Latest news with #Stephens'
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Internet Can't Cope With Unlikely Friendship Between Deer and Cat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The internet is obsessed with the "unlikely" friendship between a pet cat and wild deer. Sara Stephens, who posts to TikTok under the username @ckls1622, lives rurally and is surrounded by nature—including herds of deer who often pass by her property. One particular deer has taken a shine to Stephens' cat, and her TikTok account is filled with videos of the animals interacting in adorable ways. On June 26, Stephens shared a video which went viral as many viewers commented on the fact that animal species could get along so well, awarding the post close to 4 million likes. In the clip—adorably set to "Can't Help Falling in Love," originally performed by Elvis Presley—Stephens records the scene from her home, which has large glass doors and windows to showcase the stunning countryside view. And outside, her cat is sitting basking in the sun, looking completely relaxed, as he receives a bath from the deer. The doe licks the cat from top to bottom, and he raises his head happily. As Stephens zooms in, it becomes clear that the cat is sopping wet, having been thoroughly groomed by his companion. Stephens captioned the video: "Unlikely best friends." TikTok users were hugely moved, one writing: "Different animal species can et along but humans can't," and another agreeing: "Tell me animals are not better than us." Another laughed: "That cat is SOAKED lol," as another declared: "Cats are superior and the universe was made for them." "How does this relationship even start?" another asked. And as one described it: "Is that a lavender field with a wild deer licking an orange tabby cat? This is what dreams are made of." A screenshot from the video of the cat and the deer. A screenshot from the video of the cat and the deer. TikTok @ckls1622 Many commented on how, at the end of the video, the deer opened her mouth wide, with some worrying she was about to take a bite out of the cat, though being assured by other commenters that this was extremely unlikely. While deer are herbivores, on rare occasions they have been known to eat the tiny chicks of ground-nesting birds, likely when deer are unable to source all the nutrients they need from their normal diet, according to Woodland Trust. But in the case of this cat, it's clear he can hold his own against the herd, as Stephens' account shows him playing with, being groomed by, and curiously sniffing different deer that arrive on the property. Newsweek has contacted @ckls1622 via TikTok for comment on this story. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
7NEWS
18-07-2025
- General
- 7NEWS
Body of missing pilot found a day after wreckage discovered in Snowy Mountains crash
The body of a pilot missing after a light plane crash in the NSW Snowy Mountains has been found. David Stephens, a 74-year-old experienced pilot from Bega, was flying a private flight from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya on the NSW South Coast on Tuesday when the aircraft failed to arrive. The wreckage of the Beechcraft Debonair light aircraft was located about 4pm on Thursday in snow-covered terrain, roughly 10km east of Khancoban. Stephens' body was found near the crash site about 3pm on Friday. 'While he is yet to be formally identified, police believe the body is that of the missing pilot,' NSW Police said in a statement. A report will be prepared for the coroner. The wreckage of the plane was almost completely destroyed in the crash. 'You wouldn't recognise it as an aeroplane,' NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet said on Friday. 'It's a significant impact, a fair bit of speed into the mountain range which has completely destroyed that aircraft. 'It wouldn't be survivable,' he told reporters. Earlier, Stephens' wife Lynda Leigh said he disappeared 'on his flight home ... after having his aircraft inspected' in Victoria. 'It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta,' she told the ABC in a statement. 'David has quite a bit of experience flying that plane, but we can't know what situation he was facing, and we'll only have answers once they locate the plane and with that David.' She said Stephens is a member of the Frog's Hollow Flyers aero club, a rally sport commentator on the Sapphire Coast region, and an accountant just two months from retirement. 'Which makes the situation more heartbreaking as his family was looking to spend more time with him after decades of work,' Leigh said.
