Category: CNN Regional

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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    ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (KYW) — A New Jersey man was charged after trying to stab a firefighter with a screwdriver while being rescued from the water on New Year’s Eve.

Emergency crews in Atlantic City responded to a report of a man in distress off the jetty near Rhode Island Avenue Beach. Firefighters spotted Christopher Treadway, 31, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, floating just beyond the jetty. He appeared conscious but was not actively swimming.

Firefighter Dominic Gitto entered the water with a rescue longboard to reach Treadway. During the rescue attempt, Treadway resisted and allegedly tried to stab Gitto with a concealed screwdriver. Gitto was able to deflect the screwdriver and bring him to safety.

Officials believe Treadway was experiencing a psychiatric episode.

Rescue crews arrived with a waverunner and a rescue sled, but multiple attempts to secure Treadway onto the rescue sled failed by his continued resistance. Rescue crews then formed a chain and pulled the individual into shallow water, where he again became combative. Atlantic City Police officers then entered the water to help gain control of Treadway and ultimately took him into custody.

During the rescue, Gitto’s dry suit began taking on water, exposing him to frigid ocean temperatures. After exiting the water, he began experiencing symptoms of acute hypothermia. Fire department personnel provided immediate care and took him to Atlantic City Medical Center, where he was treated for hypothermia and released later that afternoon.

Treadway, 31, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes resisting arrest, and other related charges.

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.

WCCO

By Riley Moser

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — The children of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman are asking President Trump to remove a video he reposted on social media Saturday alleging Gov. Tim Walz is behind their mother’s assassination.

Walz responded to the president’s Truth Social post, saying it is “dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States.”

“In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed. America is better than this,” Walz said.

Hortman was shot and killed alongside her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert, on June 14, 2025, inside the family’s Brooklyn Park home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded in their Champlin home 90 minutes earlier.

Vance Boelter, 58, faces federal charges for the shootings, including two counts of murder. He allegedly dressed as a police officer and managed to evade arrest for nearly 40 hours. According to prosecutors, Boelter had a hit list of lawmakers and other public officials, including staffers at Planned Parenthood. He pleaded not guilty in August.

Mr. Trump first reshared the video that states Boelter made the claim Walz ordered him to kill Hortman in a letter authorities say they found in his vehicle. Then-acting U.S. attorney Joe Thompson called the letter a “delusion” that seemed “designed to conceal his crimes.”

The Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin, on Sunday afternoon asked Mr. Trump to remove the post, saying it promotes a “false narrative.”

“The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents, Mark and Melissa, and their beloved Gilbert,” Sophie Hortman said. “I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post on Truth Social.”

Colin Hortman also debunked one of the claims made in the video shared by Mr. Trump regarding a vote his mother made shortly before her death to remove undocumented immigrant adults from the state’s health care coverage program. Hortman was the sole Democrat to vote for it in the tied House chamber, clearing the way for its passage.

“When I called her after the legislative session ended, I asked why she voted for the bill mentioned in the video shared by President Trump, and she wept. That bill and her vote had nothing to do with fraud. She voted for that bill because it was the only way to avoid a government shutdown,” Colin Hortman said. “She had never really voted against her conscience like that. It was emotional and extremely difficult.”

The White House had not responded to CBS News’ request for comment.

In a statement, House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson called out Mr. Trump, saying the claims about Hortman’s death are “untruthful” and “outrageous.”

“Tonight, Donald Trump, who couldn’t be bothered to lower the flags to half staff or even say Melissa Hortman’s name until now, is spreading outrageous lies about her death,” Stephenson said. “Here is the truth: Melissa was murdered by a right-wing, anti-abortion extremist who believed conspiracy theories about COVID. Melissa Hortman and Tim Walz were friends and allies. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying.”

Stephenson went on to say that any political leader in the state who does not condemn the president’s post “isn’t fit to hold office.”

Republican state Sen. Julia Coleman also encouraged lawmakers to “call for an end to baseless conspiracy theories” above a post mentioning Mr. Trump’s online endorsement of the accusation.

