Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedy’s limousine after the president was shot, then was forced to retire early because he remained haunted by memories of the assassination, has died. He was 93.
Hill died Friday at his home in Belvedere, California, according to his publisher, Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. A cause of death was not given.
Although few may recognize his name, the footage of Hill, captured on Abraham Zapruder’s chilling home movie of the assassination, provided some of the most indelible images of Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
Hill received Secret Service awards and was promoted for his actions that day, but for decades blamed himself for Kennedy’s death, saying he didn’t react quickly enough and would gladly have given his life to save the president.
“If I had reacted just a little bit quicker. And I could have, I guess,” a weeping Hill told Mike Wallace on CBS’ 60 Minutes in 1975, shortly after he retired at age 43 at the urging of his doctors. “And I’ll live with that to my grave.”
It was only in recent years that Hill said he was able to finally start putting the assassination behind him and accept what happened.
On the day of the assassination, Hill was assigned to protect first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and was riding on the left running board of the follow-up car directly behind the presidential limousine as it made its way through Dealey Plaza.
Hill told the Warren Commission that he reacted after hearing a shot and seeing the president slump in his seat. The president was struck by a fatal headshot before Hill was able to make it to the limousine.
Zapruder’s film captured Hill as he leaped from the Secret Service car, grabbed a handle on the limousine’s trunk and pulled himself onto it as the driver accelerated. He forced Mrs. Kennedy, who had crawled onto the trunk, back into her seat as the limousine sped off.
Hill later became the agent in charge of the White House protective detail and eventually an assistant director of the Secret Service, retiring because of what he characterized as deep depression and recurring memories of the assassination.
The 1993 Clint Eastwood thriller “In the Line of Fire,” about a former Secret Service agent scarred by the JFK assassination, was inspired in part by Hill.
Hill was born in 1932 and grew up in Washburn, North Dakota. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, served in the Army and worked as a railroad agent before joining the Secret Service in 1958. He worked in the agency’s Denver office for about a year, before joining the elite group of agents assigned to protect the president and first family.
Since his retirement, Hill has spoken publicly about the assassination only a handful of times, but the most poignant was his 1975 interview with Wallace, during which Hill broke down several times.
“If I had reacted about five-tenths of a second faster, maybe a second faster, I wouldn’t be here today,” Hill said.
“You mean you would have gotten there and you would have taken the shot?” Wallace asked.
“The third shot, yes, sir,” Hill said.
“And that would have been all right with you?”
“That would have been fine with me,” Hill responded.
In his 2005 memoir, “Between You and Me,” Wallace recalled his interview with Hill as one of the most moving of his career.
In 2006, Wallace and Hill reunited on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” where Hill credited that first 60 Minutes interview with helping him finally start the healing process.
“I have to thank Mike for asking me to do that interview and then thank him more because he’s what caused me to finally come to terms with things and bring the emotions out where they surfaced,” he said. “It was because of his questions and the things he asked that I started to recover.”
Decades after the assassination, Hill co-authored several books — including “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” and “Five Presidents” — about his Secret Service years with Lisa McCubbin Hill, whom he married in 2021.
“We had that once-in-a-lifetime love that everyone hopes for,” McCubbin Hill said in a statement. “We were soulmates.”
Clint Hill also became a speaker and gave interviews about his experience in Dallas. In 2018, he was given the state of North Dakota’s highest civilian honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award. A portrait of Hill adorns a Capitol gallery of fellow honorees.
A private funeral service will be held in Washington, D.C., at a future date.
The Texas Lottery Commission’s executive director said Monday he would move to ban couriers from buying lottery tickets after finding that state law bars the practice, an about-face from the agency’s yearslong claim it had no control over such third-party sales.
Since 2016, the commission has maintained to retailers and lawmakers it lacked authority to regulate couriers, which allow customers to buy lottery tickets remotely. But in a policy statement on Monday, the agency said it now views the practice as illegal and will revoke the lottery license of any stores that sell tickets to a courier. The shift comes just days after one of the state lottery commissioners resigned and as legislators, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, are publicly expressing their desire to prohibit couriers.
Executive Director Ryan Mindell said in a statement the commission’s new crackdown comes after a review of state law and information from “retailer investigations.” He said he would formally propose the new rule at the agency’s March 4 board meeting.
“Lottery courier services operating in Texas have been a significant concern for many of our stakeholders,” Mindell said in the Monday statement. “Since I became executive director less than a year ago, I have been keenly focused on making changes to improve the public’s perception of Texas Lottery games and how they are played and operated.”
