardiac catheterization lab, she was inspired by all the tubing and stents. She explains this creation, depicting what happens when there’s a troubled artery.

The heart is such a great metaphor for artwork and for opening up and healing and life,” Ruggiero said. “And so it was sort of easy to make that connection.”

Ruggiero was a neuroscience researcher before she decided to become a nurse seven years ago.

“I just liked the learning aspect,” she said.

Early in her nursing career, COVID hit, and Penn was bombarded with sick and dying patients. Ruggiero was on the front lines at the hospital.

“It was terrible and it was so heartbreaking,” she said, “and it just felt like it wouldn’t stop.”

Making art became her salvation during those dark days of the pandemic.

“The piece is called ‘Contained’ because we have this sense of trying to contain this virus that really was not contained at all in any form,” Ruggiero said.

There are two pieces about COVID: one a mess of yarn and the other a little more organized.

“This was sort of our trying to keep things tidy and contained, with it sort of seeping out on the sides. And this is what I felt like it was in reality, just kind of chaotic,” she said.

Now, her art is more focused on patients and families in Philadelphia, struggling with gun violence and drug addiction.

“Being creative has always kind of helped me, like, feel better,” Ruggiero said.

And as if she’s not already busy enough, the Penn Medicine nurse also teaches weaving. Ruggiero said that in her early 20s, she started knitting as something to do on the bus.

Please note: 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 Liz Crawford, Ed Specht

Click here for updates on this story

    DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Letters written during World War II were finally received by the soldier’s family in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, more than 80 years after they were sent.

It’s all thanks to a postage collector on a mission and a social media post. CBS News Philadelphia was there when a brother and sister opened the previously sealed letters their late father sent to his parents in 1944.

Sitting in a home in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, siblings Kathleen Morris Rosati and John Morris held three unopened letters addressed to their grandmother, Mrs. Francis Morris of Drexel Hill, sent by their father, Jimmy Morris, while he was serving in the 83rd Thunderbolt Division of the U.S. Army during the war.

According to the National World War II Museum, between 1942 and 1945, more than 1 billion letters, known as V-mail, were processed, however three of those letters weren’t opened until 2025 thanks to Erik Martin, a postage collector in Massachusetts who ordered a batch of war envelopes online.

“This batch had four letters to the same woman, and I saw that three of them were still sealed, so I’ve never seen that before,” Martin told CBS News Philadelphia.

He became determined to find the descendants of Mrs. Francis Morris, so Martin posted the information he had about the letters on a Drexel Hill Facebook page. That helped lead to the connection within a day. From there, Martin mailed the letters to the Morris family in Delaware County.

On Monday, the two siblings sat together as they opened the historic family letters.

“Oh my gosh, it’s just incredible. … I feel like my dad’s right here with me,” Morris Rosati said.

All three letters were written between May and June of 1944, right around D-Day, when their father was stationed in England. Here’s some of what the letters said:

Dear Mom and Pop, Well I’m back in England now. I don’t know how long we’ll stay but write me anyhow…I had a very nice trip coming here…they lost my bags in the train. I sure hope they find them so I can get them back. I’m fine and I hope this letter finds you all at home the same. Your loving son, Jimmy. I hope to see you soon.

Dear Mom, Pop and all, Here it is Sunday again and I am fine. Hope this letter finds you all the same at home. I am okay and I am sure it won’t be much longer until I’m back home again. I got a letter from Grandma the other day. I’ll write you again soon. Your loving son, Jimmy.

Dear Mom, Pop, and all, Just a few lines to let you know I am okay and I hope this letter finds you all well at home. I haven’t had any mail since I’ve been in England and that doesn’t make me so happy. If there’s one thing I miss, it’s my mail. I hope little Billy is off and running around again. Tell the little rascal I was asking for him. I will close for now and I’ll write again soon. Give everyone my best regards. Lots of love, Your loving son, Jimmy.

Both children recognized their father’s handwriting and felt the sentiment of each letter confirms what they’d always known about their father — his family meant everything to him, even back then when he was just 19 years old.

