Category: CNN Regional

By Adam Duxter

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Minnesotans lined up for a chance to give back Saturday morning — as Bridging worked to collect new and gently used blankets ahead of the winter season during its annual “Bring a Blanket for Bridging” event.

At four Original Mattress Factories, volunteers worked to bag and save the blankets — which will eventually go to support thousands of families across the Twin Cities metro and beyond.

The non-profit, which works to provide household items to families in transitional housing, says they have a need for over 15,000 blankets annually.

“When this snow comes, and the cold comes, our donors and our community go, oh, that’s right – you need blankets,” said Diana Dalsin of Bridging. “If you have a small batch of funds in your hands, are going to pay rent, buy food, and buy a new blanket. This is the gift.”

Sarah Pederson and Lexi Rimer were the first two cars in line at the Maplewood drop-off site. The paid said they showed up hours ahead of time – looking to give back.

“It’s honestly such a big thing – especially being in Minnesota, being warm and having basic necessity like a blanket shouldn’t be a concern,” Pederson said. “Knowing that I had these extra blankets, why not take an opportunity to help others and help ease whatever they’re going through?”

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By Logan Smith

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    Colorado (KCNC) — A 55-year-old Lakewood man who worked for the federal government was sentenced to prison this week for fraudulently diverting approximately $1 million from his employer for personal use.

James Montoya was sentenced Tuesday to 41 months behind bars. He was also ordered to repay $1,122,009.47.

Montoya was employed as an Information Technology (IT) Specialist for the United State Geological Survey (USGS) which has offices in Lakewood. He was hired by the agency in 1996 and started working in the IT position in 2002.

A year later, Montoya began falsifying expense reports in order to shift money to personal Paypal accounts, per case documents. The activity wasn’t noticed until 15 years later. Then, in 2023, an examination of employee accounts by the U.S. Department of Interior (which oversees the USGS) drew attention to Montoya’s accounts.

“An investigation revealed that Montoya successfully concealed improper purchases for years by submitting altered receipts, and fictitious invoices and other documentation to USGS claiming that these purchases were for IT-related items or services,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, stated in a press release. “In fact, the defendant did not provide any IT-related items or services to USGS and many of these purchases were for personal items including, but not limited to, vintage and collectible toys as well as car parts.”

The investigation revealed Montoya directed just over $1 million to his three Paypal accounts which he had falsely portrayed as vendors providing products to the USGS. Montoya disputed the total amount, according to court records, and claimed the total was $922,000.

More than $120,000 was falsely attributed to legitimate USGS vendors through fake invoices.

His personal purchases included leather electric seats for his pickup truck and replica toys from a Disneyland Tokyo amusement park ride, according to a case document.

A federal grand jury issued an indictment in August 2024 charging Montoya with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to a single count in March.

“The defendant stole the funds and laid low in the hopes his theft would not be caught,” prosecutors proclaimed in a court document in which they argued for a 46-month sentence. “The length of this offense and the frequency of the defendant’s theft, nearly every month of the period of the scheme, contribute to its seriousness.”

Montoya has until January 12, 2026, to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his term.

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By Carlos E. Castañeda, Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A social worker who was stabbed Thursday inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has died, officials said.

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said at about 1:30 p.m., hospital workers requested additional security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient. While providing security for the doctor, a deputy heard a disturbance in a hospital hallway involving a suspect and the social worker from the University of California, San Francisco, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The deputy immediately intervened and restrained the suspect, while medical staff on site tended to the 31-year-old social worker, who was stabbed in the neck and shoulder, the office said.

The unidentified social worker was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. In an update Saturday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said the staff member died from their injuries.

“Keeping our staff, patients, and community safe is our highest priority,” SFDPH said in a statement. “DPH and the hospital have already taken steps like adding more security, limiting access points, and speeding up the installation of weapons detection systems.”

Deputies recovered a five-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack. The 35-year-old male suspect was at the hospital for a scheduled appointment and had reportedly made previous threats to the doctor, the Sheriff’s Office said.

There was no ongoing threat to the public, the office said.

On Friday, San Francisco police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi of San Francisco. He was booked on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, and being armed during the commission of a felony.

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By Terell Bailey

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    OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — In Oakland County, Michigan, some scammers are working hard to make sure their pockets end up delightful this holiday season.

“I imagine they’re well into $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, doing this frequently,” Tom Jones, owner of Funky Monkey Toys in Oxford, Michigan, said.

The toy store has been open for over 15 years.

