Michelle Obama honors Opal Lee’s legacy at 100th birthday event

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2026

By Marvin Hurst

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — Ms. Opal Lee turned 100, and the woman known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” had a former first lady help her celebrate a century of life, legacy and unfinished business.

Michelle Obama headlined a special speaker series at the Fort Worth Convention Center, capping Lee’s centennial celebration while raising funds for the National Juneteenth Museum.

For the crowd, it was more than a birthday party. It was a call to action.

“It was awesome!” Dr. Lyndia Thomas said. “I enjoyed Michelle’s speech. I enjoyed the audience, the atmosphere, and everything. She was outstanding.”

Obama shared personal stories about life in the White House, the scrutiny she faced, and the lessons she learned along the way.

Analisa Gabriel brought her niece, Gabrielle Diaz, a recent college graduate who has admired the Obamas for years.

“It wasn’t so much about the politics, but it was just about her and her life and lessons,” Gabriel said. “I was glad that I had my niece with me because she had life lessons for her young people.”

Diaz said she even received a letter from Barack and Michelle Obama when she graduated from high school.

For others, simply sharing the room with two women who have shaped American history was overwhelming.

“I never would have said that I’m gonna be in the same room, in the same air, with Ms. Opal and Mrs. Obama,” Rita Green-Bibbs said. “I love it.”

Green-Bibbs called the experience life-changing.

But the night wasn’t just about looking back.

Party attendee M.J. Jones said Obama’s message was clear: The responsibility to create change belongs to the next generation.

“There’s change that still needs to happen,” Jones said. “Her job is not done. And she kind of instilled that in us tonight to keep going and to keep fighting.”

That message echoed Lee’s own lifetime of advocacy.

The Fort Worth civil rights icon helped lead the national effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Now, her vision for the National Juneteenth Museum aims to preserve that history and educate generations still to come.

At 100 years old, Lee’s legacy is still being written.

And on a night celebrating a century of her life, the crowd left with a reminder that the work she started is far from finished.

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.

Fed Minutes Point to Another Hike, With Timing Still Uncertain

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2026

By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — Most Federal Reserve officials expected another interest-rate increase before year-end, minutes released Wednesday show, as policymakers worried that energy shocks and the AI boom could make inflation harder to contain.

The Sept. 15-16 meeting produced a unanimous quarter-point increase to a range of 3.75% to 4%. The minutes show officials saw reasons to go further. Several described the policy rate as “not restrictive or only mildly restrictive,” while some officials also warned that persistent inflation could become more entrenched.

Fed staff raised their inflation forecasts for 2026 through 2028 and did not project a return to the central bank’s 2% target until 2029.

For David Mitchell, professor of economics and director of the Bureau of Economic Research at Missouri State University, the message was overdue.

“I think they’re way behind the curve,” Mitchell told Quincy News.

Mitchell said the Fed appears to be recognizing that price pressures extend beyond gasoline and diesel. He argued that years of inflation have compounded the strain on households, leaving them less able to absorb the latest increases.

“It grows on itself. It compounds,” Mitchell said, adding, “I think they should go ahead and hit October and just kind of get it all over with.”

The September jobs report, released Oct. 2 after the Fed’s meeting, showed employers added 29,000 jobs, down from August’s revised gain of 133,000. The unemployment rate was 4.2%.

But his forecast is more cautious than his prescription. Mitchell suspects policymakers will wait beyond October to see whether September’s hiring was a temporary setback or a sign of something more lasting.

That weaker employment report is also central to the outlook of David Kass, a clinical professor of finance at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. He predicts a quarter-point increase in December rather than October.

“I think they will be patient,” Kass told Quincy News.

Kass’s case for waiting is not a warning that the economy is falling apart. He sees AI-related investment and productivity gains supporting growth and corporate profits.

“I think overall, the economy’s in good shape,” he said.

Still, Kass warned that higher long-term borrowing costs could discourage investment elsewhere. As large technology companies compete for financing, other businesses may find their own projects too expensive to pursue.

