(NEBRASKA) -- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is recovering from serious but non-life-threatening injuries after being bucked off a horse, his office said Monday.
The incident happened when the Republican leader was riding on horseback with family members near Columbus on Sunday.
The governor was thrown from a new horse, his office said. His injuries included "minor lacerations to his spleen and kidney, seven broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung resulting from the rib damage, and a minor fracture in one of his vertebrae," his office said in an update on Monday.
"In summary, the Governor's injuries were serious but not life-threatening and could have been much worse," the statement added.
Pillen, 68, was initially transported to Columbus Community Hospital before being sent to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha "out of an abundance of caution," his office previously said.
The governor is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days for observation and plans to work from his hospital room, his office said Monday.
"The Governor looks forward to returning to his office soon after Christmas and wishes a blessed and safe holiday to all Nebraskans," his office said in the statement.
Pillen, who played football at the University of Nebraska under legendary coach and former Rep. Tom Osborne, took office in January 2023.
ABC News' Darren Reynolds and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- A North Carolina police officer was fatally shot while responding to a report of a person with a gun inside a supermarket, authorities said.
The shooting occurred Monday morning at a Food Lion in Greensboro, police said.
Greensboro officer Michael Horan was fatally injured after responding to the call about a "man with a firearm" inside the store, police said.
"The circumstances of what led to the shooting are currently being investigated," Greensboro Assistant Police Chief MJ Harris said during a press briefing on Monday.
The shooting suspect fled the scene and was taken into custody following a high-speed chase, the Duplin County Sheriff's Office said. There is no threat to the public, Harris said.
No further details on the suspect have been released.
Horan had been a sworn officer with the Greensboro Police Department since early 2018.
"He was an excellent officer," Harris said. "He had an outstanding reputation inside the department and the community."
Horan previously served for 18 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, during which he received an award for rescuing a father and son from rip currents, according to the police department.
"Simply put, we are heartbroken," Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis said at the briefing.
The Greensboro Police Department requested the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to take the lead on the investigation into the shooting.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said that "significant state law enforcement personnel" were sent to help with the response.
A Food Lion spokesperson said they are cooperating with authorities and the store will remain closed amid the investigation.
"Food Lion is deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred at our store," the spokesperson said. "We express our deepest condolences to the officer's family and friends."
"We are providing resources to support our associates during this difficult time," the spokesperson added.
ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
DALLAS – The Dallas Mornings News reports that American Airlines has settled the lawsuit filed by three Black men who were kicked off a flight in January over a âbody odorâ allegation, according to the law firms representing the men. Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal, all from New York, and five other Black men had boarded a flight from Phoenix to New York City in January, when a white flight attendant complained of someoneâs odor, according to the suit. All eight men were then forced to deplane with no reason given. None of the men had known each prior to the incident, nor were they seated together. It was later that they learned of the body odor complaint, which they say they werenât responsible for.
The plaintiffs alleged racial discrimination in their lawsuit, which was filed in May, and American has since âterminated the employmentâ of the flight attendants responsible, according to menâs law firms, Outen & Golden LLP and Public Citizen Litigation Group. âWe are very pleased that American Airlines took our complaint seriously, and we hope that this never happens to Black passengers or any other people of color again,â the three plaintiffs said in the release Terms of the settlement are confidential. After the incident, American committed to conducting bias and discrimination training for employees and creating an advisory group focused on Black customers in order to prevent future discrimination. A statement from American emphasized its resolve to providing a âwelcoming and inclusiveâ environment for fliers, and described the settlement as âamicable.â
AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, wants to know why a Texas committee opted not to conduct in-depth investigations of pregnancy-related deaths from 2022 and 2023. Crockett and several other House Democrats wrote Thursday to Jennifer Shuford, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, requesting a briefing by Jan. 2 about the decision. Investigative news outlet ProPublica has identified several pregnant women in Texas who died after they couldnât access timely reproductive care. Crockett accused Texas Republicans of trying to bury their stories. âWe are demanding the Texas Department of State Health Services explain its reasoning behind its decision to stop reviewing maternal mortality deaths in the years following their abortion ban,â Crockett said in a news release. âThe people of Texas deserve the truth.â
Texas Department of State Health Services officials did not respond Friday to an emailed request for comment. At issue is the 23-member Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and its decision to skip over the two years in question and move on to reviewing 2024 cases in depth. That decision raised concern given the timing of the tight abortion restrictions adopted by the state. In 2021, Texas enacted a ban on abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy, followed by a near-total ban on abortion a year later. The law has an exception allowing abortions in life-threatening situations, but the scope of that exception has been the subject of continuing confusion for some medical providers. Some committee members have said the decision was not politically motivated and described it as an attempt to catch up on a backlog of data and provide more up-to-date reviews of maternal deaths.