On Black Friday, the business experienced a first: someone paying with counterfeit cash.

“[A] $100 bill and they’ve bought $20 worth of merchandise, meaning they got about $75 of real money back,” Jones explained.

The counterfeit marker didn’t tip employees off about the situation. They realized they’d been duped when the money was taken to the bank.

“It happened here four times that I know of in Oxford. It’s also happened in Lake Orion. I don’t know if it’s the same person, individual, or group,” Jones explained.

Oakland County deputies are looking into the situation. Aside from counterfeit detection pins, officials advise checking the texture of the bill. If it’s slippery, it could be fake.

“Hold it to the light. There’s a watermark in bills. You can buy an inexpensive UV light. And UV lights will tell you very specifically, each denomination has a specific color, so, for example, a $5 bill is blue,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

The bills used were purported to be older $100 bills.

“This is just my guess; they’re actually using money paper, bleaching it and putting imprints on top,” Jones said.

Since Black Friday, businesses in downtown Oxford have been on high alert.

“It’s almost like an insult to these businesses. We support this community, and the community supports us,” Jones explained.

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By Jessica Popowcer

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    Illinois (WBBM) — A ticket from Michael Jordan’s first home game with the Chicago Bulls 41 years ago sold for more than $7,600 at auction.

According to the website for Lelands, the ticket went for $7,646.960

The ticket is from the first preseason game of the 1984-1985 season, on Oct. 9, 1984. The Bulls took on the Milwaukee Bucks at a high school gym in Northwest Indiana.

Jordan played his first two games as a Bull on the road in small venues in Peoria and St. Louis, but his first home game took place at that gym in East Chicago.

David Blixt, the collector and owner of the ticket, found it in a box of old baseball cards in his childhood bedroom.

He found the ticket, which originally cost $5, in a box underneath his dresser recently while looking for an old Nolan Ryan rookie baseball card to see what it was worth.

The old ticket jogged Blixt’s memory of Jordan highlights.

“A vacuum sucked everything out of the gym for an instant, and it got silent and then pfff! Eruption when he dunked, and it was like, ‘Oh my God!'” he said.

The auction for the ticket ended Saturday.

Noel Brennan contributed to this report.

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By Ricky Sayer

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh-area mayors and U.S. Steel on Saturday night honored the 15-year-old boy who ran into a North Braddock burning home to rescue an elderly neighbor.

Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor showed off his trademark smile during the event, which was organized by North Braddock Mayor Cletus Lee as part of the Mayor’s Charitable Fund that he leads.

“Congratulations, you’re a hero,” Taylor heard as he entered the room, filled with mayors from across the Pittsburgh region, including Braddock, Turtle Creek, West Mifflin, and Braddock Hills, along with business leaders who sponsor the fund, including U.S. Steel President David Burritt.

When in October his neighbor’s home caught fire, Taylor, who is autistic, jumped into action.

“Miss Evelyn [West] screamed for help, and I came [to] help,” Taylor said.

His mother spoke with KDKA-TV the day of the fire, explaining that he pulled the woman out of the burning home.

“She is everybody’s family, she’s everybody’s grandmother,” said Tallula Thompson, the teen’s mother and the caretaker for Ms. Evelyn’s granddaughter. She describes her son as very intelligent, with a 4.0 GPA.

Lee caught wind of Taylor’s story.

“I didn’t believe there were still young men and women that did heroic deeds as he did. So I said, ‘We got to do something for this young man,’ because this is unheard of,” Mayor Lee said.

It was set in motion Saturday night, where both Taylor and West were honored at the second annual Mayor’s Charitable Fundraiser Dinner.

West, who is in her 80s, lost her home in the fire. She’s a longtime community crossing guard. Lee brought West to the front of the room and handed her a key.

“So, when we knew about your house, I took it upon myself to make sure that now you got an apartment,” Lee told her. “This is your apartment. This is your key to your new apartment. I paid your rent for a whole year, so you have nothing to worry about.”

The mayor also gave her a service award.

Unable to hold back tears, she gave thanks and acknowledged that it seems there are few people in the world willing to help someone like her out.

“This is really different for me,” West said.

U.S. Steel President David Burritt called her a remarkable woman and shared with her a token of appreciation on behalf of the company.

“Well, we like to be part of the community, and it really was a privilege to be part of this,” Burritt told KDKA-TV.

He also spoke during the event, looking right at Taylor as he shared why he found him to be so extraordinary.

