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New Miss Universe crowned amid organization turmoil

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The magic and drama of beauty pageants have long captivated global audiences. However, one of the most prominent pageants in the world, Miss Universe, historically a springboard to opportunities for women, is now in turmoil amid the organization’s legal troubles and brand backlash.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig, a 21-year-old animal rights activist and aspiring lawyer who competed as Miss Denmark, earned the crown at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 16.

“She has been on everybody’s favorite list. She’s unique,” pageant coach and blogger Rafa Delfin, who attended the event in Mexico City, told “Impact x Nightline.” “Miss Universe has not had a blond queen since 2004.”

For the first time in more than a decade, Miss USA did not place among the semi-finalists at the pageant. Representing the country was West Point graduate and current Stanford graduate student Alma Cooper, the first active-duty soldier to ever win Miss USA.

In the latest episode of ABC News’ “Impact x Nightline” — titled “Cracks in the Crown: Miss Universe in Crisis?” — which premiered on Thursday, Nov. 21, pageant insiders pull back the curtain on allegations of disarray within the Miss Universe Organization (MUO).

These range from restrictive contracts that contestants have to sign to compete, to the co-owners’ legal troubles and the declining quality of the pageant production itself.

“There’s a reckoning happening in pageantry,” Hilary Levey Friedman, the author of “Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America,” told “Impact x Nightline.” “It really truly may be the end of Miss USA or Miss Universe.”

Rafa Delfin, a dedicated fan who covers various pageants for his blog “Critical Beauty,” complained in a video posted on social media that the pageant’s preliminaries, which took place on Nov. 14, were “a total disaster.”

He noted the brief on-screen time that the record number of candidates — 41 more than the 84 seen in 2023 — were given in this year’s evening gown round.

“This is a business, OK? The more countries you invite, obviously, the more money you make,” Delfin said, noting the result was quantity over quality.

Questions also surfaced about the ethics of the current leadership. Just weeks before the competition, the Miss Universe co-owner, Thai media mogul Anne Jakrajutatip, and former Miss Venezuela Organization President Osmel Sousa went live on a since-deleted TikTok revealing their personal favorites.

The duo also mocked Miss Lebanon, Nada Koussa, in a separate video that surfaced on Instagram. In response, Koussa withdrew from the pageant.

The Lebanese Ministry of Tourism demanded an apology from MUO. Once that was issued, Koussa returned to the pageant and the video was taken down.

“It’s a fragile ecosystem and it’s a very trust-based ecosystem,” said Annemarie Pisano, former Miss Universe Organization press manager. “If you do lose that trust, that’s definitely going to be a problem for a lot of women.”

Under the leadership of Jakrajutatip and Mexican businessman Raul Rocha Cantu, who acquired 50% stake in Miss Universe Organization in January, the pageant company made changes like removing age limits and allowing mothers and women who are married, divorced or pregnant to compete.

However, Jakrajutatip, the first transgender woman to own the organization and a self-proclaimed trans rights activist, seemed to contradict the brand’s public statement in an October 2023 business meeting involving the organization’s leaders that surfaced online a few months ago.

“The trans women, the women with husbands, divorced women …” she said during the meeting. “They can compete but they cannot win. But we just put the policy out there, so you have that social inclusion.”

Jakrajutatip responded to the video in a social media post.

“The malicious edited video was out of context and used to manipulate other people which led to the public confusion, misunderstanding, misinterpretation and wrong conclusion,” she wrote.

Omar Castorino Montanaro, a Paraguayan business tycoon and TV host who was involved in the organization, highlighted the competition’s fading relevance.

“Women, young women, are losing interest in the brand and being or trying to be part of that dream of becoming a Miss Universe,” he told “Impact x Nightline.”

The Miss USA Organization, a franchise under parent company MUO, has faced its own struggles since Laylah Rose took over Miss USA management in 2023. After Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava gave up their crowns in May 2024, state directors representing nine states and Washington, D.C., have since stepped away from the organization.

