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Travis County sues Texas officials over voting

AUSTIN (AP) – Travis County officials sued Attorney General Ken Paxton and Secretary of State Jane Nelson on Tuesday over the state’s attempt to block voter registration efforts ahead of a hotly contested presidential election.

The new federal lawsuit escalates a pre-election war between Republican state officials and Democratic urban county leaders over voter registration efforts and accuses Texas officials of violating the National Voter Registration Act. Developments in the ongoing battle continue unfolding as the Oct. 7 deadline to sign up to vote looms.

“Today, Travis County, once again, fights back,” Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said during a press conference Tuesday.

Paxton’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

The federal suit is in response to Paxton turning to state courts to try and block the county from mailing out voter registration applications to people identified as eligible voters who aren’t currently on the rolls. Travis County is home to Austin and has long been a Democratic stronghold in the state.

Paxton’s lawsuit argued that the Texas Election Code did not grant a county officials the ability to collect information about private citizens to convince them to vote and claimed that such an effort is illegal. But Democrats, local leaders and election experts disagree with Paxton’s interpretation of state law.

In interviews with conservative personalities and on social media, Paxton has also pushed false accusations that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris intentionally allowed undocumented immigrants into the country so that they can vote for Democrats. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee this year, has repeated similar claims, including during this month’s presidential debate against Harris, the Democratic nominee.

Paxton has argued that mailing voter registration applications could lead to ineligible voters signing up to vote. Voter registration applications are returned to county offices and are reviewed to confirm eligibility. The Secretary of State’s Office also verifies eligibility.

“Travis County has blatantly violated Texas law by paying partisan actors to conduct unlawful identification efforts to track down people who are not registered to vote,” Paxton said in a statement earlier this month. “Programs like this invite fraud and reduce public trust in our elections. We will stop them and any other county considering such programs.”

Jeremy Smith, the CEO of Civic Government Solutions, the company contracted by Travis County to identify unregistered voters, also denied that his organization engaged in partisan tactics in identifying eligible voters who haven’t yet signed up to cast a ballot in November.

“All of our contracts, 100% of them, are nonpartisan. It is written in,” Smith said. “We are under restrictions and obligations to prove that and maintain that and provide that data for accountability back to all of our clients.”

Garza said the new legal filings transfers Paxton’s state lawsuit to federal court. Travis officials are asking the federal court to allow them to continue sending out voter registration applications. The filing came one day after a judge denied Paxton’s request to block Bexar County, home to San Antonio, from mailing out voter registration applications to its residents. The court found no reason to grant the request since the county had already mailed out the forms. Bexar County is also strongly Democratic.

Travis officials allege Paxton violated Title 52 of the Voting Rights Act by trying to prevent them from carrying out their duties to promote people’s right to vote. They accuse Nelson of doing nothing to stop Paxton’s alleged unlawful conduct. They argue that the state law not only allows them to send out the applications, but also encourages them to do so.

Nelson’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Garza pointed out that a state law provision states that local governments can be reimbursed for mailing out voter registration applications to its residents.

“Travis County was going about its business serving the citizens of our community and dutifully complying with federal and state election laws,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

Update: U.S. 59 has reopened after a seven-hour traffic delay

UPDATE: U.S. 59 has reopened after a seven-hour traffic delay.

LUFKIN – One person is injured after a wreck involving three 18-wheelers Wednesday morning on US Highway 59 in Lufkin, according to our news partners at KETK.

According to Lufkin officials, the crash happened just before 8 a.m. near the intersection of Southwood Drive and FM 324.
Courtesy of City of Lufkin

Authorities are asking drivers to avoid the area if possible and to expect delays. Officials said one of the vehicles lost its load on the highway and clearing the scene “will take a considerable amount of time.”

Officials said southbound US 59 traffic is rerouted into one of the northbound lanes.

One of the drivers was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, Lufkin officials said.

“Northbound lanes are also expected to experience closures and delays as heavy-rotation wreckers are brought in for cleanup,” authorities said.

Speaker Johnson takes another crack at spending bill linked to proof of citizenship for new voters

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal that links the funding of the federal government for the new budget year with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.

Johnson pulled the bill from consideration last week and said he would work over the weekend to build consensus for it within the Republican ranks. It’s unclear whether he was able to do so as some GOP members have concerns about continuing current spending levels, but Johnson said he is determined to hold the vote regardless. Meanwhile, Democrats overwhelmingly oppose the measure.

Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it’s already illegal to do so and research has shown that such voting is rare.

“I urge all of my colleagues to do what the overwhelming majority of the people of this country rightfully demand and deserve — prevent non-American citizens from voting in American elections,” Johnson said Tuesday.

Johnson told reporters he was not ready to discuss an alternative plan to keep the government funded other than what will come before the House on Wednesday.

“I’m not having any alternative conversations. That’s the play. It’s an important one. And I’m going to work around the clock to try and get it done,” Johnson said.

House members also said Johnson was not discussing alternatives with them should the bill fail.

“There is no Plan B,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.

Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund the agencies during the next fiscal year, so they’ll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the only way to prevent a government shutdown was for both sides to work together on an agreement. He said the House vote announced by Johnson was doomed to fail.

“The only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end,” Schumer said. “We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”

The legislation would fund agencies at current levels while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.

Democrats, and some Republicans, are pushing for a short extension. A temporary fix would allow the current Congress to hammer out a final bill after the election and get it to Democratic President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.

But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension in the hopes that Republican nominee Donald Trump will win the election and give them more leverage when crafting the full-year bill.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell o Kentucky declined to weigh in on how long to extend funding. He said Schumer and Johnson, ultimately, will have to work out a final agreement that can pass both chambers.

“The one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we would get the blame,” McConnell said.

On Sunday, Johnson traveled to Florida to meet with Trump, who had earlier seemingly encouraged a government shutdown if Republicans “don’t get assurances on Election Security.” Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that they should not go forward with a stopgap bill without such assurances.

The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in July. Some Republicans who view the issue as popular with their constituents have been pushing for another chance to show their support for the measure.

Americans can now renew passports online and bypass cumbersome paper applications

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays.

The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

After staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lengthy passport processing delays, the department ramped up hiring and introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. It says most applications are now completed in far less than the advertised six weeks to eight weeks and the online renewal system is expected to further reduce that.

The system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail, and submit their documents and payment through a secure website, http://www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

Man left paralyzed at 19 drives car again for first time

(NEW YORK) -- A man who was left paralyzed after diving into a swimming pool as a teenager was recently able to drive again for the first time, eight years after his injury.

Ryley Hopper, 27, got behind the wheel of a specially equipped van on Aug. 14, his first time driving since he was paralyzed from the chest down at the age of 19.

"It's a very empowering, independent thing," Hopper told ABC News' Good Morning America, about reclaiming the freedom to drive again. "I wanted to want something … to find a purpose to attack head on."

Hopper was a college freshman at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and enjoying a summer swim in his friend's pool in 2016 when he flipped into the shallow end, hit the bottom and lost consciousness.

His friend, trained as a lifeguard, performed CPR on Hopper to keep him stable until the ambulance arrived.

The accident left Hopper with a life-altering C5-C7 spinal cord injury that resulted in paralysis from the chest down.

He spent nearly a month at Duke University Hospital, including four days in a medically induced coma, before being transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for two months of intensive inpatient rehabilitation.

"In the beginning, I was figuring out what the future would look like … my first goal was to get back to school," said Hopper, who prioritized returning to UNCW the following fall semester to complete his undergraduate and graduate finance degrees.

With his mother as his caretaker and a supportive community behind him, a couple years after entering the workforce, Hopper said he was ready to "attack this driving thing … and be more in control of my life."

"It took a while to reset my mindset," he said, but "minutes after being in the car, the butterflies went away."

Hopper attributes spending time outside as a factor in his post-injury progress, and for him, driving is an extension of that.

"A lot of healing is done indoors -- in and out of physicians' offices -- and the natural world isn't always accessible," said Hopper, who said he aspires to one day create a space for people with disabilities to participate in accessible outdoor activities and reconnect with nature.

When setting spinal cord injury recovery milestones, Hopper also underscores the importance of mental health and striving for personal growth.

"I've been given a unique perspective because of my injury, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the struggle I've been through," he said.

For others dealing with a spinal cord injury, Hopper reminded them to not forget to find the silver lining.

"Find peace and serenity," he said. "Once you realize that you're in a position that grants you a unique perspective on life … it's a kind of superpower in itself."

Kate Middleton returns to work with meeting at Windsor Castle

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2024 in London. (Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images, FILE)

(LONDON) -- Kate, the princess of Wales, held a meeting Tuesday at Windsor Castle, marking a milestone in her recovery from cancer.

The meeting, which focused on Kate's passion project of early childhood development, was officially recorded in the court circular, the official record of engagements carried out by working royal family members.

It is the first meeting recorded for Kate since she announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Kate, the wife of Prince William, shared in a video message released on Sept. 9 that she has completed chemotherapy.

In her message, Kate, a mom of three, said her focus has now shifted to staying "cancer free" and gradually returning to work.

"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes," she said. "I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can."

Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March after undergoing what the palace described at the time as "planned abdominal surgery" in January.

She has not revealed publicly what type of cancer she faced, nor exact details of her treatment beyond that she was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."

Since March, she has been seen only a few times publicly, including attending Trooping the Colour in June and watching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in July alongside her daughter Princess Charlotte.

What we know about the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria

Ambulances are being dispatched to the area in Beirut, Lebanon while security forces take precautions after at least eight people, including a child, were killed in a mass explosion of wireless communication devices known as pagers on September 17, 2024. (Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(LONDON) -- Thousands of people were injured across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday by an Israeli covert operation that remotely detonated pagers, ABC News sources confirmed.

A source described the attack as a "huge operation" that took between six and 12 months to plan, involving the use of informants and collaborators. Explosives were implanted inside the beepers, the source added.

