PALESTINE â Safe Haven held a blessing ceremony for the first baby box in East Texas on Tuesday, providing an anonymous way for parents in crisis to surrender their children to first responders.
However the road to get the baby box at Fire Station 1 in Palestine took nearly a year according to our news partner KETK. Sue Tingle, an East Texas grandmother, said her now 2-year-old granddaughter was surrendered in a baby box in Indiana hours after her birth with her umbilical cord still attached. Tingle raised thousands of dollars in the past year to have the baby box installed, and on Tuesday, it became fully functional.
MARSHALL â Marshall Police Department officials said since the beginning of the year they have received more than 40 reports of hit-and-runs, with one of two last week leading to an arrest.
According to our news partner KETK, the âtroubling statisticâ isnât just illegal but a serious issue of safety and responsibility. 48 weeks have passed since January meaning there has been about one hit-and-run case every week in the City of Marshall. Marshall PD said a recent hit-and-run investigation led to the arrest of a 23-year-old Marshall woman who was charged with accident involving damage greater than or equal to $200. Authorities said leaving the scene of class B misdemeanor could lead to six months in jail or a fine of up to $2,000.
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While presenting Chalamet and director James Mangold with the Visionary Tribute award at the 2024 Gotham Awards on Monday, Isaac recalled working with Chalamet on Dune: Part One. While hanging out with fellow actors Josh Brolin and Stephen McKinley Harrison, Chalamet mentioned his upcoming project, A Complete Unknown.
"He starts telling us about his next project he was working on. A movie with the wonderful director James Mangold about a young Bob Dylan coming to New York in 1961," Isaac. "And my first thought, 'It sounds like a really bad idea.' I mean, it's Dylan. It's the holy of holies for me. It just didn't sound right."
But Isaac's opinion changed after he heard Chalamet sing.
"Then Timmy takes out his guitar â not a good sign â and starts playing 'Girl from the North Country,'" Isaac said. "Now, this is a song I know deeply, to my core, and Josh, Stephen and I, we're not your average Timmy Chalamet groupies. We're grizzled movie vets. We've seen some s***."
Isaac finished his speech with kind words for Chalamet and Mangold.
(WASHINGTON) -- Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, was back on Capitol Hill Tuesday looking to shore up support as he fends off new allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety.
The allegations were top of mind for Republican senators, one of whom called recent reports "very disturbing." Several GOP lawmakers suggested Hegseth needed to come forward and address them.
But Hegseth, holding hands with his wife as he walked the halls, continued to ignore questions about the New Yorker report that he was forced to step down from two veteran nonprofit groups -- Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America -- amid accusations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior and other disqualifying behavior.
The magazine cited what it called a detailed seven-page whistleblower report -- compiled by multiple former C.V.A. employees -- stating that, at one point, Hegseth had to be restrained while drunk from joining the dancers on the stage of a Louisiana strip club, where he had brought his team. The report also says that Hegseth, who was married at the time, and other members of his management team sexually pursued the organizationâs female staffers, the magazine said.
ABC News has not independently confirmed the magazine's account. Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, told The New Yorker the claims were "outlandish."
"We're going to meet with every senator that wants to meet with us, across the board, and we welcome their advice as we go through the advice and consent process," Hegseth told reporters as he arrived for a second day of sitdowns with senators.
Hegseth was asked dozens of questions by reporters, including what he would say to those troubled by the allegations, whether the women who've spoken out are lying, whether he had a drinking problem and if the Trump transition team had been aware of the allegations.
He did not respond, including when asked by ABC's Elizabeth Schulze about GOP Sen. Joni Ernst saying she thinks he should have agreed to a background check.
Trump's team came out in defense of Hegseth earlier Tuesday. Senior adviser Jason Miller, in an interview on CNN, attempted to brush off the allegations as "innuendo and gossip."
"So, when it comes to Pete Hegseth, there aren't any concerns, and we feel very good about his positioning for being confirmed by the Senate," Miller said. "Now we have to take the process very seriously."
Republican senators, peppered with questions on Hegseth and other recent Trump picks as they returned to Washington this week, also say they want a "normal" confirmation process to play -- which would routinely include FBI background checks.
But some of their statements, so far, stopped short of glowing endorsements.