The minutes capture that tension. Many officials saw financial conditions as supportive of growth despite higher Treasury yields, noting gains in stock prices. Several described credit as broadly available. A few pointed to housing as an exception, with elevated mortgage rates weighing on activity.

Most officials saw another increase as likely appropriate by year-end, but they stopped short of committing to a timetable. Future decisions, they emphasized, would depend on incoming information.

The Fed next meets Oct. 27-28.

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.

Jobless Claims, Rising Yields, Oil Prices

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2026

By Tom LoBianco | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: Wall Street pulled back Wednesday as rising bond yields weighed on stocks, a day after the S&P 500 reached a record high. The Dow fell 0.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each declined 0.2%. Investors continued to weigh inflation pressures and concerns about government debt as borrowing costs climbed globally.

The 10-year Treasury yield rose to about 5.35% during Wednesday morning trading, near its highest level since 2002. Higher yields can increase borrowing costs for households and businesses while putting pressure on stock valuations.

Minutes released Wednesday from the Fed’s September meeting showed most officials believed another rate increase would likely be appropriate by year-end. Officials cited persistent inflation but emphasized that future decisions would depend on incoming data.

Today’s Focus: Oil prices climbed early Thursday as U.S.-Iran tensions raised concerns about supply disruptions. Brent crude rose nearly 4% to about $104 a barrel, while U.S. crude gained 3.9% to roughly $92.

PepsiCo beat its earnings estimates in its latest report before the bell, but lowered future expectations in the latest sign of strained consumer spending. The latest jobless numbers land this morning and we’ll get a look at 30-year yields after Treasury’s afternoon auction.

ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

-8:30 a.m. ET – Weekly initial and continuing jobless claims

-10:30 a.m. ET – Weekly EIA natural gas storage report

-1 p.m. ET – Treasury auction of 30-year bonds

-Friday, 10 a.m. ET – Preliminary October University of Michigan consumer sentiment and inflation expectations

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.

Minneapolis imam pushes back against police tying recent violence to Somali American gangs

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2026

By Adam Duxter

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — If there’s anyone who understands the nuances around youth violence, it’s Imam Hassan Jama, the founder of Minneapolis’ oldest and largest mosque.

He has spent his life teaching kids, but even he is perplexed by a surge in gun violence this week. Police in the Twin Cities suburbs say a shooting outside an Eden Prairie High School football game and the 100 rounds fired in a Bloomington residential neighborhood Tuesday morning are connected East African and Somali gangs.

Hama blames social media and a lack of direction for young people. But he’s pushing back on a narrative he says is driven by police and politicians alike.

“Anyone who commits a crime, we want to treat as a criminal, not name their ethnicity. A crime is a crime, regardless of who did it,” he said. “Stop calling the whole Somali youth Somali gangs. You are not helping. You are harming more than you’re helping.”

He said the Somali community in Minnesota is trying hard to integrate and reach the American dream. He added that trust is quickly eroding between East Africans in Minnesota and law enforcement, but says he and other faith leaders are working to rein in the violence.

“Loudly, I want to address to Somali youth, to any youth, to any youth in Minnesota, what you’re doing is wrong,” he said. “It’s against your teaching, against your tradition, against what your parents teach, and it’s against who your community is. Stop today. Stop right now. You’re putting at risk the whole community.”

Hama says it’s the lack of trust between parents and police that he believes has many families not cooperating with law enforcement.

Police say that’s hurt their ability to arrest anyone for the recent crimes.

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.

Auntie Rae’s Sweets and Tea parties bring new memories to a historic home

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Darienne DeBrule

Click here for updates on this story

    HOLLADAY, Utah (KSTU) — Sometimes the best stories start with a recommendation from a viewer. In this case, it was Trudy from St. George telling us about her grandparent’s old home that had been converted into a place families and friends can go for sweets and tea parties.

That’s how we found Auntie Rae’s Sweets and Tea Parties in Holladay, a cozy tea-party experience tucked inside an old home with a history of its own.