“We must all reject this behavior outright and refuse to tolerate it. The American people, grieving families, and the legacies of those lost deserve far better,” Coleman said. “Debate policies fiercely. Fight for what you believe in. But do not speculate, guess, or spread stories that are plainly false and deeply harmful. It’s time to restore dignity to our political discourse.”

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum, called for Republican legislators to specifically condemn Mr. Trump’s post.

However, Republican state Rep. Walter Hudson disagreed.

“I’m not condemning anything, even if I disagree with it, after watching the abhorrent reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk from Democrats of every strata, and the indifference toward and election of Jay Jones. I’m not playing this stupid game,” Hudson said on X about Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post.

Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, did not condemn Trump’s post. She did say in a statement to WCCO that Hortman was “a friend an colleague, and her life was cut short far too soon in an unspeakable act of evil by a deranged killer.”

“She should still be here, and the man who took her life should spend the rest of his life in prison,” she said.

McCollum also demanded that the president apologize to the Hortman family, Walz and Minnesotans.

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 Riley Moser

Click here for updates on this story

    Minnesota (WCCO) — The children of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman are asking President Trump to remove a video he reposted on social media Saturday alleging Gov. Tim Walz is behind their mother’s assassination.

Walz responded to the president’s Truth Social post, saying it is “dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States.”

“In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed. America is better than this,” Walz said.

Hortman was shot and killed alongside her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert, on June 14, 2025, inside the family’s Brooklyn Park home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded in their Champlin home 90 minutes earlier.

Vance Boelter, 58, faces federal charges for the shootings, including two counts of murder. He allegedly dressed as a police officer and managed to evade arrest for nearly 40 hours. According to prosecutors, Boelter had a hit list of lawmakers and other public officials, including staffers at Planned Parenthood. He pleaded not guilty in August.

Mr. Trump first reshared the video that states Boelter made the claim Walz ordered him to kill Hortman in a letter authorities say they found in his vehicle. Then-acting U.S. attorney Joe Thompson called the letter a “delusion” that seemed “designed to conceal his crimes.”

The Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin, on Sunday afternoon asked Mr. Trump to remove the post, saying it promotes a “false narrative.”

“The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents, Mark and Melissa, and their beloved Gilbert,” Sophie Hortman said. “I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post on Truth Social.”

Colin Hortman also debunked one of the claims made in the video shared by Mr. Trump regarding a vote his mother made shortly before her death to remove undocumented immigrant adults from the state’s health care coverage program. Hortman was the sole Democrat to vote for it in the tied House chamber, clearing the way for its passage.

“When I called her after the legislative session ended, I asked why she voted for the bill mentioned in the video shared by President Trump, and she wept. That bill and her vote had nothing to do with fraud. She voted for that bill because it was the only way to avoid a government shutdown,” Colin Hortman said. “She had never really voted against her conscience like that. It was emotional and extremely difficult.”

The White House had not responded to CBS News’ request for comment.

In a statement, House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson called out Mr. Trump, saying the claims about Hortman’s death are “untruthful” and “outrageous.”

“Tonight, Donald Trump, who couldn’t be bothered to lower the flags to half staff or even say Melissa Hortman’s name until now, is spreading outrageous lies about her death,” Stephenson said. “Here is the truth: Melissa was murdered by a right-wing, anti-abortion extremist who believed conspiracy theories about COVID. Melissa Hortman and Tim Walz were friends and allies. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying.”

Stephenson went on to say that any political leader in the state who does not condemn the president’s post “isn’t fit to hold office.”

Republican state Sen. Julia Coleman also encouraged lawmakers to “call for an end to baseless conspiracy theories” above a post mentioning Mr. Trump’s online endorsement of the accusation.

“We must all reject this behavior outright and refuse to tolerate it. The American people, grieving families, and the legacies of those lost deserve far better,” Coleman said. “Debate policies fiercely. Fight for what you believe in. But do not speculate, guess, or spread stories that are plainly false and deeply harmful. It’s time to restore dignity to our political discourse.”

