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FDA approves first new drug for schizophrenia in more than 30 years

(SILVER SPRING, Md.) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved the first new drug to treat people with schizophrenia in more than 30 years.

Cobenfy, manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb, combines two drugs, xanomeline and trospium chloride, and is taken as a twice-daily pill. In clinical trials, this combination helped manage symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, which are common in schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a severe, chronic mental illness that is often damaging to a person’s quality of life,” Tiffany Farchione, M.D., director of the Division of Psychiatry, Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the approval announcement.

“This drug takes the first new approach to schizophrenia treatment in decades," Farchione continued. "This approval offers a new alternative to the antipsychotic medications people with schizophrenia have previously been prescribed.”

Cobenfy offers new hope for people with schizophrenia, providing an innovative treatment option that could change how this condition is managed, according to Jelena Kunovac, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Department of Psychiatry.

"We are overdue for a medication that targets schizophrenia with a different mechanism of action," Kunovac told ABC News.

The first drugs for schizophrenia, including chlorpromazine and haloperidol – also known by the brand names Thorazine and Haldol, respectively – were introduced in the 1950s and revolutionized treatment of the disease. However, there have been very few new medications since then, with most subsequent FDA approvals being for variations of these older drugs.

Most schizophrenia medications, broadly known as antipsychotics, work by changing dopamine levels, a brain chemical that affects mood, motivation, and thinking, Kunovac explained. Cobenfy takes a different approach by adjusting acetylcholine, another brain chemical that aids memory, learning and attention, she said.

By focusing on acetylcholine instead of dopamine, Cobenfy may reduce schizophrenia symptoms while avoiding common side effects like weight gain, drowsiness and movement disorders, clinical trials suggest. These side effects often become so severe and unpleasant that, in some studies mirroring real-world challenges, many patients stopped treatment within 18 months of starting it.

In clinical trials, only 6% of patients stopped taking Cobenfy due to side effects, noted Dr. Samit Hirawat, chief medical officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. "That's a significant improvement over the 20-30% seen with older antipsychotic drugs," he added.

The most common side effects of Cobenfy are nausea, indigestion, constipation, vomiting, hypertension, abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased heart rate, dizziness and gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to the FDA announcement.

"It may prove advantageous to those who don't tolerate what has been available," Dr. Leslie Citrome, a clinical professor of psychiatry and expert in psychopharmacology at New York Medical College, told ABC News regarding Cobenfy. "This will provide a new approach that may work out quite nicely."

Citrome emphasized that patients who have trouble tolerating the side effects of traditional schizophrenia medications may benefit most from Cobenfy, and that a different mechanism of action holds hope for those who have not responded adequately to existing treatments.

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that affects about 24 million people worldwide, or roughly one in 300 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It often leads to significant challenges in daily functioning, work, and relationships, impacting both patients and their families.

The disorder typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and can lead to lifelong disability if not properly managed, according to the WHO, further highlighting the need for effective treatment options.

Following approval, doctors could start prescribing Cobenfy by the end of October, according to Adam Lenkowsky, executive vice president and chief commercialization officer at Bristol Myers Squibb.

Experts hope that the drug's unique mechanism and reduced side effects will help set a new standard of care for schizophrenia patients. Studies for additional therapeutic uses, including the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorder, are also underway.

Jake Goodman, MD, MBA is a psychiatry resident physician and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

Tyler is the best city in the nation for retirees

TYLER — The City of Tyler was named the best in the nation for retirement, a recent study said. According to our news partner KETK, a USA TODAY research team ranked 329 cities to determine which offers the best retirement experience based on factors like tax friendliness, housing costs, healthcare availability and number of leisure activities. “Tyler is the best city for retirees, featuring affordable homes, no income tax and prices 7.7% lower than the national average,” Kristina Zagame, a contributor for USA TODAY said.

Not only does Tyler top the list of best cities for retirees but a March-released study of the best cities to move to in Texas.

Researchers at USA TODAY Homefront found per 1,000 residents, Tyler has a crime rate of 28.7, and 9.9 senior-relevant care providers. The typical Tyler home is valued at $257,181 and the city is considered a most tax friendly. Continue reading Tyler is the best city in the nation for retirees

US, Israel at standoff over Lebanon cease-fire proposal. What happened?