"I think some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is -- it's going to be difficult. Time will tell,â said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Leadership comes from the top, and I want to make sure that every young woman who joins the military space is respected," Graham said, seemingly referencing Hegseth's comments against women serving in combat roles.
Sen. Josh Hawley, another member of the key panel, argued Hegseth would have the opportunity to answer all questions during the confirmation process though notably indicated some of his Republican colleagues are "very worried."
"I would just urge my Republican colleagues, who are very worried, I know a number of them are expressing public concern -- it's fine, but I would just urge them, before they make up their minds, right before they make up their minds, let them have this hearing and listen to let's go through the process here and give them a shot to answer this and more and to lay out this vision for you," Hawley said.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who stood by Hegseth as a "great" pick on Monday, had similarly suggested Hegseth could face headwinds.
"Obviously, if it's to a certain degree, people are not going to vote to confirm it," Tuberville said when asked about the allegations after their meeting. "But what I know when I talk to him about what I've read, what I've studied and been around him, I'll vote for him."
Many suggesting that he needs to come forward and address it.
"Well, these allegations that have come up just in the last 12 to 14 hours are a surprise to all of us, and so yes, he does need to address those because this was not something of which we were aware, nor was President Trump aware of them," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who met with Hegseth on Monday night with a group of senators.
Asked about his ability to make it through the nomination process, Lummis said she hopes to meet with him one-on-one and deferred to how he addresses the new allegations.
"It depends on how he addresses the issues that have been raised," Lummis said. "Some of the earlier issues that were raised about an incident in California I think were satisfactorily addressed and would not have interfered with his nomination, but some new things that have come to light in the last 12 to 14 hours are things he needs to address."
"I have read all the articles, I have seen all the allegations. And Mr. Hegseth is going to have to address it," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said.
"I want to know if they're true, and I want to hear his side of the story. And he's going to have to address them," Kennedy added.
Hegseth met Tuesday with Sen. Deb Fischer, one of two Republican women on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty in their respective offices.
He was also scheduled to meet with Republican Sens. Ted Budd, Shelley Moore Capito, Jim Risch and Eric Schmitt.
Schmitt said he was "definitely going to ask questions" about the allegations.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
(DELANO, Calif.) -- A convicted murderer remained on the loose Tuesday and was the subject of a massive manhunt in Central California, where authorities allege he escaped from a prison van while being transferred to a courthouse.
Cesar Hernandez, who was convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County in 2019 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, escaped Monday morning in the Central San Joaquin Valley town of Delano.
"The public should not confront this suspect as he is considered dangerous," the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon.
The CDCR released new details on 34-year-old Hernandez's escape. Authorities said Hernandez was being driven to a court appearance at the Kern County Superior Court in downtown Delano when he escaped around 10:40 a.m. local time on Monday.
"Upon arrival, Hernandez evaded staff custody, jumped out of the van, and is currently at large," the CDCR said in a statement.
Hernandez was last seen wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and white thermals, the CDCR said. He is described as 5-foot-5 and weighing about 161 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Hernandez was convicted of murder in Los Angeles County in 2019 and sentenced to 25 years to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, a second-strike offense, according to the CDCR.
Multiple law enforcement agencies -- including agents from CDCRâs Special Services Unit, the California Highway Patrol and the Delano and McFarland police departments -- were continuing to search for Hernandez Tuesday afternoon in the Delano area, about 33 miles north of Bakersfield.
In a safety alert to the Central California community, authorities urged people to "report any suspicious activity or sightings immediately."
DALLAS – KERA reports that Texas public health officials say theyâre used to setting the record straight about vaccinations and other scientifically sound treatments â but some are bracing for even more challenges under President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for top cabinet posts. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, has raised alarms for policy experts across the country. More recently, Trump announced Dr. Mehmet Oz as his head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Terri Burke, who leads The Immunization Partnership, said under Kennedy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration could lose funding; health and immunization guidance for school districts could weaken; and misinformation â already widespread after the pandemic â could worsen.
âAll of this could have a chilling effect on innovation and development,â she said during a Texas Vaccine Policy Symposium last month. âWill vaccine manufacturers want to produce vaccines if the market is smaller? Will academic institutions approach vaccine research and development in a challenging climate?â Much remains unclear about how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.âs plans for the Health and Human Services secretary post will play out. Kennedy, who has repeated baseless claims that vaccines cause autism and other false information, has teased a plan called âMake America Healthy Again.â The planâs central goal is to eliminate chronic disease. He previously told NPR that federal health authorities under his leadership would not âtake vaccines away from anybody.â He also expressed doubt in existing vaccine safety research.