Owner Raelynn Potts says she wanted the space to feel warm and inviting.

“I tell people we are not the fancy tea shop; we are the warm and cozy tea shop,” Potts said.

Guests can enjoy tea parties featuring fresh, house-made favorites including English scones, cucumber sandwiches and other traditional tea-party treats.

Potts says the experience is about more than what’s on the table. Tea parties give people a chance to slow down and connect with the people around them.

“It’s served in courses, so you’re supposed to eat your course, sip your tea,” she said.

Part of the warm and cozy feeling guests experience is from the home itself — which Potts knew at first sight was the perfect place for her business.

“It feels like you’re coming to your favorite aunt’s house to have a treat or tea party,” she said.

But before the home welcomed tea-party guests, it was home to generations of the Howard family.

“I have memories of when I was a little girl coming here,” said Kathleen McFarlane, a member of the Howard family. “Seeing the fireplace that grandpa built when he remodeled the house, remembering the grand piano that was in this room, and playing on the swing that was on the great big tree that was outside here.”

Kathleen McFarlane’s mother, grandfather, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother all lived in or owned the home.

“It’s been the anchor. It’s been the place where families gathered and worked together,” McFarlane said.

Her family eventually sold the home, but McFarlane says Auntie Rae’s feels like a natural fit for the space.

The family has even continued making memories there. McFarlane has brought her grandchildren to the home for tea, and she and several of her cousins gathered at Auntie Rae’s for a tea party on FOX 13’s Good Day Utah.

“If it were just an old house sitting here, they wouldn’t get to come in and see it and we’ve been able to take them upstairs and see where their grandmother’s room was and walk around,” she said.

Now, a house that once served as an anchor for one family is once again a place where people gather around the table — this time over tea, treats and new memories.

If you would like to book a time to have your own tea party at Auntie Rae’s, they take reservations over the phone at 801-679-3925.

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.

Residents raise concerns over potential future of data centers in Utah

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Adi Iyer

Click here for updates on this story

    PRICE, Utah (KSTU) — More than 100 people crowded into the Carbon County Planning Commission meeting on a Tuesday afternoon, all to hear from a company that wants to build small nuclear reactors that could power data centers.

“It affects all of our homes, all of our property values, all of our way of life, and it just absolutely changes what we moved out here for,” said Jill Ison, who lives near Wellington.

Part of the reason this many people came to this particular meeting was to hear a presentation from a nuclear energy company called Valar Atomics that builds advanced small modular reactors that could power data centers in the future.

“We both design the reactor, build the reactor, and go and find communities to build it in,” CEO of Valar Atomics, Isaiah Taylor, said. “We build it there and actually we go all the way to operating it there.”

At this meeting, the Valar Atomics team said it wanted to build a couple hundred reactors on a 640-acre parcel of land managed by SITLA, the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.

However, NPR obtained documents a week ago that said Valar was planning to build more than 400 reactors on 9,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land.

The company said they are in the process of getting access to BLM land in the area.

“The BLM Land, the way to think about this is sort of an eventual phase 2 of what we want to do here,” Taylor said. “We’re not through the BLM process yet. There’s a lengthy process to actually getting access to that BLM land, which we are in the very early stages of.”

Representatives from Valar Atomics said they couldn’t comment when we tried to ask them further questions and said they had to be somewhere else.

During their presentation, they did talk about using their reactors to power data centers and why they believe that would benefit the community.

“They are an industrial project that provides jobs, a pretty incredible tax revenue, a really, really awesome tax revenue, with actually quite a low burden on public services,” Taylor said.

While some people we spoke to said they’re not against development, they question why Valar wants to build specifically in this area.

“Why doesn’t Valar take a look at some of the areas in other parts of this state that are desolate, where ranchers aren’t running their cattle, there’s no alkali flats, salt flats, that don’t have much in the way of use,” Leo Hardy, who lives near Wellington, said.