US President Joe Biden (L), sits with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting, in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. (Photo by Miriam Alster / POOL / AFP/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- A 21-day cease-fire proposal aimed at pausing the conflict in Lebanon has become the latest flashpoint in the strained relationship between the Biden administration and Israel after the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, roundly rejected the terms of the proposal on Thursday.

As the prime minister flew to New York ahead of his Friday address to the annual high-level gathering of the United Nations, his office issued a statement saying he "did not even respond" to the proposal put forth by the U.S. and France, and that he had instructed the Israeli military to continue fighting against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah "with full force."

Netanyahu's rejection came just hours after White House officials lauded a joint statement issued by the U.S., the European Union and six other countries endorsing the plan for a 21-day truce, a step heralded as an "important breakthrough."

Washington said Israel had been consulted before the joint statement was released, but struggled to explain the apparent disconnect.

"We wouldn't have worked on that statement the way we did. We wouldn't have issued it when and how we did if it wasn't supported by the conversations that we were having with top Israeli officials yesterday," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.

But behind the scenes, several U.S. officials familiar with the negotiations told ABC News they have consistently seen getting Israel to sign off on a truce as an uphill battle.

Israel views a pause as beneficial to Hezbollah because it could allow it to regroup and strike back at Israel following attacks on the militant group's communication system last week widely attributed to Israel, according to the officials.

They say that the Israeli government also views a truce of any length as running counter to its main aim of allowing people displaced from areas near its northern border to return to their homes as soon as possible.

Israel's permanent representative to the U.N., Danny Danon, told reporters on Wednesday that Israel would prefer to end its conflict with Hezbollah via diplomacy, but that "if it fails to return our residents to the homes, then we will use all means at our disposal."

"We are very honest about it," Danon said, adding that he believed the mediators "know exactly what we want."

The latest disconnect between the U.S. and Israel appears poised to add additional strain to what was already expected to be a contentious address to the U.N. by Netanyahu on Friday.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the body's Security Council on Wednesday that "hell is breaking loose in Lebanon."

The U.N. Refugee Agency added on Thursday that in just 72 hours, more than 90,000 people had been displaced in Lebanon.

Shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Hezbollah -- a U.S.-designated terrorist organization -- began firing rockets across the Lebanese border with Israel. The low-level conflict continued for nearly a year, repeatedly threatening to escalate before Israel stepped up its military campaign earlier this month.

Southwest Airlines says it will introduce assigned seats and premium perks in 2026

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines executives on Thursday unveiled their vision for Southwest 2.0, an airline that for the first time will give passengers assigned seats, charge them extra for more legroom and offer red-eye flights. And bags still will fly free.

The airline will also repackage its sale of vacation packages. It will seek partnerships with international airlines, starting with Icelandair next year, that executives say will make Southwest credit cards and frequent-flyer program more attractive.

The changes will amount to the biggest ever at Southwest, which is the original low-cost airline but is now well into middle age and suffering from sagging financial results.

Southwest executives pitched the new offerings as they came under increasing pressure from an activist investor who wants to replace the airline’s management and force a review of its strategy. Southwest’s annual profit is on pace to decline for a third straight year, and its stock price has fallen by more than half since early 2021.

“Our model is not broken,” CEO Robert Jordan declared, but he said it needs tweaking and “enhancement.”

“We are not producing the financial results that we are capable of delivering,” he said at a meeting with investors at the airline’s Dallas headquarters.

Southwest said its multi-year plan, including changes to its flight network, will add about $1.5 billion in pretax earnings in 2027.

Southwest had previously given the outlines of changes including assigned seating and extra-legroom seats, but it gave more details about them Thursday.

Executives detailed how each of Southwest’s four airfare tiers will come with perks that get better as the price rises. Executive Vice President Ryan Green said the cheapest fares will not allow customers to pick a seat when they book a flight, which could increase the incentive for consumers to move up to the next fare level.

Jordan said it will take time to make significant changes at an airline with 800 planes.

Southwest’s reservation system is capable of handling assigned seating, Jordan said, but “we have dozens and dozens of other systems of the company that are geared for open seating … and those have to be changed.”

“There is a lot of risk if you do this poorly,” the CEO said.

Southwest stopped short of changing another of its longtime characteristics: letting passengers check up to two bags for free, a break from fees that are charged by all other leading U.S. airlines. Executives said it’s the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals.

U.S. airlines brought in more than $7 billion in revenue from bag fees last year, with American and United reaping more than $1 billion apiece. Wall Street has long argued that Southwest is leaving money behind.