In interviews, some directors cited “abusive management” and the “unprofessionalism” of the new leadership as reasons for leaving.

ABC News has exclusively learned that the current Miss USA, Alma Cooper, has retained an attorney in connection with her role as Miss USA. The organization declined to comment. ABC News reached out to Rose for an interview and comment, but did not receive a response.

“The people that have the ability to produce these pageants and direct these girls, we need to hold them more accountable,” Claudia Englehardt, the former Social Media Director of Miss USA Organization, told “Impact x Nightline.” “It’s never the girl that is the problem. More often than not, it’s the people that are managing these young women in these positions.”

The Miss Universe Organization’s leadership has faced allegations as well. Rodrigo Goytortua, former CEO of Miss Universe Mexico, filed a lawsuit against MUO co-owner Raul Rocha Cantu, alleging that Rocha Cantu did not pay him for seven months of his work. ABC News reached out to Rocha Cantu for an interview and comment, but did not receive a response.

Paula Shugart, former president of the Miss Universe Organization who resigned in 2023, has also given power of attorney for a lawyer in Thailand to file a criminal claim on her behalf against Jakrajutatip for defamation. Jakrajutatip denied any wrongdoing.

Omar Castorino Montanaro, who said that MUO promised him a hosting role for Miss Universe 2025 in Paraguay, alleged that the organization stopped responding to him after he made a $500,000 deposit and spent months in preparation. The host country of the next Miss Universe pageant has yet to be announced.

ABC News also reached out to The Miss Universe Organization and Jakrajutatip for an interview and comment, but did not receive a response.

After ABC News’ “Impact x Nightline” episode “Cracks in the Crown: Miss Universe in Crisis?” premiered, the Miss Universe Organization issued a press release statement on its website.

“We ardently refute these allegations that underscore our dedication to maintaining a supportive, ethical environment for all participants. Our authenticity and dedication to promoting cultural interactions, social activism, and personal development go beyond conjecture, grounded in decades of positive impact around the globe, ” it said in part.

“Miss Universe remains unwavering in its mission to foster unity, celebrate diversity, and champion women’s empowerment.”

Now, some wonder what the future holds for MUO.

“Women today are not as willing to sit back and say, ‘I’m going to let someone in a position of power abuse their position,'” author Hillary Levey Friedman told “Impact x Nightline.”

How US cities are reimagining the future as office vacancy rates soar to 30-year high

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Throughout the country, once bustling business districts have turned into ghost towns. The pandemic has shown that many jobs can be done remotely. Now some major U.S. cities are breathing new life into empty office buildings by converting them into housing. Notable cities that are part of this trend include New York, Austin, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Boston.

The office vacancy rate is 20.1% in the U.S., according to Moody’s. That’s a 30-year high, with more than 900 million square feet of office space empty — enough to fill New York City’s One World Trade Center 300 times.

Amazon, Citigroup, Walmart, and UPS are among the major companies now requiring employees to spend more time in the office. Some companies are pulling out all the stops to entice workers back. Amenities may include massage rooms, health care services, and on-site personal gyms.

However, most experts agree that hybrid and remote work is here to stay. “Companies don’t need office space in the way that they needed office space 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago,” Evan Horowitz, executive director of The Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University, said. “Remote work has just transformed that landscape.”

Major cities across the country, including Boston, Austin, and Chicago, are seeing office vacancies at or near record highs. In San Francisco, more than 22% of offices are currently empty, a significant increase from about 9% in 2019.

Some cities are now at risk of falling into what is known as the “economic doom loop.” High vacancy rates can cause property values to plummet, decreasing tax revenue. This decrease in revenue affects funding for essential services such as schools, police and sanitation, ultimately making these cities less desirable places to live.

Horowitz says Boston is more vulnerable to falling into an “economic doom loop” than other major cities because of its unique s tax structure.

“Boston is closer to crisis mode than other cities because it is so dependent on taxes from commercial real estate, twice as dependent as virtually any other city in the country,” Horowitz said. The loss of commercial tenants is having a ripple effect on area businesses.