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum, called for Republican legislators to specifically condemn Mr. Trump’s post.

However, Republican state Rep. Walter Hudson disagreed.

“I’m not condemning anything, even if I disagree with it, after watching the abhorrent reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk from Democrats of every strata, and the indifference toward and election of Jay Jones. I’m not playing this stupid game,” Hudson said on X about Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post.

Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, did not condemn Trump’s post. She did say in a statement to WCCO that Hortman was “a friend an colleague, and her life was cut short far too soon in an unspeakable act of evil by a deranged killer.”

“She should still be here, and the man who took her life should spend the rest of his life in prison,” she said.

McCollum also demanded that the president apologize to the Hortman family, Walz and Minnesotans.

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.

KTVT

By Adam Harrington, Tim Jacobi

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     Chicago (KTVT) — A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald’s to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.

The lawsuit was filed Dec. 23 in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Plaintiffs Peter Le of Baldwin Park, California; Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, New York; Dorien Baker of Chicago; and Darrick Wilson of Washington, D.C., sought class-action status in the lawsuit.

McDonald’s offers the McRib during limited windows with ad campaigns to announce their return each time, most recently starting this past November.

The lawsuit said McDonald’s has “cultivated a sense of anticipation around the McRib, leveraging its scarcity to drive sales across its many locations.”

As CBS News has reported before, the notorious 520-calorie sandwich contains just five simple ingredients: seasoned boneless pork dipped in BBQ sauce, sliced onions, and dill pickles in a toasted homestyle bun.

“When everything combines, you have BBQ pork sandwich perfection,” McDonald’s has said.

But the lawsuit alleged that fans of the sandwich assume they’re biting into pork rib meat, but the McRib does not really contain any.

Despite its name and distinctive shape — its meat patty has been deliberately crafted to resemble a rack of pork ribs—the McRib does not contain any actual pork rib meat at all,” the lawsuit said. “Instead, its meat patty is reconstructed using ground-up portions of lower-grade pork products such as, inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach.”

The lawsuit said actual pork rib meat cuts — spareribs and baby back ribs — are premium cuts of pork that are more valuable than lower-quality cuts. Despite not containing any rib meat, the McRib is among the most expensive single-item options offered on the menu at McDonald’s, the lawsuit said.

“The name ‘McRib’ is a deliberate sleight of hand. By including the word “Rib” in the name of the sandwich, McDonald’s knowingly markets the sandwich in a way that deceives reasonable consumers, who reasonably (but mistakenly) believe that a product named the ‘McRib’ will include at least some meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat, which commands a premium price on the market,” the lawsuit said. “McDonald’s does this despite knowing that the sandwich in fact does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat — indeed, none at all.”

The lawsuit said consumers are led to believe they’re eating rib meat when they’re eating a McRib, but are actually eating “a lower-quality restructured meat product that did not contain any actual pork rib meat.”

“Put simply: consumers have been materially misled en masse as a result of McDonald’s deceptive labeling and marketing into purchasing sandwiches that they would not otherwise have purchased, or would only have paid less for, had they known the truth,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit further alleged McDonald’s knows or should know that customers are being misled, given the name “McRib” and the way the sandwich’s patty is shaped to look like a pork rib.

The lawsuit accused McDonald’s of fraudulent omission or concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, and other counts. It demanded an order “enjoining McDonald’s to desist from further deceptive naming, marketing and advertising practices with respect to the McRib and such other injunctive relief that the Court deems just and proper,” and an award of damages to the plaintiffs.

McDonald’s USA issued the following statement on the lawsuit:

“This lawsuit distorts the facts and many of the claims are inaccurate. Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do – that’s why we’re committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu. Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.”

McDonald’s added that it does not use pork hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach in the McRib patty, and such items are not allowed in any of its pork products. The company said the McRib has a base of 100% seasoned boneless pork.

McDonald’s first added the McRib to menus in Kansas City in 1981, according to CBS News Austin.

