The search for Samson: How a thermal drone pilot reunited a lost dog with his owner

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Madeleine Wright

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    NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Philadelphia area woman is breathing a sigh of relief after her dog, who went missing for four days, was found alive thanks to a thermal drone and a determined pilot.

Angela Ruberto Rodden from Newtown Square, Delaware County, said something outside likely startled her rescue dog, Samson, which caused him to bolt from the yard earlier this month. She said it was the first time it had ever happened.

“I was devastated,” Ruberto Rodden said. “The crying wouldn’t stop.”

Desperate to find him, she started posting on social media and followed every lead. A Facebook user recommended she contact a drone operator who specializes in missing pets.

Joshua Barry, the owner of Precision Drone Services, used infrared technology to search the area from above. Within an hour, he spotted Samson hiding behind a gazebo about a mile away.

“When he found Samson, he’s like, ‘I think I see Cocker Spaniel ears. Are those ears?’ And sure enough, he put the spotlight on him and it was him,” Ruberto Rodden said.

Under Barry’s guidance, Ruberto Rodden coaxed the frightened dog out using fried chicken and cookies. Samson is now back at home and is healthy.

“When you find it, there’s that initial dopamine hit,” Barry said. “Everybody’s happy.”

Ruberto Rodden said she never imagined drone technology could be used to track a missing pet.

“Getting him back, oh my God, it was amazing,” Ruberto Rodden said. “I thought for sure we had lost him.”

Ruberto Rodden is now taking extra precautions to keep Samson safe.

“Samson is now wearing a collar that he’s equipped with an AirTag,” she said. “So he will not be coming outside without that collar on.”

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NYC subway shove victim confronts attacker in court as he’s sentenced to 10 years

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Alice Gainer

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A man who shoved a woman onto the subway tracks in an unprovoked attack back in August 2023 was sentenced Monday.

Victim Yanan Xu was emotional as she spoke to attacker Samuel Junker in court. Junker followed her into a subway station near West Broadway and Chambers Street, shoved her onto the tracks without warning, and then ran off.

Xu suffered a broken leg.

“I am standing here today not because of an accident, but because of a sudden, violent act,” Xu said.

Xu said she tried to get up three times as she heard the train coming.

“I only had one thought — I may not be able to survive,” Xu said. “Luckily, there were a few strangers who tried their best and helped me and pulled me up.

“Although I survived, my life was never the same,” Xu added.

Xu said she suffered complications and psychological trauma, and still wakes up in the middle of the night.

“Every time when I walk into a subway station, I feel faster breathing and my heart beats faster,” Xu said. “That act of violence tears away at my sense of security and safety.”

Xu called for justice, and asked the judge to punish Junker to help prevent this from happening again.

Junker, 43, was arrested after an officer recognized him from a wanted flyer. He took a plea deal, admitting guilt to one count of attempted assault.

Junker mostly kept his head down during court, but did speak briefly.

“My apologies run deeper than the ocean for how sorry I am to this innocent person,” Junker said.

Prosecutors asked for a 12-year sentence, explaining what happed to Xu is every New Yorker’s nightmare. The judge agreed, but sentenced him to 10 years, noting his mental health issues and that sometimes he’s not compliant with his medication.

“I hope he seeks the help he needs while he’s incarcerated,” the judge said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement after the sentencing.

“Samuel Junker has been held accountable for shoving an innocent woman — a wife and mother — onto the tracks of a Lower Manhattan subway station in a brutal, unprovoked attack,” Bragg said. “We will continue to treat acts of violence committed throughout our subway system with the seriousness they deserve, and I thank our prosecutors for their hard work.”

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Video captures dramatic fight between coyote and iguana in South Florida neighborhood

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Ted Scouten

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    HOLLYWOOD HILLS, Florida (WFOR) — Video captured in South Florida shows a dramatic encounter between a coyote and an iguana, with the reptile whipping its tail in a desperate fight before the coyote trotted away with the iguana in its mouth.

“It’s essentially exactly what they should be doing,” said Camila Pulido from the South Florida Wildlife Center about the coyote’s behavior. “They’re not only helping the ecosystem remove them, but they’re also kind of letting the iguana populations know that that’s a possibility.”

Florida wildlife officials say coyotes are now present in all 67 counties across the state, including heavily urbanized areas like Miami-Dade and Broward.

Residents in Hollywood Hills are among those noticing the animals.

“I saw it walking across the street. It was on the other side of the street, and it was just bopping,” said Mark McKenzie, who lives near 50th Street and Garfield, where the latest sighting happened Monday morning.