Criticism of the lottery commission has not slowed in light of the new guidance, including from Patrick, who personally investigated the $83.5 million jackpot won earlier this month through a ticket sold by a courier. Patrick, who oversees the Texas Senate, said the new changes would not end his office’s investigation or the upper chamber’s pursuit of a law banning couriers outright. He also blasted Mindell’s statement, saying he had “never read so much garbage from a state agency press release in my 18 years in office” while framing it as too little, too late.
“Today’s action is an obvious admission that the Texas Lottery Commission had the oversight authority all along and allowed these businesses to creep into Texas and undermine the integrity of the Texas Lottery,” Patrick said in a Monday post on X about the commission’s new guidelines.
Gov. Greg Abbott joined the fray hours later, announcing Monday afternoon he had directed the Texas Rangers — a division of the state’s Department of Public Safety — to investigate the recent jackpot win. Abbott also told authorities to look into a prior $95 million jackpot won in Colleyville in April 2023 by a foreign group that spent millions to make bulk ticket purchases in a way that all but guaranteed a win. Officials have yet to identify the individuals who won the $95 million jackpot.
State law requires lottery tickets to be bought in person, but couriers circumvent this process by having customers pay them to buy and send a picture of the tickets, creating a remote option for play. Couriers cannot be directly licensed to sell tickets, but most are also partnered with brick-and-mortar stores that are licensed, and in some cases are owned by the same entities and operate in the same building.
The commission’s guidance outlined 13 different provisions of state law they believe couriers circumvent, including bans on sales to minors and lottery officials as well as restrictions on influencing a drawing’s outcome. The commission also requested an opinion from the Attorney General’s office on Feb. 14 to determine their level of authority over couriers. It said official rules banning the use of couriers would be adopted by April.
Mindell, the executive director, told lawmakers in a House budget hearing Monday that he moved to ban couriers based on feedback from Senate lawmakers at another recent budget hearing, along with findings from the agency’s own investigations.
“We received that direction from the Legislature. We also had information — credible information — from our investigations, that said we need to take action now,” Mindell said. “And so, that’s why I issued that policy statement.” He added that he is taking the rule to the lottery commission board “to say that we need to make sure that we can stop this activity.”
Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, questioned Mindell’s framing, telling him the Lottery Commission should not be making policy decisions based on comments from select lawmakers at committee hearings. The Legislature “speaks when we pass and enact statutes and statutory language,” Harrison said.
“That’s what governs the commission, what’s been governing you for a long time,” he continued. “To put the question just super simply, you have the exact same authority this morning that you had when the commission, more or less from its inception. Why did you not take these regulatory actions a long time ago?”
The exchange came shortly before a Senate committee took up the chamber’s proposal to ban couriers, Senate Bill 28, which is co-authored by a majority of the chamber.
Rep. John Bucy III, D-Austin, also filed a bill Friday in the House which would create a state licensing system for couriers. While 18 states have laws regulating couriers, only three have courier licensing programs. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers, who represent the three largest couriers in Texas, said they would work with Bucy and others to find ways to responsibly implement the practice. Couriers contribute over $173 million in lottery ticket sales, according to a Legislative Budget Board estimate.
“Issues such as facilitating bulk purchases, the international distribution of Texas Lottery games or underage orders cannot be tolerated,” the coalition said in a statement Monday. “The public’s trust and confidence in courier operations and the Texas Lottery must be honored, and we look forward to working with Rep. Bucy to advance this bill.”
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This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
MT. PLEASANT — According to our news partner KETK, the recently sworn in U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made a stop in East Texas Monday to hear from local farmers.
Controlling the virus outbreak that began in 2022 is a top priority for Rollins’ department. Bird flu is widespread amongst wild birds and has caused outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows. Recently, the virus has spread to humans. Rollins, however, is focused on the economic impact the virus continues to have in egg prices. As of date, the federal government has spent about $2 billion in response to the bird flu. Yet, the average cost of a dozen eggs in the nation is $8.03, more than $3 since early January.
How would you like to have a karaoke machine on your smartphone? Download David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Smule. You can find Smule in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
TYLER — Bishop Gregory Kelly was installed on Monday as the Bishop of Diocese of Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, Kelly was appointed as Bishop of Tyler on Dec. 20, 2024, by Pope Francis. Kelly will be the fifth bishop to ever be appointed to lead the Tyler Diocese since it was founded in 1986 by Pope St. John Paul II. Kelly’s appointment comes after Bishop Joseph Strickland was removed as Bishop of Tyler in November of 2023, following a months-long investigation by the Vatican.