When Dave Savoie bought his favorite bar and grill, Silvertone, in 2016 he said it was like a dream come true.

The downtown Boston establishment was popular with the business crowd. Office workers made up 50% of Savoie’s customers, but all that changed with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I used to call them suits,” Savoie said. “You know, the office guys, the finance guys. And this was their place. [Now] they work from home. If people come to the city now, they work a maximum three days a week.”

It proved too much for Silvertone and, after 27 years, eight of them under Savoie’s ownership, the bar announced “last call” in May.

Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu, who is up for reelection next year, is taking steps to address the situation. She is implementing tax breaks and zoning changes to transform unwanted office space into much-needed housing.

“We have about 500 housing units that are now in the pipeline to be converted out of formerly vacant office buildings,” Wu told ABC News. “We’re taking city buildings like libraries that need renovations and adding housing on top of that and making it faster than ever before through zoning and other city regulatory processes to get your building built and to get those shovels in the ground. The more that downtown is a residential, thriving, busy neighborhood, just like every other one of our neighborhoods, the more everyone benefits.”

The idea is that business districts will be reimagined as vibrant 24/7 neighborhoods that seamlessly blend work, living, dining and entertainment. This holistic approach aims to create a dynamic community where daily life and work coexist, fostering a rich, interconnected lifestyle.

“There are lots of ways to build a vibrant downtown that doesn’t involve the central role of office buildings,” Horowitz said. “It could be apartments, it could be lab space. There are lots of other things you can do with land that makes people want to go downtown and enjoy themselves.”

Many cities are already converting office space into housing, with Cleveland leading the way — 11% of its office inventory is currently undergoing this transformation. Similar projects are also taking place in Cincinnati, Houston, and New York, where the iconic Flatiron office building is set to be transformed into luxury condominiums. “This is a challenge that’s affecting every city in America,” Wu said. “And in Boston, we’re showing that it’s also an opportunity.”

That “opportunity” is something David Greaney is seizing on. At a time when many real estate investors are looking to sell their office buildings, Greaney and his firm Synergy are buying them up, at a deep discount. Synergy currently owns 35 properties in the Greater Boston area – four of them were bought in just the past 12 months.

Greaney says the worst is over in terms of office vacancies, and he is positive about the future of cities. “The great thing about cities is that cities evolve, and I certainly think that our cities will evolve,” Greaney said. “You may see more residential uses, more hospitality or institutional uses, but the office component of downtowns, I believe, will continue to be a very big factor.”

Working out of one of the same buildings Greaney recently bought, small business owners and brothers Michael and Emilio Ruggeri are betting on a comeback for Boston’s downtown.

For three decades they have been serving breakfast and lunch to the office crowd at their Archie’s NY Deli. Office workers accounted for nearly 80% of their business pre-pandemic, but that number has since dwindled to about 50%.

“We’ve been doing more deliveries,” said Emilio Ruggeri. “The construction guys have actually kept us going.”

They’ve also reduced their staff, trimmed their menu and shortened their hours to make ends meet, confident that things will turn around.

“I’m an eternal optimist,” said Michael Ruggeri. “The buildings are way too expensive to just stay empty. Someone’s going to take over the space, so we’re hopeful.”

Biden pardons ‘Peach’ and ‘Blossom’ in White House Thanksgiving turkey tradition

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Peach and Blossom are the two lucky turkeys from Minnesota who escaped a fowl fate of ending up on someone’s Thanksgiving table this year when they were pardoned Monday by President Biden at the White House.

“This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington,” Biden said to what he said was a crowd of 2,500 gathered on the South Lawn. “It’s also my last time to speak here as your president during this season and give thanks and gratitude. So let me say to you, it’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful.”

“May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families,” Biden said. “My dad used to have an expression, family is the beginning, the middle and the end, our friends and our neighbors. The fact that we are blessed to live in America, the greatest country on Earth — and that’s not hyperbole. We are. No matter what, in America we never give up. We keep going, we keep the faith.”