Another cellphone video from a neighborhood resident shows a coyote trotting down the middle of the street. McKenzie said the sighting has unnerved some neighbors.

“It’s concerning, because a lot of us have small animals, small pets, whether it be dogs or cats. Some, some have very small children,” he said.

Pulido warned that coyotes could attack unattended pets.

“With smaller pets, there is a good chance that if they’re left unattended, a coyote will predate on them, because it’s very natural behavior,” she said. She added that pets and small children should be closely supervised outdoors in areas where coyotes have been spotted.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises that coyotes are typically shy and avoid humans. If one gets too close, Pulido recommended, “kind of flare your arms out, make a lot of noise and scare them off.”

Beyond controlling invasive iguana populations, coyotes also play a crucial role in the ecosystem.

“If we didn’t have coyotes, there could be an uptick in raccoons, there could be an uptick in rats and so on and so forth,” Pulido said.

For more information on coyotes and to see how many have been spotted near your home, residents can consult FWC resources.

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Tyrese Gibson wanted on animal cruelty charge in Atlanta after neighbor’s dog killed, police say

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Christopher Harris

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — An arrest warrant has been issued for “Fast and Furious” star Tyrese Gibson in connection with the death of a neighbor’s dog, Fulton County police confirmed Monday.

The Fulton County Police Department said a call came in on Sept. 18 from a Buckhead resident reporting that Gibson’s four Cane Corso dogs, a large breed often used as guard dogs, had killed the neighbor’s 5-year-old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, named Henry.

According to FCPD Capt. Nicole Dwyer, Animal Services commander, the neighbor had let his dog into his front yard and found the dog dead just five minutes later. Security footage showed Gibson’s Cane Corsos scratching at a door across the street minutes before the attack.

A few minutes after the neighbor’s dog was killed, a woman in a nearby home called 911, saying she could not reach her car because Gibson’s dogs were blocking her. Animal control officers arrived and escorted her safely to her vehicle.

The department said Gibson’s dogs had been reported running loose on five occasions during the week and a half before Henry’s death. Dwyer said multiple warnings were issued to Gibson.

On Sept. 22, Gibson told authorities he would surrender his dogs to Animal Services. However, when officers arrived, he requested three or four more days to decide, police said. Dwyer said she informed him that a search warrant would be obtained if he did not comply. He allegedly refused to comply, prompting the department to secure both a search warrant for Gibson’s property and an arrest warrant for cruelty to animals.

Officers executed the search warrant the same evening, but Gibson was not at the property, and the dogs had been moved, Dwyer said.

In a statement, Gibson’s legal counsel said he “extends his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog to this tragic incident that occurred while Mr. Gibson was away from his home. Upon learning of this unfortunate accident, Mr. Gibson immediately made the difficult decision to rehome his dogs to a safe and loving environment.”

The statement said Gibson is “cooperating fully with authorities to address and resolve this matter responsibly.”

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Yankees trying to shut down ticket sales to Red Sox fans for Wild Card playoff series

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Matt Schooley, Penny Kmitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Red Sox fans in Boston are excited for the start of the Wild Card playoff series against the rival New York Yankees, which starts Tuesday night in The Bronx. But fans in most New England states hoping to attend any of this week’s games may have to find other avenues, as the Yankees are trying to keep them from getting tickets.

Boston and New York play a best-of-three series this week, with all three games taking place at Yankee Stadium. Game 1 is Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Game 1 tickets are still available at face value on the Ticketmaster website, with most being located in the upper deck as of Tuesday morning.

However, when attempting to buy tickets for the game on Ticketmaster, fans are greeted by an “Important Event Info” message.

“Yankee Stadium in located in Bronx, New York. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania will be canceled without notice and refunds given,” the warning reads.

WBZ-TV reached out to Ticketmaster for comment on the restrictions.

“Sometimes teams will place geographic restrictions on certain events to give local fans the best chance to attend. You’d have to ask the team about any specific restrictions that may be in place,” Ticketmaster said.

Yankee Stadium has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Red Sox fans from New England hoping to attend the Wild Card round will seemingly have to take to the secondary market.

Teams in other sports have instituted similar restrictions during playoff games. During this year’s NBA postseason, the Detroit Pistons had a “geo-fencing” restriction in place during its showdown against the New York Knicks. The Carolina Hurricanes restricted ticket sales in 2022 during the NHL playoffs when they played the New York Rangers.