Southwest, which has built years of advertising campaigns around bags-fly-free, estimated that bag fees would raise about $1.5 billion a year, but eliminating the perk could drive away passengers, costing the airline $1.8 billion, or a net loss of $300 million a year.

Southwest had contemplated an overhaul for months, but the push for radical change became even more important to management this summer, when Elliott Investment Management targeted the company for its weak financial performance in recent years.

The hedge fund blames Southwest leaders, portraying them as hidebound and insensitive to changing consumer tastes. Elliott, controlled by billionaire financier Paul Singer, wants to replace Jordan and most of the Southwest board.

The hedge fund dismissed Southwest’s turnaround plan as too little, too late.

“Another promise of a better tomorrow from the same people who have created the problems we face today,” two Elliott officials said in a statement. “Without credible leadership that can execute, this plan — filled with long-dated promises of better performance — risks becoming the latest in Southwest’s long series of failed improvement initiatives.”

Elliott, the airline’s second-largest shareholder, said it plans to call for a shareholder meeting as soon as next week that could include voting on Southwest directors. Elliott has a slate of 10 board candidates, including former airline CEOs.

Southwest gave ground this month, when it announced that six directors will leave in November and Chairman Gary Kelly will step down next year. On Thursday, it named a former AirTran and Spirit Airlines CEO to its board, which now numbers 16.

Jordan argued that the plan he has laid out should satisfy investors.

“We do not believe that a proxy fight is in the best interest of the company, and we remain willing to work with Elliott on a cooperative approach,” Jordan said.

Before Thursday’s event started, Southwest announced a $2.5 billion share-buyback program designed to make existing shares more valuable.

Southwest also said that third-quarter revenue will be better than expected partly because it gained passengers who were stranded by other airlines during the CrowdStrike global tech outage in July. Delta Air Lines was particularly hard hit by the outage.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. gained more than 5%.

5 executions have happened over a week’s span in the US. That’s the most in decades

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Death row inmates in five states have been put to death in the span of one week, an unusually high number of executions that defies a yearslong trend of decline in both the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S.

The first execution was carried out on Friday in South Carolina. Two more death row inmates, in Missouri and Texas, were pronounced dead Tuesday evening following executions, and an Oklahoma inmate was executed Thursday. When Alabama used nitrogen gas later Thursday to execute a man, it marked the first time in more than 20 years — since July 2003 — that five were held in seven days, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions.

The United States has reached 1,600 executions since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, said Robin Maher, the center’s executive director.

Here are some things to know about executions set this week across the country.
How did 5 executions get set for a 1-week span?

Experts say five executions being scheduled within one week is simply an anomaly that resulted from courts or elected officials in individual states setting dates around the same time after inmates exhausted their appeals.

“I’m not aware of any reason other than coincidence,” said Eric Berger, a law professor at the University of Nebraska with expertise in the death penalty and lethal injection.

Berger said some factors can result in a backlog of executions, such as a state’s inability to obtain the lethal drugs necessary to carry them out, which happened in South Carolina, or a moratorium that resulted from botched executions, like what happened in Oklahoma.
South Carolina

The first of the five executions took place on Friday when South Carolina put inmate Freddie Owens to death for the 1997 killing of a convenience store clerk during a robbery. It was South Carolina’s first execution in 13 years, an unintended delay caused by the inability of state prison officials to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections. To carry out executions, the state switched from a three-drug method to a new protocol of using a single sedative, pentobarbital.
Missouri

In Missouri on Tuesday evening, Marcellus Williams was put to death by lethal injection for the 1998 stabbing death of a woman in the St. Louis suburb of University City. Williams’ attorneys argued on Monday that the state Supreme Court should halt his execution over alleged procedural errors in jury selection and the prosecution’s alleged mishandling of the murder weapon. But the state’s high court rejected those arguments, and Gov. Mike Parson denied Williams’ clemency request, paving the way for his execution to proceed.
Texas

Also on Tuesday, Texas death row inmate Travis Mullis was executed by lethal injection. Mullis, a man with a long history of mental illness who has repeatedly sought to waive his right to appeal his death sentence, was sentenced to death for killing his 3-month-old son in January 2008. In a letter submitted to U.S. District Judge George Hanks in Houston, Mullis wrote in February that he had no desire to challenge his case any further and stated that “his punishment fit the crime.” The 38-year-old is the fourth inmate put to death this year in Texas, the nation’s busiest capital punishment state.
Alabama