The attack killed at least 12 civilians -- among them an 8-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy -- according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad.

At least 2,800 people were injured, Abiad said. More than 460 people underwent surgery for serious injuries, the minister added. Most victims are suffering from eye and facial injuries, while others suffered injuries to hands and fingers, he said.

The Hezbollah militant group confirmed that 11 of its members were killed on Tuesday, though did not specify the manner of their deaths.

At least 14 people were also injured in targeted attacks on Hezbollah members in Syria, according to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hezbollah vowed a "reckoning" for Israel. Leader Hassan Nasrallah is due to speak on the situation on Thursday afternoon.

The pagers began exploding around 3:30 p.m. local time, according to Hezbollah officials. An intelligence source familiar with the situation told ABC News that Israel has long been working to perfect this type of "supply chain interdiction attack."

Responding to media reports that the explosives were concealed inside its AR-924 pager model, Taiwan-based beeper maker Gold Apollo told ABC News it was not responsible for the design or manufacture of the item.

"According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC," they said.

ABC News has contacted BAC for comment. The company is based in Budapest, Hungary.

The Lebanese Council of Ministers collectively condemned "this criminal Israeli aggression, which constitutes a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards."

It added that "the government immediately began making all necessary contacts with the countries concerned and the United Nations to place it before its responsibilities regarding this continuing crime."

The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon called the operation an "extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context," in a statement released by the U.N. Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General.

U.S. officials said Washington, D.C., had no role in -- or pre-knowledge of -- the attack. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told journalists on Tuesday that the administration was "gathering information" on the incident.

The U.S. and the European Union have both designated the Hezbollah militant group a foreign terrorist organization.

Body discovered near site of Kentucky interstate shooting believed to be suspect: Police

(NEW YORK) -- Kentucky State Police announced Wednesday night that the body discovered in the woods earlier in the day not far from where the I-75 shootings took place is believed to be suspect Joseph Couch.

"There were articles associated with the body that at this time we feel is Joseph Couch," an official said at an evening news conference.

The coroner's office will make a final determination, officials said.

Troopers and two citizens found the body together in the vicinity of exit 49 in Laurel County, according to the authorities.

Wednesday was the 12th day of a manhunt for the suspect, who was wanted in connection with an interstate shooting that wounded five people.

Couch was initially named as a person of interest after deputies found his SUV abandoned on a forest road near exit 49, officials said. An AR-15 rifle Couch purchased in the hours before the shooting and investigators believe was used in the incident was also found in the woods near Couch's vehicle along with a bag with Couch's name written on it, officials said.

A day after the shooting, Couch was upgraded to the primary suspect.

In addition to searching the national forest, a tip prompted investigators this week to search a home in Laurel County, but found no evidence of Couch having been there, officials said.

Before the interstate shooting, according to the arrest warrant, a Laurel County 911 dispatcher received a call from a woman who alleged Couch texted her before the interstate shooting and "advised he was going to kill a lot of people. Well, try at least." The text message was sent to the woman at 5:03 p.m. on Sept. 7, about a half-hour before the interstate shooting started, according to the arrest warrant.

"Couch sent another message to [the woman] that read, in part, 'I'll kill myself afterwards,'" according to the arrest warrant.

Tuesday's search for Couch focused on the thick woods of the Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the Kentucky State Police.

Both state and federal teams combed through at least 28,000 acres of the more than 700,000-acre national forest.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said additional state resources were being made available to help with the ongoing search efforts.

The manhunt prompted local schools to close for over a week. They reopened Tuesday under heavy police guard.

"We will not live our lives in fear," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday.

The school district said in a statement that the reopening plan "prioritizes the safety of our students and staff."

OceanGate whistleblower says he had ‘no confidence’ in development of Titan sub

Pelagic Research Services/U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW YORK) -- An OceanGate whistleblower testified during a United States Coast Guard hearing into the deadly 2023 implosion of the Titan that he had "no confidence" in the way the experimental submersible was being built.

David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations for OceanGate, said he was known as a "troublemaker" in the tourism and expeditions company because he was so outspoken about his safety concerns -- voiced years before five people were killed when the Titan catastrophically imploded during a deep-sea voyage to the Titanic wreckage in June 2023.

Lochridge said Tuesday during an ongoing Coast Guard hearing into the deadly implosion that he was hired in 2015 to in part work on the operations for the Titan but was ultimately not involved in its development. Lochridge said he was "phased out" after butting heads with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush -- one of the five people who died in the implosion.

When asked by the Marine Board of Investigation for the U.S. Coast Guard if he had confidence in the way the Titan was being built in 2017, Lochridge said, "No confidence whatsoever, and I was very vocal about that, and still am."

Lochridge submitted a report in January 2018 outlining his concerns about the submersible's carbon-fiber hull, including imperfections, after he said Rush asked him to inspect it.

"At the end of the day, safety comes first," Lochridge said. "Yes, you're taking a risk going down in a submersible, but don't take risks that are unnecessary with faulty, and I mean faulty, deficient equipment."