(WASHINGTON) -- Dan Bongino, the former Secret Service agent turned Fox News host and conservative podcast personality, will be the next deputy director of the FBI -- a choice that is drawing criticism from Democrats as another one of President Donald Trump's allies moves into a leadership position.
Trump named Dan Bongino, a 2020 election denier, as deputy FBI director on Sunday to serve under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel. Bongino, who left Fox News in 2023, hosts the popular right-wing and pro-Trump podcast called "The Dan Bongino Show," which ranks among Apple's top 10 news podcasts.
On Monday morning, a very emotional Bongino told his show's listeners that he was sitting at home watching TV when Trump called him to let him know he was going to appoint him as the deputy director of the FBI. Bongino told listeners that he wanted the deputy FBI director job.
"I got a call from the president, and he couldn't have been nicer, and obviously, keep the contents of it between us, but I think you get the gist about what it was about and I kind of broke down a bit," he said. "This is now real."
Typically, the position of FBI's deputy director is held by a career agent -- something Bongino is not. The FBI's deputy director is responsible for the day-to-day operations and running the agency. The position does not require Senate confirmation.
Democrats have expressed outrage at the pick of Bongino as a leader in the agency, concerned that Trump could use his allies leading the agency to go after his adversaries.
"Trump installs another loyalist who won't say no to any immoral or unethical act," Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff wrote of Bongino on X, adding that his appointment degrades law enforcement agencies and public safety.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy wrote on X that "Trump has chosen grifters to lead the FBI."
"Kash Patel sells 'K$SH' branded merch, vaccine reversal pills. Dan Bongino's entire show is telling listeners the world is ending so they buy the dozens of survivalist products he sells," Murphy wrote on X.
Bongino defended his appointment and said the job as the FBI's deputy director is "unquestionably nonpartisan."
"I'm going to ask you a simple question, have you seen what I did before I came here," Bongino said on his podcast. "I'm committed to service. People play different roles in their lives: People are dads, people are soccer coaches. People are cops and military officers and military-enlisted people. People are carpenters, people are plumbers. We play different roles in our life, and each one requires a different skill set."
Bongino joins an agency -- like many others -- undergoing changes under the Trump administration. In a message to the FBI workforce last week, Patel announced his intention to "reduce the footprint" of the FBI in "the National Capital Region," including by "reallocating personnel to the field offices and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville [Alabama]." One source told ABC News this could include as many as 1,500 agents and others from Washington being relocated.
The FBI, Bongino said, belongs to the American people and will work to restore trust in the agency. Bongino has said the FBI is "lost, broken" and "irredeemably corrupt," when talking about the raid on Trump's Palm Beach home in 2022.
"Every single DNA cell in my body is going to be dedicated towards keeping this homeland safe, no matter what, no matter what, that's my job," he said. "We're going to reestablish faith in this institution, the good people that are doing their job, hitting the streets, developing sources. We'll have your back. We are going to reestablish faith in this institution."
The son of a plumber and a supermarket employee, Bongino grew up in Queens, New York, and started his career as a New York Police Department officer in the 1990s.
Bongino said in his 2013 book, "Life Inside the Bubble," that joining law enforcement was a "dream of his" and he dedicated himself to his beat.
After leaving the NYPD, Bongino joined the Secret Service where he rose to the ranks and joined former President Barack Obama's protection detail.
He said he was compelled to run for Congress in Maryland in 2014 after leaving the service because of "the fog of scandals in the Obama administration," he told ABC News in 2013.
Bongino claimed that he overheard a series of secret negotiations around the Affordable Care Act during Obama's first term, which drove him to leave the service and enter politics.
That campaign was unsuccessful, but it allowed Bongino to develop a platform to speak on conservative issues.
Bongino has been an outspoken supporter of Trump, and told Fox News in 2017 that the Trump-Russia collusion investigation into the 2016 presidential campaign was a "total scam."
He also questioned the results of the 2020 election and claimed there were "anomalies" with the voting totals. Despite the numerous false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, there has been no evidence to back them up.
After Trump was shot during the 2024 campaign, Bongino was critical of the agency he now helps lead.
