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What is a tourist tax? Fees for foreign tourists at hot summer destinations

(NEW YORK) -- Barcelona is among the top 20 summer destinations of 2024, and for anyone planning to visit the bustling Mediterranean metropolis known for its art and architecture, or other tourist-filled hotspots during high-season, there may be some additional costs to consider.

Many countries across Europe including Spain, Greece, and Germany have implemented fees for foreign visitors to help support local costs of doing business, especially during the busy summer months. It's similar to that of a hotel occupancy tax that American travelers may be more familiar with for domestic stays.

What is a tourist tax?

"Tourist taxes are a rapidly growing trend," Clint Henderson, Managing Editor at The Points Guy, told ABC News' Good Morning America, adding that the fee system is increasingly popular "because it’s an easy way for cities to raise revenues without taxing local citizens. It’s also more politically palatable and it has the added benefit of helping to deal with over-tourism."

Henderson also pointed out that "Crowding at especially popular spots made famous by Instagram are simply out of control."

"Locals in places like Venice, [Italy] and Maui are also getting more vocal about problematic tourists," he said. "We think you’ll only see this trend of tourist taxes spread. Look for action from places like Hawaii in the future, which has been considering some kind of tax for a few years now."

The rural town of La Salut, located just outside Barcelona and best known for Park Güell mosaic-covered buildings, tapas bars and seafood restaurants, was recently removed from Google and Apple maps, Yahoo first reported, after being inundated with tourists taking over the locals' main bus route.

What to know about tourist fees abroad this summer

Henderson said tourism taxes "are not yet that widespread," with the caveat that "local taxes and fees are very common and often hidden in your hotel bill."

His tip? "Google your destination to see about potential fees before you go," he said.

"Many hotels are now listing local taxes and fees in their online pricing, but you can always call ahead of time to make sure you won’t be facing additional 'destination' or 'resort' fees," he suggested.

Summer vacation destinations with a tourist tax

There are some newcomers adding a tourist tax for the first time this summer, and other nations increasing percentages that people will be expected to pay.

"Galapagos National Park is charging $200 as of August 1 to visit. Bhutan charges $100 per day. Wales and Hawaii are among the locations now considering tourist taxes," Henderson listed.

Barcelona

The Barcelona municipality recently increased its tourist tax from 2.75 euros to 3.25 euros on April 1.

Paris

The tourist tax for the Olympics host nation is based on a municipal rate. Typically the cost has been under $6 per night, but starting in January officials increased the visitor fee up to $17, depending on the hotel type.

Seville

Earlier this year the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, announced on X plans to "close the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety."

Sanz shared a video along with his post that showed missing tiles, damaged facades and street vendors occupying alcoves and stairs.

The southern Spanish city will now charge visitors to enter the historic area that has been at risk of irreversible damage to its famed tile floors, bridges and towers.

Venice

Earlier this year, the coastal city known for it's canals, blown glass and close proximity to the heart of Italy's Prosecco region implemented a fee of 5 euro per day tripper through a new reservation system.

Travelers can download an app to pay and attain a QR code which will be shown to enter the city as a visitor.

"It is not a revolution, but the first step of a path that regulates the access of daily visitors. An experiment that aims to improve the liveability of the city, who lives there and who works there. We will carry it forward with great humility and with the awareness that there may be problems," the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, stated on X in the announcement.

"The margins of error are wide, but we are ready, with humility and courage, to make all the changes that will serve to improve the procedure. Venice is the first city in the world to implement this path, which can be an example for other fragile and delicate cities that must be safeguarded," he continued.

New Beyond Meat plant-based beef made with avocado oil for nutrient-dense, simplified ingredients

(NEW YORK) -- Beyond Meat has pared down its ingredient list and upgraded the recipe to add more nutrient-dense plant-based ingredients -- including heart-healthy avocado oil -- for its latest innovation of the plant-based meat alternative.

The California-based company announced its new and improved Beyond Meat IV on Thursday as two new products, Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, roll out with a fresh new look at grocery stores nationwide.

Thanks to the nutritional advancements in Beyond Meat's new recipe, the company is the first to be recognized by the American Heart Association, as well as the American Diabetes Association for its Better Choices for Life program, which is reflected on the new packaging.

The fourth generation of Beyond Meat products is also the first in the category to be Clean Label Project Certified, from the nonprofit that works to provide transparency in food labeling on products that use as few ingredients as possible, ensuring those ingredients are wholesome.

What changed in the new Beyond Meat burgers and beef alternative?