Lochridge testified Rush "liked to do things on the cheap." Asked why the company resorted to cost-cutting measures, Lochridge said, "The desire to get to the Titanic as quickly as we could to start making profit."

He said he did not know about the financial side of the company, but that "there was a big push to get this done."

"A lot of steps along the way were missed," he said.

Lochridge testified that Rush wanted to do manned testing of the first Titan prototype, though Lochridge recommended doing unmanned testing due to his concerns.

"I knew that hull would fail," he said. "It's an absolute mess."

Lochridge was fired from OceanGate in 2018, days after submitting his report and attending an hourslong meeting with OceanGate executives, including Rush, ABC News previously reported. Documents reviewed by ABC News stated that it was clear Lochridge and Rush were "at an impasse" regarding the Titan hull, and "the only option was the termination of your employment."

Lochridge testified Tuesday he was terminated because he was "anti-project."

"I didn't want to lose my job," Lochridge said. "I wanted to go to Titanic. It was on my bucket list. I wanted to dive this, but dive it safely."

Following his termination, Lochridge said he reached out to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in February 2018 with his concerns about public safety and was placed under the agency's Whistleblower Protection Program.

"I wouldn't want to see anybody dying for the sake of going in a sub," Lochridge said Tuesday. "It's a magical place. I love it. I'm very passionate about what I do. If there's risk like that, don't do it."

A defect was discovered in the first prototype of the carbon-fiber hull in 2019, and it was not used on Titanic missions, the Coast Guard said.

A second carbon-fiber hull was subsequently made that was used on Titanic missions, including the doomed dive on June 18, 2023.

OceanGate suspended all exploration and commercial operations after the implosion.

The Coast Guard's hearing into the implosion is scheduled to last two weeks. Lochridge is the only witness scheduled to testify on Tuesday.

During his testimony, Lochridge said he started being phased out of his duties after he inadvertently "embarrassed" Rush during a 2016 dive to the Andrea Doria shipwreck on OceanGate's Cyclops 1 submersible.

Lochridge, a veteran submersible pilot, said he was meant to take several paying clients down to the wreck to take a 3-D model, but Rush wanted to pilot the dive instead. Lochridge said he objected, noting that the wreck is "dangerous" and that over a dozen people died during dives to the site at the time -- and eventually persuaded Rush to let him go along.

He said Rush ended up getting the vessel stuck in the wreck and refused to relinquish control of the submersible to Lochridge until one of the crew members yelled at Rush to give Lochridge the PlayStation controller that piloted the vessel.

Lochridge said Rush threw the controller at his head and one of the buttons came off, though he testified that he was able to repair it and get them back to the surface.

After that, Lochridge said Rush stopped talking to him.

Lochridge testified he raised objections after OceanGate phased out its relationship with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory in 2016. He said Rush decided to do all engineering for the Titan in-house.

Asked by the board why that was the case, Lochridge said, "Arrogance."

He also testified the company only cared about making money and it wasn't interested in scientific research.

"The whole idea behind the company was to make money, that's it," Lochridge said. "There was very little in the way of science."

OceanGate sued Lochridge following his termination, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets. Lochridge alleged in a counterclaim lawsuit that he was fired for raising concerns about quality control.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Lochridge said he dropped his OSHA case and walked away from the lawsuits in late 2018 because he didn't want to "put my family through any more of this," financially and emotionally.

"It was going nowhere," he said. "It was too much for us as a family."

Lochridge and OceanGate settled the dispute out of court in November 2018. Lochridge said OSHA closed the case in December 2018 following the settlement agreement.

"I never paid a penny to OceanGate, I'm going to state that clearly," Lochridge said Tuesday. "I gave them nothing, they gave me nothing."

In his final remarks, Lochridge said he hopes the investigation will shed light on "why OSHA did not actively address my concerns."

"I believe that if OSHA had attempted to investigate the seriousness of the concerns I raised on multiple occasions, this tragedy may have been prevented," he said. "As a seafarer, I feel deeply let down and disappointed by the system that is meant to protect not only seafarers but the general public as well."

OSHA said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday that after Lochridge filed a whistleblower claim of retaliation under the Seaman's Protection Act in February 2018, "OSHA promptly referred his safety allegations regarding the Titan submersible to the Coast Guard, per policy."

"The Coast Guard, not OSHA, had jurisdiction to investigate Mr. Lochridge's allegations regarding the safe design and construction of marine vessels," OSHA said in the statement. "OSHA's jurisdiction under the [Seaman's Protection Act] is limited to investigating a whistleblower's claims of employment retaliation for making those complaints (or similar protected activity)."

OSHA said it opened an investigation into the retaliation allegations, including interviewing Lochridge, which "followed the normal process and timeline for a retaliation case." After Lochridge and OceanGate entered a settlement agreement, OSHA terminated its investigation in December 2019 "pursuant to the terms of the parties' agreement."

Homes near Houston still under evacuation orders as pipeline fire continues to burn

DEER PARK, Texas (AP) — A pipeline fire that erupted in a suburban Houston neighborhood burned throughout a second day and into the night Tuesday with still no definitive word on when the blaze would finally go out, when nearby residents may be able to return home or why a car drove through a fence and hit a valve before the destructive explosion.

