ByXUAN THAI AND ANTHONY OLIVIERI
September 18, 2024, 10:29 PM
Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre will testify during a congressional hearing about the need for welfare reform Tuesday, the communications director for the House Ways and Means committee confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
The committee’s website lists the hearing as “Reforming Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): States’ Misuse of Welfare Funds Leaves Poor Families Behind.”
TANF funds are at the heart of the sprawling Mississippi welfare case in which Favre has been embroiled since 2022. At least $77 million in TANF funds, earmarked for poor families, were diverted to the rich and powerful people, according to a Mississippi state audit.
Favre is one of dozens of defendants in a civil lawsuit seeking to recoup the misappropriated funds. He has denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
House Ways and Means communications director J.P. Freire did not give further details about Favre’s scheduled appearance. A spokesperson for Favre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Favre could face questions from the committee about what he knew about the origin of the money for a volleyball facility at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as Prevacus, a company developing a concussion drug in which Favre was the top outside investor and stockholder.
Text messages made public in legal filings show Favre pushed state officials for funding for the volleyball facility during the time his daughter was on the team. The university’s athletic foundation received $5 million in TANF funds. Favre donated $1.4 million of his own money to construct the facility.
Text messages also show Favre asking state officials for help in securing funds for Prevacus, which received $2 million in TANF funds. Prevacus’s founder, Jacob VanLandingham, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July, admitting that he used Mississippi welfare money to pay off gambling and other debts.
Favre was also paid $1.1 million from TANF funds for speeches the state auditor says Favre never made. He eventually paid the money back, but the auditor has demanded he also pay $228,000 in interest.
Punchbowl News was first to report Favre’s appearance at the hearing.
SEATTLE — A year ago, the New York Yankees were knocked out of playoff contention with a week to go in the regular season, ending a string of six straight postseason appearances.
Remembering what that was like made wrapping up a playoff berth with more than a week left this time feel that much better.
“A lot of things have come together. Probably better health overall. Definitely an added focus for guys that were coming off tough years and simply put, we’re better. We weren’t a great team last year and this team has a chance to do something special,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.
After spending last year sitting at home when the postseason arrived, the Yankees earned their place in the 2024 playoffs with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings Wednesday night.
Nestor Cortes, who pitched six shutout innings, said this Yankees team is using the sting of last season as motivation heading into October.
“Last year we were out of the playoffs. Sour feeling for us,” Cortes said as New York players drenched each other in beer and bubbly during a jubilant clubhouse celebration.
“Coming into spring training, we had one goal, and that’s to make the playoffs, and we’re here. Obviously, the ultimate goal for every team is to be in the World Series and win the World Series. But as of right now, we’re going to enjoy this moment.”
New York has the best record in the American League at 89-63 and leads second-place Baltimore by five games in the AL East with 10 to play. The latest victory ensured the Yankees of at least a wild card.
It’s the 59th postseason appearance for the Yankees — the most in MLB history — but New York is still trying to end a World Series drought that dates to 2009, when the franchise celebrated its 27th title.
Last year, the Yankees were hampered by an injury-riddled roster that was eliminated from playoff contention on Sept. 24. Before that, the Yankees hadn’t missed the postseason since 2016, when Aaron Judge had just 27 games of major league experience.
Now they’re headed back to the playoffs with Judge the MVP favorite in the American League, another hitting star in Juan Soto and a starting pitching staff that might have enough depth to carry the Yankees on a deep playoff run.
“[It’ll] definitely be exciting, especially after the season we had last year missing out on the postseason,” Judge said. “That’s what we came into the season to do, get into the postseason and give ourselves an opportunity to go out there and win a World Series. That’ll be step one, but we’ve got to get there first.”
The task over the final stretch is making sure that return to the playoffs includes going in as champions of the AL East. The recent slump by the Orioles has opened a gap in the division race and built perhaps enough of a cushion to take some of the drama away from next week’s three-game series between the teams in the Bronx.
But it only remains stress-free as long as the Yankees don’t stumble over the next few days. After closing out the series in Seattle on Thursday, the Yankees finish their final trip with three games in Oakland.
They hope it’s the last time they have to be away from home for a while.
“Our goal is to win the division. That’s what we want to do,” Soto said. “We’re going to focus on that and try to finish the season strong.”
Soto is a big reason the Yankees are back in the playoffs and might end up with home-field advantage in the American League. While Judge is rightfully the favorite to win his second MVP in the past three seasons with 53 homers and 136 RBIs, the contributions from Soto have been equally important.