These birds were plucked for the presidential flock and went through rigorous training to ride the gravy train to the White House for the honor, according to John Zimmerman, chairman of the National Turkey Federation.

Zimmerman’s 9-year-old son Grant and other young trainers made sure their feathers wouldn’t be ruffled by the spotlight.

“Preparing these presidential birds has taken a lot of special care,” Zimmerman said Sunday during a news conference introducing the two turkeys. “We’ve been getting them used to lights, camera and even introducing them to a wide variety of music — everything from polka to classic rock.”

Peach and Blossom, weighing 41 and 40 pounds, respectively, where hatched back in July. They traveled to Washington this week and were treated to a suite at the Willard InterContinental hotel before their big day on Monday, as is tradition.

Biden said the birds were named after the Delaware state flower: the Peach Blossom.

The president joked Peach lived by the motto “keep calm and gobble on.” Blossom’s mantra, he said, was “no foul play, just Minnesota nice.”

Biden at times was interrupted by gobbles, responding by saying one was making a “last-minute plea.”

After the pardons, the two turkeys were headed back to Waseca, Minnesota, to live out the remainder of the feathery lives as “agricultural ambassadors” at Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center.

Previous poultry pardoned under Biden include Liberty and Bell in 2023, Chocolate and Chip in 2022, and Peanut Butter and Jelly in 2021.

“And today, Peach and Blossom will join the free birds of the United States of America,” Biden said.

The turkey pardon at the White House is an annual tradition that is usually “cranned” full of a cornucopia of corny jokes.

The history of the turkey pardon

The origin of the presidential turkey pardons is a bit fuzzy. Unofficially, reports point all the way back to Abraham Lincoln, who spared a bird from its demise at the urging of his son, Tad. However, that story might be more folklore than fact.

The true start of what has evolved into the current tradition has its roots in politics and dates back to the Harry Truman presidency in 1947.

Truman ruffled feathers by starting “poultry-less Thursdays” to try and conserve various foods in the aftermath of World War II, but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day all fell on Thursdays.

After the White House was inundated with live birds sent as part of a “Hens for Harry” counter-initiative, the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board presented Truman with a bird as a peace offering — although the turkey was not saved from a holiday feast.

President John F. Kennedy began the trend of publicly sparing a turkey given to the White House in November 1963, just days before his assassination. In the years following, the event became a bit more sporadic, with even some first ladies such as Pat Nixon and Rosalynn Carter stepping in to accept the guests of honor on their husband’s behalf.

The tradition of the public sparing returned in earnest during the Reagan administration, but the official tradition of the poultry pardoning at the White House started in 1989, when then-President George H.W. Bush offered the first official presidential pardon. In the more than three decades since, at least one lucky bird has gotten some extra gobbles each year.

Florida woman faces sentencing in fatal shooting of neighbor Ajike Owens through locked door

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(OCALA, Fla.) — Susan Lorincz, the Florida woman who was found guilty of first-degree felony manslaughter with a firearm in August, is set to be sentenced on Monday for fatally shooting her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, through a locked door in an incident that occurred on June 2, 2023, in Ocala.

She is facing up to 30 years in prison.

Lorincz, who is white, shot Owens, a Black mother of four, in the presence of her now 10-year-old son after Owens went to speak with Lorincz following a dispute over Owens’ children playing near Lorincz’s home, according to a June 6, 2023, statement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

After a jury found Lorincz guilty on Aug. 16, Judge Robert Hodges said that Lorincz would be held in the Marion County jail without bond until her sentencing.

Ahead of Lorincz’s sentencing hearing, Owens’ family shared a statement on Wednesday with ABC News that they released through their attorney, calling for the judge to sentence the Florida woman to “the maximum penalty under the law.”

Owens’ family said that while the guilty verdict was an “ important step,” they are still seeking “justice.”