Alabama carried out the nation’s second execution ever using nitrogen gas on Thursday, after becoming the first state to use the new procedure in January. Alan Eugene Miller, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. local time at a south Alabama prison. The execution method involves a mask being placed over the inmate’s head that forces the inmate to inhale pure nitrogen. Miller, who was given a reprieve in 2022 after his execution was called off when officials were unable to connect an intravenous line, was sentenced to die after being convicted of killing three men during back-to-back workplace shootings in 1999.
Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, Emmanuel Littlejohn received a lethal injection on Thursday after being sentenced to die for his role in the 1992 shooting death of a convenience store owner during a robbery. Littlejohn admitted to his role in the robbery, but claimed he did not fire the fatal shot. The state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 last month to recommend Gov. Kevin Stitt spare Littlejohn’s life, but the governor rejected the recommendation.

Texas official indicted, accused of making fake social media posts during election

HOUSTON (AP) — The top elected official in a county in suburban Houston was indicted on Thursday over allegations he created fake and racist social media posts when he ran for re-election in 2022.

A grand jury indicted Fort Bend County Judge KP George on a misdemeanor charge of misrepresentation of identity of a candidate.

The indictment alleges that on Sept. 26, 2022, he posed as a Facebook user named “Antonio Scalywag” in a campaign communication posted on George’s Facebook page “with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election.”

The indictment did not specify the election that was allegedly influenced or the candidate that was injured. But at the time, George, a Democrat, was running for re-election as county judge against Trever Nehls, who is the twin brother of Texas congressman Troy Nehls. A county judge serves as the chief executive officer of a county in Texas.

George was indicted after authorities accused him in a Sept. 17 search warrant of working with his former chief of staff, Taral Patel, to use the “Antonio Scalywag” alias to post racist social media posts targeting George in order to garner sympathy for the county judge. After the search warrant was issued, George’s cell phones and computer were seized.

George, who was born in India and later became a U.S. citizen, is the first person of color to serve as county judge in Fort Bend, a diverse county located southwest of Houston. It has been one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S. in recent years. He was first elected as county judge in 2018.

Patel, who is running for a county commissioner position in the Nov. 5 election, was indicted earlier this month on four charges of online impersonation and four charges of misinterpretation of identity. Authorities allege Patel also used the “Antonio Scalywag” alias to make racist posts to help him in his own race for county commissioner.

George was disappointed charges were filed against him but was confident “when all the facts are presented, justice will prevail,” he said in a statement. “In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty and I fully intend to prove my innocence in court.”

George said he turned himself in to authorities Thursday evening and was later released on a personal recognizance bond.

The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, which led the investigation, said it had expanded its investigation of Patel to include George and the county judge was indicted “as a party to the offense for which Taral Patel was indicted.”

Frank Yeverino, an attorney for Patel, did not immediately reply to a call seeking comment.

At least one Fort Bend County commissioner, Vincent Morales, called for George to resign following his indictment.

“I have no intention of stepping down,” George said.

___

A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled the last name of former Chief of Staff Taral Patel by using the spelling Patal.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

Suspects in alleged Smith County dogfighting ring relinquish custody

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the public hearing to determine custody of nearly 60 dogs from an alleged dogfighting ring was cancelled 45 minutes before it was scheduled to start on Thursday.

“The owners of the dogs agreed to divest ownership of those animals and allow the state or the county to take ownership or possession of those dogs,” said Thomas Wilson, Assistant District Attorney for Smith County. “I have been in contact with the Humane Society of the United States and they are getting me in contact with a lady who is a behavioralist or a behavioral specialist, specifically for your game bred pits and dogs like that, to come do an evaluation on all the dogs that are here to kind of see what the next step for them means,” said Amber Greene, supervisor for the Smith County Animal Control.

The next step for the dogs is to be assessed for fosters and adoption. The Humane Society will pay for this case worker to fly in from Florida to individually assess the health and behavior of the animals in the coming days. Although a decision has been made regarding the custody of these dogs, the criminal portion of this case is still being actively investigated. Sheriff Smith said earlier this month that they will continue looking into all leads and track down other people tied to this large operation.

Chapel Hill ISD mourns the death of one its student

SMITH COUNTY – Chapel Hill ISD is grief-stricken after Bulldog Band member and 11th grade student, Diego Rodriguez, died of leukemia on Thursday. Diego was a junior trombone player in the Bulldog Band.