The chain pulled it from its menu four years later, but the sandwich has become a cult favorite among McDonald’s loyalists in recent years. It was previously sold regionally before expanding to all of its U.S. restaurants in 2020, CBS News Austin reported.

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 Adam Harrington, Lauren Victory, Sara Machi, Benson Cook

Click here for updates on this story

    Chicago (WBBM) — The State/Lake Loop ‘L’ stop has now closed, and won’t reopen for three years, as the historic station is completely demolished and rebuilt.

The Chicago Transit Authority elevated station, which serves the Brown, Green, Purple, Orange, and Pink lines, is 130 years old. The city announced it will be completely demolished and rebuilt as a “new, fully accessible rail hub” in early December.

Preparations have been under way for some time for the project. On Sunday, anyone getting off at the Lake Street CTA Red Line subway stop on Sunday might have noticed some new signage near the station’s stairways to street level.

The updated signs direct passengers looking to transfer to the elevated lines to head for the Washington/Wabash stop, a short walk to the southeast, instead of the elevated State/Lake platform overhead.

This, again, is because there will be no elevated State/Lake platform for the next three years. Construction crews rolled into the station before dawn Monday.

The State/Lake elevated station is one of the oldest in the city’s system and has the fifth-highest ridership. Officials said the new station will have wider platforms, four new elevators with full ADA accessibility, two escalators, a glass canopy, and improved lighting and visibility.

The project will cost $444 million. Construction will take at least three years, with the new station set to open in 2029. That price doesn’t sit well with some passengers.

“I feel like it’s kind of dumb in my opinion because like we don’t really need this, and I feel like we should use his money for something else in my opinion,” said Brighton Park resident Michelle Cortes.

Until then, commuters who are used to an easy transfer from the subway will have to make some adjustments.

Little Village resident Jacqueline Sanchez was taking some photos on the platform on the station’s last day in operation.

“I went to high school downtown, and I used to work downtown, so I would use this station almost every day,” she said. “I don’t take it anymore, so I was like, you know what, this is a great way to say bye.”

Other riders were unaware it would be their last time on the decades-old platform.

“And no, I didn’t know that, and that’s actually crazy because I like this train,” said rider Kennedi Brown.

Transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman of DePaul University said three years is a long time, but hopes it’s a worst-case senario.

“There is going to be some hardship, probably walking through construction sites at certain times and even having to rethink your trip,” Schwieterman said.

Transfers between lines will be complicated in particular.

“You know, the biggest impact is people making connections between the Loop elevator and the Red Line are going to get off at a different station that involves a couple blocks of walking, and even those on buses might have impacts with State Street being a construction site so it’s a lot of things at once, and we’re going to feel the effects,” he said.

State Street has already been partially closed for months for construction, and crossing the Chicago River at State Street has not been an option. This has affected bus traffic already for months upon months — the No. 36 Broadway bus, which runs on State Street from Division Street south to Van Buren Street, has been rerouted by way of Kinzie Street, Clark Street, and Wacker Drive.

Beginning Monday, even more of State Street downtown will be disrupted. The southbound lanes will be closed from Wacker Drive to Washington Street. Northbound State will see all lanes reopened.

There could also be some changes to bus services with the street closures that accompany construction, but as of Sunday, the CTA has not shared those changes.

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.

WBBM

By Adam Harrington, Lauren Victory, Sara Machi, Benson Cook

Click here for updates on this story

    Chicago (WBBM) — The State/Lake Loop ‘L’ stop has now closed, and won’t reopen for three years, as the historic station is completely demolished and rebuilt.

The Chicago Transit Authority elevated station, which serves the Brown, Green, Purple, Orange, and Pink lines, is 130 years old. The city announced it will be completely demolished and rebuilt as a “new, fully accessible rail hub” in early December.

Preparations have been under way for some time for the project. On Sunday, anyone getting off at the Lake Street CTA Red Line subway stop on Sunday might have noticed some new signage near the station’s stairways to street level.

The updated signs direct passengers looking to transfer to the elevated lines to head for the Washington/Wabash stop, a short walk to the southeast, instead of the elevated State/Lake platform overhead.