Soto reached the 40-homer mark for the first time in Tuesday’s series opener against the Mariners. It was also the 200th long ball of his career, at just age 25 and heading into an offseason when he will be the top free agent. The duo will probably determine just how deep this Yankees playoff run goes.
“Getting a front-row seat this year, all year, watching him, watching him go about it, watching him day in and day out, just a great hitter,” Boone said.
ESPN Research & The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Oakland Athletics 5, Chicago Cubs 3 San Francisco Giants 5, Baltimore Orioles 3 San Diego Padres 4, Houston Astros 0
AMERICAN LEAGUE LA Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 3 Cleveland Guardians 5, Minnesota Twins 4 Boston Red Sox 2, Tampa Bay Rays 1 Detroit Tigers 4, Kansas City Royals 2 Texas Rangers 2, Toronto Blue Jays 0 NY Yankees 2, Seattle Mariners 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE Arizona Diamondbacks 9, Colorado Rockies 4 Atlanta Braves 7, Cincinnati Reds 1 LA Dodgers 8, Miami Marlins 4 NY Mets 10, Washington Nationals 0 Milwaukee Brewers 2, Philadelphia Phillies 1 St. Louis Cardinals 10, Pittsburgh Pirates 5
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- A former Memphis police officer who pleaded guilty to charges connected to the beating death of Tyre Nichols faced cross-examination from defense attorneys Wednesday.
Emmitt Martin III testified at the trial of the three former officers -- Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean and Demetrius Haley -- who were charged on Sept. 12, 2023, with violating Nichols' civil rights through excessive use of force, unlawful assault, failing to intervene in the assault and failing to render medical aid. These charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The officers have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Stephen Leffler, Haley's attorney, mentioned that the boots of the ex-officers involved in the encounter were taken into evidence after the incident, according to WATN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Memphis covering the case in the courtroom. Martin said that blood was found on his and Haley's shoes.
Martin Zummach, Young's lawyer, claimed that the no-snitch rule the former officer's unit followed didn't apply to Smith or Bean because they had only worked 11 shifts with Martin. The ex-officer disagreed and said the rule was understood by Smith and Bean as well.
Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., the two officers who were also charged in this case, have pleaded guilty to some of the federal charges.
Martin pleaded guilty to excessive force and failure to intervene, as well as conspiracy to witness tamper, according to court records. The other two charges will be dropped at sentencing, which has been scheduled for Dec. 5, according to the court records. Mills pleaded guilty to two of the four counts in the indictment -- excessive force and failing to intervene, as well as conspiring to cover up his use of unlawful force, according to the DOJ. The government said it will recommend a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, based on the terms of Mills' plea agreement.
Martin said on Monday that on Jan. 7, 2023, the night Nichols was pulled over, he saw the Memphis resident speeding and changing lanes without a signal, WATN reported. The former officer said he ran Nichols' license plate and it came back clean. Martin claimed that he switched to car-to-car radio channels and reached out to Haley, who said he would take the lead on apprehending Nichols.
Leffler asked Martin why he said, “Let go of my gun,” during the encounter with Nichols. Martin said that he felt pressure on his duty belt, according to WATN. But Martin also pointed out that he had previously told prosecutors that Nichols was not trying to take the weapon out of his holster and had not seen him do it.
The defense said Tuesday that Martin changed his story of what happened the night of their encounter with Nichols after accepting a plea deal from the prosecution, adding that if the ex-officer’s testimony leads to the conviction of even one defendant, Martin could receive a lesser sentence, according to WATN.
Defense attorneys questioned if Martin was lying on the stand to fulfill the terms of his plea deal, according to WATN. But the ex-officer responded by claiming that he was lying in earlier statements to justify his use of force on Nichols.
In police reports filed the night of Nichols’ arrest, narratives read that the Memphis resident swung at officers and tried to grab Martin’s gun. Martin said on Tuesday that he never saw that occur, according to WATN.
Under cross-examination on Tuesday, Martin was asked by John Keith Perry, Bean’s attorney, whether he had ever told Bean that he had “homicidal thoughts.” Martin said he never told that to Bean and had told that to Justin Smith before coming back to work in January 2023 after being hit by a car in November 2022, according to WATN. Martin said Wednesday he never told his former supervisor, about those thoughts.
