National Headlines
DC plane crash: New details emerge from NTSB investigation
Al Drago/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- There's no indication the U.S. Army Black Hawk crew could tell there was an impending collision before its devastating crash with an American Airlines plane in Washington, D.C., National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said Friday as the agency continues to investigate the cause of the accident.The helicopter crew may have had bad information on the altitude from their altimeter, as the pilots had differing altitudes in the seconds before the crash, the NTSB said.One helicopter pilot thought they were at 300 feet and the other thought they were at 200 feet. The NTSB is not prepared to say exactly how high the helicopter was at impact, the NTSB said."We are looking at the possibility ... Read More
Trump bars federal funding to schools with COVID vaccine mandates
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that would strip schools of federal aid if they mandate COVID vaccines, a pool report said -- a largely symbolic move considering that no states currently require them.The order applies to students and not to teachers or staff.In a fact sheet provided to reporters, the White House said the order was necessary because COVID vaccine mandates were "threatening educational opportunities for students.""Parents are being forced into a difficult position: comply with a controversial mandate or risk their child's educational future," the White House wrote.Some states and cities had proposed COVID vaccine mandates after the pandemic, including California, but quickly dropped them due to pushback from parents.Trump's directive ... Read More
College student murdered in off-campus apartment, person of interest sought: Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department(LOS ANGELES) -- A 23-year-old college student was found murdered at her off-campus apartment in a "senseless and violent act," authorities said, who are now seeking to identify a person of interest in the homicide.Menghan Zhuang, who also went by Emily King, was discovered unresponsive by her roommate at their Santa Clarita apartment the evening of Feb. 4, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.Her roommate called 911 and first responders found Zhuang suffering from multiple injuries to her upper body, according to Lt. Michael Modica, who did not disclose the nature of her injuries amid the investigation. She was pronounced dead at the scene.Authorities are now seeking the public's help in identifying a person of ... Read More
Judge will consider continuing to block Musk, DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday will consider whether to continue blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment systems as part of the Trump's administration's efforts to cut federal spending.The attorneys general of 19 states have argued that allowing Musk's associates to access the payment system would be a "huge cybersecurity risk" and potentially allow the Trump administration to unlawfully "block federal funds from reaching beneficiaries who do not align with the President's political agenda.""All of the States' residents whose [personal identifiable information] and sensitive financial information is stored in the payment files that reside within the payment systems are at risk of having that information ... Read More
Invisible crisis: America’s caregivers and the $600 billion unpaid cost of their labor
Brandon assists Janice with daily exercises, as well as helps her move around the house. ABC News(CHICAGO) -- Janice Will was diagnosed in 2012 with Parkinson's, a condition that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate, causing tremors and balance problems.“When she broke her femur and it was close to the artery…it could have been lights out,” Brandon Will, Janice’s son, said about his mother.Brandon, who lives with his mother near Chicago, Illinois, soon realized his mom needed 24/7 access to care.Since then, Janice, who is now 73, has seen the emotional, physical and financial strain of needing care and spoke to ABC News about often feeling like a burden to her son.“He likes to tell me I'm not a burden, ... Read More
Teen rescued from 50-foot deep mine shaft in Northern California
Dong Xudong/Xinhua via Getty Images(CHINA BAR, Calif.) -- A 16-year-old teen was rescued from a 50-foot deep mine shaft in Northern California on Monday after the rope he was using to climb back out of the hole snapped, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.The teen was saved after attempting to explore a mine shaft located in the Auburn State Recreation Area near China Bar, officials said.At approximately 3:27 p.m. on Monday, Placer County Fire Department and Auburn City Fire Department were dispatched to a medical rescue for a "16-year-old male stuck in a vertical mine shaft approximately 50 feet deep," according to a press release.The teenager and his friends traveled about 180 feet into the mine shaft and ... Read More
Transgender references removed from Stonewall National Monument website
Noam Galai/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The National Park Service eliminated references to transgender people from its Stonewall National Monument website on Thursday, which now only refers to those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual.What used to be listed as LGBTQ+, has been changed to LGB."Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969, is a milestone in the quest for LGB civil rights and provided momentum for a movement," the website now says.The Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village became a national monument in 2016 under former President Barack Obama, creating the country's first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.The Stonewall Uprising ... Read More
Firefighter swept into ocean in debris flow as heavy rain pounds Los Angeles
Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- One of the strongest storms of the season slammed fire-ravaged Los Angeles with heavy rain on Thursday, sending streams of mud and debris across roadways and sweeping a fire department vehicle off a Malibu road into the ocean, authorities said.A member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was inside the vehicle when it was swept off the road by a large debris flow and into the ocean, according to the department."Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution," spokesperson Erik Scott said.The atmospheric river dumped 6.34 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, prompting mudslides in ... Read More