Blake Livelyâs The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars are supporting the actress amid her legal action against her It Ends with Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel, who starred with Lively in the 2005 hit movie, signed a joint statement on Sunday, offering Lively "solidarity" in her fight "against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation." The message was posted in a joint post to Ferrera and Tamblynâs social media accounts.
On Friday, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of waging a smear campaign against her and accusing the actor of sexual harassment, allegations which Baldoni has denied via a lawyer.
"Throughout the filming of It Ends with Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice," read the statement from Livelyâs former co-stars.
The statement from the group called out "the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety," adding, "The hypocrisy is astounding."
"We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment," continued the statement.
The group also said they were "inspired" by Livelyâs "courage to stand up for herself."
The author of It Ends With Us,Colleen Hoover, also offered support for Lively on social media. "Blake Lively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we metâŠNever change. Never wilt," she wrote on Instagram over the weekend.
Robyn Lively, Blake Lively's sister, also posted a message of support on Instagram Story, linking to TheNew York Times' initial coverage of the complaint writing "Thank you, the truth is finally out."
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, denied the allegations in a statement to ABC News:
"It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions," Freedman said. "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."
Lively starred alongside Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a story of four friends who buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them despite their differing sizes. The film, released in 2005, was based on the popular book of the same name by Ann Brashares. A sequel came out in 2008.
TYLER â In the midst of the usual uptick in recycling and waste during the holidays, their workload is only increasing, because everythingâs now going to the landfill together. Every day, dozens of trucks sit in line at the Greenwood Farms Landfill in Tyler waiting to dump their trash. East Texas landfill and sanitation workers are still feeling the impact of a major recycling center catching fire in Kilgore six months ago and halting services for many local cities.
âAbout 300 trucks come through here every day and unload about a thousand tons per day,â said manager of municipal services at Greenwood Farms Landfill, Gene Keenon. Towards the end of the year, Keenon said that number doubles.
Itâs not just the holiday rush theyâre facing. Since Riverâs Recycling Center shut down in Kilgore, recyclables are also coming to the landfill. âItâs about 300 tons a week that we used to be diverting out of the landfill. Itâs now coming back into the landfill,â Keenon explained. Thatâs an extra 300 tons per week his workers have to deal with. âWe just try to work a little faster to try to get it up,â Keenon said.
Over in Longview, sanitation and compost manager Kim Wallace said they are already dropping off more at the Pine Hill Landfill, and theyâre expecting it to increase by about a quarter more during the holidays. Picking up trash and recyclables is affecting them in other ways, as well. âWhat it does for us is it cut down on the amount of overtime that we were paying,â Wallace explained.
Rather than sending a trash truck and a recycling truck, they are now only sending one truck to pick it all up. âSo instead of now staying out sometimes to about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. at night, the guys and the ladies and gentlemen are getting out a lot earlier,â said Wallace. âAnd so we are, as far as overtime, saving on that end for sure.â
Keenan, on the other hand, said his employees at the landfill are working more. âItâs very hard on our workers, but they do it somehow,â said Keenan.
All of these factors are leading up to their busiest time of the year. Despite the workload increasing, Keenan assured our news partner, KETK, that the landfill isnât at risk of running out of room. âThis landfill has 400 years. Thereâs not going to be a crisis anytime soon of landfill space,â Keenan explained. Both Keenan and Wallace fear the real impact will instead come later.