The fourth generation of Beyond Meat boasts 21 grams of plant-based protein that comes from the addition of red lentils and faba beans, 20% less sodium and 60% less saturated fat than the previous version -- after swapping out coconut and canola oils for avocado oil.

The new statistics are compared to beef with an 80/20 lean to fat ratio, which typically contains 70-80 mg of sodium for 4-ounces, which is the labeled serving size of Beyond Ground Beef and Beyond Beef Burger reflects.

Sodium in the new Beyond Beef is 310 mg, which was reduced from 390 mg in the previous version.

Registered dietitian, author, and nutrition advisor Joy Bauer, who was tapped to consult on the new product development, told ABC News' Good Morning America that "the best news of all is a simplified ingredient list."

"It's easy to enhance nutrition labels, it's a whole other challenge to have it taste just as yummy," she said, adding that in blind tastings with existing Beyond Meat consumers, they preferred the new version over the old one.

The addition of avocado oil, which contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats according to the American Heart Association, also makes for a better sizzle and sear like traditional beef thanks to its higher smoke point.

Diana Stavaridis, Senior Culinary Manager for Beyond Meat who oversaw the development of the new recipe and tested the product in a variety of applications, said this version has a "beefier flavor and texture" that's easy to prepare.

"They caramelize and brown beautifully when cooked, and offer the juicy, tender culinary experience of beef," Stavaridis said of the beef alternative that's naturally colored with pomegranate concentrate and beet juice.

In tandem with the product launch, Beyond Meat created a short documentary-style film, "Planting Change," to give consumers an inside look at how the product is made. The film includes interviews with leading medical and nutrition experts, ecologists, and historians talking about plant-based diets and nutrition.

The company's Chief Marketing Officer Akerho Oghoghomeh said in a statement, that Beyond Meat is proud to create a burger alternative "while offering health and environmental benefits to the consumer."

"We know that health is a top driver for the plant-based meat category, and with the advancements in taste and nutrition of our new Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, we’re giving consumers a really compelling reason to make the switch,” he said.

Dr Pepper announces brand-new creamy coconut flavor

(NEW YORK) -- Dr Pepper has a new flavor hitting stores soon to jumpstart the summer mood.

The soda company announced that Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar drinks are coming to stores starting May 1.

"Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut brings together the perfect combination of the original 23 Dr Pepper flavors with layers of tropical coconut flavor and a delicious, creamy finish," read an announcement for the new flavor, which also added that the new drink "pairs perfectly with a hot summer day."

The drinks will be sold in 12-packs of 12-fluid-ounce cans as well as 20-fluid-ounce bottles and will be available from May until July. The standard version comes in a light blue and red can with a coconut image on it, and the Zero Sugar variety is packaged with a brown and light blue theme.

According to Dr Pepper, the new drinks are "the only coconut-cream-flavored dark soda on the market" currently.

The new beverages are reminiscent of the so-called "dirty sodas" popular in Utah, which are traditionally made with flavored syrup, soda and cream, and are sold at various restaurant locations across the state. The drive-through soda-fountain chain Swig, for example, which was founded in Utah and has several locations across other western states, offers its own version of a Dr Pepper-based concoction with coconut, as well as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-based coconut drinks, and Mountain Dew and Sprite-based coconut drinks, among others.

Scoreboard roundup — 4/18/24

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 2, LA Angels 1
Cleveland 5, Boston 4
Texas 9, Detroit 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Chi Cubs (Postponed)
San Francisco 5, Arizona 0

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Los Angeles 5, Chicago 4 (OT)
Seattle 4, Minnesota 3
Winnipeg 4, Vancouver 2
Calgary 5, San Jose 1
Colorado 5, Edmonton 1
Anaheim 4, Vegas 1

Johnson says he won’t change rules for ousting speakers after warnings from GOP hard-liners

(WASHINGTON) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday quashed rumors he was considering changes to make it more difficult to oust him from his leadership post, after Republican hard-liners warned it was a "red line" he shouldn’t cross.

Johnson, in a statement posted to X, criticized the current rule allowing a single member to offer a motion to vacate the speaker's chair as having "harmed" the office and the party's majority in the House -- but said it will stand for now.

"Recently, many members have encouraged me to endorse a new rule to raise this threshold," he said. "While I understand the importance of that idea, any rule change requires a majority of the full House, which we do not have. We will continue to govern under the existing rules."

Throughout the day, the party's right flank had sought assurances Johnson would not consider a change to the threshold to advance a motion to vacate.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading the charge to take the gavel from Johnson, said earlier Thursday he "owes our entire conference a meeting and if he wants to change the motion to vacate."