"They absolutely, resolutely, 100% failed," he said of the Secret Service on Fox News in July. He also called for the firing of then-Deputy Director Ron Rowe in addition to the then-Director Christopher Wray.
(NEW YORK) -- Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is due back in court Tuesday when his attorney will attempt to convince a judge to invalidate certain DNA evidence that's never been used in New York state courts.
Heuermann, who was arrested in July 2023, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of seven women whose remains were found discarded on Long Island between 1993 and 2011.
His attorneys have urged the judge to preclude evidence pertaining to nuclear DNA results obtained from hairs recovered from six victims: Maureen Brainard Barnes, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack.
The DNA match resulted from a technique known as whole genome sequencing, which hasn't been subject to an admissibility hearing in any New York court.
Prosecutors consented to Tuesday's hearing but have argued the defense motion to dismiss the evidence should be denied because the technique is "generally accepted in the scientific community” and is based on technology “relied upon in a wide variety of scientific and forensic settings."
Defense attorney Michael Brown has said the California lab where the DNA testing was done is a for-profit business that is not accredited in New York.
Prosecutors have expressed confidence the DNA evidence would be admissible.
"For over thirty years, New York State courts have continuously adapted to embrace advancements in DNA technology," assistant district attorney Andrew Lee said. "The advancement of forensic science and nuclear DNA analysis involving Whole Genome Sequencing has allowed law enforcement to now link genetic profiles consistent with the defendant, and/or individuals who have resided with him, to six of the seven victims through hairs found at the crime scene and/or on the victims. The People intend to introduce such evidence of defendant’s guilt at trial, which will aid the jury in its determination."
In addition to DNA, prosecutors are also relying on evidence recovered on some of the 350 electronic devices seized from Heuermann that they’ve said include his "significant collection of violent, bondage and torture pornography" dating back to at least 1994. This online collection included images of mutilation and tying up women with ropes, two things prosecutors said are consistent with injuries inflicted on Mack and how she was bound.
Photo by Chris Melzer/picture alliance via Getty Images
(CENTENNIAL, Colo.) -- Colorado pet store suffered its second robbery this month on Friday as thieves faked a medical emergency in order to steal two puppies, according to the owner of the store.
Perfect Pets, located in Centennial, Colorado, has been the target of multiple puppy thefts, with the latest occurring on Friday at approximately 2 p.m., said owner Jens Larsen.
Larsen told ABC News three gentlemen walked into the store, looking "sketchy," and one of them appeared to be on drugs and "talking belligerent to employees."
The man suddenly fell to the ground, with other customers and store employees quickly rushing to his side, shown in video surveillance footage.
Larsen said it "looked like he was having a seizure" and an employee began to call 911.
As the other people crowded around the man, Larsen said another man walked toward the back of the store, opened a case of puppies and grabbed two male English bulldogs.
An employee spotted the thief with the two puppies and workers tried to block him from leaving, even tackling his leg before one worker was kicked in the face, Larsen said.
The criminal tripped and fell to the ground, dropping the puppies, but he was able to scoop them up and run away, Larsen told ABC News.
Multiple people chased after him, but were unsuccessful in catching the culprit, Larsen said. The suspect was able to escape in a gold Cadillac Escalade, Larsen said.
"The guy doesn't care," Larsen said. "He's not stealing merchandise, he is stealing living animals and doesn't seem to really care for their well-being."
A suspect has been arrested for the theft, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told ABC News. More details were expected to be released on the theft Monday, law enforcement said.
In the previous theft, Larsen said a woman stole a puppy from the store and hid the pet in a baby stroller on Feb. 12. Another woman then grabbed a puppy and ran out the door moments later. The individuals, who were caught on security camera footage, have still not been caught, Larsen said.
Resale opportunities for the dogs appears to be the motive for these incidents, Larsen said.
Bulldogs, especially French bulldogs, are a common targets for thieves. French bulldog puppies can go for anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000, Tom Sharp, the CEO of American Kennel Club Reunite, told "Nightline" last year.
Larsen said Perfect Pets is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of each dog.
We have our first look at Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man.
The actor has shared a first-look image of himself in costume as He-Man in the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe film, which will be directed by Travis Knight. The film will be based on Mattel's franchise of the same name.
Galitzine shared a photo of himself in costume holding the Sword of Power on Monday. He also confirmed that production has started on the film.