âItâs been a real challenge trying to educate and get people to recycle properly, and I donât want that to go away just because weâve had a one year lapse in recycling, and Iâm afraid thatâs going to happen,â Keenan said. The best advice is to not lose old habits. Residents should keep doing what they have always been doing with their trash.
Both Keenan and Wallace said they were told Riverâs Recycling should be back up and running by June of next year.
MALAKOFF â According to our news partner KETK, a Monday morning house fire has left one person dead in Malakoff. Malakoff Police Department Chief Floyd Thomas said the deceased was identified as Gloria Aruizu and that the fire happened at 803 W. Mitcham St. in Malakoff. Tool Fire Rescue said they were called to the fully-involved structure fire at around 2 a.m. on Monday along with fire departments from Seven Points, Gun Barrel City, Trinidad and Malakoff.
New York City police were working Monday to identify the woman who died after being intentionally set on fire inside a stationary subway train as well as more information about a man, now in police custody, who is a âperson of interestâ in the crime.
Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that questions about the suspect’s background and whether the victim was homeless were all part of an active police investigation.
Transit police apprehended the man, who has not yet been publicly identified, after receiving a report from three high school students who had recognized the man. They had seen images of the suspect taken from surveillance and police body cam video and widely distributed by police.
âNew Yorkers came through again,â said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Sunday. She described the case as âone of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.â
Tisch said the suspect and the woman had been riding a subway train without any interaction between them to the end of the line in Brooklyn at around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
After the train came to a stop, surveillance video from the subway car showed the man âcalmlyâ walk up to the victim, who was seated motionless, possibly sleeping, and set her clothing on fire with what appeared to be a lighter. The womanâs clothing then âbecame fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,â Tisch said.
Police do not believe the two knew one another.
Officers on a routine patrol at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station smelled and saw smoke and discovered the woman on fire, standing in the middle of the subway car. After the fire was extinguished, emergency medical personnel declared the woman dead at the scene.
Unbeknownst to the officers, the suspect had remained at the scene and was seated on a bench on the subway platform, just outside the train car, Tisch said. Body cameras worn by the officers caught a âvery clear, detailed lookâ at the suspect and those images were publicly disseminated.
After later receiving a 911 call from the teenagers, other transit officers identified the man on another subway train and radioed ahead to the next station, where more officers kept the train doors closed, searched each car and ultimately apprehended him without incident, Gulotta said. The man had a lighter in his pocket when he was taken into custody, Tisch said.
In a statement, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said âThe depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice.”
âThis gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences,â he said.
The case marked the second fatality on a New York subway Sunday.
At 12:35 a.m., police responded to an emergency call for an assault in progress at the 61st Street-Woodside Station in Queens and found a 37-year-old man with a stab wound to his torso and a 26-year-old man with multiple slashes throughout his body. The older man was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital while the younger man was in stable condition, police said.
An investigation was continuing.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this year has sent New York National Guard members to the cityâs subway system to help police conduct random searches of ridersâ bags for weapons following a series of high-profile crimes on city trains. Hochul recently deployed additional members to help patrol during the holiday season.
About a year ago, Hochul supported funding to install video cameras on every train car in the New York subway system, said Michael Kemper, chief security officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He and other officials on Sunday credited the cameras with helping to track down the suspect so quickly.
AUSTIN (AP) â Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans.
The lawsuit filed in state district court in Lubbock and announced Sunday, argues the NCAA violates the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by promoting women’s sports that may include a transgender athlete. The law is designed to protect consumers from being misled or tricked into buying products or services that are not as advertised, the lawsuit said.
The Texas lawsuit is the latest attempt by conservative politicians to target transgender athletes and push the NCAA into banning them from competition. President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to stop trans athletes from competing.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the NCAA from allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports in Texas, or in sports that involve Texas programs. Or it wants the court to require the NCAA to stop marketing events as âwomen’sâ sports if transgender athletes are allowed.
In a statement, Paxton appeared to reference the recent controversy involving San Jose State women’s volleyball, where several opponents forfeited matches this season on grounds the Spartans had a transgender player.