Although the fire was getting smaller, the disruptions caused by the Monday morning explosion in a grassy corridor between a Walmart and a residential neighborhood left some locals increasingly weary. On Tuesday, people could be seen returning to their homes to get clothes and other items before quickly leaving again.

“We literally walked out with the clothes on our backs, the pets, and just left the neighborhood with no idea where we were going,” Kristina Reff said. “That was frustrating.”

Over 36 hours after the blast — which shot towering flames like a blowtorch above the suburbs of Deer Park and La Porte — authorities have provided few details about the circumstances leading up to the explosion.

Investigators said it happened after the driver of a sport utility vehicle went through a fence near the Walmart and struck an above-ground valve. As of Tuesday evening, authorities had not still not identified the driver or said what happened to them.

Deer Park officials have said police and FBI agents found no preliminary evidence to suggest the explosion of the pipeline, which carried natural gas liquids, was a coordinated or terrorist attack. In a statement Monday night, the city said it “appears to be an isolated incident” but officials have not provided details on how they came to that conclusion.

The car was incinerated by the explosion, which scorched the ground across a wide radius, severed power transmission lines, melted playground equipment and ignited some homes.

The valve, which appears to have been protected by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, is located within a long grassy field where high-voltage power lines run. Several pipelines run underground.

Authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 homes at one point and ordered people in nearby schools to shelter in place. By Tuesday afternoon that number was down to just over 400.

“The fire is still burning, but the good news is that the pressure within the pipeline is continuously dropping, which means we are getting closer to the fire going out,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement.

Operators shut off the flow after the explosion, but Hidalgo has said that 20 miles (32 kilometers) of pipeline stretched between the two closed valves and the chemicals inside had to burn off before the fire would stop.

Robert Hall, a senior advisor at the nonprofit Pipeline Safety Trust, said it’s not surprising that it’s taken more than a day for the material to stop burning.

“You’re talking about 20-inch pipelines and miles between valves, so it takes a long time to burn down,” Hall said.

On Tuesday, the Texas Railroad Commission that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry said its inspectors only will enter the site after it is deemed safe by emergency authorities.

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.

Hall, who previously oversaw pipeline and hazardous materials investigations for the National Transportation Safety Board, said there are few regulations that govern the location of pipelines near homes and businesses.

“That becomes a very local issue, community by community,” Hall said, adding that some jurisdictions require bollards — sturdy pipes filled with concrete — to prevent vehicles from crashing into sensitive infrastructure.

Hidalgo said Tuesday that Energy Transfer, the Dallas-based owner of the pipeline, has said it was working to isolate parts of the pipeline closest to the fire by clamping it on each side.

Energy Transfer did not immediately respond to a question about what safety precautions were in place near the valve.

Hall said regulations from 2022 aimed at reducing deaths and environmental damage from ruptures were geared toward gas lines, not those carrying liquids, and would not have applied to this pipeline. He added that many new safety regulations that have been put in place do not apply retroactively to pre-existing pipelines.

Both Energy Transfer and Harris County Pollution Control were conducting air monitoring in the area and have found no health issues, according to Deer Park officials.

Since leaving home, Reff and her family have been staying in a hotel room paid for by Energy Transfer. But they were eager to return.

“It would be nice to be in our own beds,” she said.

___

Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. AP writers Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed.

20 more dead, 450 injured as new round of explosions rocks Lebanon: Health officials

Ambulances rush wounded people to a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on September 17, 2024. (MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images)

(LONDON) -- At least 20 more people were killed and 450 injured in Lebanon on Wednesday after a series of new explosions of wireless devices rocked the South, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to the Ministry of Health and the Lebanese Red Cross.

More than 30 ambulances are providing treatment and evacuations to wounded people in Lebanon on Wednesday, the Lebanese Red Cross said.

The Lebanese Army command has asked citizens not to gather in places witnessing security incidents to allow medical teams to arrive.

Members of the Lebanese Civil Defense are working to extinguish fires that broke out inside homes, cars and shops in the Bekaa, the South, Mount Lebanon and the southern suburbs due to the explosions, officials said.

All walkie-talkie devices were taken from security services members at the Rafiq Harir International Airport in Beirut after news of the devices exploding.

Pagers explode across Lebanon on Tuesday

At least 12 civilians were killed and at least 2,800 people injured in the explosions that took place Tuesday, according to Lebanese authorities. Around 460 of the injuries were critical and required surgery, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. Most victims are suffering from eye and facial injuries, while others suffered injuries to hands and fingers, he said.

Israel was behind the deadly explosion of pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday, sources told ABC News on Wednesday.

The Hezbollah militant group said it is conducting a "security and scientific investigation" into the explosion of pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday.

Hezbollah said 11 of its members were killed on Tuesday, though -- as is typical in its statements -- did not specify how they died.