"After several months of intense training, I’m thrilled to share that we’re officially in production on #MastersOfTheUniverse," Galitzine wrote. "Our director Travis Knight has assembled the most incredible ensemble cast and created a stunning tapestry of Eternia and its surrounding world. I can’t wait for you to see. More to come, but until then, here’s a sneak peek at the Sword of Power. By the power of Grayskull!"
Camila Mendes, who plays Teela in the film, shared the post to her Instagram Story.
"and so it begins...," Mendes wrote.
Galitzine joined the project in May 2024. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 6, 2026.
The film's cast is rounded out by Morena Baccarin, James Purefoy, Alison Brie, Charlotte Riley, Jóhannes HaukurJóhannesson, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Sam C. Wilson, Hafthor Bjornsson, Kojo Attah, Sasheer Zamata, Jon Xue Zhang and Christian Vunipola.
GUN BARREL CITY — Our news partner, KETK, reports that a man was arrested after a woman was shot in Gun Barrel City Sunday afternoon.
According to Gun Barrel City Police Department, around 4:08 p.m. officers responded to 346 Flagship Lane regarding the shooting of Mackenzie Wisdom, 22 of Gun Barrel City. Wisdom was then transported to a local hospital where she died due to her gunshot wound. Officials said officers determined this was an isolated incident and arrested John David Bunch-Stiles, 23 of Gun Barrel City, for state jail felony criminally negligent homicide.
“The Gun Barrel City Police Department would like to extend our condolences to the Wisdom family,” the department said.
Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead the list of performers announced for the 2025 Oscars.
Other artists taking to the stage at the 97th Academy Awards include Doja Cat, LISA of BLACKPINK, Queen Latifah and RAYE, showrunner and executive producer Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan announced Monday.
A press release sharing the news teased that viewers can expect "showstopping performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends" from the talent.
The ceremony, hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien, will also feature a special performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Additional talent will be announced in the days leading up to the ceremony.
In a letter sent to academy members on Jan. 22, it was revealed that the 2025 Oscars would forgo the usual live performances of the best original song nominees.
Instead, the academy said the presentation will be focused on the songwriters and "celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life" to "uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year's nominees."
At the time, the academy also promised "powerful musical moments that connect film's rich history to its bold and inspiring future."
The 2025 Oscars will take place Sunday, March 2, airing live on ABC and streaming live on Hulu beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
(WASHINGTON) -- Pete Marocco, the Trump administration official tasked with the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at a private "listening session" held at the State Department earlier this month with dozens of aid groups -- some on the brink of financial collapse -- opened the proceedings by making one request: that everyone stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Inside the Loy Henderson Conference Room, representatives from aid organizations, industry groups, and foreign embassies -- reeling from the administration's sweeping freeze on foreign aid and the unraveling of USAID -- dutifully rose to their feet.
The aid groups were there in the hope that Marocco would provide answers on the future of foreign assistance. After the Pledge, Marocco outlined the Trump administration's foreign aid plans, defending what he called a "total zero-based review," and arguing that some areas of foreign aid required "radical change" before taking questions from those in attendance, according to an audio recording of the private meeting obtained by ABC News.
'Nefarious actors in the agencies'
Multiple sources who attended the Feb. 13 meeting described the mood in the room as "deeply uncomfortable," saying that some of the attendees who were representing groups teetering on bankruptcy were left "traumatized" by the tone and the lack of specific details.
During the discussion, a representative for World Vision, a global Christian humanitarian organization, asked Marocco about the impact of the freeze, noting that aid groups like his had been forced to bankroll U.S. government-funded programs with private money while awaiting overdue payments to be unpaused.
"Will the spigot open? We've gotten waivers, but the PMS system isn't operating, so we're bankrolling U.S. government-funded programs out of private money," said Edward Brown, the vice president of World Vision, which provides poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and child welfare in nearly 100 countries.
Marocco responded that following President Donald Trump's executive order halting foreign aid, some transactions were still being processed, prompting his team to "seize control" of the payment system to stop them -- leaving some groups without payments that, weeks later, had still had not arrived.
"As far as payment, one of the reasons that there have been problems with some of the payments is because, despite the president's executive order, despite the secretary's guidance, we still had nefarious actors in the agencies that were trying to push out hundreds of illegal payments," Marocco said. "And so we were able to seize control of that, stop them, take control of some of those people, and make sure that that money was not getting out the door."
Marocco suggested that payments for organizations with existing contracts would resume the following Tuesday.
