31+ min ago (219+ words) Wrightsville Beach, NC (WWAY)" The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach has kicked off the Christmas mood with their amazing display of decorated boats soaring through the coast. The main winner this year is Josh Reda. "It feels amazing. This is the second time we have won best in show, and it is a big shock every time. We are very thankful," said Reda. Since 1983, the Flotilla parade has helped to set the Christmas mood by having boats light up the water for everybody to see. This year, there was everything from a Grinch themed boat, an alien themed boat, and even a Pinky Pony Club themed boat. The event is great for people to see and enjoy, but for Bill Salling and his family, it is a tradition that means something for the whole family. "We have the…...

56+ min ago (938+ words) Netanyahu, who has been at war against Israel's legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous change in the region. But it immediately triggered denunciations from opponents, who said a pardon would weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he's above the rule of law. Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President, the prime minister's office said in a statement. The president's office called it an "extraordinary request," carrying with it "significant implications." Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history'to stand trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. He hasn't been convicted of anything. Netanyahu rejects…...

1+ hour, 11+ min ago (899+ words) The Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been going through the buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex meticulously and has found bodies both in apartment units and on the roofs, said the officer in charge, Cheng Ka-chun. The buildings remain structurally sound, but the search has been slow, he told reporters, still wearing his white coveralls with his hard hat and respiratory mask at his side. "It is so dark inside, and because of the low light, it is very difficult to do the work, especially in places away from the windows." So far the team has examined four of the seven blocks, Cheng said. The latest searches turned up another 30 bodies, including 12 that had already been discovered by firefighters but hadn't been recovered, said Tsang Shuk-yin, the head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit. A…...

1+ hour, 23+ min ago (292+ words) It's heartbreaking," said Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County sheriff's office. She said investigators believe it was a targeted incident" at a banquet hall where 100 people or more had gathered Saturday night. Brent said the deceased were ages 8, 9, 14 and 21. Eleven people were also wounded. No one was in custody by Sunday afternoon, and she did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted. She said she could not release information about a motive or details about a suspect, noting that it might hinder the investigation. Finding the person or persons who committed this crime is the No. 1 priority," Brent said. Faith leaders in the Stockton area were planning an afternoon vigil to honor the dead and pray for the wounded. The shooting occurred just before 6 p.m. Saturday inside the hall, which…...

1+ hour, 25+ min ago (1196+ words) NEW YORK" (ABC NEWS) " Major retail chains and tech companies are offering new or updated"artificial intelligence"tools in time for the holiday shopping season, hoping to give consumers an easier gift-buying experience and themselves an augmented share of online spending. Although AI-powered purchases are in early stages, the shopping assistants and agents rolled out by the likes of Walmart,"Amazon"and Google can do more than the"chatbots of holidays past. The latest versions were designed to provide personalized product recommendations, track prices and to place some orders through unscripted "conversations" with customers. Those features are on top of shopping updates from AI platforms like"OpenAI's ChatGPT"and Google Gemini. In one of the season's most talked-about launches, Google this month introduced"an AI agent"that can be instructed to call local stores to ask if a desired product…...

1+ hour, 25+ min ago (708+ words) The deployment, which aims to arrest 5,000 people, is centered in liberal New Orleans and is the latest federal immigration enforcement operation to target a Democratic-run city as President Donald Trump's administration pursues'its mass deportation agenda. Border Patrol commander'Gregory Bovino, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to helm the campaign. Many in the greater New Orleans area, particularly in Latino communities, have been on edge since the planned operations'were reported'earlier this month, even as Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he welcomes the federal agents. Here's what to know about "Swamp Sweep." Bovino has become the Trump administration's go-to operative for leading large-scale, high-profile immigration enforcement campaigns. During his operation in Chicago, federal agents'rappelled from a helicopter'into a residential apartment complex and fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters. Federal agents…...

1+ hour, 28+ min ago (595+ words) The animated animal city sequel from the Walt Disney Company brought in $96 million in North America over the weekend, earned $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame, and scored a staggering $556 million globally since its Wednesday opening, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it the highest international opening ever for an animated movie, the fourth highest global debut of any kind, and the top international opener of 2025. "Wicked: For Good'stayed aloft in its second weekend for Universal Pictures, earning another $62.8 million domestically over the weekend for a North American total of $270.4 million. The second half of the "Wicked saga has brought in $393 million internationally. The pair of PG-rated sequels combined to make the Thanksgiving weekend a glimmering exception to an otherwise dark year at movie theaters. The five-day holiday run brought in $290 million in total, $188 million of it coming Friday…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (1000+ words) (ABC NEWS) " The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season proved to be consequential, even though no hurricanes made landfall in the U.S for the first time since 2015. Three Category 5 hurricanes formed during this past hurricane season, tying for the second-most on record in the Atlantic basin. The only other season that saw more Category 5 storms was in 2005, when there were four Category 5 storms. Last month, Hurricane Melissa became'one of the most powerful hurricanes'on record to make landfall in the Atlantic basin, ranking with Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the "Labor Day" hurricane (1935) for the strongest sustained winds at landfall. Sunday marks the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season, and for the first time in a decade, not a single hurricane made landfall in the U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Prior to the start of the season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…...

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (828+ words) And the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach wasn't in much of a mood to talk about it. A little more than four minutes' worth, in fact. "Look, the season's just ended a few minutes ago, OK?" Belichick said after'the 42-19 loss at N.C. State'on Saturday night. "So now we're going to move into the offseason. That's what we're going to do." UNC started the year with buzz and a national spotlight, teeming with optimism " or maybe merely hope " that the NFL icon could elevate the program into something more'as a first-time college coach. By season's end, Belichick had fielded a team that had more losses by double-digit margins (five) than total wins while offering frequent helpings of unwanted off-field headlines. He offered few insights, too, down to what message he gave his first college team after a season of expectations ended in…...

1+ hour, 51+ min ago (999+ words) The'antitrust allegations'leveled by Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports has exposed salacious personal communications, NASCAR's finances and a deep contempt between some of the top executives in the sport and its participants. Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who owns 23XI alongside Jordan and less than a month ago had the Cup Series championship'slip through his fingers, warned this weekend that the gloves will be off during the two-week trial in the Western District of North Carolina. "Our fans have been brainwashed with (NASCAR's) talking points for decades," Hamlin wrote on social media. "Lies are over starting Monday morning. It's time for the truth. It's time for change." NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps has said that the series has tried hard'to settle'the'case'ahead of Monday's trial. The lawsuit was filed by 23XI Racing, which is owned by Basketball Hall of Famer'Jordan,'Hamlin and Jordan's longtime…...