Category: CNN Regional

By Don Davis

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    WASHINGTON, D.C. (KGUN) — The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity filed suit Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeking to block President Donald Trump’s image from appearing on the 2026 National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands America the Beautiful annual pass and to force the government to restore the contest-winning photo of Glacier National Park to the main pass.

The complaint alleges the Department of the Interior violated the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 by replacing the contest-winning Glacier image — which federal law requires the government to use each year — with a close-up of the president’s face, moving the Glacier photo to a newly created “Nonresident” pass and creating Resident and Nonresident passes that the law prohibits. The America the Beautiful pass, which costs $80 annually, provides entry to national parks and many federal recreation areas, including sites used by Tucson residents such as Saguaro National Park and portions of the Coronado and Santa Catalina public lands.

“Blotting out the majesty of America’s national parks with a closeup of his own face is Trump’s crassest, most ego-driven action yet,” said Kierán Suckling, the Center’s executive director, in the group’s press release. “The national parks are not a personal branding opportunity. They’re the pride and joy of the American people.”

The Center argues the substituted photo was not taken on federal land and was not entered in the National Parks Foundation’s public lands photo contest, which the law makes the official source for the annual pass image. The suit seeks enforcement of the statute’s requirements and a halt to what the plaintiffs call the politicization of federal public-lands branding.

The lawsuit will have a local impact for residents of Tucson and southern Arizona who use the America the Beautiful pass to visit nearby federal lands. The pass covers entry to Saguaro National Park — whose two districts flank the city — as well as federal recreation sites and national forests in the region. For many Tucson-area outdoor enthusiasts, the litigation raises questions about how the government manages national symbols and whether design changes could affect the pass program or how passes are sold and distributed.

The Center for Biological Diversity describes itself as a national nonprofit with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. The group’s involvement puts a local organization at the center of a national legal fight over imagery and the scope of federal authority to design and issue recreation passes.

The case underscores a broader debate over the role of public lands imagery and whether federal property should be used to promote or reflect political leaders. The suit asks the court to require the Interior Department to follow the contest process mandated by Congress and to restore the Glacier National Park photograph to the main America the Beautiful annual pass.

The lawsuit includes these images of the contest-winning Glacier National Park photo and the main 2026 America the Beautiful Annual Pass created by Trump.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Joe Brandt, Wakisha Bailey

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    Philadelphia (KYW) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for a propane shortage starting Friday morning, weeks after a service disruption at a major propane plant threatened the supply in the Garden State. It’s a move that the governor says will help keep the fuel heating thousands of residents’ homes amid a long stretch of cold weather.

The state of emergency will allow New Jersey to obtain federal permission to loosen restrictions on the schedules and hours of delivery drivers transporting propane gas into the state, Murphy’s office said in a news release. The state of emergency will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.

Murphy’s order did not specify which plant was experiencing service issues, but said it was in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The issue began on Nov. 21, 2025, he said.

In the governor’s five-page executive order signed Thursday, it’s noted that the disruption will cause longer wait times for propane trucks, and limits on drivers’ schedules could further exacerbate the problem.

Without an emergency order in place, propane truck drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving time. But under a state of emergency, drivers’ maximum drive time can be extended to 14 hours, with a mandated 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time in between shifts on the road.

Murphy said in a news release that the emergency was needed “to ensure that the approximately 186,000 New Jerseyans who rely on propane for home heating purposes can receive it without interruption. This Executive Order expands delivery capabilities to keep homes heated and families secure.”

The governor said New Jerseyans who may be impacted can visit ready.nj.gov for updates and safety information and NJ211 for information on resources and warming centers.

If you need to use a generator to warm your home, here are some generator safety tips.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

KYW

By Joe Brandt, Wakisha Bailey

Click here for updates on this story

    Philadelphia (KYW) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for a propane shortage starting Friday morning, weeks after a service disruption at a major propane plant threatened the supply in the Garden State. It’s a move that the governor says will help keep the fuel heating thousands of residents’ homes amid a long stretch of cold weather.

The state of emergency will allow New Jersey to obtain federal permission to loosen restrictions on the schedules and hours of delivery drivers transporting propane gas into the state, Murphy’s office said in a news release. The state of emergency will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.

