Happening Today: Texas Church Shooting, Trump-Putin, CTE, Louis C.K., John Hillerman

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Woman Died Shielding Grandson During Church Massacre

Sunday school teacher Peggy Warden threw herself in front of her grandson when a gunman opened fire onto the congregation at First Baptist Church, getting shot and killed as she protected the 18-year-old, relatives said. The teen then shielded a child hiding under a pew. She was one of more than two dozen people killed in the shooting at the Sutherland Springs church. Her grandson Zach Poston was one of about 20 other people injured and described what happened from the San Antonio hospital where he was still recovering. Poston already had been hit in his arms, legs and side when he saw a small child trying to get out from underneath a pew. So Poston shoved the child back under, Stevens said, and was shot again in the leg. Stevens said one of the congregants was a nurse who was able to help bandage Poston, likely keeping the high school senior from bleeding to death.

No Formal Trump-Putin Meeting on Asia Trip, White House Says

President Trump will not have a formal sit-down with Russian President Putin while the two attend a summit, the White House said shortly before Trump landed in Vietnam, the fourth stop on his first official visit to Asia. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Once, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blamed scheduling conflicts on both sides for the fact that the leaders will not meet formally during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit taking place in the coastal city of Danang. But Sanders said it was "possible" and "likely" that they could have a less formal encounter, either in Danang or later in the Philippines when Trump and Putin attend another regional conference. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said there was no reason to schedule a meeting if the U.S. and Russia are unable to make significant progress on issues including Syria and Ukraine.

GOP Leaders Bolt From Senate Candidate Moore After Sex Claim

A month before Alabama's special election, Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore abruptly faced lurid allegations of sexual misconduct with minors decades ago — and an immediate backlash from party leaders who demanded he get out of the race if the accusations prove true. The instant fallout followed a Washington Post report in which an Alabama woman said Moore, then a 32-year-old assistant district attorney, had sexual contact with her when she was 14. Three other women interviewed by the Post said Moore, now 70, approached them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his early 30s. All four women spoke on the record to the Post. The Moore campaign denied the report as "the very definition of fake news and intentional defamation." Defiant as ever, Moore himself issued a fundraising appeal asking for emergency donations in a "spiritual battle."

Aaron Hernandez's Brain Was Severely Impacted by CTE, Researcher Says

Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez suffered substantial damage to parts of the brain that affect memory, judgment and behavior from the most severe case of a degenerative disease linked to head blows ever found in someone so young, a researcher says. A doctor at a CTE center stressed that she could not "connect the dots" between the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the behavior of the 27-year-old who hanged himself in April while serving life in prison for murder. She did say, however, that CTE had significantly impacted key parts of Hernandez's brain, including the hippocampus — which is associated with memory — and the frontal lobe, which is involved in impulse control, judgment and behavior.

5 Women Accuse Comic Louis C.K. of Sexual Misconduct, Report Says

Comedian Louis C.K. has been accused of sexual misconduct toward several women, including masturbating in front of them to their horror and embarrassment, according to a report in The New York Times. Comedians Dana Min Goodman, Abby Schachner, Julia Wolov, Rebecca Corry allege the Emmy-winning star of FX's "Louie" either pleasured himself in front of them, asked to do it or did so over the phone. A fifth woman detailed her allegations against C.K. to the paper but was not identified. A lawyer for C.K. did not immediately respond to comment from, but a representative for the comedian said C.K. would issue a written statement in the coming days.

“Magnum, P.I.” Actor John Hillerman Dies at 84, Nephew Says

John Hillerman, who played stuffed-shirt Higgins to Tom Selleck's freewheeling detective Thomas Magnum in the 1980s TV series "Magnum, P.I." has died, his nephew said. Hillerman was 84. Hillerman, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes at his home in Houston, nephew Chris Tritico said. Besides playing manager of the Hawaiian estate that Magnum used as home base, Hillerman was known for his 1970s roles as arrogant radio show detective Simon Brimmer on the "Ellery Queen" series and the difficult boss on the sitcom "One Day at a Time." When Hillerman decided to retire about 17 years ago, the actor born in Denison, Texas, returned to his native state and was content leaving Hollywood behind, said his nephew. He remembered his uncle, an Air Force veteran, fondly.