"This has never happened in history. And it's completely wrong. He owes our conference the truth and he owes Republicans answers," Greene, R-Ga., said. "He's going to prove exactly what I've been saying correct. He is the Democrat's speaker."

While Greene addressed reporters on the House steps, Johnson remained on the floor surrounded by conservative hard-liners, who pressed him to commit to not changing the rule.

Standing at the back of the chamber, Johnson was surrounded by GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Derrick Van Orden, Bob Good, Byron Donalds, Tim Burchett, Scott Perry, Eli Crane, Andy Ogles and Clay Higgins.

Johnson did not comment to reporters when he left the chamber and walked back to his office.

"He was equivocating," Gaetz reported afterward, saying Johnson hadn't in that conversation given the answer they wanted.

Gaetz signaled he would join the effort to oust Johnson if the speaker decided to change that threshold, and Boebert flat-out said it's a "red line" for her, as well -- underscoring the delicate balance Johnson faces as he plows forward on the national security bills and simultaneously tries to retain the gavel.

The current rules governing the motion to vacate were part of concessions former Rep. Kevin McCarthy agreed to in order to secure the speakership during 15 rounds of voting at the start of the 118th Congress. McCarthy was ousted by a small faction of his own party after nine months on the job. He resigned from Congress not long after.

"I told [Johnson] changing the threshold of the motion to vacate -- that's been my red line this entire Congress," Boebert, R-Colo., said. "It's my red line then, it's my red line now. I told [him] there's nothing that will get you to a motion to vacate faster than changing the threshold."

Gaetz said Johnson "views the Ukraine issue very differently" than him. He's urging Johnson to opt against holding votes on the bills in the foreign aid package until the Senate passes H.R. 2, the House-passed border bill that has no chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law.

"We're worried about America's border. He seems to be more worried about Ukraine," Gaetz said.

Johnson on Wednesday said providing aid to Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders was worth the risk to his job.

"This is not a game. It's not a joke," Johnson said. "We have to do the right thing and I'm going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will on this. And I think that's the way this institution is supposed to work. And I'm willing to take personal risk for that because we have to do the right thing and history will judge us."

ABC News' Juhi Doshi contributed to this report.

Judge rejects Trump effort to pause Jan. 6 civil lawsuits while criminal case ongoing

(NEW YORK) -- A federal judge has rejected an effort by former President Donald Trump to pause several civil lawsuits filed against him seeking to hold him accountable for his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, according to a newly posted ruling.

Trump had asked D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta to stay proceedings in the lawsuits -- brought by several members of Congress and police officers who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6 -- while his federal criminal case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith was ongoing.

Trump's attorneys reasoned that defending himself from the lawsuits could improperly impact his defense strategy in his criminal case, which Mehta rejected in his ruling Thursday afternoon.

Mehta wrote that while, "it is true in a sense—both cases center on the former President’s actions in the lead up to and on January 6, 2021... [Trump ] overstates the significance of that factual overlap in the present posture of these matters."

Trump's team also cited the Supreme Court's upcoming arguments regarding the former president's claims of immunity from prosecution in his criminal case, which they argue could impact how Mehta ultimately rules on Trump's immunity claims for what he believes are "official acts" outlined in the civil lawsuits.

"...There is no reason to wait on the Supreme Court’s decision," Mehta responded. "This court is unlikely to make an immunity determination before the end of the Supreme Court’s term. Thus, if the Court’s ruling on criminal immunity is relevant to the outcome here, it can easily be applied."

Trump faces four felony charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction, in the indictment brought by Smith last year, in which prosecutors detailed what they said was his plot to remain in power after his electoral loss to President Joe Biden. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied any wrongdoing.

Some Iranian women say they fear war with Israel amid violent hijab crackdown

(LONDON) -- In the wake of Iran's unprecedented airstrikes on Israel, dozens of Iranians gathered in Tehran's Palestine Square earlier this week to celebrate what the Iranian regime described as a retaliatory attack.

But interviews with women on the ground indicate that the scene, broadcast by Iranian state-run media in a country that lacks a free press, is not representative of how many other Iranians -- particularly women -- are feeling as Israel weighs its response.

ABC News spoke to several women in Iran who said the fear of an imminent war has been added to a long list of worries and hardships they have been grappling with for years. Their names have been changed due to concerns for their safety.

"The fear of the war is so crippling," Ramesh, a 30-year-old designer and architect, told ABC News via telephone on Wednesday. "And imagine on top of that is the anxiety of getting arrested by the hijab police and the stress of not being able to afford the rent for our flat every single month."