Martin said Tuesday that he experienced four life-threatening injuries after being struck by the vehicle and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, suffering from loss of sleep, paranoia, irritability and chronic headaches, according to WATN.
Martin told prosecutors Monday that he was scared, angry and eager to show he could still do the job and wanted revenge for being hit by a car, according to WATN.
Body-camera footage shows that Nichols fled after police pulled him over for allegedly driving recklessly, then shocked him with a Taser and pepper-sprayed him. Officers allegedly then beat Nichols minutes later after tracking him down. Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, 2023 -- three days later. Footage shows the officers walking around, talking to each other as Nichols was injured and sitting on the ground. The incident triggered protests and calls for police reform.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she has been unable to substantiate that Nichols was driving recklessly.
The prosecution told ABC News last week that they will not have any statements until after the trial. The defense attorneys did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
After the police encounter, Nichols was transferred to the hospital in critical condition. The medical examiner's official autopsy report for Nichols showed he "died of brain injuries from blunt force trauma," the district attorney's office told Nichols' family in May 2023.
The five former officers charged in this case were all members of the Memphis Police Department SCORPION unit -- a crime suppression unit that was disbanded after Nichols' death. All of the officers were fired for violating MPD policies.
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, acquired May 13, 2018, during winter at the South Pole of Mars, shows a carbon dioxide ice cap covering the region. As the sun returns in the spring, "spiders" begin to emerge from the landscape. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)
(NEW YORK) -- Over two decades since NASA researchers first saw images of mysterious, spider-like formations across the southern hemisphere of Mars, the space agency announced it's recreated the planet's "spiders" here on Earth.
Dubbed "araneiform terrain," the formations span over a half-mile long and have hundreds of branches that resemble spider legs, according to NASA.
Theories surrounding the Red Planet's "spiders" date back to 2003, when researchers got a glimpse of the terrain via Mars orbiters, with many believing they are formed through carbon dioxide ice, which doesn't occur naturally on Earth.
To confirm this hypothesis, researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California said they recreated the formation process in a simulated Mars environment that mimicked the planet's air pressure and temperature.
The simulation chamber -- called the Dirty Under-vacuum Simulation Testbed for Icy Environments, or DUSTIE for short -- uses liquid nitrogen to reach temperatures as low as minus 301 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NASA.
Results from the five-year study were published this month in The Planetary Science Journal.
"The spiders are strange, beautiful geologic features in their own right," JPL researcher Lauren Mc Keown said in a Sept. 11 press release. "These experiments will help tune our models for how they form."
Researchers found that when sunlight heats soil underneath slabs of carbon dioxide ice that form on the surface of Mars each winter, the soil absorbs the heat and causes the ice closest to it to turn directly into carbon dioxide gas, according to NASA.
This process, called "sublimation," causes the ice to crack and brings dust and soil to the surface of the ice, according to the agency.
"When winter turns to spring and the remaining ice sublimates, according to the theory, the spiderlike scars from those small eruptions are what's left behind," researchers wrote in the study.
To recreate the formation process in DUSTIE, researchers said they analyzed simulated Mars soil that was contained and submerged into a liquid nitrogen bath.
Matching the reduced air pressure to match that of Mars' southern hemisphere, researchers said they watched as carbon dioxide gas then flowed into the chamber and condensed into ice over a period of three to five hours.
Researchers then placed a heater inside the chamber below the simulated soil to warm it up and crack the ice.
Mc Keown said she was "ecstatic" when the theories were proven by seeing a carbon dioxide gas plume erupt from within the Mars soil simulation.
Lab experiments and orbiter images are the closest look NASA has at these unique Martian spiders, with the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers exploring far from the region where they occur.
So far, a spacecraft has yet to land on the Red Planet's southern hemisphere.
Joan Vassos' season of The Golden Bachelorette kicked off on Wednesday night in a special way.
The 61-year-old school administrator, mother and grandmother, who is the first ever Golden Bachelorette, met her suitors vying for her heart and bonded with them over shared interests, experiences and a love for pickleball.
Prior to meeting the men, Vassos opened up about her first love, her late husband John Vassos, who died from pancreatic cancer. Vassos said she first met him in 1983 when she was 20 and called him a "special guy" who "made me feel special and safe every single day of my life."
"No one's gonna replace John," she said. "He lives in a place in my heart and in my mind that is just his. But I have a big heart and there is room for somebody else."
"I don't know if you could have two great loves in one lifetime, but I'm hoping," Vassos added.