States move to restrict transgender adult care amid gender-affirming youth care battles
Transgender flag/Nathan Morris/NurPhoto via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- After months of targeting transgender youth medical care, legislators in some states are now setting their sights on restricting funding for care for transgender adults.Lawmakers in at least eight states are seeking to restrict state or public funds from being used for gender-affirming care, limiting a patient's ability to use Medicaid to help pay: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.For Mason Kalinsky, that would mean he may no longer be able to access the hormone therapy that he has been taking for roughly three years. Kalinsky, a 27-year-old transgender activist in Kentucky, told ABC News in an interview that hormone therapy changed his life.Before accessing hormone therapy, Kalinsky said ... Read More
Sec. of State Marco Rubio en route to Germany after plane suffers mechanical issue
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio's plane experienced a mechanical issue while en route to Munich, Germany, on Thursday, according to a State Department spokesperson.The plane turned around returned to Joint Base Andrews before Rubio continued his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a separate aircraft, the spokesperson added.Rubio is now safely en route to Munich on a smaller aircraft, according to the State Department.Rubio is headed to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference and to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, according to the State Department.He will then travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to meet with senior officials, according to the agency."Secretary Rubio's engagements with senior officials ... Read More
Judge blocks Trump order on transgender youth care: ACLU
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order restricting gender-affirming care for transgender people under the age of 19, according to the civil liberties groups behind the legal challenge to the order.Trump's order aimed to withhold federal funding to medical institutions that provide such care -- including puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries -- calling on the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to "take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children." The executive order does not appear to restrict these procedures for non-transgender people under 19.Transgender young adults and families with transgender youth filed a legal challenge in ... Read More
14 states sue DOGE, blasting Musk’s ‘unprecedented’ power as unconstitutional
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Fourteen states have filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, challenging Musk's role as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency and accusing him of being a "designated agent of chaos" whose "sweeping authority" is in violation of the U.S. Constitution."Musk's seemingly limitless and unchecked power to strip the government of its workforce and eliminate entire departments with the stroke of a pen, or a click of a mouse, would have been shocking to those who won this country's independence," reads the complaint, which was filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, D.C.Led by the state of New Mexico, the lawsuit argues -- in often dramatic terms -- that the Appointments ... Read More
Trump signs order to determine reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order calling on his administration to determine "the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff with respect to each foreign trading partner.""In other words, we're going to customize the reciprocal tariff based on individual trading nations, and that will depend on their profile," a senior administration official said on a call with reporters previewing the action.This means the administration plans to impose tariffs on other countries that match the duties they impose on American products. The senior official says this allows the U.S. to "customize" the tariff to each trading partner based on their actions.Trump previously announced tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. While the 10% tariffs on China have ... Read More
Eagles’ Super Bowl parade underway in Philadelphia
Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images(PHILADELPHIA) -- Philadelphia Eagles fans flocked to downtown Philadelphia on Friday to celebrate the team's massive 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl. The city expects 1 million people to attend Friday's parade and ceremony -- including kids. Philadelphia city offices and Philadelphia public schools are closed for the citywide celebration."We look forward to joyfully celebrating the Eagles' victory as a community, and we hope that you do so safely and responsibly with friends and family," the school district said in a statement.The Eagles players' parade began at 11 a.m. More than 15 Jumbotron screens will be along the parade route to broadcast the celebration live.The parade will be followed by a ceremony at 2 ... Read More
Fire-ravaged Los Angeles braces for landslides as atmospheric river brings heavy rain to California
ABC News(LOS ANGELES) -- A new atmospheric river is slamming California, including fire-ravaged Los Angeles, where residents are bracing for the possibility of mudslides and landslides.The storm is hitting San Francisco Bay area Thursday morning with heavy rain, winds up to 80 mph and waves up to 45 feet.A flash flood warning was issued for the south San Francisco Bay area.By Thursday afternoon, the worst of the storm will hit Southern California, where rainfall rates could reach 1 inch per hour. Some areas in and around the Los Angeles mountains and hills could see more than 6 inches of rain.There's a big concern for mudslides and landslides on the burn scar areas from last month's devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in LA.LA Mayor Karen ... Read More
Here’s what we know about a commuter plane crash in Alaska that killed 10 people
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Authorities are focusing on the wreckage of a plane that crashed off western Alaska as they try to determine what caused the small commuter aircraft to go down in the icy Bering Sea, killing 10 people. The single-engine turboprop plane was traveling from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. Crews on Saturday succeeded in recovering the remains of those killed in the Bering Air crash from a drifting ice floe before the anticipated onset of high winds and snow. By the end of the day, the wreckage was taken by helicopter to a hangar in Nome. Here are things to know about the plane crash, which is one of the ... Read More