"I feel confident we're going to have that pretty good by Tuesday of next week," he said. "That does not mean everybody's going to be caught up on everything that they want. But I think that our payment system will probably be fluid at that point."
But Tuesday came and went, and many groups say they were still on the edge of bankruptcy -- prompting some to escalate their legal battle against the administration.
On Monday, several USAID officials told ABC News that the payment system Marocco said would be fully restored was now technically operational, but that funding was still moving at an extremely slow pace and that many of the programs that were granted waivers to continue operations had still not received any money.
USAID officials said the lack of funding has rendered many of the exempted programs inoperative. Some have resorted to using stockpiled resources, but because these programs have been cut off from federal support for weeks, most report that they have few funds left and don't anticipate they will be able to function for much longer, according to the officials.
On Friday, after a federal judge cleared the way for the administration to proceed with its plan to pull thousands of USAID staffers off the job in the U.S. and around the world, the Trump administration moved forward with its effort to dismantle USAID, telling all but a fraction of staffers worldwide that they were on leave as of Monday.
In a court-ordered affidavit filed last Tuesday, Marocco wrote that the agency "has authorized at least 21 payments" for grants, loans, and other foreign aid executed before Trump's inauguration "that are in total worth more than $250 million and are expected to be paid this week."
As of Monday, it was not clear whether those payments had been made.
When reached for comment, World Vision would not confirm to ABC News if payments had resumed, but told ABC News they were "complying with the executive order that pauses U.S. foreign assistance funding -- with potential waivers for emergency food and lifesaving humanitarian assistance -- for the next 90 days, while programs are reviewed for alignment with the current administration's foreign policy."
'What we consider to be legitimate'
In one tense moment during the listening session, a senior Democratic Senate staffer pressed Marocco on whether, once the payments resumed, they would include reimbursements for work incurred before the Jan. 24 freeze.
"When payments resume, will they include work incurred before Jan. 24 in the payments forthcoming on Tuesday?" asked the staffer, who, when reached for comment by ABC News, asked not to be named our of fear of retribution.
Marocco would not guarantee that government-contracted work that occurred before the freeze would be reimbursed, stating that the Trump administration would only cover "legitimate expenses" -- and noting that the administration's definition of a legitimate expense may differ from the groups in the room.
"We will be looking at those," Marocco said. "What we consider to be legitimate may not be the same thing that other people consider to be legitimate, but we're going to."
The staffer attempted to follow up, arguing that if the work had been incurred before the freeze, "it was legitimate at the time, right?"
"We've moved on to the next person," Marocco responded.
In his affidavit filed on Tuesday, Marocco conveyed the scope and status of the government's aid freeze. He wrote that, since Trump signed the executive order for a 90-day freeze, USAID had terminated nearly 500 grants and contracts. He said the agency "has not quantified" the total cost of those programs.
As of Tuesday, the State Department had terminated more than 750 foreign assistance-funded grants and contracts of its own and had suspended nearly 7,000 more, Marocco wrote.
A 'cycle of dependency'
Marocco used the meeting with the organizations to paint a dire picture of U.S. foreign aid, claiming it had "devolved into a fiscal cycle of dependency, of presumption, arrogance, and frankly, folly, that is just astonishing." He dismissed past reform efforts as ineffective, arguing that officials had merely "nibbled around the edges" rather than addressing what he saw as systemic failures.
He insisted the review was necessary to force difficult conversations about "what these programs are actually doing" and whether they should continue at all. And he framed the overhaul as part of President Trump's broader effort to reshape Washington's approach to foreign assistance.
"The American people deserve better. They require better. And President Trump has promised better," he said, criticizing aid decisions made "behind closed doors in Congress, in small groups in Washington, D.C."
Marocco told those gathered that the administration's review extended beyond USAID and would encompass a range of federal agencies, including NASA, the Patent and Trademark Office, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
"If there is a tax dollar that is going out to a foreigner, we need to gain control of that and understand what it is we're trying to achieve with our partners," he said. "We want to identify all of that. We want to fix it. That's the goal."
Marocco made clear that the new foreign aid structure would be tied to Trump's political priorities.
"With the Secretary of State, you will be in line," Marocco said. "The foreign assistance review, you will follow the president's foreign policy objectives. Or you will not be spending money abroad."
He told the aid groups in the room they needed to justify their programs.