At the mansion, Vassos was introduced to the men as they each stepped out of the limos. The first gentleman she was introduced to was Pascal, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, Illinois, whose French accent she found charming.
Others who impressed Vassos during their first meeting included Chock, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas, who arrived with a mason jar of his chicken noodle soup, Jack, 68, a caterer from Chicago, Illinois, who sang Frank Sinatra's "My Way" for Vassos, and David, 68, a rancher from Austin, Texas, who arrived like prince charming on a horse.
After getting to know the men more inside of the mansion during sweet one-on-one moments and a chaotic impromptu pickleball tournament with some of the men, Vassos found a connection with Keith, 62, a girl dad from San Jose, California, who arrived at the mansion in a station wagon. She gave him the first impression rose.
During the rose ceremony, Vassos stepped away when she felt overwhelmed and told host Jesse Palmer that it's "not easy" sending some of the men home. But at the end of the night, Vassos said goodbye to five men.
See whose journey on the show continues below:
Dan, 64, a private investor from Naples, Florida Jonathan, 61, a shipping consultant from Oakland, Iowa Mark, 67, an army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana Guy, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, Nevada Charles K., 62, a portfolio manager from Rancho Palos Verdes, California Gil, 60, an educator from Mission Viejo, California Gary, 65, a retired finance executive from Palm Desert, California Pascal, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, Illinois Chock, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas Kim, 69, a retired navy captain from Seattle, Washington Christopher, 64, a contractor from West Babylon, New York Gregg, 64, a retired university VP from Longboat Key, Florida Charles L., 66, a retired financial analyst from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jordan, 61, a sales manager from Chicago, Illinois Bob, 66, a chiropractor from Marina Del Rey, California Michael, 65, a retired banking CEO from Denver, North Carolina Jack, 68, a caterer from Chicago, Illinois
DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have moved about 300 endangered sea corals from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration.
Nova Southeastern University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi researchers packed up the corals Wednesday at the NSU’s Oceanographic Campus in Dania Beach. The sea creatures were then loaded onto a van, taken to a nearby airport and flown to Texas.
Researchers were taking extreme caution with the transfer of these delicate corals, NSU researcher Shane Wever said.
“The process that we’re undertaking today is a really great opportunity for us to expand the representation of the corals that we are working with and the locations where they’re stored,” Wever said. “Increasing the locations that they’re stored really acts as safeguards for us to protect them and to preserve them for the future.”
Each coral was packaged with fresh clean sea water and extra oxygen, inside of a protective case and inside of insulated and padded coolers, and was in transport for the shortest time possible.
NSU’s marine science research facility serves as a coral reef nursery, where rescued corals are stored, processed for restoration and transplanted back into the ocean. The school has shared corals with other universities, like the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University and Texas State University, as well as the Coral Restoration Foundation in the Florida Keys.
Despite how important corals are, it is easy for people living on land to forget how important things in the ocean are, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi researcher Keisha Bahr said.
“Corals serve a lot of different purposes,” Bahr said. “First of all, they protect our coastlines, especially here in Florida, from wave energy and coastal erosion. They also supply us with a lot of the food that we get from our oceans. And they are nurseries for a lot of the organisms that come from the sea.”
Abnormally high ocean temperatures caused widespread coral bleaching in 2023, wiping out corals in the Florida Keys. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi turned to NSU when its partners in the Keys were no longer able to provide corals for its research. Broward County was spared from the majority of the 2023 bleaching so the NSU offshore coral nursery had healthy corals to donate.
“We’re losing corals at an alarming rate,” Bahr said. “We lost about half of our corals in last three decades. So we need to make sure that we continue to have these girls into the future.”
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is using some of these corals to study the effects of sediment from Port Everglades on coral health. The rest will either help the university with its work creating a bleaching guide for the Caribbean or act as a genetic bank, representing nearly 100 genetically distinct Staghorn coral colonies from across South Florida’s reefs.
“We wanted to give them as many genotypes, which are genetic individuals, as we could to really act as a safeguard for these this super important species,” Wever said.
DEER PARK, Texas (AP) — A pipeline fire that forced hundreds of people to flee their homes in the Houston suburbs burned for a third day Wednesday, with officials saying they don’t expect it to be extinguished until sometime Thursday evening.
Officials said residents who had to evacuate would be allowed to return to their homes starting Wednesday evening.