Because this meeting was just a presentation, there wasn’t a decision as to whether Valar Atomics could go ahead and build. Representatives only said if they do get permission, they’d just break ground sometime next year.

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.

ICE took a mother into custody after an alleged shoplifting in Boston. Her family says it’s a misunderstanding.

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Cheryl Fiandaca

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON (WBZ) — A young mother is in ICE custody after what the family says began as an accusation of shoplifting.

Melanie Tinoco was accused of shoplifting at Target in Boston last Thursday. That incident led to Boston Police arresting her and taking her to the station to be fingerprinted. Her family says when she was released, immigration agents were waiting outside.

Martin Gurfinkiel said the hardest thing was telling his wife’s children their mother was not coming home.

Tinoco came to the United States from Ecuador, seeking asylum. Gurfinkiel says the 29-year-old is a mom to a 7- and an 11-year-old. One of the children is living with autism, and Gurfinkiel said, “He’s so worried.”

Gurfinkiel says he is an Uber driver and was picking up an order for delivery at Target in Boston. His wife was shopping in the store.

“They just came to us saying, why we are not paying for the things?” Gurfinkiel said. “That’s not the situation. We never left. We were just walking to get a shopping cart. And they told me, OK, let’s go to this room. And suddenly they called the police. The police told me that they were gonna take her to the D4 Boston Police Station to just know who she is, like, fingerprints and everything.”

“She was screaming a lot”

Gurfinkiel says what happened at Target was a misunderstanding. Boston Police arrested Tinoco for shoplifting. After several hours at the station, she was released and ICE agents were waiting outside the door.

“They never show any ID, no warrant, no nothing. They just forced her, put the handcuff, and just put her inside the car. She was screaming a lot,” Gurfinkiel said.

Attorney Jason Thomas represents Tinoco.

“I’m uncertain why ICE would have arrested her. She has an asylum application pending, she has valid work authorization, and she already has a hearing date to go in front of an immigration judge in 2027. She’s already in the process,” Thomas told the WBZ-TV I-Team.

Attorney says ICE detainment was misunderstanding

The I-Team has learned that despite state laws or city policies limiting local police communication with ICE, fingerprints taken during an arrest are sent to an FBI database that is accessible to other federal law enforcement agencies – including ICE.

“She was part of a lawful immigration process that’s being ignored and for whatever reason she seems to have been detained at Target due to possible misunderstandings and language barriers,” said attorney Todd Pomerleau, who also represents Tinoco.

Tinoco’s family is concerned about her health. She doesn’t have her medication and they say her wrists were injured by agents when she was arrested. Her husband is now caring for the children alone while their mother is locked up at the ICE facility in Burlington.

“It’s hard, because the kids all the time, they’re asking, ‘Where’s my mom?'” Gurfinkiel said. “I just want her to come home.”

Boston Police response

Tinoco’s lawyers filed a petition in federal court seeking her immediate release. The I-Team reached out to Target, but the company referred us to Boston Police. ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

A Boston Police Department spokesperson said Tinoco was arrested, booked and released on bail.

“The Boston Police Department is firmly committed to the city’s Trust Act. An individual’s immigration status is not a factor whether we are working with a victim, witness or a suspect, we do not even ask about it. It is very important to be clear on this issue, trust with the community is critical to our serving the City of Boston in the best ways possible,” police 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.

Massachusetts ice cream shop goes viral for profane Facebook post defending teen employees

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Neal Riley

Click here for updates on this story

    BLACKSTONE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Blackstone, Massachusetts, ice cream shop is going viral after posting a sharply worded message to Facebook in defense of the young workers there.

Coldstuff Ice Cream, owned by brothers Dave and Kevin Miller, just opened in August. But they told WBZ-TV they had enough after a customer was unkind and disrespectful to a 16-year-old worker over a 25-cent price discrepancy.

“STOP YELLING AT MY F—— employees,” the post from Sunday night read. “They are children. This job, for most of them is their first. They are going to make mistakes. They aren’t in charge of anything.”

More than 275,000 people have liked the post as of Wednesday morning and it’s been shared over 8,000 times.

