12+ min ago (658+ words) Leo made the comments as he flew from Istanbul to Beirut for the second and final leg of his'maiden voyage as pope.'Though Leo has been fielding journalists" questions at informal gatherings at his country house, the brief encounter marked his first news conference as pope and followed the tradition of his predecessors of using his'foreign trips'to engage with the media. Because of the short flight, the news conference was limited to two questions from Turkish journalists. When Leo returns to Rome on Tuesday, the encounter will presumably be longer. The American pope was asked about his private talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon his arrival in Ankara and whether they discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Leo confirmed they had, and said that Turkey had an "important role to play" in both conflicts, noting that Erdogan…...

15+ hour, 28+ min ago (520+ words) COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A state trooper who was seriously injured while on the job earlier this year has been accused of sexual assault by one of his caregivers. WARNING: This story contains details of alleged sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised. Master Trooper Wayne LaBounty, who was injured by a pickup truck driver on Sept. 9, has been accused of sexual assault by one of his home health aides. The aide filed a complaint with the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, which referred the investigation to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to avoid a potential conflict of interest. SLED confirmed Wednesday that an investigation into LaBounty is "active and ongoing." According to a copy of the complaint obtained by WIS, LaBounty began making sexually explicit comments to the aide on Nov. 21 while she massaged his legs as part of his…...

20+ hour, 4+ min ago (391+ words) ATLANTA, Ga. (ANF/Gray News) " A man who suffered a heart attack before crashing his vehicle has been reunited with the doctor who saved his life on the scene. On Friday, Dr. Kehinde Idowu reconnected with the man he helped save for the first time since the health scare. John Nimmo had suffered a heart attack while behind the wheel on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, Georgia more than a week before. "We've been waiting for this moment ever since, nine days. I counted down. We communicated back and forth a few times. But it's been a countdown, and I couldn't wait to meet him," Nimmo said. The meeting was nothing short of emotional. Idowu said he is just glad he was in the right place at the right time. He also had the right tools and the will to…...

1+ day, 33+ min ago (113+ words) STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - Four people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting during a family gathering at a banquet hall in Stockton, sheriff's officials said Saturday. Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County sheriff's office, said the victims included both children and adults. Early indications "suggest this may have been a targeted incident," Brent said during a news conference at the scene. The shooting occurred inside the banquet hall, which shares a parking lot with other businesses. Detectives were still working to identify a possible motive. Authorities did not immediately provide additional information about the conditions of the victims. Officials said earlier that several were taken to hospitals....

1+ day, 5+ hour ago (170+ words) BREMOND, Texas (KCEN) - One Texas couple spent Thanksgiving celebrating a milestone. It was their 80th wedding anniversary. Edith and Elbert Maddox marked the milestone by renewing their vows. "We went to school together, and so we've known each other all of our lives," Edith Maddox said. The two married on Nov. 24, 1945, in Marlin. They renewed their vows this week, surrounded by 140 family members. "It means the world to me," Edith Maddox said. The Maddox family has grown quite a bit over the years with 12 children, 37 grandchildren, 68 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren. Edith Maddox said the event would not have been possible without the help of their 12 children. "It's real special because of my kids. They did it," Edith Maddox said. When the couple wed, Edith Maddox did not have a wedding dress or a cake. That dream finally came true 80 years later. After…...

1+ day, 6+ hour ago (300+ words) CERES, Calif. (KOVR) " A gift meant for a Marine Corps veteran was stolen off a porch in Ceres, California. The theft was caught on camera, and one law enforcement officer is being praised for going above and beyond to get the gift back. Heather Garfield said all hope was gone after the porch pirate took off with the present meant for her husband. "I know it's just one package," she said. "It's that time of year, but this was really important to us." She thought that the personalized gift was then gone forever. "I'm recovering from my breast cancer, and I couldn't really go get him a gift, and so I ordered it online," she said. Inside the stolen box was a personalized sweater for her husband, Brian. Ceres Patrol officer and fellow Marine veteran Chuck Rushing then received the…...

1+ day, 7+ hour ago (111+ words) (CNN) - Prairie Farms is recalling certain gallons of its fat-free milk because they may contain food-grade cleaning agents. The milk was produced at the company's facility in Dubuque, Iowa, and sold at Woodman's stores in Illinois and Wisconsin, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The affected products carry a Dec. 8 expiration date. Prairie Farms said it was alerted to a potential quality issue earlier this week. More than 300 gallons were sold before the problem was identified. Customers should throw out the affected product or return it to the store for a refund. The company says all remaining recalled milk has been pulled from shelves....

1+ day, 8+ hour ago (316+ words) ORANGE, N.J. (WCBS) - Thanksgiving turned tragic for one family in New Jersey. Two sisters died in a house fire while helping their father escape. Relatives and neighbors hugged, steeped in shock and heartbreak outside a burned and uninhabitable home on Mosswood Avenue in Orange. It is where the two sisters, identified as family and officials as 49-year-old Frantzia Fleury and 42-year-old Pojanee "PJ" Fleury, died, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Surrounded by fire, they fought to find and save their father, but the sisters did not come out alive. Their father was later rescued and is hospitalized. A cousin said the siblings are survived by one child each. "Understand these two women had big hearts," the cousin said. "They were very deeply devoted to their families and it's just a tragedy." Justin McDaniel is a resident in the neighborhood…...

1+ day, 10+ hour ago (361+ words) WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - On Small Business Saturday 2025, the support of buyers is more critical than ever as many are still reeling from a year full of high operating costs and concerned consumers. As the mad dash of holiday shopping picks up steam, the only thing on many small businesses" wish lists is to be prepared for whatever comes next. William Stern has seen the mindset of business owners firsthand. His company, Cardiff, specializes in small business lending, working with thousands of small businesses across the U.S. He says owners have taken a more conservative approach this year following a series of challenges that left things uncertain. "Small business funding has reached a fever pitch," Stern said, citing both "defensive" funding as businesses keep dry powder on hand, and "offensive" funding focused on growth and expansion. "I think with tariffs and inflation and…...

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (263+ words) WAGGAMAN, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - A sheriff's deputy in Louisiana has been identified as the victim of a deadly Thanksgiving Day shooting. According to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, Deputy Shaquille Guerin, 35, was shot and killed by his brother, Darius Guerin, 32, on Thursday night. Authorities said the shooting occurred just after 5:30 p.m. on Marigold Lane. Deputies arrived to find Shaquille Guerin lying in the street outside a home with at least one gunshot wound. Emergency medical crews and fellow deputies attempted life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said. Investigators said Darius Guerin was identified as the suspected shooter, and he took off from the scene before deputies arrived. Deputies were able to take Darius Guerin into custody after he initially refused to stop for a traffic stop and tried…...