National Headlines
CEO killing suspect Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty in Manhattan court to state murder charges
XNY/Star Max/GC Images(NEW YORK) -- Luigi Mangione on Monday pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.The 26-year-old Mangione entered the Manhattan courtroom in shackles and under heavy guard. He was dressed in civilian clothes, wearing a maroon sweater over a light-colored shirt.He pleaded not guilty to 11 charges, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. Judge Gregory Carro presided over the arraignment.A Manhattan grand jury upgraded charges against Mangione last week to include first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism.He is also charged in New York with two counts of second-degree murder, one of which is charged as killing as an act of terrorism; two counts of criminal possession of a weapon ... Read More
Biden commutes sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates
ABC/Al Drago(WASHINGTON) -- President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death row, the White House said Monday.The move reduces the sentence for all but three of the 40 inmates on federal death row. Biden said that the commutations are "consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions," with the exception of terrorism and hate-motivated mass killings.The three people on the federal execution list who were not on Biden's commutation list are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing; Robert Bowers, who was convicted of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue antisemitic attack; and Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in a racially motivated shooting in South Carolina.According ... Read More
Biden commutes sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates
President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death row, the White House said Monday. The move reduces the sentence for all but three of the 40 inmates on federal death row. Biden said that the commutations are "consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions," with the exception of terrorism and hate-motivated mass killings. The three people on the federal execution list who were not on Biden's commutation list are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing; Robert Bowers, who was convicted of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue antisemitic attack; and Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in a racially motivated shooting in ... Read More
5 hurt, driver dead after fleeing suspect drives truck into Texas mall: Authorities
kali9/Getty Images(KILLEEN, Texas) -- Five people were hurt after a man fleeing troopers drove a truck "several hundred yards" through the entrance of a mall on Saturday in Killeen, Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.Four people were injured as the driver was "actively running people over" and a fifth later went to the hospital on their own, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bryan Washko said during a news conference Saturday evening.The man driving the truck was fatally shot after multiple law enforcement officers fired their weapons, including three who were off-duty, Washko said.The victims' ages ranged from 6 to 75, Washko said.The suspect has not yet been identified.The incident began unfolding about 5 p.m. local time when ... Read More
Mega Millions jackpot surges to $862 million
youngvet/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The Mega Millions jackpot surged to $944 million on Saturday after no ticket matched the numbers drawn on Friday, the lottery said.The winning numbers on Friday were 2, 20, 51, 56, 57 and gold Mega Ball 19.The next drawing will be on Tuesday, Dec. 24.The jackpot prize has a cash value of $429 million, which can be offered as a one-time lump sum payment, or an immediate payment followed by annual payments.The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won at $810 million in Texas on Sept. 10.The total of $862 million is the seventh-largest prize in Mega Millions history. The largest Mega Millions prize ever won was $1.6 billion on August 2023.The odds of ... 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
College student allegedly plotted ‘mass casualty attack’ targeting Jews
Alexandria Sheriff's Office(VIRGINIA) -- A Virginia college student is accused of plotting a "mass casualty attack" on the Consulate General of Israel in New York, according to court records.The FBI arrested Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, 18, a student at George Mason University, this week in connection with the alleged plot targeting Jews, court records show.The case began in May, when the Fairfax County Police Department informed the agency of an anonymous tip reporting an X account that engaged in "radical and terrorist-leaning behavior," according to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant filed against Hassan in U.S. District Court in Virginia.The account, which the FBI says it linked to Hassan, made posts in support of ... Read More
Kangaroo remains on the loose in Texas after jumping fence
VCG/VCG via Getty Images(BELLVILLE, Texas) -- A family in Austin County, Texas, is anxiously waiting for the return of their 3-year-old kangaroo after the marsupial pushed a gate open and hopped a fence.The 5-foot-tall kangaroo, named Rowdy, was last seen early Wednesday morning on Pyka Road near Interstate 10 in Austin County, according to the kangaroo's owner.Local radio DJ Dana Tyson said she saw the kangaroo while heading to work, she told Houston ABC News affiliate KTRK."Never in my wildest dreams did I think a kangaroo would jump in front of my car," Tyson told KTRK.Tyson recorded the kangaroo on camera and said she later found out a nearby resident, Marsha Matus, was missing one.Matus said she is anxious for ... Read More
Iranian officer charged with orchestrating murder of US citizen in Iraq
Marilyn Nieves/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A captain in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps faces federal murder and terrorism charges in New York, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday that charges Mohammad Reza Nouri with orchestrating the murder of an American citizen to avenge the drone strike killing of a top Iranian general.Stephen Troell, a 45-year-old American living in Baghdad, was killed in front of his wife in November 2022 after federal prosecutors said Nouri gathered intelligence on Troell's daily routine, procured weapons and housed the operatives who carried out the murder."We allege that Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of Stephen Troell, an American citizen living in Iraq, carrying out the Iranian Regime's ... Read More
Chicago’s O’Hare airport issues ground stop amid snow, as storm moves east