“While no sentence can ever restore the life taken from us, the court’s decision will send a strong message about the value of Ajike’s life and the importance of justice for victims of senseless violence,” the family said. “We are hopeful that the presiding judge will honor the jury’s decision and deliver a sentence that reflects the severity of this crime.”

Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, who previously told ABC News that the guilty verdict brings a “sense of peace” to the family, said in a statement on Wednesday that Lorincz’s sentencing is an opportunity for the family to “find some closure.”

“While the pain of losing Ajike will never go away, we are hopeful that justice will prevail and that the court will give Susan Lorincz the maximum penalty for her actions,” Dias said. “Ajike’s legacy will live on in her children, and we will continue to fight for justice, love, and peace in her name.”

A spokesperson for the family told ABC News that they plan to be in court on Monday to attend Lorincz’s sentencing hearing.

Lorincz’s attorney Amanda Sizemore declined to comment in response to a request from ABC News.

Lorincz pleaded not guilty and during the trial her defense team argued that she should be found not guilty because she was acting in self-defense because she feared for her life. Meanwhile, prosecutors argued that Lorincz should be found guilty because she fatally shot an “unarmed” Owens through a “locked” door.

Thanksgiving forecast: Where the snow, rain is headed this holiday week

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Snow is headed to the Midwest and the West ahead of Thanksgiving, while rain will target the East Coast on Thanksgiving Day.

Here’s your weather forecast for the holiday week:

Monday

Snow is headed to Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday, while rain is possible from Chicago to Detroit to Indianapolis.

In the West, lots of snow will accumulate in the California mountains. Parts of the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range below the snow line could see 4 to 8 inches of rain through Monday night.

Throughout the South, temperatures will be above average — in the 70s or 80s — on Monday.

Tuesday

Rain is headed to the Northeast on Tuesday, potentially causing flight delays during this busy travel week.

In the West, snow will continue in the Sierra Nevadas and will target the Rockies.

Rain showers are possible from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area.

Wednesday

The Midwest, including Chicago, will see a mix of rain and snow on Wednesday.

In the West, snow totals will reach 3 to 5 feet for parts of the southern Sierra Nevadas in California. Up to 7 feet of snow is possible at the highest elevations.

The Rocky Mountains in Colorado are forecast to get 1 to 3 feet of snow. Wind gusts may reach 35 to 50 mph.

Temperatures on Wednesday will return to potentially record-breaking highs for Houston and Austin, Texas, with highs in the mid-80s.

Thanksgiving

A storm is expected to bring rain to most of the East Coast on Thanksgiving.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City will be rainy and chilly, with temperatures in the 40s.

Snow is possible in upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and northern Maine.

Temperatures will be average or below average for most of the country on Thanksgiving. But temperatures will be above average for Phoenix; New Orleans; Jacksonville, Florida; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania, killing 1, local officials say

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON and BELGRADE) — A DHL cargo plane crashed near the Lithuanian capital early on Monday, killing one of four people onboard, local officials said.

The plane, which had been traveling from Leipzig, Germany, crashed in Liepkalnis, on the outskirts of the capital, Vilnius, the Lithuanian airport authority said in a statement posted on social media. The flight had been expected to land at Vilnius Airport, officials said.

“City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport,” the short statement said. “Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.”

The jet was a Boeing 737-476 operated by Swiftair, according to Flightradar24, an aircraft tracker.

Emergency responders were notified at 5:28 a.m. that the plane had crashed near to a building, the Vilnius Fire and Rescue Department said. Photos and videos taken near the crash site appeared to show a residential area.

First responders reached the crash location, which is a little more than half a mile from the airport, within about 6 minutes, according to Bozena Jerenkovic, a medical doctor who was part of the emergency team on site.

One of the pilots was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was transferred to a local hospital in critical condition, Jerenkovic told ABC News. It appeared that the cockpit had been separated from the plane’s fuselage, she added.

Thirteen people were evacuated from a nearby building without injuries, she said.

As emergency crews worked in the area near Žirnių Street, which the airport identified as the crash site, departures were delayed at Vilnius Airport, according to a statement.