Authorities have offered few details about what prompted the driver of an SUV to hit an aboveground valve on the pipeline on Monday, sparking the blaze.
Here are some things to know about the situation with the pipeline fire:
What caused the fire?
Officials say the underground pipeline, which runs under high-voltage power lines in a grassy corridor between a Walmart and a residential neighborhood in Deer Park, was damaged when the SUV driver left the store’s parking lot, entered the wide grassy area and went through a fence surrounding the valve equipment.
Authorities have offered few details on what caused the vehicle to hit the pipeline valve, the identity of the driver or what happened to them. The pipeline company on Wednesday called it an accident. Deer Park officials said preliminary investigations by police and FBI agents found no evidence of a terrorist attack.
Deer Park police won’t be able to reach the burned-out vehicle until the flame has been extinguished. Once the area is safe, the department will be able to continue its investigation and confirm specifics, city spokesperson Kaitlyn Bluejacket said in an email Wednesday.
The valve equipment appears to have been protected by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. The pipeline’s operator has not responded to questions about any other safety protections that were in place.
Who is responsible for the pipeline?
Energy Transfer is the Dallas-based owner of the pipeline, a 20-inch-wide (50-centemeter-wide) conduit that runs for miles through the Houston area.
It carries natural gas liquids through the suburbs of Deer Park and La Porte, both of which are southeast of Houston. Energy Transfer said the fire had diminished overnight and was continuing to “safely burn itself out” on Wednesday.
Energy Transfer also built the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has been at the center of protests and legal battles. The company’s executive chairman, Kelcy Warren, has given millions of dollars in campaign contributions to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
What’s being done to extinguish the fire?
Energy Transfer said its crews were working Wednesday to install specialized isolation equipment on both sides of the damaged section that will help extinguish the fire.
Once the equipment is installed, which could take several hours of welding, the isolated section of the pipeline will be purged with nitrogen, which will extinguish the fire, company and local officials said. After that, damaged components can be repaired.
“The safest way to manage this process is to let the products burn off,” Energy Transfer said.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Deer Park officials said repair work on the pipeline to help speed up the process to put out the fire wasn’t expected to be completed until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Once finished, the fire was anticipated to be extinguished within two to three hours.
How have residents been impacted?
Authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 homes at one point and ordered people in nearby schools to shelter in place. Officials said that starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, residents in Deer Park and La Porte who had to evacuate would be allowed to return to their homes. A portion of a highway near the pipeline would remain closed, officials said.
Hundreds of customers lost power. Officials said Wednesday afternoon that only two customers remained without electricity in the Deer Park and La Porte area. Repairs to all of the power distribution lines affected by the fire had been completed.
Deer Park’s statement said Energy Transfer was “prioritizing the safety of the community and environment as it implements its emergency response plan.”
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all residents during this ongoing situation,” Deer Park officials said.
By late Tuesday, about 400 evacuees remained, and some expressed frustration over being forced to quickly flee and not being given any timeline for when they will be able to return.
“We literally walked out with the clothes on our backs, the pets, and just left the neighborhood with no idea where we were going,” said Kristina Reff, who lives near the fire. “That was frustrating.”
What about pollution from the fire?
Energy Transfer and Harris County officials have said that air quality monitoring shows no immediate risk to individuals, despite the huge tower of billowing flame that shot hundreds of feet into the air, creating thick black smoke that hovered over the area.
Houston is the nation’s petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries and plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight, and some have been deadly, raising recurring questions about industry efforts to protect the public and the environment.
TYLER – On Wednesday, the hearing regarding more than 50 dogs that were found in terrible conditions took place in Tyler. According to our news partners KETK, the courtroom was overflowing with people and more spilling out into the hallway. They were all there in support of the animals found living in horrible conditions. Nearly 60 dogs were seized from a Smith County property belonging to the two brothers in court, Kerry and Michael Jones.
It was their first day in court after the discovery was made by law enforcement. A defense attorney asked for a delay, explaining that he and the other brother’s legal representative were just hired that day and needed time to review evidence and consult with his client. The prosecution presented no objection and the judge granted a continuance.
Mel Gibson is apparently scouting locations for The Resurrection, the follow-up to his 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ.
This piece of news came from the Italian-language publication ItalPress, which reported the actor, producer and director has met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and checked out locations on the island he governs, Malta.