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Veteran arrested during weekend protest outside Broadview ICE facility speaks after being released

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Charlie De Mar

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    BROADVIEW, Chicago (WBBM) — Five people arrested during a protest outside the Broadview ICE facility appeared in court on Monday, charged with assaulting or resisting federal agents.

Three were released while two others were ordered held. One of the people released

The relationship between ICE and the village of Broadview remains tense. Tuesday morning, village leaders, including the mayor and police chief, plan on addressing what they call ICE’s unprovoked, repeated use of chemical weapons.

Five people are now facing federal charges stemming from ongoing protests outside this ICE facility in Broadview—including 70-year-old Dana Briggs, who was pushed to the ground by an agent on Saturday.

The charging documents said the Air Force veteran ignored orders to clear the street, and when he attempted to hand his cell phone to another protester, Briggs was accused of swinging his arm, which made contact with an officer.

“They didn’t give me time to move,” he said. “All I saw was a hand coming at me after I handed my phone off.”

Meanwhile, Briggs, who doesn’t have a prior criminal history, was released without supervision until his next court date in October.

“I’ve been protesting these kinds of injustices for decades, and this is the first time I’ve ever come close to this kind of thing,” he said.

The villages of Oak Park and Forest Park have sent officers to back up police in Broadview. The local police departments are making it clear that they are not assisting ICE but rather working to help with crowd control.

He was released on Monday from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in the Loop—still wearing the same clothes, with injuries from his fall and arrest.

“I’m more appalled that they are going after normal everyday people. Did we say some things they probably didn’t like? Fine, but free speech,” he said.

Jocelyne Robledo and Ray Collins are engaged and both face federal assault charges against a federal officer. Both are accused of carrying loaded guns during the arrest. They both have valid FOID and concealed carry licenses.

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Morton Williams grocery store worker dies after confronting shoplifter in Hell’s Kitchen

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By CeFaan Kim

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    NEW YORK (WABC) — An investigation is underway after an employee at Morton Williams died after confronting a shoplifter in Friday night in Manhattan.

It happened at the store located at 917 Ninth Ave. near Columbus Circle just before 9:30 p.m.

Leobardo Hernandez, 64, collapsed after the incident and was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West on Friday night.

The father of four, including three sons and a daughter, worked at the Morton Williams in Hell’s Kitchen to help make ends meet.

His sons say he was punched in his chest by the suspect and then found later at work lying on a milk crate.

On Monday, two of the victim’s sons, Henry and Harold Hernandez, spoke out about his family’s unimaginable loss.

“Very lovable, very very kind-hearted…everybody he met, everybody ended up loving him because of the person he was,” Henry said.

They said their father was a hard-working man who rarely got angry.

“He was a family man, he was always there for us, very supportive,” Harold said. “He was just always happy. I’ve never seen him upset ever.”

An autopsy on Hernandez showed signs of a slightly enlarged heart, plaque and prior heart issues. Police are looking into whether stress from the incident contributed to his death.

The shoplifter ran away and has not yet been caught.

“We do have a lot of questions as well, what’s the actual story, that’s what we want to know, we heard different stories, trying put the pieces and puzzle together,” Harold said.

Police are not ruling out that the case could turn into a homicide investigation.

Morton Williams released the following statement:

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Leobardo Hernandez, our beloved colleague and a treasured member of our Morton Williams family. He was a dedicated team member for more than ten years, and our prayers are with Leo’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Hernandez’s family has a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

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Girls with Leukemia become best friends during cancer treatments

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Joi Fultz

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — Born just months apart, friends Peyton Arthur and Makayla Hall consider themselves more like family. While their social spirits and shared interests have kept the pair inseparable, it was a devastating diagnosis that first brought them together.

Exactly 3 months apart in 2023, the then 12-year-old Peyton and Makayla were each told by doctors they have lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood cancer that affects white blood cells.

“I was asking my mom am I going to die, will I be able to grow up and get married and have kids and do all of these things I’m supposed to be able to do?” Peyton recalled.

Because of the treatment, Peyton and Makayla were often isolated.

So when their medical team at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU suggested the girls meet, their moms were hopeful the young patients would become friends.

The moms had nothing to worry about. The girls’ conversations were full of words of encouragement.

“If she’s doing it, I can do it, we’re going to get through this together,” Peyton said.

Their interactions serve as a consistent source of care and compassion.

“She’s very kind and beautiful and also she’s really brave,” Makayla said of her new friend.

Their days together are spent with lots of laughs.

Despite the difficulties cancer brought into their lives, Peyton and Makayla say they’re both grateful for how this life-altering diagnosis helped create a special lifelong friendship.