Iran sent a barrage of more than 300 different types of drones and missiles toward Israel late Saturday, days after a suspected Israeli airstrike hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. The strike on the consulate killed seven people, including a top Iranian commander. Israel has not confirmed that it was behind the attack on the Iranian consulate but has not denied it.

All but a few of Iran's missiles and drones were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.

The incident over the weekend came six months into a brutal war between Israel and Hamas, an Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas led a surprise incursion into neighboring Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others hostage, with 129 believed to still remain in captivity in Gaza, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Since Oct. 7, Israeli forces have killed almost 34,000 people and injured more than 76,000 others in Gaza amid ongoing ground operations and aerial bombardment of the strip, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.

A few hours after Saturday's retaliatory attack on Israel, Iranian authorities launched a new operation to arrest women who refuse to abide by the country’s law mandating they wear a hijab, covering their entire body except for their face, hands and feet. The operation, introduced by the police and dubbed "The Light Plan," aims to detain women who have ignored previous warnings about their dress from the country's so-called morality police, who regularly patrol the streets of Tehran and other cities, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.

Images and videos of the latest hijab crackdown have surfaced on social media, with several Iranian women posting photos of what they say are bruises from being beaten by the morality police. One video purportedly shows Iranian police officers surrounding a woman and forcing her into a white van during a patrol.

"Imagine you turn on your TV to get news about the war and the danger you are living, and what you see is the news about the new round of the morality police operation," Ramesh said. "It seems what the regime cares about most is that if there is a war and my house collapses over my head, my corpse is dragged out of the rubble with a scarf covering my hair."

"We are on the verge of an all-out war and what is it that the state media tells us? A new round of the hijab police activities," she added. "Iran says its attack on Israel was a retaliation for the 12 people Israel killed in Syria. But we know at the end we, 80 million Iranians, will be paying the price."

Azam, a 35-year-old housewife and mother, said she "couldn't sleep" the night she saw the news about Iran's strikes on Israel.

"I went to my daughter's room and held her and grabbed her from sleep, and then I went to my son's room and held him," Azam told ABC News via telephone on Tuesday. "All I am worried about now is that if there is a war and they attack us, we may get hurt or separated."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel "will make our own decisions [about its response to Iran's attack] and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself." U.S. and U.K. officials have said they don't wish to see the situation escalate.

Maral, a 28-year-old website developer, said she and her family are living in "a horrible atmosphere of distress and anxiety," fearing they are "just tools in the hands of those in power."

"I am in shock and very worried about Israel's response," Maral told ABC News via telephone on Tuesday, adding that she has urged relatives who live in a town near one of Iran's nuclear facilities to pack their things and come stay with them in case Israel decides to target such sites.

"Another bitter thing here is the divide between people," she said. "The minority that are still supporters of the regime keep saying we need to stick together if the war happens, but many others are tired of the regime. Everything is so expensive and I am afraid of things getting even more expensive."

Iran's economy and, subsequently, its people have suffered under years of widespread corruption and international sanctions. The value of the country’s currency, the rial, has plummeted 22 times in the past 10 years. In 2019, following the failure of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, one U.S. dollar was equal to 130,000 Iranian rials. This week, after the Iranian strikes on Israel, the rial fell to 650,000 per dollar.

The high inflation rate and currency devaluation have left many Iranians struggling to afford basic necessities, including food. Zahra, a 65-year-old housewife and grandmother, said a kilogram (just over 2 pounds) of beef currently costs 7 million rials (about $11), which is expensive for a household that only earns 100 million rials (about $150) per month.

"We don't buy red meat or even chicken as much," Zahra told ABC News via telephone on Wednesday.

Zahra said she fears things will get worse if Israel's war in Gaza, which the United Nations warns has triggered a humanitarian crisis and imminent famine, spreads to her own doorstep in Iran. The concern of a wider war in the Middle East has been echoed by many regional analysts and experts.

"I have seen how innocent children are being killed, I have seen the hospitals being targeted in Gaza," Zahra added. "I told my granddaughter that everything was going to be alright and I kept telling myself the same, too."

A TikTok ban is wrapped in Speaker Johnson’s foreign aid package: What happens next?

(WASHINGTON) -- A ban on the popular social media app TikTok in the United States is now lumped in with Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans' $95 billion foreign aid package, which would provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

House Republican leaders late Wednesday posted legislative text on a fourth and final bill -- the "21st Century Peace Through Strength Act" -- that's part of the proposed aid package. The bill includes a modified version of the TikTok ban that passed the House earlier this year, as well as the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act, mandatory sanctions on Iran and more.