Murphy’s order did not specify which plant was experiencing service issues, but said it was in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The issue began on Nov. 21, 2025, he said.

In the governor’s five-page executive order signed Thursday, it’s noted that the disruption will cause longer wait times for propane trucks, and limits on drivers’ schedules could further exacerbate the problem.

Without an emergency order in place, propane truck drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving time. But under a state of emergency, drivers’ maximum drive time can be extended to 14 hours, with a mandated 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time in between shifts on the road.

Murphy said in a news release that the emergency was needed “to ensure that the approximately 186,000 New Jerseyans who rely on propane for home heating purposes can receive it without interruption. This Executive Order expands delivery capabilities to keep homes heated and families secure.”

The governor said New Jerseyans who may be impacted can visit ready.nj.gov for updates and safety information and NJ211 for information on resources and warming centers.

If you need to use a generator to warm your home, here are some generator safety tips.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Mamie Bah

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    Pittsburgh (KDKA) — A mother and her boyfriend are facing charges after they were accused of leaving four children in unlivable circumstances in a home on Charles Street in Knoxville.

“Their parents need to go to jail,” said Robert Pittman.

Investigators say their mother, India McKnight, and her boyfriend Earl Kennedy are responsible.

The couple reportedly stayed in a house, one home over.

Pittman lives a street over and has children of his own.

“You’re supposed to make sure those children are alright, make sure they eat every day,” he continued, ” I don’t think you deserve to have your kids.”

According to the criminal complaints, it started with a sexual abuse investigation in August involving the boyfriend.

The responding officers noted that the four children lived in the home, and conditions were deplorable. There was allegedly no bed or even a mattress for them to sleep on; 20 cats, their feces and urine everywhere; No food, just one box of macaroni and cheese in a kitchen cabinet; and no heat or hot water since April

A neighbor agreed to speak with us, but under the condition that we keep his identity secret.

“It’s kind of hard to put in words,” he said.

He knew McKnight and Kennedy.

“They were okay, just normal kids, went to school,” he said after being asked if the children looked to have any appearances of anything being wrong.

The couple is facing multiple charges, including endangering the welfare of children.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

KDKA

By Mamie Bah

Click here for updates on this story

    Pittsburgh (KDKA) — A mother and her boyfriend are facing charges after they were accused of leaving four children in unlivable circumstances in a home on Charles Street in Knoxville.

“Their parents need to go to jail,” said Robert Pittman.

Investigators say their mother, India McKnight, and her boyfriend Earl Kennedy are responsible.

The couple reportedly stayed in a house, one home over.

Pittman lives a street over and has children of his own.

“You’re supposed to make sure those children are alright, make sure they eat every day,” he continued, ” I don’t think you deserve to have your kids.”

According to the criminal complaints, it started with a sexual abuse investigation in August involving the boyfriend.

The responding officers noted that the four children lived in the home, and conditions were deplorable. There was allegedly no bed or even a mattress for them to sleep on; 20 cats, their feces and urine everywhere; No food, just one box of macaroni and cheese in a kitchen cabinet; and no heat or hot water since April

A neighbor agreed to speak with us, but under the condition that we keep his identity secret.

“It’s kind of hard to put in words,” he said.

He knew McKnight and Kennedy.

“They were okay, just normal kids, went to school,” he said after being asked if the children looked to have any appearances of anything being wrong.

The couple is facing multiple charges, including endangering the welfare of children.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Carlos E. Castañeda, Kelsi Thorud

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A gas explosion and fire near Hayward and Interstate Highway 238 Thursday morning injured multiple people and destroyed or damaged at least three structures, authorities said.

The incident happened on East Lewelling Boulevard just west of Mission Boulevard and south of Highway 238 in the unincorporated community of Ashland. The area has a mix of commercial and residential structures, including single-family homes.

The explosion scattered debris across a wide area, landing on adjacent rooftops. At least two of the structures destroyed appeared to be contained on the same lot of 867 E. Lewelling Boulevard, which was listed on Redfin as a four-bedroom, 3,957 square-foot home.

Pacific Gas and Electric said at 7:35 a.m., it was notified that a third-party construction crew had damaged an underground gas line while digging on Lewelling Boulevard, and it dispatched crews to the scene. According to PG&E, its workers isolated the damaged line and stopped the flow of gas by 9:25 a.m., but gas had been released at multiple locations, and at 9:35 a.m., the explosion happened.