"We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression, which also targeted civilians and led to the deaths of a number of martyrs and the injury of a large number with various wounds," Hezbollah said of the pager explosions in a Tuesday statement.

In a Wednesday morning statement, Hezbollah said it would continue operations to "support Gaza," and vowed a "reckoning" for Israel for the "massacre on Tuesday."

The dead and injured included people who are not members of Hezbollah. Lebanese officials said that an 8-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy are among the dead.

Israel has not commented on explosions

Israel has not commented on its alleged involvement in the apparent attack, which prompted chaos in the capital Beirut and elsewhere in Hezbollah's south Lebanon heartland.

Around 100 hospitals received wounded people, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said, with hospitals in Beirut and its southern suburb quickly filling to capacity. Patients were then directed to other hospitals outside the region.

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those who had one of the pagers and was injured in an explosion Tuesday, according to Iranian state TV. The diplomat said in a phone call that he was "feeling well and fully conscious," according to Iranian state TV.

"I am proud and honored that my blood has become one with the blood of the honorable Lebanese people, as a result of the horrific terrorist crime that targeted our brotherly Lebanon yesterday. This noble country has stood with dignity and pride since the first day of al-Aqsa Storm," Amani said Wednesday.

At least 14 people were also injured in targeted attacks on Hezbollah members in Syria, according to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fears grow of Israel-Hezbollah escalation

The alleged Israeli operation has again piqued fears of escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict ongoing since Oct. 8, when members of the Iranian-backed group began cross-border attacks in support of Hamas' war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Frontier skirmishes, Israeli strikes and Hezbollah rocket and artillery salvoes have been near-constant through 11 months of war in Gaza. Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to launch a new military operation against Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Tens of thousands of Israelis have left their homes in border regions due to the fighting.

The Israel Defense Forces said warplanes hit Hezbollah targets in six locations in southern Lebanon overnight into Wednesday. Artillery strikes were also conducted, it added.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is due to make a public address on Thursday afternoon to address the situation. In February, Nasrallah urged members to stop using their cellphones, describing the technology as "a deadly agent."

Schools across Lebanon will be closed on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, citing the country's Minister of Education. Schools and offices closed include public and private schools, high schools, technical institutes, the Lebanese University and private higher education institutions, Lebanese state media reported.

The Lebanese Council of Ministers collectively condemned "this criminal Israeli aggression, which constitutes a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards."

World reacts to pager attacks

The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon condemned the attack on Lebanon, calling it an "extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context," in a statement released by the U.N. Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference in Egypt on Wednesday that the U.S. "did not know about and was not involved" in Israel's pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria -- but said that officials were still gathering information and did not directly blame Israel.

"Broadly speaking, we've been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we're trying to resolve in Gaza," Blinken said. Its spread to other fronts, he added, is "clearly not in the interest of anyone involved."

A cease-fire deal in Gaza, Blinken added, would "materially improve the prospects of defusing the situation" on the Israeli-Lebanese border and allow thousands of people living near the area on both sides of the divide to return home.

The U.S. and the European Union have both designated the Hezbollah militant group a foreign terrorist organization.

ABC News' Luis Martinez, Shannon K. Kingston, Ghazi Balkiz, Morgan Winsor, Anne Flaherty, Nasser Atta, Joe Simonetti, Jordana Miller and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.

Fed cuts interest rates a half point in landmark policy shift

(NEW YORK) -- The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate a half of a percentage point on Wednesday in a landmark decision that dials back its years-long fight against inflation and could deliver relief for borrowers saddled with high costs.

The central bank’s first rate cut since 2020 came after a recent stretch of data had established the key conditions for a rate cut: falling inflation and slowing job gains.

In theory, lower interest rates help stimulate economic activity and boost employment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 200 points in the immediate aftermath of the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also climbed following the news.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the rate decision as a shift in policy at the central bank.

"This recalibration of our policy stance will help maintain the strength of the economy and the labor market, and enable further progress on inflation," Powell said.

"The U.S. economy is in good shape," Powell added. "We want to keep it there."

The Federal Open Market Committee, a policymaking body at the Fed, on Wednesday forecast further interest rate cuts.

By the end of 2024, interest rates will fall nearly another half of a percentage point from their current level of between 4.75% and 5%, according to FOMC projections. Interest rates will drop another percentage point over the course of 2025, the projections indicated.

Over time, rate cuts ease the burden on borrowers for everything from home mortgages to credit cards to cars, making it cheaper to get a loan or refinance one. The cuts also boost company valuations, potentially helping fuel returns for stockholders.

Earlier this year, mortgage rates reached their highest level in more than two decades; while the average rate for credit card holders topped anything on record at the Fed. Interest rates for car loans have soared to levels last seen at the onset of the 2008 financial crisis, Edmunds found.

Interest rate cuts will bring many of those payments down, delivering gains for borrowers.

However, borrowers should not expect immediate relief from the Fed's initial rate cut, Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at NerdWallet, told ABC News in a statement prior to the decision.

"This initial rate cut will have little immediate impact," Renter said. "I anticipate many consumers and business owners will take the beginning of this change in monetary policy as a sign of hope."