The new bill would give TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance 270 days from the date of enactment to divest from the app or face a U.S. ban, according to the proposed legislation. It would also give the president flexibility to offer a one-time extension of 90 days, ultimately possibly providing ByteDance up to a year to divest from the app, according to the bill.

The previous TikTok bill that passed in the House in March gave ByteDance 180 days to divest from the app or face a ban.

Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell endorsed the changes to the proposed TikTok ban and said Wednesday in a statement: "I'm very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year. As I've said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support this updated legislation."

In a post on X Wednesday night, TikTok said: "It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually."

What happens next?

In its latest guidance, House GOP leadership advised that votes on the four bills in the aid package are expected in the House on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the last votes for the week expected late Saturday. The aid package includes $26.4 billion for Israel aid, including $4 billion to replenish Israel's Iron Dome defense system; $60.8 billion for Ukraine aid, including $23 billion for replenishing weapons, and $8.1 billion for Indo-Pacific aid.

If each of the four bills passes and Johnson sends them to the Senate as one package -- as he's indicated he would do, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wouldn't be able to take up the issue of foreign aid without the fourth bill that includes the proposed TikTok ban.

While senators could strip out the TikTok portion of the fourth bill, that would require sending the legislation back to the House for another vote.

While Schumer on Wednesday expressed overall support for the House foreign aid package -- although not bringing up TikTok, he said he hasn't looked closely at the text yet.

Sources at TikTok told ABC News they were alarmed by how quickly this legislation is moving and were still trying to formulate their response late Wednesday.

TikTok, which has more than 170 million American users, has said the legislation passed in the House in March amounts to a "total ban."

In response to ABC News' request for comment in March, TikTok condemned the proposed bill as an infringement on the right to express oneself freely.

"This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country," a TikTok spokesperson said at the time.

DeSantis scales back book ban law amid spike in Florida book objections

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) -- As Florida schools face a growing number of book ban attempts, Gov. Ron DeSantis is scaling back policies that made it easier for people to challenge materials in schools.

In 2022, DeSantis signed HB 1467, which required elementary schools to provide a searchable list of the books accessible to students in libraries or classrooms and allow for public comment on all new materials.

Other recent legislation signed by DeSantis, including the Parental Rights in Education Bill and the Stop WOKE Act, restricts content on race and LGBTQ identities in schools and has further impacted access to classroom materials.

Florida law also allows parents and residents to object to books and have them reviewed and potentially removed from schools.

Since the implementation of these laws, Florida has seen a rise in book banning attempts across the state, according to the American Library Association (ALA) and free speech advocacy group PEN America.

Now, DeSantis has signed HB 1285, which he said will limit the amount of book objections that can be made by people who don't have a child who is accessing school materials. Parents of children in the school districts or using district materials will still be able to object to an unlimited amount of material.

According to DeSantis, the book transparency efforts were aimed at removing "explicit" material from schools. Critics of these policies argued their vague restrictions would lead to censorship.

In the first half of this school year alone, PEN America found that Florida experienced the highest number of ban cases with 3,135 attempts across 11 school districts.

More than 1,600 of those book banning attempts took place in Escambia County Public Schools, which is currently being sued by book publisher Penguin Random House, authors and PEN America for removing hundreds of books off shelves for review.

These groups found that political groups like Moms for Liberty and politicized individuals are behind large swaths of book challenges nationwide, sometimes demanding the censorship of multiple titles -- often dozens or hundreds at a time.

The vast majority of the books impacted by these banning efforts are written by or about people of color and the LGBTQ community, according to the ALA.

DeSantis' office said the recent change to these policies "protects schools from activists trying to politicize and disrupt a district’s book review process."

"What's happened though, is you have some people who are taking the curriculum transparency and are trying to weaponize that for political purposes that involves objecting to normal books," said DeSantis in a Tuesday press conference. "Some of the books I saw in the teachers lounge, the classic books, there's people that will try to get to that because they wanna create a narrative. It's like, 'oh, all these books, we don't know what's lawful or not to have.' That's nonsense."

Trader Joe’s recalls basil amid salmonella outbreak, investigation

(NEW YORK) -- Trader Joe's shoppers with an affinity for homemade pesto, Caprese salad or other dishes that utilize fresh basil should check their fridge for a newly recalled plastic clamshell container of the organic herb.