Mattel is being sued for printing the URL for a pornographic website on the packaging of its limited-edition fashion dolls based on the new film Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
A South Carolina woman is launching a class action lawsuit after she purchased the toy for her daughter, who then visited the X-rated site.
"To her absolute shock the website, 'Wicked.com,' had nothing to do with the Wicked Doll. Rather Wicked.com pasted scenes of pornographic advertisements across her phone screen," the lawsuit's documents read. "Plaintiff's minor daughter immediately showed her mother the photographs and both were horrified by what they say [sic]."
Mattel has pulled the toy from retailers like Target, Amazon and Kohl's, and also issued a statement that it was aware of the misprint on the packaging of the box, "which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page." They advised customers who already purchased the doll to discard the packaging and/or obscure the wrong URL.
The plaintiff alleges Mattel did not offer a refund, and that she and her daughter suffered emotional distress over the misprint.
Scott Suchman for The Washington Post via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) -- Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks said he's out of 2,500 pies after thieves stole his van containing the baked goods and later ditched the vehicle.
According to an Instagram video posted by Banks, the pies were ruined.
"It's pretty badly damaged," Banks said. "And unfortunately, the bin in the back and all of the pies are pretty damaged as well."
The refrigerated van was stolen from a storage unit with 2,500 pies in boxes that had Banks' name written all over them, he said. The pies were worth about ÂŁ25,000, Banks said, which is equivalent to just over $31,000.
Banks wishes the outcome was different, he said. But he is grateful for the outpouring support he received from other business owners and people watching online.
"I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone. I mean, so many people have been interested in trying to find these pies, and I think the response from people have been amazing, especially for the business owners who've offered to lend us everything from vans to pastry to flour to meat, everything to make it, make it work," Banks said.
Banks declined ABC News' request for an interview.
ABC News reached out to the North Yorkshire Police and was directed to a statement on their website.
"To recap, North Yorkshire Police received a report on 2 December that a refrigerated vehicle containing valuable food stock including pies, had been stolen from a business park in Melmerby near Ripon over the weekend of 29 November to 2 December 2024," the police department said in a statement.
The statement added, "Initial enquiries revealed that the van, a white Fiat Ducato, was found abandoned with false number plates in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough and was recovered by Cleveland Police on 29/30 November."
The vehicle was stored by Cleveland Police and inquiries were ongoing as to the contents of the van when it was recovered, the New Yorkshire Police said.
The New Yorkshire Police said the van has been returned to the owner.
Cleveland Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact police.
Prior to the van being found, Banks uploaded a video on Instagram calling for the thieves to donate the pies to a charity for those in need.
He adds that the burglars "probably didn't bargain for nearly ton of pies in the back of it."
"These guys probably stole the van, right? Because that's what they do," Banks said."They steal vans or cars or whatever, but they probably didn't bargain for the nearly ton of pies that is in the back of it."
Banks said that the pies were for York Christmas Market and it's unfortunate because a lot of work went into the pies, he said.
"It's kind of sad because that's a lot of meat and a lot of flour and eggs and a lot of work," Banks said. "Like so much work. So like 25,000 pounds worth of a stock in the back of this van."
According to Banks' video, a rising trend of vans being stolen has mustered up and he encourages everyone to stay safe.
"A lot of crime going around at the moment, a lot of vans being stolen," Banks said. "And I did an interview on the radio earlier. People were saying how many vans are getting stolen. So I think especially at this time of year, just be vigilant. Definitely lockdown. I think we certainly learnt a few lessons and won't be leaving stock in our vans overnight for sure."
HOUSTON – The :Houston Chronicle reports that twenty-three years after Enron declared bankruptcy, the infamous Houston-based energy company appears to be making a return. A group representing itself as Enron, which became the center of a corporate scandal Dec. 2, 2001, following revelations of gross financial misconduct, has recently emerged in the Houston area. The company erected a billboard heralding Enron’s supposed return, took out a full-page ad in Monday’s print edition of the Houston Chronicle and has posted a statement on X promising a new leaf and a bright future for the company.