A federal court last month refused to block the school from playing in the Mountain West Conference championship.
âWhen people watch a womenâs volleyball game, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women, not biological males pretending to be something they are not,â Paxton said. âRadical âgender theoryâ has no place in college sports.â
The Associated Press is withholding the playerâs name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request.
Paxton accused the NCAA of âintentionally and knowingly jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of women” and turning women’s sports into âco-ed competitions.â
The NCAA does not track data on transgender athletes among the 544,000 currently competing on 19,000 teams at various levels across the country. NCAA President Charlie Baker testified in Congress earlier this month that he was aware of fewer than 10 active NCAA athletes who identified as transgender.
âCollege sports are the premier stage for womenâs sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in womenâs sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships,â the NCAA said in a statement Monday.
Brooke Slusser, the San Jose State volleyball co-captain who was among the group of players who sued the Mountain West Conference over her teammate’s participation, praised the Texas lawsuit on social media.
âHey NCAA, just in case you havenât realized yet this fight will just keep getting harder for you until you make a change!,â Slusser posted on X.
The NCAA established a policy in 2010 that requires trans athletes who were assigned male at birth to complete at least one year of testosterone suppression therapy before being eligible to compete on a womenâs team.
Trans athletes who were assigned female at birth and transitioned to male can compete on a menâs team but if they have received testosterone treatment are ineligible to compete on a womenâs team.
The athletes are required to meet their chosen sportâs standard for documented testosterone levels at various points during a season.
In 2022, the NCAA revised the policy in what the organization called an attempt to be aligned with national sports governing bodies. If a governing body does not have a trans athlete policy, then it scales up to the international federation that oversees the sport. If there is no international federation policy, previously established Olympic policy criteria would be followed.
(NEW YORK) -- Starbucks baristas walked off the job in major cities in Massachusetts, Texas and Oregon on Monday, expanding the dayslong holiday strike to 12 cities nationwide, according to the union Starbucks Workers United.
Workers went out on strike in Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, joining baristas in cities spanning from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.
Striking baristas brought business to a halt in almost 50 stores nationwide on Sunday across multiple cities, Workers United said.
âThe holiday season should be magical at Starbucks, but for too many of us, thereâs a darker side to the peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes,âArloa Fluhr, a longtime Starbucks employee in Illinois, said in a statement to ABC News.
Fluhr, a mother of three, struggles to support her family with the wages received from Starbucks, she said. âThatâs why weâre steadfast in our demands for Starbucks to invest in baristas like me,â she added.
Workers United, a union representing 525 Starbucks stores in the U.S., said baristas nationwide launched a strike on Friday. The escalation on Monday is the latest expansion of a strike that has grown each day since it began, the union said.
The holiday season is one of the busiest periods of the year for the coffeehouse giant, the union added.
In February, Starbucks Workers United and Starbucks announced they would work on a "foundational framework" to reach a collective bargaining agreement for stores, something the union says has not come to fruition.
âWe were ready to bring the foundational framework home this year, but Starbucks wasnât,â Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, told ABC News in a statement. âUnion baristas know their value, and theyâre not going to accept a proposal that doesnât treat them as true partners.â
Starbucks did not immediately respond to ABC Newsâ request for comment.
In response to ABC Newsâ previous request for comment, Starbucks spokesperson Phil Gee said the company has not experienced a significant impact from the strike.
âWe are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal,â Gee said on Dec. 20.
Starbucks said it remains willing to resume negotiations with the union. "Workers United delegates prematurely ended our bargaining session this week. It is disappointing they didn't return to the table given the progress we've made to date," the company said. "We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements."
The union and the company remain far apart on the key issue of potential wage increases, according to statements from both sides about the otherâs proposal.
Workers United told ABC News in a statement that Starbucks had proposed no immediate wage increases for most baristas and a guarantee of only 1.5% wage increases in future years.
Meanwhile, Starbucks said in a statement that the union had proposed an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, as well as an overall 77% raise over the duration of a three-year contract. âThis is not sustainable,â a Starbucks spokesperson told ABC News.