"You need to think about convincing someone -- perhaps one of the women who is in my mother's Bible study," he said. "You need to think about somebody who's working at a McDonald's in Mississippi. You need to think about a grad student in Harlem."
The Trump administration has received widespread condemnation from Democrats in Congress over its effort to slash foreign aid programs. "What Trump and Musk have done is not only wrong, it's illegal," Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said earlier this month during a news conference outside USAID headquarters. "USAID was established by an act of Congress, and it can only be disbanded by an act of Congress. Stopping this will require action by the courts and for Republicans to show up and show courage and stand up for our country."
'Catastrophic' harm
The Feb. 13 meeting came as the legal battle over the aid freeze was escalating. Last week, a coalition of aid groups asked a federal judge to intervene, arguing that the freeze violated existing funding agreements and had caused "catastrophic" harm to their humanitarian missions. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali issued a temporary restraining order halting the freeze, but aid organizations said their funding remained locked, leaving them scrambling to keep operations afloat.
Late Tuesday, Trump administration attorneys filed court papers arguing that their interpretation of the judge's order allows the freeze to largely remain in place. The aid groups fired back Wednesday, urging the court to enforce the ruling.
"The court should not brook such brazen defiance of the express terms of its order," they wrote in the filing.
Judge Ali, a Biden-era appointee, wrote Thursday that while Trump administration officials had "not complied" with his order, he would not hold them in contempt of court.
But he warned those officials not to buck what he characterized as his "clear" directive to lift their "blanket freeze" on aid disbursements.
(NEW YORK) -- A U.S. appeals court has upheld the conviction of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who is serving more than 11 years in prison for defrauding investors with false claims about her company's blood-testing technology.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the fraud convictions, sentences and $452 million restitution order for Holmes and her second in command, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, who was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison.
The two had argued the court committed several legal errors and violated their constitutional rights during their separate trials. The three-judge panel for the appeals court rejected their claims, finding that any errors were harmless or that their arguments failed to show any violation.
As part of their appeal, they also challenged the restitution, arguing the figure should not have been based on the investors' total investments. The panel stood by the restitution awarded by the lower court, concluding the "victims’ actual losses were equal to the total amount of their investments."
ABC News has reached out to their attorneys for comment on the appeals court's decision.
Holmes, 41, was found guilty of four counts of investor fraud and conspiracy in January 2022 and sentenced to 135 months, or 11 1/4 years, in prison. She unsuccessfully fought to delay her incarceration.
The verdict followed a four-month trial that detailed Holmes' trajectory from a Stanford University dropout in 2003 to a star business leader on the cover of Fortune magazine a little more than a decade later.
Her downfall began in 2015 amid investigations from journalists and regulators over the medical company's faulty product, which claimed to provide accurate information from tests using just a few drops of blood.
Balwani, 59, the former romantic partner of Holmes and president of the now-defunct blood testing company, was convicted of fraud and conspiracy in July 2022 and sentenced to 155 months in prison.
The district court found that there were at least 10 victims in the case, a factor that enhanced the sentence for Holmes and Balwani. The two challenged this aspect of their sentencing in their appeal, arguing there was no evidence introduced at trial for five of the 10 investor victims. The appeals court found there was no basis to this claim while affirming their sentences.
Holmes and Balwani were also ordered to pay $452 million in restitution to those who suffered damage from the company's fraud -- including $125 million of that sum to media titan Rupert Murdoch, an investor in Theranos. Other victims in the case included the family of former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and the Walton family, the founders of Walmart. Walgreens and Safeway, which had struck multimillion-dollar deals with Holmes to employ Theranos' technology, were also included in a set of entities designated as victims deserving of restitution.
Holmes and Balwani argued the restitution should have been based on the diminution in value of the shares after the fraud came to light -- and not, as was ordered, the money each victim invested.
The appeals court affirmed the original restitution, finding the victims were "never able to recover any amount of residual value that the stock may have retained," and that their "inability to resell their shares would justify awarding them the full value of their investment."
ANGELINA COUNTY — According to reports from our news partner, KETK, an East Texas teacher was arrested on Saturday after being accused of bestiality and possession with intent to promote child pornography.
According to Wells ISD Superintendent Friday Wright, Hillary Danielle Williams, 33 of Lufkin is currently employed as a junior high and high school math teacher and has been since the beginning of 2024. Williams is currently being held in the Angelina County Jail for charges of bestiality and possession with intent to promote child pornography with bonds totaling $350,000. Wright said they were made aware of the arrest on Saturday and are currently working with attorneys and police to address the matter. “The safety and security of our students at Wells ISD is our top priority,” Wright said.