“Here he is all the way from home and what’s getting him through is thinking about his family,” Morris Rosati said.

Coincidentally, the siblings received the letters the same week their father would have turned 101. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 81.

“When you look at the state of the world today and some of the things that are happening, in a way, I’m glad Dad’s not here to see it, but this comes at a time when I just feel like he’s telling me it’s going to be OK,” Morris Rosati said.

Jimmy Morris was one of five brothers who all served in World War II. They all came home and lived long lives. After the war, Jimmy Morris spent most of his career as a mail carrier in Delaware County, and his children said he took great pride in making sure each piece of mail made it to its intended destination.

“They certainly were the greatest generation. My dad could do anything, fix anything,” John Morris said.

The siblings said their father didn’t talk about the war with them, but he loved his country deeply and flew an American flag every day.

Please note: 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 Lisa Rozner

Click here for updates on this story

    NEW YORK CITY, New York (WCBS) — A Jewish student says antisemitic graffiti was found on his freshman dorm door at New York University last week.

The disturbing incident comes as NYPD data shows anti-Jewish hate crimes are on the rise in New York City.

“Free Palestine,” “Jew” scrawled on student’s door

Police say the act of hate happened on Sept. 9 at around 11:30 p.m., when the 18-year-old student, who had stepped out for a late-night snack, saw graffiti on his door inside Weinstein Hall saying “Free Palestine” and “Jew,” along with an image that appeared to be that of a pig.

The student did not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation, but he first reported it to End Jew Hatred campus coordinator Daisy Kahn.

“He is feeling really scared and startled,” Kahn said. “We talked to him about the importance of reporting, that he has rights.”

In a letter to the community the next day, the university’s president said, in part, “The targeting of a Jewish student is inexcusable raw hatred. As a campus, we must speak with a single voice in condemning this act. NYU has a zero-tolerance policy towards antisemitism and other forms of hatred.”

“The university has already taken steps to install security cameras in the dorm,” Kahn said. “However, the mere fact that a student thought that it was okay to write these antisemitic slurs on his door means that NYU is not doing enough.”

Hate crimes against Jews are up, NYPD says

The NYPD said it is investigating the incident as criminal mischief and the investigation is ongoing.

“Just saying the words ‘Free Palestine,’ you know, seemed a little innocuous, like you’re for the Palestinians, you’re for people’s human rights, and then it says ‘Jew.’ Whoever graffiti’d this person’s door is telling the world that antizionism is antisemitism today,” said Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience.

Last year, the NYPD reported 54% of all hate crimes were against jews. During the first quarter of 2025, that number rose to 62%.

“Every student is entitled to their civil rights, and to learn free from harassment,” Kahn said.

NYU said the graffiti was cleaned up and support is being provided for the student.

Please note: 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 Hall

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — One small business owner in Massachusetts is thrilled about the possibility that a deal could be reached to save TikTok in the United States. President Trump is set to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss the deal.

Michelle Silva, owner of Kali Rose Boutique, says that the app transformed her business.

“TikTok came in and overnight a viral video took off, and we went from I would say about 500 orders to about 20,000 orders overnight,” she said. “It was impressive.”

She has made more than $1 million in sales through the app alone.

“The power of TikTok. We post our warehouse sales, and people are driving from all over the place, showing up here and we have thousands of people coming to our warehouse sale from TikTok,” Silva said.

“TikTok has been a complete game changer for us with the growth that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” she said. “We’ve moved into a larger space, and it would definitely be detrimental if it were to go away, but we are very hopeful and positive that won’t be the case.”

Tripled size of operation Kali Rose Boutique has more than tripled the size of its operation. The brand now operates out of a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and employs more than 50 people.

“Of course you would always love that but it’s not even a thought that crossed my mind, until all of a sudden it’s viral video after viral video and gaining traction of thousands and thousands of followers,” she said.

Silva said she is just grateful for all that the app has done to help her business grow.

Why is TikTok banned? TikTok was banned due to national security threats as a Chinese company owns the app. U.S. officials said that it could be used to spy on the U.S. public and used to influence the population.