The publication says Gibson is heading up an 11-member team in conjunction with the Malta Film Commission for the sequel, which will reportedly have Jim Caviezel reprising his role as Jesus Christ. According to ItalPress, also are on the docket for Gibson and company are locations in Morocco, Italy and Israel.
Co-written and produced by Gibson, The Passion of the Christ was for a time the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time — that is, before Ryan Reynolds put on his Deadpool suit back in 2016, a fact Reynolds in character specifically mentions in 2018's Deadpool 2.
Gibson's film earned more than $612 million against a budget of around $30 million.
AUSTIN (TEXASTRIBUNE) – Gov. Greg Abbott has declared the Venezuelan gang a foreign terrorist organization and asked the Department of Public Safety to create a strike team targeting them.
What is Tren de Aragua?
Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan gang that started in a prison in the state of Aragua and has since expanded into Central America and the United States, including Texas, New York, Colorado and Wisconsin. The group focuses on human smuggling and other criminal activity that targets migrants, such as kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking.
According to a report from Transparency Venezuela, the group adopted its name between 2013 and 2015 but may have begun operations earlier.
What is Texas doing to target the gang?
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a proclamation on Sept. 16 that declares the gang a foreign terrorist organization. He also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to mobilize a strike team with state troopers, Texas Rangers, and other law enforcement groups to pursue the gang wherever they are known to be operating in Texas.
Declaring the gang a foreign terrorist organization means gang members could face increased sentences for crimes such as distributing illegal drugs. State law also authorizes civil penalties against foreign terrorist organizations.
Texas doesn’t have a database that tracks individuals affiliated with Tren de Aragua, but Abbott announced that law enforcement officers would work to create one.
How does the gang operate?
The group started by extorting businesses in Venezuela and then began trafficking humans into Colombia, Peru and Chile. According to Abbott, the organization seeks to infiltrate countries and set up a base of operation for their criminal activity. DPS Director Steve McCraw said El Paso was the gang’s “ground zero.”
Is the gang a major public safety threat in Texas?
According to Abbott, there has been Tren de Aragua activity in Texas since 2021. He said more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants from Venezuela have been arrested in Texas for crimes such as human smuggling, and another more than 200 are wanted.
Michael Shifter, a senior fellow with the Inter-American Dialogue, a foreign policy think tank, said the gang poses a greater risk to Latin American countries such as Peru, Colombia and Chile. Still, Shifter said, the organization should be taken seriously.
“It is clearly a major problem that needs to be dealt with,” he said. “I think there’s reason to be confident that U.S. law enforcement can handle it.”
Did the gang take over a hotel in El Paso?
During his press conference, Abbott noted that more than 100 TDA members had been arrested at the Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso on charges including human smuggling and possession of illegal drugs. Some media reports described it as a “takeover” of the hotel by the gang.
The 121-year-old hotel was shut down on Sept. 12 because of broad criminal activity, not because of any specific gang, according to the El Paso County Attorney. The hotel had operated without a valid certificate of occupancy and was the scene of persistent criminal activity including aggravated assaults, criminal trespass, public intoxication and burglary, according to the county attorney’s office. Police reports note that criminal activity increased in the hotel because of Tren de Aragua.
How is the gang’s activity playing into U.S. politics?
When he announced the state crackdown on the gang, Abbott said Texas has seen “slow but increasing activity of TDA in our state” which he blamed on President Joe Biden. “The fact of the matter is, this is something that has exploded in the aftermath of the president saying that if you’re from Venezuela, you’ll be allowed in the United States.”
In January, the Biden administration announced a humanitarian parole program allowing certain people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to live and work lawfully in the U.S. for up to two years.
Abbott’s press conference came on the heels of the presidential debate, where former president Donald Trump brought up online right-wing reports of Venezuelan gangs “taking over” a Colorado apartment complex.
Shifter said Abbott’s move must be looked at in the context of the upcoming presidential election, since Trump has hammered on the narrative that undocumented immigrants are invading the country, committing crimes and stealing jobs from Americans.
“Trump has clearly highlighted this in the debate and is trying to stoke fear,” Shifter said. “I think Gov. Abbott is trying to ratchet it up saying this is a major transnational group and the Biden-Harris administration has not been effective in containing it.”
(LOS ANGELES) -- Firefighters are nearing victory in the battles against three major wildfires near Los Angeles that have burned more than 117,000 acres, destroyed nearly 200 structures and injured 23 people, officials said.