Inflation has slowed dramatically from a peak of about 9% in 2022, though it remains slightly higher than the Fed's target of 2%.

Meanwhile, the job market has cooled. A weaker-than-expected jobs report in each of the last two months has stoked concern among some economists.

"We will do everything we can to support a strong labor market as we make further progress toward price stability," Powell said last month.

Prior to the decision, the chances of a rate cut were are all but certain, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

Market observers, however, had been divided over whether the Fed will impose its typical cut of a quarter of a percentage point, or opt for a larger half-point cut. The tool estimated the probability of a half-point cut at 65% and the odds of a quarter-point cut at 35%.

A half-point cut risked overstimulating the economy and rekindling elevated inflation, while a quarter-point cut threatened to delay the type of economic jumpstart that may be required to avert a recession, Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, told ABC News in a statement.

"Rarely have market expectations been so torn" on the eve of a rate decision, Shah added.

The rate cut on Wednesday went into effect less than 50 days before the November election.

The decision deviated from the policy approach taken by the Fed prior to many recent presidential elections, a Reuters analysis found. Policy rates were left unchanged for six to 12 months before the 2020, 2016, 2012 and 2000 U.S. presidential elections, according to Reuters.

To be sure, the Fed says it bases its decisions on economic conditions and operates as an independent government body.

When asked about the 2024 election at a press conference in Washington, D.C., in December, Powell said, "We don't think about politics."

Trump’s new crypto venture is light on details, heavy on potential ethics landmines

(NEW YORK) -- After once deriding cryptocurrency as a "scam," former President Donald Trump on Monday formally threw his support behind World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture whose business model remains largely unclear but has already drawn scrutiny as a potential ethics headache for his administration if he returns to the White House in January.

Joined Monday by his two adult sons and others involved in the fledgling business, including billionaire donor Steve Witkoff, Trump declared in a livestream on X that "crypto is one of those things we have to do," and suggested that he would work to limit regulation of the industry if elected.

"Right now, you have a very hostile [Security and Exchange Commission] ... they've been very hostile toward crypto," Trump said. "My attitude is different."

Details about the venture, including Trump's role and potential compensation, remain unclear. The company's website, which bears an image of a backlit Trump speaking at a podium, suggests the platform will have its own crypto token, called $WL, and aspires to "empower our users to operate their finances ... with no direct oversight of any government agencies or officials."

Industry experts said the website provides few details about the company -- including what it will offer, who will have access to its profits, and how the Trump family stands to make money from it. James Butterfill, the head of research at CoinShares, a digital asset management firm, told ABC News that the website contains little more than "buzzwords."

Government ethics watchdogs consulted by ABC News were quick to point out potential conflicts of interest posed by a candidate for president launching or becoming otherwise involved with a new business within weeks of Election Day -- particularly in an industry as polarizing and unregulated as crypto, in which users directly exchange digital currencies without the oversight of banks or the government.

Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, said a future Trump administration would have wide latitude to impact crypto policy -- and Trump's own personal stake in the industry could potentially rub up against the best interests of the country.

"We're still in the Wild West with crypto. It's clear there is going to be some kind of regulation, but to what extent and how friendly they are to the industry, we don't yet know," Libowitz said. "The president obviously appoints the people in charge of that."

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, rejected any suggestion that Trump's role in World Liberty Financial could pose an ethical dilemma if he's reelected, calling Trump "the most ethical president in American history."

"When President Trump first ran for office, he stepped away from his very successful and lucrative businesses because the job of saving America was the most important job he'd ever have," Cheung said in a statement to ABC News. "Before he entered the White House, he ensured everything was done within the ethics guidelines set forth."

In addition to Trump's adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have for months been promoting World Liberty Financial on social media, a so-called "white paper" first reported by CoinBase indicated that Trump's youngest son, Barron, 18, would also play a role in the firm.

Witkoff, who appeared Monday on the X livestream, said he introduced the Trumps to two other partners in the venture, Zak Folkman and Chase Herro, both of whom have a colorful business history.

Herro, who previously called himself a "dirtbag of the internet" at a crypto conference in 2018, has said he has made millions from an ecommerce business after spending three years in jail for selling drugs when he was in high school. Folkman, who first joined forces with Herro in the ecommerce business more than a decade ago, has reportedly previously taught classes on "how to date hotter girls."

On ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday, Witkoff -- a longtime friend to Trump and one of his campaign's biggest financial supporters -- downplayed any potential conflict posed by Trump's foray into crypto.

"If the president is elected, which I expect him to be, then everything that he -- all of his of his ownership, his businesses, will be put in some sort of a trust." Witkoff said. "His children, I would assume, will be involved in running it. And I doubt that, therefore, that there is any conflict."

But Danielle Brian, the executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, said that would be nothing more than "window dressing."

"A trust managed by family members will not eliminate the conflict of interest created by a sitting president owning any business," Brian said.