29-05-2025
- Politics
Georgia Supreme Court upholds ban on those under 21 from carrying handguns in public
ATLANTA -- The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a state law Wednesday that bans most people under 21 from carrying a handgun in public. Under Georgia law, anyone ages 18 to 20 years old can possess handguns on their own property, in their car, at their business or for hunting, fishing and sport shooting. Those in the age group who have been trained by the military are exempt. Thomas Stephens, a 20-year-old man from Lumpkin County, sued Georgia after a probate court denied him a weapons carry license in 2023, when he was 18. Stephens asked the state to stop enforcing that law, which he said violated his constitutional rights. A trial court granted the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Georgia Supreme Court denied his appeal, noting Georgia's Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms but lets the General Assembly regulate how they are carried. Georgia has some of the loosest gun laws in the country. The decision comes in the aftermath of heated debates about gun control in the state after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School, northeast of Atlanta, where a 14-year-old boy stands accused of killing two teachers and two students and wounding several others last Sept. 4. Stephens asked the state Supreme Court to pick one of two federal legal tests used for Second Amendment challenges, 'strict scrutiny" or 'history and tradition,' to evaluate whether Georgia's law is constitutional. The decision, written by Justice Andrew Pinson, says those standards are 'not viable substitutes' for determining what the text of the state Constitution originally meant. Unlike Georgia, the U.S. Constitution doesn't explicitly let legislatures regulate how people carry guns. Pinson wrote in the decision that construing the meaning of a constitutional provision 'requires careful attention to not only the language of the clause in question, but also its broader legal and historical context.' Stephens' attorney John Monroe argued the law infringed on his client's rights. He also called it an arbitrary law because military training focuses on weapons other than handguns. But he knew unraveling the law would be an uphill battle. 'It's not unexpected because there's over a century of precedent that was against us,' Monroe said of Wednesday's decision. He said they are 'disappointed with the decision' but 'it is what it is.' Stephens' lawsuit came less than a year after Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill in 2022 allowing Georgians to carry a handgun without a permit from the state. A bill that would let people sue local governments for enacting gun safety measures died on the final day of Georgia's legislative session in April, and several gun safety proposals did not make it out of committee. ___
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia Supreme Court upholds ban on those under 21 from carrying handguns in public
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a state law Wednesday that bans most people under 21 from carrying a handgun in public. Under Georgia law, anyone ages 18 to 20 years old can possess handguns on their own property, in their car, at their business or for hunting, fishing and sport shooting. Those in the age group who have been trained by the military are exempt. Thomas Stephens, a 20-year-old man from Lumpkin County, sued Georgia after a probate court denied him a weapons carry license in 2023, when he was 18. Stephens asked the state to stop enforcing that law, which he said violated his constitutional rights. A trial court granted the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Georgia Supreme Court denied his appeal, noting Georgia's Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms but lets the General Assembly regulate how they are carried. Georgia has some of the loosest gun laws in the country. The decision comes in the aftermath of heated debates about gun control in the state after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School, northeast of Atlanta, where a 14-year-old boy stands accused of killing two teachers and two students and wounding several others last Sept. 4. Stephens asked the state Supreme Court to pick one of two federal legal tests used for Second Amendment challenges, 'strict scrutiny" or 'history and tradition,' to evaluate whether Georgia's law is constitutional. The decision, written by Justice Andrew Pinson, says those standards are 'not viable substitutes' for determining what the text of the state Constitution originally meant. Unlike Georgia, the U.S. Constitution doesn't explicitly let legislatures regulate how people carry guns. Pinson wrote in the decision that construing the meaning of a constitutional provision 'requires careful attention to not only the language of the clause in question, but also its broader legal and historical context.' Stephens' attorney John Monroe argued the law infringed on his client's rights. He also called it an arbitrary law because military training focuses on weapons other than handguns. But he knew unraveling the law would be an uphill battle. 'It's not unexpected because there's over a century of precedent that was against us,' Monroe said of Wednesday's decision. He said they are 'disappointed with the decision' but 'it is what it is.' Stephens' lawsuit came less than a year after Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill in 2022 allowing Georgians to carry a handgun without a permit from the state. A bill that would let people sue local governments for enacting gun safety measures died on the final day of Georgia's legislative session in April, and several gun safety proposals did not make it out of committee. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
Toronto Star
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Georgia Supreme Court upholds ban on those under 21 from carrying handguns in public
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a state law Wednesday that bans most people under 21 from carrying a handgun in public. Under Georgia law, anyone ages 18 to 20 years old can possess handguns on their own property, in their car, at their business or for hunting, fishing and sport shooting. Those in the age group who have been trained by the military are exempt. Thomas Stephens, a 20-year-old man from Lumpkin County, sued Georgia after a probate court denied him a weapons carry license in 2023, when he was 18. Stephens asked the state to stop enforcing that law, which he said violated his constitutional rights. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A trial court granted the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Georgia Supreme Court denied his appeal, noting Georgia's Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms but lets the General Assembly regulate how they are carried. Georgia has some of the loosest gun laws in the country. The decision comes in the aftermath of heated debates about gun control in the state after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School, northeast of Atlanta, where a 14-year-old boy stands accused of killing two teachers and two students and wounding several others last Sept. 4. Stephens asked the state Supreme Court to pick one of two federal legal tests used for Second Amendment challenges, 'strict scrutiny' or 'history and tradition,' to evaluate whether Georgia's law is constitutional. The decision, written by Justice Andrew Pinson, says those standards are 'not viable substitutes' for determining what the text of the state Constitution originally meant. Unlike Georgia, the U.S. Constitution doesn't explicitly let legislatures regulate how people carry guns. Pinson wrote in the decision that construing the meaning of a constitutional provision 'requires careful attention to not only the language of the clause in question, but also its broader legal and historical context.' Stephens' attorney John Monroe argued the law infringed on his client's rights. He also called it an arbitrary law because military training focuses on weapons other than handguns. But he knew unraveling the law would be an uphill battle. 'It's not unexpected because there's over a century of precedent that was against us,' Monroe said of Wednesday's decision. He said they are 'disappointed with the decision' but 'it is what it is.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Stephens' lawsuit came less than a year after Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill in 2022 allowing Georgians to carry a handgun without a permit from the state. A bill that would let people sue local governments for enacting gun safety measures died on the final day of Georgia's legislative session in April, and several gun safety proposals did not make it out of committee. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