"Do not eat Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil sold at Trader Joe's stores in 29 states and D.C.," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Wednesday amid an ongoing salmonella investigation being carried out in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This product should no longer be for sale at Trader Joe's and is likely past shelf-life. If you already bought organic basil from Trader Joe's and removed it from the packaging or froze it and cannot tell if it was Infinite Herbs-brand, do not eat or use it and throw it away," the FDA urged consumers.

The popular grocer announced a voluntary recall of its 2.5-ounce plastic clamshell containers of organic basil on April 17 "as the product may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella."

The product is marked with the UPC code 8 18042 02147 7 and was sold between Feb. 1 and April 6, 2024, in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

"If you purchased the product during this date range, please discard it or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund," the retailer said in its recall announcement.

Those with questions about the recall can contact Trader Joe's customer relations at (626) 599-3817 or by emailing the company through the product feedback form on its site.

Trader Joe's did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for additional comment.

As of time of publication, based on epidemiological information collected by CDC, 12 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium reported in seven states and linked to the Infinite Herbs organic basil.

"Seven of eight cases with information available reported exposure to fresh organic basil purchased from Trader Joe's before becoming ill," the FDA stated this week. "Additionally, traceback data collected by FDA determined that Infinite Herbs, LLC, in Miami, FL, was the supplier of the 2.5-oz packages of organic basil sold at Trader Joe's stores."

According to the CDC, most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and symptoms typically begin six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days. But some -- especially children younger than 5 years and adults 65 years and older, or people with weakened immune systems -- may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization, the CDC states.

According to the FDA, Infinite Herbs, LLC is cooperating with the agency's investigation and agreed to initiate the voluntary recall.

In a post on the company's website, Infinite Herbs CEO Gregorio Berliavsky wrote, "I am heartbroken at the thought that any item we sold may have caused illness or discomfort. We simply will not rest until we can once again be confident in the safety of this product."

He continued, "All farms we source from must comply with U.S. food safety regulations, meet buyer requirements, and submit documentation verifying food safety practices. We sourced the recalled basil from a single farm, which is no longer in production, and we are working with the farmer to conduct an internal investigation of the food safety practices. Through this investigation, our goal is to determine the cause of this recall and apply measures to prevent it from happening again."

"Your safety and satisfaction are of utmost importance to us, and we deeply regret any concerns this may have caused," he added.

According to Berliavsky, customers impacted by the recall may contact the company's customer service team at 305-599-9255 (extension 148) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, or via email at customer_service@infiniteherbs.com.

The FDA and CDC investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. The FDA said it would post updates via its online advisory.

Taveras RBI single lead the Rangers over the Tigers 9-7

DETROIT (AP) — Leody Taveras scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and added an RBI single in the ninth to lead the Texas Rangers to a 9-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Taveras doubled with one out advanced to third on Marcus Semien’s fielder’s choice grounder and scored on Corey Seager’s grounder that broke a 7-all tie. Taveras added an insurce run with a two-out hit in the ninth.

Jose Leclerc (1-2) got the win in relief for Texas, which won three out of four games in Detroit. Kirby Yates, who picked up the win on Wednesday, earned his second save with a perfect ninth innning.

Shelby Miller (3-2), the fifth of six Detroit pitchers, took the loss for the second day in row.

The game marked the major league debut of Texas starter Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. He was brought up from Triple A Round Rock, where he was 1-1 with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings over three appearances.

He is the son of Al Leiter, who won 162 games in 19 major-league seasons.

Jack Leiter got off to a strong start, catching leadoff hitter Riley Greene looking for his first strikeout.

He had a 1-0 lead after Semien, who had three hits, hit a leadoff homer.

The Rangers added three runs in the second, highlighted by Jonah Heim’s two-run homer, but the Tigers evened things with four in the bottom of the second on RBI hits by Javier Baez, Carson Kelly and Riley Greene and a run-scoring ground out.

Adolis Garcia homered to give the Rangers the lead in a two-run third, and Texas added another run in the fourth when Semien doubled and reached third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Seager.

Leiter’s day ended in the bottom of the fourth. With two out and two on, Kerry Carpenter drove home both runners with a triple to center field, then scored on a double by Spencer Torkelson.

He allowed seven eared runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

To make room for Leiter, the Rangers optioned pitcher Grant Anderson to Round Rock.

TRAINER’S ROOM

The Rangers moved LHP Brock Burke (broken right hand) from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.

