National Headlines
A woman who took an abortion pill was charged with murder. She is now suing prosecutors
Getty Images - STOCK/Andrey Denisyuk(AUSTIN, Texas.) -- A Texas woman who self-managed her abortion is suing prosecutors and a local sheriff after she was held in jail for two nights on a murder charge that was ultimately dismissed.Lizelle Gonzalez, a Star County, Texas, resident, filed a civil rights complaint alleging that hospital staff provided her private information to prosecutors and the county sheriff who later charged her with murder, according to court documents.Under Texas' multiple abortion bans, it is not a crime for a woman to obtain or seek abortion care for herself; the abortion bans target physicians and anyone who aids a woman in obtaining or seeking an abortion.Gonzalez is alleging the prosecutors and the sheriff violated her Fourth ... Read More
Sonya Massey, woman killed in home by police, died by homicide with gunshot to head, autopsy shows
ABC News(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) -- Sonya Massey, the Illinois woman fatally shot by a deputy while responding to her 911 call, died by homicide due to a gunshot wound to her head, according to an autopsy report released Friday by the Sangamon County coroner.Though the autopsy report did not state the manner of death, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon confirmed it was homicide."The cause of death; gunshot wound of the head. The manner of death; Homicide," Allmon told ABC News in a statement.The bullet that killed Massey, 36, entered at the lower eyelid of her left eye and exited through the posterior left surface of her upper neck, according to the autopsy report.Massey’s family held a press conference in Springfield, Illinois ... Read More
Wildfires break out across California: Latest fire and smoke maps
ABC News(LOS ANGELES) -- Wildfires are exploding across the West, especially in California, where the Park Fire has now grown to be the biggest in the state this year.There are currently 11 wildfires over 1,000 acres burning in California, according to Cal Fire. The largest of those is the Park Fire, burning in Butte and Tehama counties, just north of Chico, which grew to over 164,000 acres on Friday with just 3% containment.Ronnie Dean Stout II, 48, has been arrested on suspicion of arson for starting the Park Fire after he allegedly pushed a burning car into a gully in Bidwell Park, near Chico, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.There are more than 1,150 personnel, six helicopters and ... Read More
Where is Susan Powell? Her disappearance, young sons’ horrific deaths haunt family
Courtesy of The Cox Family(NEW YORK) -- A special encore “20/20” airing Friday, July 26, at 9 p.m. ET, which originally aired in 2020, revisits the case of missing Utah mom Susan Powell. The show looks at the continued hunt for Susan’s body and the heartbreaking details surrounding the murders of her two sons at the hands of her husband, Josh, who died by suicide after killing the boys.Chuck and Judy Cox have spent the past eight years in agony while trying to find some semblance of justice after their son-in-law, Josh Powell, murdered their two young grandsons.When it finally seemed like they were on the verge of finding some closure earlier this year, the coronavirus pandemic brought everything to ... Read More
Top Sinaloa cartel leaders, including son of El Chapo, taken into US custody: DOJ
Andrew Brookes/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Two top leaders of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel have been taken into custody by United States authorities to face charges for their role in leading the group's vast drug trafficking enterprise, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of "El Chapo" Guzman, were placed under arrest in El Paso, Texas on Thursday, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland."Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel's criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks," Garland said in a statement."El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department ... Read More
Manhattan DA asks judge not to throw out Trump’s criminal hush money conviction
Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images(NEW YORK) --Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Thursday asked a New York judge to reject former President Donald Trump's attempt to throw out his criminal hush money conviction, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling on presidential immunity "has nothing to say about defendant's conviction."Trump earlier this month asked Judge Juan Merchan to vacate his conviction on the grounds that the trial was "tainted" by evidence and testimony that was made off-limits after the Supreme Court ruled Trump has presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.Prosecutors said in Thursday's court filing that paying hush money to an adult film actress is "entirely personal" with "no relationship whatsoever to any official duty ... Read More
Ex-deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey was discharged from the Army for serious misconduct
Sangamon County Sheriff's Office(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) -- The Illinois deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home while responding to her 911 call was discharged from the U.S. Army for “misconduct (serious offense),” according to documents obtained by ABC News.Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, was discharged on February 24, 2016, after beginning service in the U.S. Army on May 5, 2014. He served for a total of one year, nine months and 19 days, Grayson’s certificate of discharge from active duty shows.The U.S. Army, citing the Privacy Act and Department of Defense policy, said it is prevented from releasing information relating to the misconduct of low-level employees or characterization of service at discharge.Grayson was a 91B (Wheeled ... Read More