One incoming flight was diverted to Riga, Latvia, officials said. Air traffic resumed by about 7:20 a.m., the statement said.

ABC News has contacted DHL, which is based in Bonn, Germany, for comment.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Israel-Gaza-Lebanon live updates: IDF conducts Beirut strikes despite cease-fire push

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza and in Lebanon, with Israeli attacks on targets nationwide including in the capital Beirut.

The strikes continue despite a cease-fire push fronted by President Joe Biden’s White House as it prepares to hand power to President-elect Donald Trump.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.

Far-right Israeli minister says Lebanon cease-fire would be a ‘big mistake’

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that a potential cease-fire agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon would be “a big mistake.”

Ending the war would be a “missed opportunity” to “eradicate Hezbollah,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.

Ben-Gvir has previously pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject any cease-fire deal in Gaza, where fighting continues with Hamas and other militant groups.

“We must continue until the absolute victory,” Ben-Gvir said of both the Gaza and Lebanon fronts.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Khamenei calls for ‘death sentence’ for Netanyahu, Israeli leaders

In an address to thousands of Basij militia members on Monday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued last week for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were insufficient.

“What [they have] done in Gaza and Lebanon is not a victory, it is a war crime,” Khamenei said.

“Now they have issued arrest warrants for them; this is not enough,” he added of the ICC decision. “A death sentence must be issued for Netanyahu and the criminal leaders of this regime.”

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, who the Israel Defense Forces claimed to have killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July.

Netanyahu’s office expressed its “disgust” at the decision and dismissed the ICC warrant as “absurd.”

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian and Joe Simonetti

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs

The Israel Defense Forces said its warplanes “conducted intelligence-based strikes on several Hezbollah command centers” in southern Beirut on Monday.

The strikes again focused on the Dahiya area in the south of the Lebanese capital, which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.

Monday’s bombings followed an intense day of strikes on Sunday, as diplomats continued to push for a cease-fire agreement to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti

1 hour ago

UAE arrests 3 people accused of rabbi’s killing

The United Arab Emirates’ Interior Ministry said Monday it arrested three Uzbek nationals suspected of the kidnapping and killing of Moldovan-Israeli rabbi Zvi Kogan.

Kogan, 28, was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Nov. 21. He managed a kosher grocery store in Dubai.

The ministry identified the three detained men as Olimpi Tohirovic, 28, Mahmoud John Abdul Rahim, 28, and Azizi Kamilovic, 33. It did not say whether charges had been filed and did not suggest a motive.

Israeli leaders have framed the killing as an antisemitic terror operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his nation would “act by all means” to “bring justice to the murderers and their senders.”

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

IDF issues new Beirut airstrike warnings

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Monday morning that Israeli warplanes would soon begin new airstrikes in Beirut, following 24 hours of intense bombing of the city’s southern suburbs.

Adraee ordered residents of the Haret Hreik area of the southern Dahiya suburbs — known as a Hezbollah stronghold — to flee their homes and stay at least 500 meters from target buildings identified on an IDF map.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

More strikes on southern Beirut suburbs

There were more strikes Sunday night in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which have been pounded by dozens of Israeli strikes in the last few days.

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday night’s strikes in Dahieh were on “12 Hezbollah command centers.”

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaulé

29 dead in central Beirut after Saturday’s airstrike

The death toll from an Israeli strike Saturday in central Beirut has risen to 29, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The update on casualties came as emergency workers continued to search collapsed buildings for survivors of the strike, an official said.

At least 67 people were also injured in the Israeli strike, according to the Ministry of Health.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

Israeli official confirms Netanyahu holding meeting on Lebanon cease-fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding a meeting with security officials on Sunday night regarding ongoing Lebanon cease-fire talks, an Israeli official told ABC News.