“This can all be fixed with a smile and a positive attitude. It’s ice cream for crying out loud. Grow up and act your age,” the shop wrote, adding in the comments, “And NOBODY gives a s— if you don’t come back. We’d prefer it that way.”

The brothers were worried about backlash at first, but they’ve received thousands of supportive comments and even a bump in business.

“I wish I had a boss that had my back when I was a screw up of a teenager at my first job,” one person wrote.

“Looks like a trip to Massachusetts for some ice cream is in order,” another said.

The owners say they’re not trying to bash older customers with their post, but say there’s no need to be insulting to young workers.

“When a 16-year-old looks at you with like puppy dog eyes and is like, ‘did I really screw up that bad for someone to treat me like that?'” Kevin Miller said. “It’s like, ‘no, this is ice cream.'”

Blackstone is in Worcester County just north of the Rhode Island border. Coldstuff Ice Cream is affiliated with Goodstuff Smokehouse next door.

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.

Milwaukee man accused of using counterfeit cash at Target 114 times

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Denise Craig

Click here for updates on this story

    BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin (WISN) — A Milwaukee man is accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills at least 114 times at Target stores over the past five years, according to court records.

Taiwan A. Poe, 32, was arrested in the Town of Brookfield for alleged marijuana possession. Authorities then learned he was wanted in Iowa, where he faces four forgery charges.

An Iowa complaint alleges Poe used counterfeit $100 bills at Target stores in Dubuque in November 2025. The complaint also says Target has maintained a theft file on Poe since 2021 that includes nearly $25,000 in total losses.

Poe appeared in a Waukesha County court case related to his extradition to Iowa.

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.

‘It’s time for him to step up’: Kansas City residents demand action on Citadel neighborhood mud flooding

CNN Newsource on October 7, 2026

By Abigail Klinkerman

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — Residents in Kansas City’s Citadel neighborhood are still asking for help from the city after they say their basements have flooded with mud due to a nearby development since the beginning of August.

Carl Poke reached out to KMBC 9 several weeks ago asking for help in resolving the issue.

He says mud has caked the floors of his basement nearly every time it’s rained for over two months.

It takes him at least three hours each time to pump it out.

The development is the 63rd and Prospect Master Plan.

It was approved in 2021 as a revitalization project for the east side.

It’s led by Southpointe LLC, a partnership between real estate developers UrbanAmerica and CJR Development Partners.

Southpointe LLC Development Manager Marvin Lyman said he was unaware of the problem until Poke contacted him, but when he brought it to the city’s attention, he learned city leaders already knew about it.

“This can has been kicked for over 27 years. A solution must be had,” Lyman said.

A resolution that directed the City Manager to identify $15 million to address the issue was on the agenda for Monday’s city finance committee meeting, but it was ultimately held due to prolonged discussions regarding the Royals stadium.

Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw, who is spearheading the resolution, said the city is taking the matter seriously.

“It is definitely a high priority, and I want them to know that it is not taken a backseat to the Royals,” Parks-Shaw said.

Parks-Shaw added that the delay will allow the council more time to work out the details.

“It’s going to be a tough decision for the council to address, you know, a $15 million investment in this project,” Parks-Shaw said.

She hopes they’re able to find a long-term solution that solves the root of the issue.

But Poke and his neighbor, Linda Bass, say their neighborhood and its issues came far before the stadium.

“If they got $600 million for a Royals stadium there, they simply could spend the money to take care of this problem,” Poke said.

Lyman says the attention these residents and the east side deserve is far overdue.

“These are people who have raised families, who are raising families, grandchildren and such,” Lyman said. “And so the city owes them a measure of good faith, a great measure of good faith, because they have shown good faith in staying here and being good citizens.”

Parks-Shaw says the resolution has been rescheduled to appear on the agenda at the next council meeting on October 20th.

“I don’t know if the mayor knows about this or not, but it’s time for him to step up to the plate and hit his home run,” Poke 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.