Her partner Michael Scott McCary, 37 of Lufkin and also pictured, was arrested for possession of child pornography with a $250,000 bond.
According to the district, a retired math teacher will be coming in this week to help teach the students.
Singer Roberta Flack, whose signature voice and soulful interpretations of songs such as “Killing Me Softly with His Song” catapulted her to the top of the charts and influenced generations, has died. She was 88.
The legendary singer died on Monday, according to a press release from her representatives provided to ABC News. No cause of death was shared in the statement.
“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning February 24, 2025,” the statement said. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator,” the statement continued.
Flack was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS, in 2022, which resulted in the loss of her singing voice, her publicists said at the time.
Flack topped the charts in the 1970s with hits including “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.”
The songstress was nominated for 14 Grammy awards, winning five — including a lifetime achievement award. She was the first artist to win the Grammy Award for record of the year in back-to-back years — for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in 1973 and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” in 1974. The latter would go on to top the charts again three decades later with a cover by the Fugees.
Flack’s influence “looms over both R&B and indie ‘bedroom’ pop,” music critic Ann Powers wrote in a 2020 essay, calling Flack a “titan in the eyes of many fellow artists and discerning fans.”
“In more than a half-century of making music, she’s established herself as one of the most distinctive song stylists in the pop arena,” Powers wrote.
Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, into a musical family; her mother was a church organist and her father a self-taught jazz pianist. A prodigy on the piano, she won a full music scholarship to Howard University, which she started attending at the age of 15. It was there that she would meet her close friend and collaborator, the late Donny Hathaway.
Her initial goal wasn’t to be a superstar songstress, but a classical concert pianist.
“My real ambition was to be a concert pianist and to play Schumann and Bach and Chopin — the Romantics. Those were my guys,” Flack told NPR in 2012.
Flack taught in schools for several years before being discovered by Les McCann while performing jazz in a Washington, D.C., nightclub, who helped get her an audition with her first label, Atlantic Records.
Several years after signing with Atlantic, Clint Eastwood chose “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” from her 1969 debut album for the soundtrack to his 1971 film, “Play Misty For Me” — bringing Flack to a more mainstream audience. “Killing Me Softly” helped cement her as a star.
“It was unexpected and breathtaking,” Flack wrote in an email to The Guardian in a 2020 profile. “The transition from my life in Washington as a teacher into this kind of attention was surreal.”
During the 1970s, Flack recorded duets regularly with Hathaway — including the hits “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You” — until his death in 1979.
In the 1980s, she began working with Peabo Bryson, including on the hit single “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” and also had a hit duet with Maxi Priest with “Set the Night to Music.” On TV, she sang “Together Through the Years,” the theme song to the show “Valerie,” later known as “The Hogan Family,” which ran for six seasons.
Later in her career, she released “Let It Be Roberta,” a collection of Beatles covers, in 2012. Her last album, “Running,” was released in 2018. She retired from touring that same year.
In 2020, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Among other accolades, Berklee College of Music awarded her an honorary doctor of music degree in May 2023.
Her legacy extends beyond her music. In 2010, she founded the Roberta Flack Foundation, which supports music education. She was also a spokesperson for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with her song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” featured in a commercial for the organization.
A longtime goal, Flack released a children’s book, “The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music,” in 2023, written with Tonya Bolden, that paid homage to her musical start: as a child, she practiced on an old upright piano her father had found in a junkyard and painted green for her. In her author’s note, Flack urges readers: “Find your own ‘green piano’ and practice relentlessly until you find your voice, and a way to put that beautiful music into the world.”
The documentary, “American Masters: Roberta Flack,” released on PBS in January 2023, celebrated the music industry icon.
“She understands an artist can offer us a voice when we can’t find our own, capturing thoughts and a range of emotions through her singing and her piano,” Antonino D’Ambrosio, the film’s director, wrote in an essay on the documentary.
In her own words, Flack said she wanted to always be true to herself.
“I didn’t try to be a soul singer, a jazz singer, a blues singer — no category,” Flack wrote to The Guardian. “My music is my expression of what I feel and believe in a moment.”
Flack was married to jazz musician Steve Novosel from 1966 to 1972. She was the godmother of musician Bernard Wright, who died in May 2022.
Her niece is retired professional ice skater Rory Flack.