Both girls say they look forward to all the activities they will do together in the future including more sleepovers. They especially look forward to the day they can ring the cancer free bell together.

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Jack Daniel’s scraps partnership with farmers in this Tenn. county, local livestock operations left scrambling

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Amanda Roberts

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    MOORE COUNTY, Tennessee (WTVF) — For decades, the Jack Daniel’s distillery and farmers in Moore County, Tennessee, maintained a mutually beneficial relationship that helped both parties thrive.

The distillery provided its corn slop byproduct to local farmers at zero or low cost through what’s known as the Cow Feeder Program, giving livestock operators an affordable feed source while helping the company dispose of its waste.

That partnership is coming to an end on March 31, leaving farmers devastated and scrambling for alternatives.

Terry Holt has made the daily drive to the Jack Daniel’s distillery since he was 20 years old, hauling back tens of thousands of gallons of slop to feed his hundreds of head of cattle. For 45 years, he’s made this trip every single day.

“I’ve been at it 365 days multiplied by 45 and you’ll find how many days I’ve hauled it,” Holt said.

The routine has been essential to his operation and livelihood.

“I don’t miss any day hauling my slop. It’s that important to me. It was important to Jack Daniel’s. We get it gone, and that’s what I thought, that it was important,” Holt said.

But Jack Daniel’s is scrapping the Cow Feeder Program. Instead of providing the slop to local farmers, the company has contracted with Three Rivers Energy, an energy plant that converts the byproduct into renewable gas and fertilizer.

“All I know is that’s gonna destroy us,” Holt said.

The distillery’s decision will affect the entire county. According to the most recent USDA data, 89% of the farms in Moore County are livestock operations.

Farmers are already selling their lands and livestock. Holt worries for the future and feels the company he used to work for, retired from, and continued to support by working his farmland from dawn to dusk, no longer cares about its neighbors.

“Can we not get someone to hear us? Can we not get someone from Brown Foreman to hear me and say, ‘Hey, we may need to look at this again,'” Holt said. “Jack Daniel’s grew up with the people here. You’ve used those images to grow, and then now you wanna take that image and go away with it.”

What used to be a golden friendship now feels like a turned back to many farmers.

“I pray that what words I use today, it will touch the hearts of someone out there that will hear me and be willing to talk to us because I tell you it will absolutely destroy our little town,” Holt said.

Jack Daniel’s said in a statement that they understand the change is significant and “we remain dedicated to our neighbors as we adapt to this new era.”

The company confirmed the program will formally conclude on March 31 as they transition to a new, long-term sustainability solution. The decision follows years of careful consideration and was communicated with advance notice, starting with an initial announcement in March 2022.

The evolution is driven by a partnership with Three Rivers Energy that allows the company to achieve key environmental standards and secure the future of its brand, ensuring continued ability to market and sell Jack Daniel’s globally.

The new anaerobic digester facility requires a consistent, high volume of spent grain. The company is contractually obligated to provide between 350,000 and 500,000 gallons of spent distiller’s grain per day, necessitating the redirection of all current volume of slop.

The UT Institute of Agriculture is co-hosting a meeting to discuss other options with farmers.

This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Fort Hays State University reviewing professor’s alleged social media posts on race, violence

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By KAKE Staff

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    HAYS, Kan. (KAKE) — Fort Hays State University says a review is underway after a social media post from a faculty member regarding race and the murder of Charlie Kirk surfaced over the weekend.

Conservative X account Libs of TikTok tagged the university in a post on the platform on Sunday evening. The post, a series of screenshots, shows a Facebook post on the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

“Me thinks the word ‘karma’ is appropriate. Sad all the way around,” the Facebook account, NuNu LA Chance, posted on September 10, the day of the fatal shooting.

Libs of TikTok, founded by Chaya Raichik, alleges the LA Chance account belongs to Dr. Nuchelle Chance, a psychology professor at Fort Hays.

While the University did not explicitly say the account belonged to Chance, it said, “Fort Hays State University is aware of a social media post on a Libs of TikTok social media page attributing social media statements relating to race and violence to one of our faculty members.”

“Individuals who post commentaries to their personal social media accounts do not speak for the University, nor does their commentary reflect the views or values of this university,” the university said in a statement on Monday.

Libs of TikTok also found a screenshot of the Facebook page saying, “But when we tell y’all that statistically… White American men are the most dangerous animals on the planet we’re wrong. Let’s not be hasty they say.”

The university said,” We are reviewing this situation as a confidential personnel matter and ask for your patience as we address it with the seriousness it warrants.”

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