“Thank you for what you have been able to role model for all of us,” Burritt said. “You know, there’s a lot of people who talk about courage, but few people are able to act on it. When you knew she was in harm’s way, it didn’t matter about the smoke, the flames, the danger; you stepped up, and you rescued her.”

He presented Taylor a “Champion of S.T.E.E.L.” award, saying it was only the second time it had been presented to a non-U.S. Steel employee.

Like their workers, Burritt said Taylor has grit.

Other “Gold Sponsors” of the night included Black Diamond Equipment Rental and Avalotis Corporation.

“Oh, it was so exciting that I got three awards in the diamond shape, a trophy in a box, and a gold coin,” Taylor told KDKA-TV. “I feel very amazed I was called a hero.”

In a selfish world, Mayor Lee said Xaiveyon shows there’s still compassion and love. He’s a 15-year-old with a story everyone can learn from.

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By Eva Andersen, Bill Seiders

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    Pennsylvania (KYW) — With no new contract talks scheduled between SEPTA and its largest union, TWU Local 234, riders who depend on public transit say they are increasingly anxious about how they will get around if workers walk off the job.

SEPTA has urged riders to prepare for alternate transportation options, warning that a strike would shut down all bus, train, and trolley service.

For Clinton Mumford, who relies exclusively on SEPTA buses and trains, even a short strike would be devastating.

“We got a lot to lose,” Mumford said. “I got programs I gotta get to…If I don’t take [SEPTA], I gotta take an Uber. And then I gotta dig down deep into my pockets.”

Other riders told CBS News Philadelphia they are already trying to make backup plans, unsure whether buses, trolleys or subways will be running by the end of the weekend.

“You don’t know who to feel the most sorry for,” said rider Bridget Peezik. “The people that are trying to get to work — or SEPTA itself because it’s just having such a hard time keeping going.”

Union demands — which include “modest” wage increases, pension adjustments and earlier access to a dental plan, according to TWU Local 234 President Will Vera — appeared reasonable to several riders interviewed Saturday.

“I believe that should be accounted for and that should be reevaluated without having a strike occur,” Lillian, a SEPTA rider, said.

Their concerns come one day after Transport Workers Union Local 234 declared a strike “imminent” unless SEPTA returns to the bargaining table with what union leaders describe as fair contract proposals. The union represents about 5,000 operators and mechanics across the city’s bus, trolley, Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines.

But despite the warning, SEPTA said Saturday that it did not resume negotiations with the union after both sides walked away from talks on Friday.

No negotiations are scheduled for Sunday either, SEPTA said. Union leaders have not provided a strike timeline but say a walkout could begin at any moment.

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By Adi Guajardo

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — A judge has ordered the city to scrap a street redesign already in the works in Astoria, Queens.

The construction of a bike lane along 31st Street has had local businesses and cyclists at odds for months. Now, the New York City Department of Transportation has to cease its work and rip up what’s already done.

Judge sides with business owners in lawsuit over street redesign The DOT plan included a redesign of a six-block segment of 31st Street between 31st Avenue and Newtown Avenue. The DOT said internal data helped identify that section as a one of the most dangerous corridors in Queens, citing 14 deaths or serious injuries and approximately 190 injuries total between 2019 and 2024.

According to court documents, however, a judge has sided with business owners who brought forth a lawsuit and ordered the DOT to undo all the work they’ve already done and restore the street to its original design.

Bike lanes that the DOT already began to build out will now have to be scrapped.

According to court documents, DOT has 30 days to comply. CBS News New York reached out to the department for a comment on the ruling but did not immediately hear back.

Reaction split to judge’s ruling The 31st Street Business Association released a statement saying, in part, “The 31st Street Business Association is pleased with the court’s ruling, which helps protect the Astoria community from an ill-advised DOT plan that would have made our streets and our community less safe.”

Georgios Kalosis, the owner of Sanemi Modern Greek, is one of many local business owners who raised concerns about the new bike lanes. He said he’s very happy with the judge’s decision.

“We have a business. We wanna thrive. It gives a lot of problems, especially with the parking,” he said.

But many cyclists argue the that the court’s decision to scrap the project is putting lives at risk.

“I was actually clipped by a car yesterday. A lot of drivers just don’t care. They drive very aggressively around here,” cyclist Andrew Littlefield said. “So having a protected lane where there is cars and steel beams in between you and moving traffic makes it so that people of all cycling abilities can ride.”

“Unfortunately, with the ruling of this judge, we’ve just taken a big step back right here,” cyclist Kevin Guo said.

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