More than 8,000 firefighters combating the Bridge, Line and Airport fires, all burning within 70 miles of each other, have significantly increased containment lines around the blazes while taking advantage of cooler weather in Southern California over the past week, officials said.
The biggest fire, the Bridge Fire, had charred 54,795 acres as of Wednesday after igniting Sept. 8 in the Angeles National Forest, 31 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze was 37% contained on Wednesday, Cal Fire said.
"Conditions were calm last night as firefighters continued their diligent work in strengthening containment lines and validating their progress," Cal Fire said in an updated statement on the Bridge Fire Wednesday, adding that firefighting helicopters were not needed overnight.
The Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties has destroyed 75 structures, including at least 33 homes in Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy, and injured four people, officials said.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The Line Fire
Firefighters upped containment on the Line Fire in San Bernardino County to 50% on Wednesday, keeping it to "minimal fire growth overnight," according to Cal Fire. Like the other active blazes in the Los Angeles area, the Line Fire has been fueled by extremely dry vegetation, officials said.
Since it was ignited by a suspected arsonist on Sept. 5, the Line Fire has burned 39,181 acres, according to Cal Fiire. The blaze has damaged four structures, destroyed one and injured four people, including three firefighters, authorities said.
"Firefighters are strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots," Cal Fire said.
The fire prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy the state National Guard to support the ongoing response.
Newsom declared a state of emergency on Sept. 11 to free up resources in an effort to bring the three fires under control.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a 34-year-old man from Norco, California, was identified as the suspect who started the Line Fire, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. During a video arraignment on Tuesday, Halstenberg pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of arson, including aggravated arson and causing great bodily injury.
The Airport Fire
The Airport Fire -- which broke out on Sept. 9 in an unincorporated area of Orange County and spread to Riverside County -- had burned 23,519 acres as of Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The blaze is 35% contained.
"Firefighters are prioritizing continued fire line construction and reinforcement by adding more layers of protection in problem areas," Cal Fire said in a fire update.
The fire has been the most destructive of the three blazes, destroying 160 structures, including homes and businesses, and damaging 34 others, according to Cal Fire. At least 15 people, including two firefighters, were injured, Cal Fire said.
The Airport Fire was sparked by county public works crews working on a fire prevention project by trying to move boulders to prevent public access -- mostly by motorcyclists -- to an area of the canyon with a lot of dry vegetation that could ignite easily, officials told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than 24,000 firefighters were battling 55 large active wildfires across the nation on Wednesday.
So far in 2024, 37,269 wildfires have erupted across the country, burning more than 7.3 million acres, up from 2.1 million acres at this time last year, according to the fire center.
PITTSBURG, Texas – Here’s a feel good story: Tortilla the tortoise has been returned with the help of local animal control to its family in Pittsburg. Our news partners at KETK report that on Wednesday morning, officials made an announcement that they found an “unusual pet.” It took less than three hours for the owners to identify their hard-shelled family friend, and Tortilla, the African Spurred Tortoise, returned home.
OVERTON – The former Overton City Secretary and Municipal Court Clerk was arrested for using city funds for personal use by purchasing gasoline for her boat according to our news partners at KETK. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Katherine McCandless for felony theft on Sept. 16 and her bond was set at $10,000. According to the Overton Police Department, they were made aware of an unauthorized charge on their city fuel credit card on Sept. 10 and began investigating. In their investigation, police determined McCandless used the fuel card to purchase a 40 gallons of gasoline pumped into her personal recreational boat. Police said that McCandless made 20 unauthorized charges on the fuel card between June 5 and Aug. 19, totaling to $1,192.64. Rusk County Jail records indicate McCandless has posted bail.
Saturday Night Livehas revealed that Jean Smart will be the first guest host of the show's 50th season on Sept. 28. It will mark her debut on the stage of Studio 8H.
Smart and her HBO show Hacks were honored Sunday at the 76th Emmy Awards with an upset win for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Smart picking up her sixth trophy.
Incidentally, Jelly Roll, who was featured in the Emmys in memoriam statement, will be Smart's musical guest.
SNL also announced that stand-up comic Nate Bargatze is returning with Saturday Night Live veteran Coldplay on Oct. 5; Wicked star Ariana Grande will be Oct. 12's guest host, with Stevie Nicks as her musical act.
The Oct. 19 show will feature Michael Keaton, with Billie Eilish returning as musical guest, while Nov. 2 show will welcome back John Mulaney, with Chappell Roan making her SNL debut.
