Author: Andrew Rogers

Firefighters from Hancock and Brooke counties responded to a major house fire in New Cumberland, West Virginia, late Monday night that involved multiple structures. Authorities say the fire affected three homes, two of which were occupied at the time. The initial call came in around 11:15 p.m., reporting a house fire on Second Avenue. Fire crews arrived quickly and began working to control flames and heavy smoke that spread across the three properties. Police confirmed that all residents were evacuated safely and that no injuries have been reported so far. Fire departments from Newell, New Cumberland, Chester, and Hancock County…

Cinnabon has responded after a video went viral showing a Wisconsin employee shouting racist slurs at customers in Ashwaubenon, a suburb of Green Bay. The company described the footage as “disturbing” and confirmed that the employee involved has been fired. The video, shared on social media, shows a woman and her husband encountering the employee at the Cinnabon on Friday. The couple, described in an online fundraiser as a Black Somali Muslim pair, said the employee directed racist remarks and threats toward them. According to the woman, the encounter began when she asked if the caramel was running low. The…

The holiday season in Wisconsin is a time of family, celebration, and shared meals. Yet, not everyone in the state has access to enough food. Hunger remains a serious issue, and state leaders have worked for years to address it. During the pandemic, Governor Evers used $70 million in federal funding for the Food Security Initiative. This program connected food-insecure families with local Wisconsin farmers. Building on this effort, the 2025-2027 state budget now funds a new Food Security and Wisconsin Products Program. This program invests $5 million annually to support nonprofit organizations that buy and distribute food to communities…

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani released a video Sunday explaining how residents can protect themselves during encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He stressed that his administration will defend immigrant communities while upholding the city’s constitutional right to protest. The video follows a recent ICE raid in Manhattan, highlighting Mamdani’s plan to confront federal actions that could affect immigrants. He urged New Yorkers to be informed and confident in asserting their legal rights. “As mayor, I’ll protect the rights of every single New Yorker, including the more than three million immigrants who call this city home,” Mamdani…

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., compared White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s comments on migrants to the way Nazis described Jewish people. She made the remarks during an interview on Sunday. CBS host Margaret Brennan asked Omar to respond to Miller’s social media post, which read: “No magic transformation occurs when failed states cross borders. At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions, and terrors, of their broken homelands.” Omar described the comments as “White supremacist rhetoric” and said they echoed historical language used to dehumanize groups. “It reminds me of the way the Nazis described Jewish people…

The University of Oklahoma drew national attention after a student filed a complaint over receiving a zero on an essay. Junior Samantha Fulnecky claimed religious discrimination because her assignment referenced the Bible. The graduate instructor who graded the essay has been placed on administrative leave. Oklahoma Chronicle host Evan Onstot discussed the reactions to the complaint and its wider implications for free speech and religious expression on campus. Onstot also spoke with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt about open primaries for state elections. Holt supports an initiative petition that could appear on voters’ ballots as State Question 836. If passed,…

Louisiana Congressman Cleo Fields was fined $2,500 on Friday by the state Board of Ethics for not submitting a report on leftover funds and debts from his 2004 Public Service Commission campaign. Fields, a Baton Rouge Democrat elected to Congress in 2024, did not comment on the fine when contacted. The report, due in February, would have documented any spending or debt forgiveness in 2024 related to that old campaign. Fields lost the District 3 public service commissioner race to Lambert Boissiere in a 2004 runoff. For years, officials have been required to file reports for old election accounts if…

The University of Kentucky has received a $150 million gift from the Bill Gatton Foundation to build a new arts district in Lexington. This is the largest donation in the university’s history and will support major arts construction projects. The gift will support the relocation and construction of a new College of Fine Arts Building next to the Gray Design Building. It will also fund a large theater for dance, music, and theatrical performances, as well as a pavilion with a park that connects several blocks near the existing School of Arts and Visual Studies Building. Bill Gatton, a UK…

Lawmakers in New Mexico are proposing stricter regulations for firearms dealers, triggering a debate between state officials and gun store owners. The move comes amid concerns over guns used in crimes and the safety of communities across the state. Keith Bledsoe, co-owner of Rose’s Guns and More, LLC, in Moriarty, said the new proposals could burden small business owners. He noted that existing laws already give authorities the tools to catch illegal activity. “It just puts a big stranglehold on us,” Bledsoe said, referencing regulations already in place. He described an incident involving a customer attempting multiple purchases. “I only…

Jersey is introducing its first island-wide remote health monitoring system to track the health of vulnerable residents in their homes and communities. The landmark project has been awarded to Graphnet Health, which will provide the technology solution to Family Nursing & Home Care (FNHC). The initiative is backed by an £800,000 CareTech Challenge grant aimed at helping older residents live independently while receiving continuous health support. Rosemarie Finley, chief executive of FNHC, described the project as a “powerful way” to monitor the wellbeing of residents at home. She highlighted the challenges faced by frail patients and those managing long-term conditions…