Starbucks United contests those figures as a disingenuous characterization of its proposal, the union told ABC News.
Some local elected officials joined workers on the picket lines on Sunday, including Democratic Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Democratic New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the union said.
Baristas have unionized more than 100 Starbucks stores this year, expanding a union campaign that has spread to hundreds of stores across 45 states since an initial victory three years ago at a location in Buffalo, New York, the union said.
The union has filed hundreds of charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging illegal anti-union activities carried out by Starbucks, including alleged bad-faith negotiations over a potential union contract setting terms at the unionized locations.
Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and faulted the union for breaking off negotiations. The company offers better pay and benefits than its competitors, Starbucks said.
âWe are focused on enhancing the partner (employee) experience, with over $3 billion invested in the last three years. Starbucks offers a competitive average pay of over $18 per hour, and best-in-class benefits,â Starbucks said in a statement to ABC News. âNo other retailer offers this kind of comprehensive pay and benefits package.â
ABC News' Leah Sarnoff contributed to this report.
Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Denzel Washington's next phase of life includes sharing the word of God as a minister. Days before his 70th birthday, the actor rededicated his life to God on Saturday, getting baptized at Harlem's Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ. He also received a minister license that will allow him to be ordained and lead spiritual services in the future.
"In one week I turn 70,â he said, according to Archbishop Christopher Bryant, Page Six reports. âIt took a while but I'm here."
He added, âIf [God] can do this for me, thereâs nothing He canât do for you. The sky literally is the limit.â
Denzel's wife, Pauletta Washington, also spoke to the congregation, expressing how proud she was of his spiritual journey.
âForty-six years later, here Iâm still standing next to him as only God will have it,â she said. âSo Iâm very proud of you. You are the head of our house and you have set a great example for our children, who are now adult children who know the difference because we have shown them the difference.â
Denzel has long been open about his faith and Christianity, recently sharing a story about seeing the face of God while on a yacht listening to a song called "The Face of God."
"I was put on this earth to share, and to be an example, of the power, and wisdom, and grace, and mercy of God in my life," he previously shared to BBCâs 1Xtra Breakfast host Nadia Jae, later adding, "So my life is not the movies I make. That's what I've been put here to do, or that's proof of the source of what I've been given to do on this earth, and it's not acting."
(WASHINGTON) -- The bipartisan House Ethics Committee on Monday released a scathing report concluding its yearslong investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, finding "substantial evidence" that he had sex with a 17-year-old in 2017 in violation of Florida's statutory rape law, and engaged in a broader pattern of paying women for sex.
The report also detailed evidence of illegal drug use, acceptance of improper gifts, granting special favors to personal associates, and obstruction, after Gaetz refused to comply with subpoenas and withheld evidence from the committee.
A woman testified to the committee that Gaetz had sex with her in 2017, when she was 17 and had just completed her junior year of high school, and Gaetz was in his first year in Congress. Identified only as "Victim A" in the report, the woman told investigators she received $400 in cash from the then-congressman that evening, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report.
"The Committee received credible testimony from Victim A herself, as well as multiple individuals corroborating the allegation," the report says. "Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."
While many of the allegations in the committee's report have been previously reported, this is the first time the woman's direct testimony about Gaetz having sex with her when she was a minor has been made public, along with corroborating testimony from others.
Investigators noted that while the former Florida congressman has "suggested that the allegations against him have been manufactured" and had called into question Victim A's credibility, "the Committee found no reason to doubt the credibility of Victim A."
The report details that between 2017-2020, records obtained by the committee show Gaetz paid nearly $100,000 dollars to 12 different women and to Joel Greenberg, his one-time close friend who in 2021 pleaded guilty to numerous crimes, including sex trafficking Victim A.
While all the women who testified to the committee described their sexual encounters with Gaetz as consensual, according to the report, one woman raised concerns that drug use at the parties and events may have "impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent." Another woman told the committee, "When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated."
The report alleges that Gaetz "took advantage of the economic vulnerability of young women to lure them into sexual activity for which they received an average of a few hundred dollars after each encounter."