Boeing capsule astronauts remain at Space Station with no return date, NASA says
NASA via AP(NEW YORK) -- Boeing Starliner's first astronaut-crewed capsule, which launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5, remains docked at the station with no official return date, NASA said Thursday."We don't have a major announcement today relative to a return date," NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said during a joint press conference with Boeing officials."We're making great progress, but we're just not quite ready to do that," Stich added.What was initially planned to be an eight-day mission, has now spanned over 50 days, with veteran NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams' return to Earth delayed until at least August, according to officials.Thruster failures that caused issues on the launch trip to ... Read More
Officials charge man for starting California wildfire that has burned more than 71,000 acres
Oregon Department of Transportation via AP(CHICO, Calif.) -- A Northern California wildland fire that exploded overnight into the state's largest blaze this wildfire season, destroying structures and prompting thousands of evacuations, was allegedly started by a man who pushed a burning car into a gully, authorities said Thursday.The 48-year-old arson suspect charged with starting the Park Fire in Butte County near the city of Chico was arrested Thursday morning and jailed without bail, said Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. The suspect's name was not immediately released.The suspect was allegedly spotted just before 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, pushing a car that was on fire down a gully called "Alligator Hole" in Bidwell Park, near Chico, Ramsey said."The car ... Read More
Court sets Aug. 27 deadline for brief appealing Trump classified docs dismissal
Travis Dove/Bloomberg via Getty Images(ATLANTA) -- Special counsel Jack Smith's opening brief appealing the dismissal of former President Donald Trump's classified documents case is due on Aug. 27, according to a briefing notice Thursday from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.Smith last week filed an official notice of appeal after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, in a surprise decision, dismissed Trump's classified documents case.Cannon dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional because he was not appointed by the president or confirmed by Congress.In a statement following the ruling, a spokesperson with the special counsel's office said, "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous ... Read More
Former Uvalde school district police officer pleads not guilty as victims’ families look on
Uvalde County Sheriff's Office via AP(UVALDE, Texas) -- A former Uvalde, Texas, school district police officer pleaded not guilty to the 29 counts against him on Thursday as families of the Robb Elementary School victims looked on.Two teachers and 19 students were killed in the May 24, 2022, mass shooting. Law enforcement waited some 77 minutes at the scene before breaching a classroom and killing the gunman.Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales faces 29 charges of abandoning and failing to protect children: 19 for the 19 children killed and 10 for the children who survived in classroom 112.The indictment alleges that despite having time to respond to the shooting, Gonzales failed to act to impede the gunman and ... Read More
Man shot, injured at Pennsylvania Trump rally released from hospital
Dutch Family(NEW YORK) -- One of the two men shot and injured in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has been released from the hospital, officials said.David Dutch, 57, was discharged on Wednesday, Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh said.Dutch was shot in the chest and liver and was initially in a medically induced coma after the shooting, according to the Marine Corps League of Pennsylvania.Dutch is a former Marine who serves as commandant of his Marine Corps League detachment, the organization said."David and our entire family are especially grateful to all the first responders and medical professionals who saved his life, including the Life Flight and trauma surgical teams," his family said in a statement last week. "We ... Read More
Migrant apprehensions continue to decline in US
Bloomberg Creative Photos/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The Border Patrol has made fewer than 1,800 apprehensions per day over the past week, a major decline following the implementation of new asylum restrictions that significantly cut humanitarian protections for those who cross the border illegally.Migrant encounters along the southern border are down 55% since the restrictions took effect seven weeks ago, according to new data from the Department of Homeland Security.The Border Patrol made 83,536 apprehensions in June, the lowest number since Biden took office in Jan. 2021.DHS officials credit a dual-track approach that balances increased enforcement measures along with the expansion of new options for legal migration. The measures, announced at the beginning of last month, all but banned asylum for ... Read More
Election officials continue to face threats, harassment ahead of November