Security camera video from a neighbor across the street showed construction vehicles in front of the address as a large explosion destroyed much of the main structure. The neighbor told CBS News Bay Area her entire house shook in the blast.

“It looked like a bomb dropped. It just went,” said Brittany Maldonado. “We thought a truck hit the house or something, but no, the neighbor’s house exploded.”

A spokesperson for Alameda County said Redgwick Construction of Oakland is currently working on a project to improve E. Lewelling Boulevard in the area, and the firm lists the project on its website. Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements.

CBS News Bay Area has reached out to Redgwick Construction for comment.

Alameda County Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Nishimoto said at least three buildings on two properties were “significantly damaged,” and a third property adjacent to the other properties had minor to major damage on the side where the explosion occurred.

“Two of the three buildings look like residential structures, the one in the back of one of the properties looks like a workshop with maybe a living quarters on top,” Nishimoto said.

Six patients were taken to nearby hospitals, Nishimoto said. CBS News Bay Area has learned that at least three patients were being treated at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley with injuries described as serious.

Eight engines and two ladder trucks responded to the three-alarm fire, said Fire Department spokesperson Cheryl Hurd.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Roberto Morales said deputies were dispatched to evacuate other residents in the area. It was unclear how many residents were evacuated.

The California Highway Patrol said southbound Highway 238 to East 14th Street and Lewelling Boulevard from Mission to Paradise boulevards were shut down during the firefight and investigation.

Many neighbors in the area questioned why there wasn’t an evacuation in the two hours before the explosion when PG&E knew gas was leaking.

Maldonado said she was never notified of a gas leak, and the only reason she knew anything was going on was because she saw a PG&E crew member checking her gas meter at around 8:30 in the morning.

“And he said that they were turning off the gas because of something with the road crew,” said Maldonado. “So we were, like, okay. So we were even more confused because we were, like, ‘But the gas was off, how did the explosion happen?'”

PG&E said it does not execute evacuations and leaves that process up to first responders.

The Alameda County Fire Department said it did not evacuate the neighborhood because when crews came on the scene, PG&E told them they did not need the department’s assistance.

“PG&E will be conducting an extensive investigation around a potential cause and will support other investigations that may take place,” said spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

KPIX

By Carlos E. Castañeda, Kelsi Thorud

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A gas explosion and fire near Hayward and Interstate Highway 238 Thursday morning injured multiple people and destroyed or damaged at least three structures, authorities said.

The incident happened on East Lewelling Boulevard just west of Mission Boulevard and south of Highway 238 in the unincorporated community of Ashland. The area has a mix of commercial and residential structures, including single-family homes.

The explosion scattered debris across a wide area, landing on adjacent rooftops. At least two of the structures destroyed appeared to be contained on the same lot of 867 E. Lewelling Boulevard, which was listed on Redfin as a four-bedroom, 3,957 square-foot home.

Pacific Gas and Electric said at 7:35 a.m., it was notified that a third-party construction crew had damaged an underground gas line while digging on Lewelling Boulevard, and it dispatched crews to the scene. According to PG&E, its workers isolated the damaged line and stopped the flow of gas by 9:25 a.m., but gas had been released at multiple locations, and at 9:35 a.m., the explosion happened.

Security camera video from a neighbor across the street showed construction vehicles in front of the address as a large explosion destroyed much of the main structure. The neighbor told CBS News Bay Area her entire house shook in the blast.

“It looked like a bomb dropped. It just went,” said Brittany Maldonado. “We thought a truck hit the house or something, but no, the neighbor’s house exploded.”

A spokesperson for Alameda County said Redgwick Construction of Oakland is currently working on a project to improve E. Lewelling Boulevard in the area, and the firm lists the project on its website. Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements.

CBS News Bay Area has reached out to Redgwick Construction for comment.

Alameda County Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Nishimoto said at least three buildings on two properties were “significantly damaged,” and a third property adjacent to the other properties had minor to major damage on the side where the explosion occurred.

“Two of the three buildings look like residential structures, the one in the back of one of the properties looks like a workshop with maybe a living quarters on top,” Nishimoto said.