"Such behavior is not 'generosity to ex-girlfriends,' and it does not reflect creditably upon the House," the report reads, referencing the former congressman's previous statement dismissing the allegations as someone "trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward."
"Based on the above, the Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress," the report says.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department declined to charge him last year after a yearslong investigation into similar allegations.
Earlier Monday Gaetz filed a lawsuit against the Ethics Committee in an effort to stop the committee from releasing its report.
"This action challenges the Committee's unconstitutional and ultra vires attempt to exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen through the threatened release of an investigative report containing potentially defamatory allegations," the filing from Gaetz said.
Gaetz in the filing asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block the release of the report or any findings, which he says would cause "damage to his reputation and professional standing" that would be "immediate and severe."
"The threatened release of information believed to be defamatory by a Congressional committee concerning matters of sexual propriety and other acts of alleged moral turpitude constitutes irreparable harm that cannot be adequately remedied through monetary damages," the filing stated.
Gaetz's lawsuit highlights that he is now a public citizen and claims he did not receive "proper notice" of the report's impending release.
"After Plaintiff's resignation from Congress, Defendants improperly continued to act on its investigation, and apparently voted to publicly release reports and/or investigative materials related to Plaintiff without proper notice or disclosure to Plaintiff," the complaint states.
Following the report's release Monday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta gave Gaetz until 5 p.m. ET to show why the suit shouldn't be dismissed with prejudice for lack of jurisdiction, given "this case appears to be moot in light of the House Ethics Committee's public disclosure of the report."
President-elect Donald Trump last month tapped Gaetz to serve as attorney general in the incoming administration, and Gaetz resigned his congressional seat shortly after. Gaetz subsequently withdrew his name from consideration for AG, saying his confirmation process was "unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition."
The Ethics Committee was in the final stages of its probe into Gaetz when Trump tapped him for attorney general. The committee generally drops investigations of members if they leave office, but Gaetz's resignation prompted a fiery debate on Capitol Hill over whether the panel should release its report to allow the Senate to perform its role of vetting presidential nominations.
Following indications last week that the committee would release its report, Gaetz took to X in a lengthy post, writing in part that when he was single he "often sent funds to women" he dated and that he "never had sexual contact with someone under 18."
"It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now," he posted. "I've never been charged. I've never been sued. Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body."
In its report, the committee concluded that it did not find substantial evidence that Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, finding that while Gaetz "did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex," investigators did not find evidence "that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion."
According to the report, the committee conducted over two dozen interviews, issued 29 subpoenas, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents, and requested information from multiple government agencies as part of its extensive investigation into the allegations.
The committee also received written testimony from Greenberg but, due to credibility concerns, investigators said they would "not rely exclusively on information provided by Mr. Greenberg," according to the report.
The committee also accused Gaetz of obstructing its investigation by ignoring subpoenas, withholding documents, and declining to answer questions about the allegations.
"Representative Gaetz continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed," the report reads. "His actions undermine not only his claims that he had exculpatory information to provide, but also his claims that he intended to cooperate with the Committee in good faith. It is apparent that Representative Gaetz's assertions were nothing more than attempts to delay the Committee's investigation."
The committee had been investigating allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, according to sources.
Earlier this year, the committee released a statement that it would continue its probe but would no longer pursue allegations that Gaetz "may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity."
According to the report, while several committee members did not support its release, a majority of its members voted in favor of its release on Dec. 10. In a statement at the conclusion of the report, House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest reiterated his stance against the release of the report on behalf of the dissenting members while acknowledging that he and other members do not dispute the report's findings.
"We believe and remain steadfast in the position that the House Committee on Ethics lost jurisdiction to release to the public any substantive work product regarding Mr. Gaetz after his resignation from the House on November 14, 2024," Guest wrote.
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(LONDON)-- Rebel forces in Syria are building a transitional government after toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Israeli forces kill Hamas operative in Gaza City, IDF says
Israeli forces killed the head of the national security directorate of Hamas' security mechanism during an attack on Sunday in Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The Hamas operative, Tharwat Muhammad Ahmed Albec, was "operating in a command and control center" that was embedded in a "compound that previously served as the 'Musa bin Nusayr' school" in a neighborhood in Gaza City, the IDF said in a statement on Monday.