Trump has extended the app’s deadline several times since taking office. But the Supreme Court has upheld the decision to ban the app and said that it does not violate the First Amendment.

For more information about why TikTok is banned, click here.

Please note: 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 Emma Benson

Click here for updates on this story

    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL, KSL TV) — A Utah teacher is preparing to return to the classroom after doctors at Intermountain Health used cutting-edge 3D modeling and robotic technology to save her kidney.

When Sarah Machol suffered a painful kidney stone attack, she never imagined what doctors would discover next: a seven-centimeter cyst on her left kidney.

“I was stuck in the bathtub all night. I was in so much pain,” she said.

At first, she was told the kidney couldn’t be saved.

That changed when she sought a second opinion from Dr. Richard Matern, the lead robotics and surgical specialties surgeon for Intermountain Health’s Canyons Region.

“He actually let me see my CT scan, which I had never seen what this looked like or how it was impacting my body internally,” Machol said.

Using new state-of-the-art technology, Machol’s CT scan was converted into a 3D model by the system. That model was then integrated directly into the console of the Da Vinci 5 surgical robot.

Previously, surgeons could only view 3D images on a separate device, like a phone or tablet. That meant constantly looking away from the operating console to study the images, then going back to the surgery. Now, with the new system, the 3D model appears inside the console itself, so surgeons can manipulate and study it in real time while they operate.

Intermountain LDS Hospital was the first in the world to use the 3D model viewer in the DV5 robot.

“We can use the controls, we can look at the model, manipulate it while we’re looking at what we’re seeing inside of the patient,” he said. “It helped us be more efficient.”

The result: remarkable precision. Matern was able to remove the tumor, while saving 60% of Machol’s kidney — greatly lowering her risk of chronic kidney disease.

Machol says the experience still feels surreal.

“It feels like science fiction,” she said. “When I rolled into the ER, I saw all these advanced instruments, and I couldn’t believe that this was about to happen to me.”

Machol went home the same day. Now, just weeks later, she says she’s ready to get back to teaching third grade.

“I’m going to be back in the classroom next Monday — I can’t believe it,” she said.

Not only was Intermountain LDS Hospital the first in the world to use this advanced technology, doctors say it could transform surgeries well beyond kidneys.

“I think we’re just getting started on the advances with robotics,” Matern said. “I think we’re going to see a lot of steps forward, a lot of advances are going to be made with imaging-type things like 3D modeling.”

Please note: 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 Suzanne Phan

Click here for updates on this story

    CROCKETT, California (KGO) — A teenager watching a sideshow in the East Bay died after falling off an overpass early Saturday morning, California Highway Patrol said.

CHP said the 16-year-old tried to jump across a gap between freeway ramps near I-80 and the Carquinez Bridge in Crockett.

Drone video captured the commotion — spinning cars, smoke from tailpipes, crazy crowds. From the ground, cellphone video captured the chaotic scene, the burning, the screeching and the fireworks.

“I was standing up here, in my window, watching the thing for an hour,” said Crockett resident Jim Delisle.

Delisle said it happened again: another sideshow in his quiet neighborhood.

“It woke me up about 3 o’clock in the morning, (maybe) 3:30 in the morning,” he said.

Early Saturday morning, more than 100 vehicles blocked the roads near the intersection of Pomona and Merchant Streets for a sideshow, according to the CHP.

“There were fireworks. It’s really common when they get cars going in circles, and everyone gets fired up, and you can see people shooting those up in the air,” Delisle said.

Authorities got word that a 16-year-old spectator climbed over a concrete safety barrier at an elevated portion of the Pomona Street on-ramp to westbound I-80. CHP said the teen fell about 75 feet to the ground below.

“Yeah, I think he was trying to jump from one side of the on-ramp to the other,” Delisle said.

Scott Cranston saw and heard some of the commotion from his deck.

“The police cars were there. I didn’t know what exactly had happened,” he said.

When he learned about the teen’s death…

“I was shocked,” Cranston said. “But the sideshow is just a matter of there would be a fatality. They’re hanging out of cars, they are recklessly driving.”