“Enron Corporation today announced its relaunch as a company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis,” the statement read. “With a bold new vision, Enron will leverage cutting-edge technology, human ingenuity and the spirit of adaptation to address the critical challenges of energy sustainability, accessibility and affordability.” Reconciliation is a major focus of Enron’s alleged revamp â so much so, the “R” in Enron now stands for “repentant,” according to the company’s newly-launched website. Enron Corporation denied the Chronicle’s request for an interview, but documents filed with the U.S. Patents and Trademark Office indicate the College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC that described itself on LinkedIn as “a multi-facet parent company which creates and operates clothing brands in the United States,” currently holds the rights to the multi-colored “E Enron” trademark seen on the billboard and Monday news release. According to trademark documents, in June the company granted the rights to the “E Enron” trademark to the Enron Corporation for $1. An individual named Charles Gaydos, who identified as the owner of the College Company and the CEO of Enron Corporation, signed on behalf of both entities. The College Company did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment. The College Company also owns several trademarks related to a popular gag-conspiracy theory called Birds Aren’t Real. The gag became popular among Gen Z users on social media around 2020, and claimed birds are not animals but government-controlled drones sent to spy on U.S. citizens. Trademark documents indicate the College Company owns the rights to the Birds Aren’t Real brand for use on stickers, apparel and “promoting public awareness.” What kind of business is the new Enron? Although the company’s messaging appears to allude to a return to the energy sector, the exact nature of Enron’s new business remains unclear. The company’s Monday news release and website are loaded with vague promises including “solving the energy crisis,” but little has been made public regarding the operational nuts and bolts.
(NEW YORK) -- The jury has begun deliberating in the subway chokehold death trial of Daniel Penny.
The jury -- comprised of seven women and five men -- is considering whether to convict Penny of manslaughter and negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man, on a New York City subway train.
To convict, prosecutors have told the jury that Penny's use of lethal force must be considered unjustifiable and that Penny acted recklessly and consciously disregarded the substantial risk of putting Neely in the chokehold for so long. Defense attorneys told the jury that Penny was only trying to protect subway passengers.
Defense attorneys also said that Penny never intended to kill Neely, while prosecutors said they do not have to prove Penny intended to kill Neely to have the jury hand down a guilty verdict.
(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing a rule that will eliminate the certificates that allow employers to pay some workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, which stands at $7.25 an hour.
The department announced the change on Tuesday, which also marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
âOne of the guiding principles of the American workplace is that a hard dayâs work deserves a fair dayâs pay, and this proposal ensures that principle includes workers with disabilities,â said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman in a statement on the proposed rule.
She continued, âSince the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, opportunities and training have dramatically expanded to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain employment at or above the full federal minimum wage. Similarly, employers today have more resources and training available to recruit, hire and retain workers with disabilities in employment at or above the full minimum wage, and this proposed rule aligns with that reality.â
The rule, if passed, would no longer allow employers to apply for certificates under Section 14(c) of Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows for the subminimum wage. It would set a three-year phase-out period for employers who currently have existing certificates.
A 2020 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that some workers were being paid less than a dollar an hour for their work.
The disability community faces higher rates of poverty and lower rates of employment in the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council on Disability. Disabled advocates have long criticized Section 14(c) for perpetuating what they call discrimination and stigma.
(LUANDA, Angola) -- President Joe Biden on Tuesday, during his diplomatic trip to Angola, acknowledged America's "original sin" of slavery and the slave trade that once connected the United States and the African nation.
"I've learned that while history can be hidden, it cannot and should not be erased," Biden said. "It should be faced. It's our duty to face our history. The good, the bad and the ugly. The whole truth. That's what great nations do."
The remarks were delivered at the National Museum of Slavery, where millions of African slaves were baptized before being chained in ships to travel across the Atlantic Ocean.
"We're gathering in a solemn location because to fully consider how far our two countries have come in our friendship, we have to remember how we began," Biden said outside the museum on a rainy afternoon.
"We hear them in the wind and the waves: young women, young men born free in the highlands in Angola, only to be captured, bound and forced in a death march along this very coast to this spot by slave traders in the year 1619," Biden said.
The White House announced earlier this week, as Biden arrived in Angola, that it was giving a $229,000 grant to help with a restoration of the museum and its conservation.