ABC News(CHICAGO) -- Chicago's O'Hare International Airport issued a ground stop on Friday, pausing departures amid snowy and icy conditions as airports around the country grappled with inclement weather.The stop came as the clipper system that brought heavy snow and airport delays to the Upper Midwest on Thursday is moving on Friday morning through the Illinois city.As of 11:30 p.m. ET on Friday, 9,376 flights were delayed nationwide. The day ended with 523 cancellations.Southwest Airlines lead the cancellations with 113 flights, or 2% of its scheduled flights. Ground stops and delays are expected to continue at airports in impacted areas throughout the night.The most impacted airports were San Diego International with 157 cancellations and Boston Logan International with 154 cancellations.Up ... Read More
Starbucks workers union announces pre-Christmas strike in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle
Bo Zaunders/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- The workers union representing Starbucks baristas across the country announced members in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle will go on strike in the days leading up to Christmas.Workers United, which has unionized more than 525 U.S. Starbucks locations, said in a press release Thursday that unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations with the company are the catalyst behind the holiday season strike.The union says five days of escalating strikes will begin Friday and continue until Dec. 24 in "three of the company's priority markets" during what it called the company's busiest days of the year.During the strike period, the walkouts "are expected to spread each day and ultimately reach hundreds of stores from coast to ... Read More
Delphi murders: Convicted killer Richard Allen sentenced to 130 years
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images(Delphi, Ind.) -- Convicted Delphi, Indiana, killer Richard Allen was sentenced on Friday to 130 years in prison for the 2017 murders of two teenage girls as the victims' families spoke out in court.Allen was given 65 years for each murder, to run consecutively.Allen, wearing an orange jumpsuit, a gray sweatshirt and ankle chains, looked over at the courtroom seats reserved for his family, which sat empty. None of his relatives attended the sentencing.Allen showed no reaction to his sentence.Last month, a jury found Allen guilty on all charges in the double homicide: felony murder for the killing of 13-year-old Abigail "Abby" Williams while attempting to commit kidnapping; felony murder for the killing of 14-year-old Liberty "Libby" German while attempting ... Read More
Raw oysters linked to norovirus outbreak leaves at least 80 sickened in Los Angeles
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images/STOCK(LOS ANGELES) -- An event celebrating the top restaurants in Los Angeles left at least 80 people sickened with norovirus due to an outbreak linked to raw oysters, LA County's Department of Public Health confirmed to ABC News.The outbreak stemmed from an event at the Hollywood Palladium celebrating the Los Angeles Times' list of the 101 best restaurants on Dec. 3, according to the agency.Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea and is commonly referred to as the "stomach flu" or the "stomach bug," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Other symptoms may include stomach pain, fever, headache, body aches, ... Read More
ICE removed largest number of people in US illegally since 2014: report
Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- U.S. immigration authorities in 2024 removed the largest number of people in the country illegally in a decade, according to a new report.In fiscal year 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed 271,484 noncitizens -- the highest number since 2014, according to the agency's year-end report, released Thursday.According to the report, of those removed from the country:88,763 had charges or convictions for criminal activity;3,706 were known or suspected gang members;237 were known or suspected terrorists; and eight were human rights violatorsThe deportation numbers showed a 90% increase from the past two fiscal years, according to ICE data.The 2024 fiscal year ended Sept. 30.The numbers come as President-elect Donald Trump and his allies have been ... Read More
FBI says man was plotting attack with Madison school shooting suspect
Scott Olson/Getty Images(CARISBAD, Calif.) -- A judge granted a gun violence protective order against a Carlsbad, California, man who authorities allege was communicating with the Abundant Life Christian School shooting suspect.Carlsbad police filed the application for a gun violence emergency protective order against Alexander Charles Paffendorf in San Diego County Superior Court on Tuesday. FBI agents "stopped and detained" him after they allege "he was discovered plotting a mass shooting" with Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow, the suspected school shooter in Madison, Wisconsin, according to court records obtained by ABC News.Paffendorf allegedly admitted to authorities "that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building," a Carlsbad police officer wrote on ... Read More
Judge in Uvalde criminal case denies motion to dismiss charges, sets tentative trial date
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images, FILEA judge has denied a motion to dismiss charges in the Uvalde, Texas, criminal case stemming from the 2022 mass shooting and has set a tentative trial date.Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at Robb Elementary School on the day of the shooting, and former school officer Adrian Gonzales appeared in court for a joint pretrial hearing on Thursday.Arredondo faces 10 counts of child endangerment and abandonment on behalf of the injured and surviving children in classroom 112. Gonzales faces 29 counts: 10 counts for each surviving child and 19 for each deceased child. Arredondo and Gonzales have both pleaded not guilty.Their charges stem from the May 24, 2022, ... Read More
FAA temporarily bans drones in parts of New Jersey, notice threatens ‘deadly force’ for ‘imminent security threat’
Obtained by ABC News(NEW YORK) -- The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ban on drone operations in dozens of areas of New Jersey and New York until mid-January, unless operators are granted special permission from the government due to "special security reasons."Uncrewed aerial drones have been lighting up the sky at night in New Jersey and nearby states for weeks, since about mid-November, leading to concern from residents and speculation online. Some had demanded answers from local and state officials for answers."At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure," the FAA said in a statement Thursday.The temporary flight restrictions in New Jersey, which are set to last ... 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
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