adamkaz/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- In early July, a man wearing a gator face mask, sunglasses, and camera equipment attached to a vest walked into the elections building in King County, Washington, and began to take videos and photos of the employees and their surroundings.The man, according to a video obtained by ABC News, approached a counter and began harassing the election workers as he recorded them with his equipment.After he left, the man posted a video of the interaction on YouTube and published some of the staff's names, emails, and phone numbers, which officials said resulted in "dozens of calls and emails" to election workers.The incident, which left King County employees feeling uneasy, is an example of the ongoing harassment ... Read More
Tourist suffers third-degree burns to feet after losing flip-flops in Death Valley
National Park Service(LAS VEGAS) -- A tourist from Belgium has been hospitalized in Las Vegas after suffering third-degree burns to his feet while walking on sand dunes in Death Valley, officials said.The 42-year-old man was wearing flip flops when officials from the National Park Service said that they either broke or he lost them in the sand last Saturday at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley, according to a statement released on Tuesday.Air temperatures were 123 degrees at the time, but park officials say that the sand temperatures would have been much hotter.“The man’s family called for help and recruited other park visitors who carried the man to the parking lot,” according to the NPS statement. “Park rangers ... Read More
Hyundai recalls more than 50,000 vehicles for loss of drive power
John Keeble/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Hyundai is recalling up to 54,647 vehicles due to loss of drive power from fuel pump failure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The recall impacts certain 2019-2023 models of Genesis G70, Veloster N, Elantra N, and Kona N, the federal agency said.According to NHTSA, premature wearing of the fuel control valve in the high-pressure fuel pump "could allow excess fuel to enter the fuel pump and the air and fuel mixture can result in a reduction or loss of motive power at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash."Indications that there might be an issue include, "MIL illumination, lack of power, rough idle or misfire," according to NHTSA recall documents.Owner notification letters ... Read More
What we know about the shooter
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man identified as the shooter in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb not far from the campaign rally where one attendee was killed. Investigators were working Sunday to gather more information about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who they say opened fire at the rally before being killed by Secret Service days before Trump was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. An FBI official said late Saturday that investigators had not yet determined a motive. Two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. Relatives of Crooks didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late ... Read MorePrayers for Trump also pour in from political rivals
Prayers for the former president are also coming from his political opponents. “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer in a statement. “We should all condemn what happened today and I am hoping for the health of the former president and everyone else at the rally,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy posted on the social platform X. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a post on X that his “thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump” and expressed thanks “for the decisive law enforcement response.” ... Read MoreWikiLeaks founder facing pivotal moment in long fight to stay out of US court
LONDON -- The host of a news conference about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition fight wryly welcomed journalists last week to the “millionth” press briefing on his court case. Deborah Bonetti, director of the Foreign Press Association, was only half joking. Assange’s legal saga has dragged on for well over a decade but it could come to an end in the U.K. as soon as Monday. Assange faces a hearing in London's High Court that could end with him being sent to the U.S. to face espionage charges, or provide him another chance to appeal his extradition. The outcome will depend on how much weight judges give to reassurances U.S. officials have provided that Assange's rights won't be trampled if ... Read More
DOJ schedules meeting with Boeing victims as decision nears over whether company breached prosecution deal
Thinkstock/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday contacted the families of victims of two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes as it nears a crucial decision over whether the company violated a 2021 deal that allowed it to escape criminal prosecution over the incidents, according to a letter obtained by ABC News.The letter, sent by the department's fraud section, invited families to attend a May 31 meeting where they will be informed of the DOJ's decision as to whether the company breached the deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA.If prosecutors believe they can make the case that Boeing violated the agreement's terms -- which demanded the company's continued cooperation with the government, a requirement it disclose any allegations of fraud, and ... Read More
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