Trump says he’s firing Kennedy Center board of trustees members and naming himself chairman
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is firing members of the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and naming himself chairman. He also indicated that he would be dictating programming at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, specifically declaring that he would end events featuring performers in drag. Trump’s announcement Friday came as the Republican president has bulldozed his way across official Washington during the first weeks of his second term, trying to shutter federal agencies, freeze spending and ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the government. “At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate ... Read More
Judge blocks Trump from placing thousands of USAID workers on leave and giving them 30-day deadline
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave just 30 days to move families and households back to the U.S. on government expense. Both moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense, the judge said. Nichols pointed to accounts from ... Read More
Passenger jet collides with Army helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A passenger jet collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There was no immediate word on casualties or the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport. President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary said, and Vice President JD Vance encouraged followers on the social media platform ... Read More
Big Lots reaches deal to keep hundreds of US stores open
COLUMBUS, Oh. (AP) — The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open. Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will then transfer Big Lots’ stores, distribution centers and other assets to other retailers. Variety Wholesalers Inc., which owns more than 400 discount stores in the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, plans to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores and operate them under the Big Lots brand. Variety Wholesalers will also acquire up to two distribution centers. “This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest ... Read More
Government funding bill clears Congress and heads to President Biden, averting a shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day's outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures “start now.” The House approved Johnson's new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to ... Read More
Government funding plan collapses as Trump makes new demands days before shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate — days before a deadline when federal funding runs out. Trump's sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling as lawmakers are trying to wrap up work and head home for the holidays. It left Johnson scrambling late into the night at the Capitol trying to engineer a new plan before Friday's deadline to keep government open. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance said in a statement. The president-elect made an almost unrealistic proposal that combined some continuation of government funds along ... Read More
Prosecutors recommend resentencing Erik and Lyle Menendez in 1989 killings of their parents
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors will recommend Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills home, providing the brothers with a chance at freedom after 34 years behind bars. An official with knowledge of the decision who was not authorized to speak on the record ahead of a planned press conference confirmed that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón would recommend resentencing for the brothers. They were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors must now seek court approval. Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez. ... Read More
Hurricane Milton live updates: Monster storm pummels Florida after landfall
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane. The monster storm roared ashore with life-threatening storm surge, powerful winds and flooding rains. Here's how the news is developing. 4 killed in tornadoes in St. Lucie County Four people were killed by tornadoes in St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast, county officials said. "Numerous homes" have "suffered significant damage," officials added. 25 minutes ago Roof of Tropicana Field rips off Wind gusts climbed to 97 mph in Tampa and 102 mph at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport as Milton slammed the coast. Milton's powerful winds even ripped part of the roof off of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. A drone ... Read More
Fed cuts interest rate by half a point
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates that helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers. The rate cut, the Fed’s first in more than four years, reflects its new focus on bolstering the job market, which has shown clear signs of slowing. Coming just weeks before the presidential election, the Fed’s move also has the potential to scramble the economic landscape just as Americans prepare to vote. The central bank’s action lowered its key rate to roughly 4.8%, down from a two-decade high of 5.3%, where it had stood for 14 months as ... Read MoreWynn Resorts paying $130M for letting illegal money reach gamblers at its Las Vegas Strip casino
LAS VEGAS -- Casino company Wynn Resorts Ltd. has agreed to pay $130 million to federal authorities and admit that it let unlicensed money transfer businesses around the world funnel funds to gamblers at its flagship Las Vegas Strip property. The publicly traded company said a non-prosecution settlement reached Friday represented a monetary figure identified by the U.S. Justice Department as “funds involved in the transactions at issue†at the Wynn Las Vegas resort. In statements to the media and to the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said the forfeiture wasn’t a fine and findings in the decade-long case didn’t amount to money laundering. U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath in San Diego said the settlement showed that casinos are ... 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
Top of page