Hamas has yet to comment on the IDF's statement.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
'Certain progress' made in hostage negotiations: Netanyahu
"Certain progress" has been made in ongoing hostage and ceasefire negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech at the Israeli parliament on Monday.
"I can carefully say there has been a certain progress" made in the ongoing negotiations, Netanyahu said, adding that he "doesn't know how long it's going to take."
"We will continue to operate in any way and without a pause until we bring them all back home from the enemy's land," he said.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
Hamas reports Israeli attack on Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp
Hamas on Monday said the Israel Defense Forces killed or wounded at least 50 people in an air and ground assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
An IDF airstrike was followed by an incursion into the camp supported by 17 heavy vehicles, among them tanks and bulldozers, Hamas said.
Israeli forces also attacked Nuseirat camp two weeks ago, killing at least 33 people according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
The IDF is yet to comment on Monday's operation.
-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz and Tomek Rolski
Netanyahu says Israel will act against Houthis after missile strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his nation would "act forcefully" against the Houthis in Yemen after a weekend missile attack on Tel Aviv injured 16 people, according to Israeli emergency authorities.
"Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran's evil axis, so we will act against the Houthis -- the result will be the same," Netanyahu said in a statement posted to X.
Since October 2023, the Houthis have been launching attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, as well as long-range drone and missile attacks towards Israel.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted a Houthi missile but that debris destroyed a school building in Tel Aviv.
The Houthis -- which have close ties with Iran and are part of the Tehran-led "Axis of Resistance" -- are demanding an end to Israel's war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, infiltration attack into southern Israel.
The U.S. and U.K. -- supported by other allies -- have launched a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since January. Israel has also launched significant strikes in Yemen in recent months, most recently on Thursday.
At least 7 dead after IDF strikes humanitarian area in Gaza
At least seven people were killed after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, which is located in the southern Gaza Strip.
The strike hit a collection of tents within what had been designated a humanitarian area, where displaced people were sheltering.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the strike on Sunday, saying in a statement it was "an intelligence-based strike on a Hamas terrorist."
"Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence," the IDF said.
- ABC News' William Gretsky
21 killed in Gaza, IDF northern offensive continues
The Gaza Ministry of Health said Saturday that 21 people were killed and 61 injured in three separate Israeli attacks over the last 24 hours in the Hamas-run territory.
A total of 45,227 people have been killed since the start of the war, health officials said.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces continued intense operations in northern Gaza, particularly around the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia.
The director of the hospital said there is shooting "around the clock" nearby, adding that on Friday the third floor and the hospital entrance were shelled.
The director said the IDF is blocking the entry of all requested medical supplies. Nine people need urgent evacuation for surgery in Gaza City and the hospital is currently treating over 70 people, he said.
(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 in the second degree; four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree; and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of the state charges.
There is also a federal case against Mangione. One of the charges, murder through use of a firearm, would make Mangione eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted.
Both cases are in addition to the charges brought against Mangione in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested and where he faces charges including forgery and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Mangione was transported to New York on Dec. 19 after waiving his right to an extradition hearing that morning in court in Blair County, Pennsylvania.
Upon his arrival in New York, Mangione was placed under arrest by federal authorities.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said Mangione would not initially contest pretrial detention, and he was taken into police custody.
Mangione then made his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court the same day, hours after the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging him with stalking and murdering Brian Thompson. He did not enter a plea.
Agnifilo said her client was prepared to appear in state court and said the federal charges were sprung on them.
"This is a highly unusual situation we find ourselves in," Agnifilo said. "I have never seen anything like that."
She said the theories of the two cases appear to be in conflict, noting the state case accused Mangione of terrorizing a group of people while the federal case accused him of stalking an individual.
The judge told the parties to confer.
Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said this week that "the state case will proceed in parallel with any federal case."
Mangioneâs next scheduled court date for his federal case is Jan. 18.