The diplomatic trip is aimed at deepening the relationship between the two countries, and marks the first-ever visit to Angola by a sitting U.S. president and the first sub-Saharan trip by an American leader since President Barack Obama in 2015.
Biden kicked off the visit with a bilateral meeting earlier Tuesday with President JoĂŁo Lourenco in Luanda.
The two men talked about trade and economic opportunities, protecting democracy and the growth of the U.S.-Angola relationship, according to the White House.
Biden celebrated the partnership further in his remarks, saying it's as "strong as it's ever been" and that the "United States is all in on Africa's future."
"The story of Angola and the United States holds a lesson for the world: two nations with a shared history in evil of human bondage, two nations on opposite sides of the Cold War defining struggle in the late part of the 20th century," Biden said. "And now two nations standing shoulder to shoulder, working together every day for the mutual benefit of our people."
"It's a reminder that no nation need be permanently the adversary of another testament to the human capacity for reconciliation and proof that from every -- from the horrors of slavery and war, there is a way forward," Biden added.
On Wednesday, Biden will tour part of the Lobito rail corridor, which is being partially financed by the U.S., that will help transport goods and materials across Africa -- a development seen as a way to counter China's influence in the region.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby touted the project in an interview with ABC News' Alex Presha.
Kirby said the administration was "very confident that the Lobito corridor is going to be a success," noting it's a multilateral effort with support from U.S. allies and benefits American companies that will build part of the railway at home before it's transported to Africa.
Looming over Biden's historic visit, though, was the decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden. Biden has not answered reporters' shouted questions on the pardon while he's been in Angola.
Asked if the pardon has diverted attention away from Biden's trip, Kirby said Biden is focused on "how important this is, again, not just to the people of Angola and the continent, but to the American people."
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue was reappointed Tuesday to another two-year term. The Commissioners Court voted to approve his additional term, which will take effect on December 20, 2024. He will be sworn in to office for the second term on that date. Hogue was initially appointed to serve as Smith County Fire Marshal on September 19, 2023. He worked at the Smith County Fire Marshalâs Office as assistant emergency management coordinator and deputy fire marshal since January 2017.
From 2015-2017, Hogue worked as a Smith County Sheriffâs Deputy, and from 2012-2015, he served as the Gregg County Fire Marshal. From 2010-2015, he instructed Fire Academy Cadets through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, and he served as an airport firefighter, deputy and EMT sergeant for the Gregg County Sheriffâs Office from 2008-2012, and as a lieutenant firefighter and EMT for the Gladewater Fire Department from 1999-2008. He has also served as guest instructor at the Texas A&M University Municipal Fire School
(NEW YORK) -- The deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders was declared over on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In total, 104 people reported falling ill across 14 states with about one-third of them being hospitalized, according to the CDC.
The true number of people who got sick was likely much higher because many people recover from E. coli without medical care and are never tested, the CDC noted.
Americans between ages 1 and 88 were affected in the outbreak, according to he CDC. Colorado had the greatest number of cases with at least 30 people falling ill. The state also reported one death.
An outbreak notice was first released by the CDC in late October. Evidence from health officials' investigation at the time showed that slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders were a likely source of contamination.
Nearly all the people who fell ill and were interviewed by health officials reported eating at McDonald's and the overwhelming majority remembered eating a menu item that contained the fresh, slivered onions, according to the CDC.
The fast food chain's distributor of the onions, Taylor Farms, initiated a voluntary recall of the onions in late October. McDonald's stopped using the ingredient and removed the Quarter Pounder entirely off the menu in a dozen states.
The latest reported illness was on Oct 21. All the confirmed cases occurred before the onions were recalled and the ingredient was taken off of the McDonald's menu at some locations, according to health officials.
The fast-food chain is no longer serving the recalled onions and there "does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday. The agency also noted that its investigation is now closed.
McDonald's North America chief Impact officer Michael Gonda and chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña shared a message on Tuesday, saying the announcements from the CDC and FDA provide "certainty and validation" that the outbreak is over and the risk to the public has remained low since late October.
While the issue had been fully contained -- and any contaminated product associated with this issue had been removed from our supply chain as of Oct. 22, 2024 -- it can now be classified as "closed" and remediated," the message read, in part.
PALESTINE â Safe Haven held a blessing ceremony for the first baby box in East Texas on Tuesday, providing an anonymous way for parents in crisis to surrender their children to first responders.