Giovanni Morales was out walking the area on Sunday afternoon.

“This is my walking path right here,” he said.

We showed him video of the investigation scene where the teen had fallen.

“That’s crazy,” Morales said. “I think it’s horrible. I think the younger generation needs to be more responsible–be aware of their surroundings and watch what they do.”

Authorities have not formally identified the teen killed.

As the investigation continues, those who live in the area say they’re beyond frustrated by the sideshows and reckless activities.

Law enforcement is reminding the public that sideshows are not only illegal, but dangerous, and that spectators as well as participants can be penalized.

CHP is asking for witnesses to come forward as it investigates. If anyone witnessed the incident or the events leading up to it, they are asked to contact CHP’s Contra Costa Area office in Martinez at (925) 646-4980 or email your contact information to 320Investigations@chp.ca.gov to be contacted by the investigating officer.

Please note: 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 Tara Campbell

Click here for updates on this story

    EL SOBRANTE, California (KGO) — People gathered on Friday to protest the detention of a longtime East Bay resident.

Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old undocumented grandmother from El Sobrante, showed up to a regular immigration appointment this week in San Francisco, and ICE would not let her go.

“It’s been a total nightmare to find out she’s been detained. We didn’t expect it. She’s been doing ICE check-ins for 13 years,” said Manjit Kaur, her daughter-in-law.

“They just said we are detaining your grandma and didn’t give me any other information, didn’t let me see her. And after that, we didn’t hear from her for hours and when we did hear from her, she was crying and begging us for help,” said Sukhmeet Sandhu, her granddaughter.

Manjit said, “She was a mess when she called us. We just waited until we heard something from her. We were just shocked and devastated.”

“We are making sure that she is released, and if she wants to self-deport, she will have that opportunity,” said Hapreet Sandhu, Richmond office representative for Congressman John Garamendi.

Congressman John Garamendi’s office is getting involved, demanding for the grandmother’s release.

Harjit Kaur is currently being held hours away in Bakersfield.

TARA CAMPBELL: “Have you been able to contact or have any communication with ICE?”

HAPREET SANDHU: “The first process is to file the letter, which we did on behalf of the family this (Friday) morning, so we are hoping for communication to come back and then follow through after that point.”

In the meantime, the Indian community is getting behind the family.

“We’ve known Harjit for 25 – 30 years of our lives. My parents own a store in Berkeley, she’s worked there all her life as a tailor, and it’s women like her who come to work, and work hard everyday that women like me can exist,” said Puga Thakkar, a family friend. “It’s on the back of women like her that I’m able to be a doctor.”

“When we got news of this, we were horrified. How can the federal government be taking a 73-year-old woman who has medical issues into custody when she’s been doing everything that’s been required of her for the past 13 years,” said Chris Mathias, a protester.

ABC7 News reached out to ICE for more details and are waiting to hear back.

Please note: 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 Rob Hayes

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The family of a 13-year-old boy from the San Fernando Valley who was murdered earlier this year has filed a legal claim against the city and county of Los Angeles.

The boy’s body was found on the side of a road in Oxnard in April after he had been reported missing.

The alleged killer, 43-year-old Mario Garcia Aquino, who was the boy’s soccer coach, has been charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child.

Garcia Aquino killed Oscar on March 28 in Lancaster and dumped his body in Ventura County, prosecutors allege.

The boy’s family held a press conference Monday to discuss the claim, which states Oscar was “subjected to grooming and sexual abuse” at the hands of Garcia Aquino because “the city and county of Los Angeles failed to do a thorough background check” on the coach.

“I want justice for my little brother,” said the boy’s brother Daniel Hernandez Bautista, who held back tears as he spoke to the press.

The boy’s mother also spoke out, sending a message to her son’s alleged killer.

“I ask for justice,” she said. “May the full weight of the law fall on this monster who did so much harm to an innocent child who was unable to defend himself.”

In May, Eyewitness News learned a backlog of cases at the district attorney’s office may have led to Garcia Aquino being free rather than facing charges for two other alleged sexual assaults.

Please note: 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.