Trump's announcement on Monday marked his transition from a vocal skeptic of digital currencies to one of the industry's most enthusiastic proponents. As president, he complained on Twitter that crypto markets were "highly volatile and based on thin air." In 2021, shortly after leaving the White House, Trump called cryptocurrencies a "scam."

But during his 2024 bid for the White House, Trump has cozied up to crypto interests.

In May, his campaign said it would begin accepting contributions in cryptocurrency. Trump has regularly hosted industry enthusiasts at his properties and, in July, at the annual Bitcoin Conference, he pledged to make the U.S. the "crypto super-power" of the world.

Gas prices are plummeting. Experts explain why.

(NEW YORK) -- Drivers have enjoyed a sharp decline in gasoline prices over recent weeks -- and the good times are expected to continue.

Gas prices have plummeted about 13% from a 2024 peak in April, which amounts to a decline of nearly 50 cents per gallon, according to AAA data shared with ABC News.

The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $3.20, AAA data shows. In 16 states, an average gallon of gas costs less than $3, including Texas Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas and Iowa.

Speaking to ABC News, some experts forecasted that the national average price would likely follow suit, dropping below $3 per gallon for the first time since May 2021.

The drop in prices owes in part to sluggish demand for gas as the busy summer traveling season has given way to an autumn slowdown, experts said. Meanwhile, they added, a sharp decline in the price of crude oil has propelled an even larger drop-off in gas prices than typically seen at this time of year.

“Gas prices continue to crumble across the entire nation,” Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told ABC News. “The outlook is bright.”

Relief for consumers stems to a large degree from seasonal fluctuations that take hold every fall, experts said.

A slowdown in travel has eased demand for gas as families have returned from summer vacation and resumed routine driving associated with work and school commutes.

Alongside that softening of demand, refineries have begun shifting toward a less-expensive blend of winter fuel. Refineries contend with fewer regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency in the cooler fall and winter months, allowing for a cheaper blend of fuel.

“This is something we see every year,” Andrew Gross, a spokesperson at AAA, told ABC News.

The decline in prices also owes to a steep drop in the cost of crude oil, the underlying commodity that refineries turn into gas. The price of Brent crude oil has fallen 21% over the past year, and more than 7% over the last month.

A surge in oil production has coincided with a global economic slowdown, which in turn has eased demand for crude as consumers soften spending and companies downshift production. The resulting imbalance between supply and demand has sent prices plummeting, experts said.

“There’s pretty good supply and not much demand,” Timothy Fitzgerald, a professor of business economics at Texas Tech University who studies the petroleum industry, told ABC News.

The decline of gas prices is expected to continue. Gas prices typically drop over the course of the fall as demand wanes and the cheaper blend of winter fuel takes hold.

“Nearly every state east of the Rockies now has some retail outlets selling gas below $3 a gallon and the national average may very well follow suit in October,” said Gross.

Still, the anticipated price relief could be undone by a host of possible disruptions, experts said. Hurricane season could send a storm hurtling toward major refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, taking production offline and pinching gas supply. While an economic surge, perhaps triggered by widely expected interest rate cuts, could prompt an uptick in demand for oil and gas, said de Haan.

“There are some wild cards that we’re watching,” he added. “Outside those factors, there’s not much that could cause a big jump in the price of gasoline.”

By the early part of next year, however, seasonal fluctuations will turn against consumers as demand for gasoline begins to swell, he added.

“Enjoy these seasonal lows,” de Haan said.

Taco Bell moves National Taco Day to Tuesday

(NEW YORK) -- For anyone who marks their calendars timed to food celebrations, Taco Bell has a new date for you to highlight in October that aligns perfectly with a delicious day of the week -- Taco Tuesday.

The California-based fast food chain announced Tuesday that this year, National Taco Day will fall on Oct. 1, three days earlier than in previous years, to ensure the food festivity aligns with the beloved weekly tradition of Taco Tuesday.

The permanent date change to the first Tuesday of October was set in motion by the fast food chain with the help of the National Day Calendar, the authoritative entity that curates national days, weeks, months and other tentpole events.

"For years, we've celebrated National Taco Day on October 4th, but it's always felt like there was a bigger opportunity to align it with something even more special -- Taco Tuesday," Marlo Anderson, founder of National Day Calendar, said in a press release. "Thanks to Taco Bell's efforts, we're excited to officially move National Taco Day to the first Tuesday in October, creating the Taco Tuesday of all Taco Tuesdays."

This marks the latest milestone in Taco Bell's ongoing Taco Tuesday journey, which included a petition that relinquished the trademark title in all 50 states last year.

Taco Bell's Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery said in a statement that after the brand "liberated Taco Tuesday last year ... we couldn't just stop there."

"With National Taco Day coming up, it felt unnatural for it to not fall on a Tuesday, and as some of the biggest advocates of Taco Tuesday out there, we knew we had to help shift the holiday permanently to give taco makers and lovers the opportunity to celebrate bigger and better every year," Montgomery said.

To celebrate the new date for National Taco Day, Taco Bell plans to host a "frenzy of Tuesday Drop celebrations" kicking off Oct. 1 that will roll out all month long.