Couples allege IVF provider destroyed their embryos in toxic solution: Lawsuit

(LOS ANGELES) -- Two couples have filed lawsuits against in vitro fertilization provider Ovation Fertility alleging its clinic destroyed their embryos when a lab employee wrongly used hydrogen peroxide instead of a sterile solution in an incubator.

The couples allege that the clinic still used the embryos despite knowing they were nonviable. Neither woman got pregnant.

In two nearly identical lawsuits filed on Thursday against Ovation Fertility in Newport Beach, California, two unnamed couples are asserting multiple claims, including negligent misrepresentation, fraud, negligence and medical battery. The couples are not revealing their names in the lawsuits to protect their privacy, according to the suits.

In two nearly identical lawsuits filed on Thursday, two unnamed couples are accusing Ovation Fertility in Newport Beach, California, of negligent misrepresentation fraud, negligence and medical battery. The couples are not revealing their names in the lawsuits to protect their privacy, according to the suits.

Embryos belonging to likely dozens of patients were destroyed by hydrogen peroxide in the latter half of January 2024, the couples' attorney, Adam Wolf, said in a press conference Thursday.

The clinic did not realize there was a problem with the embryos until they saw low success rates for implantation in January and investigated why, Wolf told ABC News. Wolf said Ovation Fertility then reached out to at least some of the impacted patients.

Ovation Fertility did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment regarding the suits.

The couples allege they may not be able to have children who are biologically related to them -- since they say they have no more viable embryos -- because of Ovation Fertility's actions.

In the suits, the couples claim the hydrogen peroxide killed their embryos before they were transferred and that there was no chance they would become pregnant.

The suits, filed in California Superior Court, seek jury trials and are asking for an unspecified amount of damages.

The couples allege that the clinic put an extremely unsafe amount of hydrogen peroxide in an incubator used to store the embryos and failed to have the proper procedures and protocols in place to ensure the toxic incubator would not harm their embryos despite the clinic's claims to the contrary.

"Hydrogen peroxide is something that can be in the lab of a fertility clinic; there is nothing wrong with that," Wolf said. "What was entirely wrong about this was the levels and concentration of hydrogen peroxide that was used in this incubator apparently having mixed up hydrogen peroxide and a sterile solution," Wolf said at the press conference.

"This was an error that had massive implications for likely dozens of patients," Wolf said. "This killed their embryos. In certain states, those are human beings."

They also allege that the clinic did not properly train their employees on how to operate, manage or maintain the embryo incubator.

The couples also allege they were told their embryos were viable and had not been harmed at the time of the transfer, despite allegedly knowing that this was not true.

One couple said they only had one genetically normal embryo and it was destroyed in the incubator.

The other couple said they underwent two separate egg retrievals and had two high-quality embryos that were destroyed in the toxic incubator.

East Texas man jailed for sexual assault of a child

MARSHALL – An East Texas man has been arrested after a coordinated effort between multiple law enforcement agencies. According to our news partner KETK, 21-year-old Cameron Payton was arrested Tuesday for sexual assault of a child and evading arrest. The Marshall PD was aided in the arrest effort by the Joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Daingerfield PD, Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Texas DPS.

In a news release from the Marshall Police Department, Marshall Police Chief Cliff Carruth said, “This is a great example of the Marshall Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office working together and coordinating with regional law enforcement to stop dangerous individuals who are accused of violent crimes in our community.”

After his arrest, Payton was booked into the Morris County Jail where he awaits transfer to the Harrison County Jail.

Mayorkas faces icy Senate Republicans day after impeachment case dismissed

(WASHINGTON) -- Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced an icy reception from Senate Republicans on Thursday, one day after the swift dismissal of the GOP impeachment case brought against him over his handling of immigration policy and the southern border.

Mayorkas was on Capitol Hill to testify about President Joe Biden's 2025 budget proposal and make the case to lawmakers for additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

But what unfolded on Wednesday was still top of mind for some Republican senators, who blasted the secretary's leadership and scorned Democrats for voting down the impeachment articles against Mayorkas as unconstitutional.

"Yesterday, your impeachment trial ensued in the Senate," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in his opening statement. "I don't see this as a happy day, or a day I take relish or pleasure in. But it's a sad day. A sad day in the sense that it's come to this. This isn't a debate over policy, it's a debate over malfeasance, a debate over whether you've been telling the truth and whether you've been enforcing the law."

Paul later added, "All I can express is disappointment and bewilderment that the Democrats let you get away with it."

House Republicans impeached Mayorkas in February, accusing him of willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law as well as breach of public trust.

The Senate, in party-line votes, discarded the charges as not rising to the level of "high crime or misdemeanor" as required under Article II of the Constitution.

All Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders voted to kill the articles and adjourn in the span of three hours after a Republican senator rejected Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's offer for some debate time on the matter. Later, Schumer pushed back on GOP criticism of the dismissal stating their impeachment case was "hallow, frivolous, political" and amounted to policy disputes rather than impeachable offenses.

Mayorkas had called the impeachment charges "baseless" but largely kept his head down as the proceedings unfolded in the House and Senate.

On Thursday, he told lawmakers he hadn't read the text of the specific allegations brought against him by GOP lawmakers.

"I have not read the articles of impeachment," Mayorkas said as he faced questioning from Sen. Mitt Romney, who responded: "I'd probably want to do that."

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., asserted Democrats set a "new precedent" on Wednesday by quashing the trial and asked Mayorkas, "Do you think you're being silenced because Democrats are terrified of your record and unable to defend you, or because they don't trust you?"

"Neither, senator," Mayorkas responded.

In addition to swiping at Mayorkas over impeachment, Republicans pressed him on high numbers of migrant encounters at the southern border and some migrants committed crimes, often pointing to the killing of Laken Riley. Mayorkas declined to comment on the case specifically but said that migrants who "pose a public safety threat or national security are our highest priority for detention" but like administration's past, the number of encounters at the border have exceeded the number of detention beds available.

Democrats often countered Republicans complaints about Mayorkas and the border by criticizing them for blocking a bipartisan deal that included some of the most comprehensive immigration reforms in decades.

"It's interesting the nature of my colleagues' energy and attention when that same energy and attention seemed to lapse when there was an opportunity to do something to provide the kinds of supports, resources and technologies that were requested [and] negotiated in a bipartisan way," said Sen. Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., also took issue with Republicans blocking the legislation from coming to the floor for debate or a vote.

"The American people are smart, so all of the performative chest-pounding today on border security is utterly disingenuous," Ossoff said.

Hannity is right. Journalism really is dead.

FILE PHOTO: Bob Schieffer (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Several years ago, Bob Schieffer of CBS News spoke to journalism students at SMU in Dallas. I was an unofficial guest.

The moderator asked Schieffer about disintermediation in media. That is to say the internet’s empowerment of bloggers and social media posters – the people who no longer need to be at a place like CBS to practice journalism.

“Well,” laughed Schieffer dismissively, “that’s not journalism. We have editors. We have standards. Before something gets on the air, it has been fact checked and vetted. That’s not the case with some random person out there reporting on the internet,” he said, with a self-satisfied smile.

I will go to my grave regretting what I’m about to tell you.

As I say, I was a guest. I had no standing. The event was for the students. I therefore felt bound to mind my manners and to not create an awkward moment for the organizers. So, at Q&A time, I refrained from asking the obvious question.

So, Mr. Schieffer, where were your vaunted editors and fact-checkers and what happened to your lofty newsroom standards with respect to the phony 30-year old letter that Dan Rather featured on ’60 Minutes’ saying that George W. Bush shirked his duty while in the National Guard? Wasn’t it in fact, sir, a blogger – a ‘random person out there’ – who debunked the fakery and in so doing, did the real journalism on that story?”

Please forgive me – I will never forgive myself – for not asking that question.

It was then that I began appreciating just how smug, insulated, provincial and toweringly condescending the members of America’s elite media really are. These people live together in a bubble and spend their days affirming to one another their own superiority. Nothing penetrates the bubble.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: How are these people “mainstream?”

This Schieffer anecdote illuminates what has happened since last week’s column in which we detailed how Uri Berliner, an NPR editor of 25 years, blew the whistle on NPR’s ever-increasing and ever-more obvious leftist bias.

Berliner’s thoughtful essay at The Free Press provided an opportunity for some much-needed introspection at NPR. A thoughtful response to his exposé would have been to convene a meeting of top brass and editors and rank & file reporters to consider the possibility that Berliner has a point.

But NPR – along with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, et.al. – have no interest in any point that Mr. Berliner might have. Their sole interest is the advancement of their predetermined leftist narrative. Nothing can come in the way – least of all a balanced assessment of facts and a considered hearing of dissenting points of view.

So, NPR suspended Berliner for five days and told him he’d be fired if he dared speak out again. Berliner has since resigned.

Example made. Problem solved.

Sean Hannity says it all the time and I’m afraid he’s right. Journalism in America is dead.

That’s no small thing. The need for an informed citizenry in a free republic is enshrined in our very founding documents.

The accelerated devolution from that ideal is going to cost us. Dearly.