Six patients were taken to nearby hospitals, Nishimoto said. CBS News Bay Area has learned that at least three patients were being treated at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley with injuries described as serious.

Eight engines and two ladder trucks responded to the three-alarm fire, said Fire Department spokesperson Cheryl Hurd.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Roberto Morales said deputies were dispatched to evacuate other residents in the area. It was unclear how many residents were evacuated.

The California Highway Patrol said southbound Highway 238 to East 14th Street and Lewelling Boulevard from Mission to Paradise boulevards were shut down during the firefight and investigation.

Many neighbors in the area questioned why there wasn’t an evacuation in the two hours before the explosion when PG&E knew gas was leaking.

Maldonado said she was never notified of a gas leak, and the only reason she knew anything was going on was because she saw a PG&E crew member checking her gas meter at around 8:30 in the morning.

“And he said that they were turning off the gas because of something with the road crew,” said Maldonado. “So we were, like, okay. So we were even more confused because we were, like, ‘But the gas was off, how did the explosion happen?'”

PG&E said it does not execute evacuations and leaves that process up to first responders.

The Alameda County Fire Department said it did not evacuate the neighborhood because when crews came on the scene, PG&E told them they did not need the department’s assistance.

“PG&E will be conducting an extensive investigation around a potential cause and will support other investigations that may take place,” said spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Erin Jones

Click here for updates on this story

    TEXAS (KTVT) — A Dallas woman who beat a rare and aggressive cancer is being celebrated in a special way. The Dallas Stars Foundation recently honored her at a home game not just for her strength, but for the artwork that helped her heal.

For Dallas attorney Gracen Moreno, last Friday’s Stars game was about more than hockey.

“The entire arena… it seemed like everyone was either holding a shirt or talking about the shirt,” she said.

A shirt she designed carries a powerful message, “Finish the Fight.”

Last year, at just 29-years-old, Gracen was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. At the time, she was preparing for a jury trial and planning a wedding two months away. The plans were suddenly moved up to just one week after her diagnosis.

“You kind of have your whole life ahead of you and then it turns out upside down,” she said.

Her first symptom was a lingering cough. Then an X-ray revealed a nine-centimeter mass in her chest and a CT scan followed.

“My doctor called me and said don’t panic but I need you to go to the emergency room to start getting the process in place to get out whatever is in your chest biopsied,” she said.

Soon after came the news she feared most.

“When I heard or I found out that I had cancer, it’s like your worst nightmare ever coming true,” she said.

“Alk-Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma is one of the rarest types of what we call non-Hodgkins lymphoma and it’s particularly aggressive unless treated appropriately,” Jana Reynolds, MD, a Texas Oncology physician on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center said.

Doctors told Gracen the prognosis wasn’t good, only about a 30% chance of surviving five years.

“What happens when the worst possible thing that you think at the time is the worst possible thing happens to you?” she said. “Well, you can either give up, which is not an option, or you can decide to fight.”

Fight she did. Through several rounds of grueling chemotherapy and, ultimately, a bone marrow transplant at Baylor Scott & White’s Sammons Cancer Center.

“On one of my lowest days of hospitalization my husband looked at me and said do you want to go paint something?” she said. “How do we make this better? I couldn’t see friends or family.”

Inside the hospital’s Arts in Medicine studio, Gracen began painting, using creativity to cope with the long days of treatment.

While there, her art therapist learned she was a Dallas Stars season ticket holder and when an opportunity came up, she knew exactly who to recommend.

“She came later to my hospital room and said you’ll never believe this, but I got an email from the Stars earlier today asking if I knew any cancer patients that also participated in the art program and I think you would be perfect for it,” she said.

At last Friday’s home game, the Dallas Stars Foundation honored Gracen, celebrating her remission and her resilience.

The team asked her to design custom artwork for a special T-shirt given to the first 500 fans and even players.

“Everyone was really invested in the mission,” Gracen said. “It was really cool to see fans, players, coaches, all either wearing the shirt or just celebrating the fight against cancer itself.”

Her team of doctors say the recognition was well deserved.

“I’m so proud of her for accepting the challenge and honestly bringing more attention to the serious things that we face,” Dr. Reynolds said.

“It was a really special night,” Gracen said.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.