This, again, is because there will be no elevated State/Lake platform for the next three years. Construction crews rolled into the station before dawn Monday.

The State/Lake elevated station is one of the oldest in the city’s system and has the fifth-highest ridership. Officials said the new station will have wider platforms, four new elevators with full ADA accessibility, two escalators, a glass canopy, and improved lighting and visibility.

The project will cost $444 million. Construction will take at least three years, with the new station set to open in 2029. That price doesn’t sit well with some passengers.

“I feel like it’s kind of dumb in my opinion because like we don’t really need this, and I feel like we should use his money for something else in my opinion,” said Brighton Park resident Michelle Cortes.

Until then, commuters who are used to an easy transfer from the subway will have to make some adjustments.

Little Village resident Jacqueline Sanchez was taking some photos on the platform on the station’s last day in operation.

“I went to high school downtown, and I used to work downtown, so I would use this station almost every day,” she said. “I don’t take it anymore, so I was like, you know what, this is a great way to say bye.”

Other riders were unaware it would be their last time on the decades-old platform.

“And no, I didn’t know that, and that’s actually crazy because I like this train,” said rider Kennedi Brown.

Transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman of DePaul University said three years is a long time, but hopes it’s a worst-case senario.

“There is going to be some hardship, probably walking through construction sites at certain times and even having to rethink your trip,” Schwieterman said.

Transfers between lines will be complicated in particular.

“You know, the biggest impact is people making connections between the Loop elevator and the Red Line are going to get off at a different station that involves a couple blocks of walking, and even those on buses might have impacts with State Street being a construction site so it’s a lot of things at once, and we’re going to feel the effects,” he said.

State Street has already been partially closed for months for construction, and crossing the Chicago River at State Street has not been an option. This has affected bus traffic already for months upon months — the No. 36 Broadway bus, which runs on State Street from Division Street south to Van Buren Street, has been rerouted by way of Kinzie Street, Clark Street, and Wacker Drive.

Beginning Monday, even more of State Street downtown will be disrupted. The southbound lanes will be closed from Wacker Drive to Washington Street. Northbound State will see all lanes reopened.

There could also be some changes to bus services with the street closures that accompany construction, but as of Sunday, the CTA has not shared those changes.

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 Heath Kalb

Click here for updates on this story

    Detroit (WWJ) — As reaction pours in from across the country about the U.S. strikes on Venezuela and former President Nicolás Maduro, whom President Trump said was “captured” early Saturday, the Venezuelan community in Southwest Detroit is voicing its opinion.

“We are finally free again,” said Rayner Gutierrez, the owner of the Venezuelan restaurant El Ray de las Arepas. “I thought it was fake news, but then, it’s true, Maduro, the dictator from Venezuela, they finally got him. So I think it’s a plus for Venezuelan people today. Everybody’s excited.”

Rayner Gutierrez and his father, Jose Gutierrez, immigrated to the U.S. over 30 years ago, and now own El Ray de las Arepas on McGraw Avenue, where they say the local Venezuelan community has flourished over the past few years.

“I opened the restaurant like 14 years ago. Nobody knew where Venezuela was. The only person they knew was Miguel Cabrera,” said Rayner Gutierrez.

The Gutierrez family says that they, along with most of their customers, are feeling mixed emotions. They’re Happy that Maduro is out, but concerned about what might be coming next to their home country.

“It’s like, you know, different emotions,” said Jose Gutierrez. “We are happy, but at the same [time] we have family there, friends and all Venezuelan people. We are scared. We are really scared, but we got faith in god, faith, you know, that everything gonna be right for everybody.”

While tensions and uncertainty continue to be seen and heard thousands of miles away, Jose Gutierrez says he just wants people to know that the Venezuelan people are good.

“We are Venezuela, we love Venezuela, but we love USA too,” said Jose Gutierrez.

The Gutierrez family says they are hoping and praying that this means they will feel better about being able to travel to Venezuela to visit their family, who is still there.

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.