The development comes after Netanyahu met last week in Israel with U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein and discussed a possible cease-fire in Lebanon. Hochstein also traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to discuss a cease-deal between Hezbollah and Israel.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Bishop T.D. Jakes stable after medical emergency during Sunday sermon

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(DALLAS) — Bishop T.D. Jakes is stable after suffering a medical emergency during a sermon on Sunday, according to the megachurch Potter’s House of Dallas, where he serves as pastor.

Video of the incident shows the renowned Christian pastor lowering his microphone and shaking in his seat before people around him rushed to his aid.

In a statement, the church said Jakes “experienced a slight health incident and received immediate medical attention following his powerful hour long message.”

“Bishop Jakes is stable and under the care of medical professionals,” the church said. “The entire Potter’s House family is grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community.”

Jakes founded the 30,000-member megachurch in southern Dallas, Texas, in 1996.

Bird flu found in sample of California raw milk: Officials

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(FRESNO, CA) — After bird flu was detected in a retail sample of raw milk produced and packaged by Raw Farm, LLC, the California Department of Public Health warned consumers on Sunday to avoid consuming any from the same lot.

At the state’s request, the Fresno County-based company also issued a voluntary recall of the affected product: cream top, whole raw milk from lot No. 20241109 with a “best by” date of Nov. 27.

Anyone in possession of the product will be able to pursue a refund from the location where the item was originally purchased.

Retailers have also been notified to take affected products off of their shelves.

The CDPH has also emphasized that pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.

Most cases of bird flu discovered in humans in the current outbreak are with people that worked directly with birds or cows. There are not any cases known to be associated with raw milk consumption, but the risks associated with raw milks have been long established.

The Food and Drug Administration has previously warned of the possible dangers of drinking raw milk.

In a statement from May 2024, it warned, “Raw milk can carry dangerous germs such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others that cause foodborne illness, often called ‘food poisoning.'”

Raw milk products do not undergo pasteurization, which is a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses.

Pasteurized milk and dairy products, however, are safe to consume because the heating process kills pathogens that can cause illness — including bird flu.

However, raw milk does have its proponents, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last month, in a post on X, called the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of it part of the agency’s “war on health.”

In November, President-elect Donald Trump selected RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The appointment requires Senate confirmation.

As of Sunday evening, no illnesses had been reported in association with the finding of bird flu in the single lot of raw milk.

The contaminated sample was discovered as part of routine testing performed by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory, which tests raw milk products from retail stores as a second line of consumer protection. The finding was then verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.

In response to the positive test, the California Department of Food and Agriculture provided onsite testing at the Raw Farms facilities, which were negative for bird flu. CFDA will continue testing raw milk banks twice per week.

ABC News’ Claire E. Strindberg contributed to this report.

Peach and Blossom continue White House turkey tradition

November 25, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Peach and Blossom are the two lucky turkeys from Minnesota who will escape a fowl fate of ending up on someone’s Thanksgiving table this year when they are pardoned Monday by President Biden at the White House.

Zimmerman’s 9-year-old son Grant and other young trainers made sure their feathers wouldn’t be ruffled by the spotlight.

“Preparing these presidential birds has taken a lot of special care,” Zimmerman said Sunday during a press conference introducing the two turkeys.“We’ve been getting them used to lights, camera and even introducing them to a wide variety of music — everything from polka to classic rock.”

Peach and Blossom, weighing 41 and 40 pounds, respectively, were hatched back in July. They traveled to Washington this week and were treated to a suite at the Willard InterContinental hotel before their big day on Monday, as is tradition.

After their pardon, the two turkeys will head back to Waseca, Minn., to live out the remainder of the feathery lives as “agricultural ambassadors” at Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center.

Previous poultry pardoned under Biden include Liberty and Bell in 2023, Chocolate and Chip in 2022, and Peanut Butter and Jelly in 2021.

The turkey pardon at the White House is an annual tradition that is usually “cranned” full of a cornucopia of corny jokes. This year’s pardon will be the last of Biden’s presidency.

The history of the turkey pardon

The true start of what has evolved into the current tradition has its roots in politics and dates back to the Harry Truman presidency in 1947.

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