National Headlines
School choice programs divide Republicans as Trump moves to eliminate Department of Education
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to reduce the Department of Education to its essential functions. The directive tells what's left of the agency to prioritize sending money to school choice programs across America.These programs -- which are also referred to as school vouchers and school freedom -- allow parents to take tax dollars allocated for their children to attend public schools and, in most cases, use that money to send them to private schools.The argument supporting this movement is that private schools often provide a better education for children.In Tennessee, where supporters of the programs refer to them as scholarships, State House Rep. Todd Warner is a proud product of rural public schools. He's a ... Read More
Florida man arrested after driving car into protesters at Tesla dealership: Police
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office(PALM BEACH, Fla.) -- A Florida man was arrested after driving a car into a group of protesters at a Tesla dealership on Saturday, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.The suspect, 44-year-old Andrew Dutil, "drove his vehicle, jumping the curb onto the sidewalk at a slow rate of speed into a crowd of protestors," police said in a statement.Police received "numerous calls" regarding a black Nissan SUV driving "up on a curb in front of the Tesla dealerships almost striking multiple pedestrians," according to police.The protesters moved out of the way to avoid being struck by Dutil's vehicle, police said.When police arrived on the scene, Dutil's car was parked on the curb in front of the ... Read More
Judge keeps block on Trump gang deportations, says they face ‘torture, beatings’ in El Salvador
ftwitty/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A federal appeals court is hearing arguments Monday over the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act last week to deport more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador with no due process.The hearing comes hours after a federal judge ruled that the migrants deserved to have a court hearing before their deportations to determine whether they belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang.In a ruling denying the Trump administration's request to dissolve his order blocking the deportations, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that Trump's "unprecedented use" of the Alien Enemies Act does not remove the government's responsibility to ensure the men removed could contest their designation as alleged gang members.Trump ... Read More
3 wildfires prompt evacuations in North Carolina’s Polk County
Allison Joyce/Getty Images(POLK COUNTY, N.C.) -- Evacuation orders were issued Sunday for parts of Polk County, North Carolina, where three large wildfires have burned more than 3,000 acres combined and two of the blazes remain out of control, according to authorities.The three separate fires -- the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and the Fish Hook Fire -- were all burning about 30 miles southeast of Ashville, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.The fire ignited last week but grew rapidly over the weekend, fueled by low humidity and dry vegetation, officials said. The fires are burning in an area where Hurricane Helene swept through in September, leaving behind numerous downed trees, which are also helping to fuel the fires, ... Read More
One dead, three still missing after boat capsizes on Florida river
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images/STOCK(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) -- One person is dead and three others are still missing after a boat capsized on St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida.The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department responded to a reported capsized vessel with multiple people in the water at 8 p.m. on Friday.Four people were pulled from the water upon arrival of first responders and four more were unaccounted for.Multiple agencies' boats, search teams, helicopters and a drone unit continued search efforts for the missing people. One of the four missing people was found dead.The search for the remaining three missing people continued through the night and into the morning.The boat, which had flipped over, has been recovered and towed, officials said.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. ... Read More
Three dead, 15 injured in shooting at park in New Mexico
Las Cruces Police Department(LAS CRUCES, N.M.) -- Three people were killed and 15 were injured in a shooting at a park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Friday night, according to police.The deceased are two 19-year-old men and one 16-year-old boy. The injured range in age from 16 years to 36 years, according to a police statement to ABC News on Saturday.Police were dispatched to the shooting shortly after 10 p.m. Friday at Young Park, the Las Cruces Police Department said."Officers arrived and learned of multiple gunshot victims. Most were transported to local hospitals. Some were taken to University Medical Center of El Paso," police said.The names of the dead and injured will not be released at this time, the ... Read More
Columbia University cedes to Trump administration demands after threat to withhold funds
Spencer Platt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Columbia University appears to have ceded to the Trump administration's demands after a threat to withhold $400 million in federal funds.The school posted a four-page memo entitled "Advancing Our Work to Combat Discrimination, Harassment, and Antisemitism at Columbia." Columbia's response is being closely watched by other schools that became flashpoints for pro-Palestinian protests last year.The Trump administration canceled $400 million worth of grants and contracts to Columbia University, accusing the university of "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students." The administration sent a letter last week, listing out nine demands Columbia must comply with by Thursday "as a precondition for formal negotiations" regarding federal funding.Columbia agreed to ban masks, one of ... Read More
Cornell student who challenged Trump EOs targeting pro-Palestinian protesters now faces deportation
Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A Cornell University graduate student filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at going after universities and "foreign national" protesters, then he was asked to surrender to ICE.Momodou Taal, a Ph.D. student in Africana Studies at Cornell University, filed the suit on Saturday hoping to prevent the administration from targeting him and others who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests. An attorney for Taal said he had been targeted by some of the same groups that had advocated for Mahmoud Khalil's arrest and that his client feared he could be next.Taal is a citizen of the U.K. and Gambia and is in the United States on a student visa.According to court records, Taal ... Read More
Wildfire warnings continue in parts of the country as strong winds persist
ABC News(NEW YORK) -- Powerful winds and wildfire warnings persist in several states, with some areas still fighting existing flames, as a new cross-country storm emerges in the Pacific Northwest on Friday.Red flag warnings are in place for areas in the Southwest, including New Mexico and north-central Texas, where wind gusts will reach up to 40 mph on Friday paired with a relative humidity down to 10%.Firefighters have continued to battle the Gail Fire in New Mexico, which has burned 238 acres and is 10% contained, officials said on Thursday.The southern half of Missouri and northern half of Arkansas also face red flag warnings on Friday, with wind gusts up to 45 mph and a relative humidity of 20% to 25%.According to ... Read More
NTSB recommends vulnerability assessments on 68 bridges following Key Bridge collapse
n this aerial view, a steel truss from the destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge that was pinning the container ship Dali in place was detached from the ship using a controlled detonation of explosives in the Patapsco River on May 13, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland(WASHINGTON) -- Nearly a year since the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after a container ship struck one of its piers, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the owners of nearly 70 bridges across the United States conduct vulnerability assessments of the risk of collapse from a vessel collision.Such an assessment could have prevented the deadly Key Bridge collapse, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Thursday.If the Maryland Transportation Authority had conducted a vulnerability ... Read More
Woman tries to save dog running into traffic, both hit and killed: Police
Getty/Jon Hicks(DALLAS) -- A woman was hit and killed after attempting to save her dog along a highway in Texas on Wednesday, according to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.At approximately 1 a.m. Thursday, deputies responded to an incident involving a "pedestrian along southbound I-35 at Royal Lane," the sheriff's office said in a traffic alert.Officials said a woman was walking her dog along the highway, when the canine ran "into the lanes of traffic," police said.The woman ran into the incoming cars to try and save her dog, but "both were hit and killed," police said.The vehicle that was involved in the accident stopped and "is cooperating in this investigation," police said.The woman was later identified as 35-year-old Melanie Rachelle Dunahue, according ... Read More
Trump administration extends deadline for NYC to end congestion pricing
Alex Kent/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The Trump administration has extended the deadline it gave New York City to end its congestion pricing program, the first of its kind in the nation, as New York officials vowed to keep the tolls on.The Federal Highway Administration initially instructed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to stop collecting tolls by this Friday to allow for an "orderly cessation."A day before that deadline, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on social media that the Department of Transportation is granting New York a "30-day extension as discussions continue.""Know that the billions of dollars the federal government sends to New York are not a blank check. Continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly," he said Thursday.Duffy also warned New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ... Read More
Elementary school student brought handgun, ammunition to school: Sheriff
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images(POWNAL, Vt.) -- Police in Vermont are investigating after an elementary school student brought a firearm and dozens of rounds of ammunition to school, authorities said.A student at Pownal Elementary in Pownal brought an unloaded 9 mm handgun and 67 rounds of ammunition to school on Wednesday, according to the Bennington County Sheriff's Department.The student "sent a message about it on social media," and other students who saw the message reported it to their teachers "immediately," the sheriff's department said. The student was safely removed from the classroom and the firearm and ammunition taken from his backpack, the department said."Their quick thinking helped stop a bad situation before anyone got hurt," Sheriff James Gulley said in ... Read More
Tesla arson defendants to face ‘full force of law,’ AG Bondi says
Ethan Miller/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Tesla arson defendants will face the "full force of the law" for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to set fire to the electric vehicles and charging stations, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Thursday."The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said in a statement. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."Bondi is referring to the three people charged for their alleged involvement in recent attacks against Tesla properties in Salem, Oregon; Loveland, Colorado; and Charleston, South Carolina.Recent attacks aimed at Tesla have also been reported in Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas and ... Read More
AP sues three Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech
(AP) — The Associated Press sued three Trump administration officials Friday over access to presidential events, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop the 10-day blocking of its journalists. The lawsuit was filed Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The AP says its case is about an unconstitutional effort by the White House to control speech — in this case refusing to change its style from the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” as President Donald Trump did last month with an executive order. “The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the AP ... 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