“We are deeply saddened at Chapel Hill High School with the loss of Diego. I was fortunate to have been Diego’s principal for the last three years. I will miss his infectious smile and kind heart the most,” said Linda Godwin, assistant principal at Chapel Hill High School.

There is information on services and visitation for Diego. You can find it here.

Senate Democrats are making a late push in red-leaning states

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats looking to preserve their Senate majority in the face of a difficult election cycle announced Thursday they were making a “multi-million dollar investment” in television advertising in Texas and Florida races with the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee saying he’s “very confident there’s going to be more coming.”

Sen. Gary Peters, chair of the DSCC, discussed the new spending during an appearance at the National Press Club. Peters declined to be more specific about the amount of money the committee will invest in the two Republican-leaning states, but emphasized that the investment won’t come at the expense of Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who is viewed as the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent seeking office.

“There is no world that you can conceive of that I’m not going to be in the Montana race to the very end,” Peters said. “Jon Tester will have everything that he needs to win.”

The Texas race features Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who is seeking a third term against Rep. Colin Allred. Cruz won his last race by less than three percentage points with 51% of the vote. The Florida race features Sen. Rick Scott., who is seeking his second term against former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Scott won his race six years ago with 50% of the vote.

Democrats hold a slim majority but are likely to lose a seat in West Virginia now that Sen. Joe Manchin is retiring. Republicans would only need to flip one more seat to take the majority and much of their focus is on Montana, which former President Donald Trump won by more than 16 percentage points four years ago. There, Republican Tim Sheehy is hoping to unseat Tester, who is completing his third term in the Senate.

Philip Letsou, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded to Peters’ announcement by saying it was “effectively an admission from Chuck Schumer and the DSCC that Jon Tester, who is polling very badly, looks like a lost cause.”

He went on to criticize the two Democratic challengers, saying “Allred and Mucarsel-Powell are bad fits for Florida and Texas, and voters will reject them.”

Peters cited the close wins that Cruz and Scott experienced six years ago in explaining the decision to go on the offense in the Republican-leaning states.

“Ted Cruz’s numbers are worse now than they were when he ran last time,” Peters said. “In Florida, Rick Scott has run several statewide races, and even when he has a wind at his back with a strong Republican year, he’s never won by just a hair over one point.”

Democrats are also hoping a Florida referendum on abortion will benefit Democratic candidates on the ballot. Florida law currently bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant. If approved by 60% of voters, the ballot initiative known as Amendment 4 would ensure that abortions are legal until the fetus is viable, as determined by the patient’s health care provider.

Peters said data was “definitely showing some great momentum” for Democrats in Florida.

“We expect there’s a lot of upside, particularly when folks get to know our candidates better,” Peters said. “It’s pretty powerful in terms of the numbers, so we made the decision that we’ve got to start investing.”

Update: Boil water notice rescinded in Troup

Update: Boil water notice was rescinded late Saturday morning by Troup city officials.

TROUP – A water line break in Troup has put several residents in the southeast parts of the city under a boil water notice. That’s according to our news partner KETK.

While under a boil water notice, it is recommended that all residents under the notice bring water to a vigorous boil for at least two minutes before use and consumption. Alternatively, bottled water an be used instead of boiling water.

The City of Troup said that a public notice will be issued once the boil water notice is rescinded. Anyone with questions regarding the boil water notice can contact public works director John Odom at 903-842-3128.

To see the map of the area under the boil water notice. Go here. It’s provided by our news partner KETK.

Police: 19 Longview stores sold alcohol to minors

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department in multiple operations during the summer that revealed multiple stores sold alcohol and tobacco products to underage people. According to our news partner KETK, from June through August, police used underage people posing as customers in four “compliance operations”.

Department spokesperson said that 20 businesses were visited for tobacco sales, two of them sold tobacco products to underage persons. With alcohol products, 37 stores were visited to obtain alcohol. 19 stores sold alcohol products to customers posing as underage individuals.

According to Longview PD, each violation had a citation issued or a case filed with the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. Current law in Texas states that a person must be 21 or older to purchase or possess alcohol or tobacco products.

Israel kills Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike, Netanyahu vows to continue ‘with full force’

(TEL-AVIV, Israel) -- Israel said it killed another top Hezbollah commander -- Muhammad Hussein Srour, the commander of Hezbollah's Aerial Command -- in a "precise" strike on Beirut Thursday.

At least two people were killed, and 15 others were injured in a strike on Dahieh in Beirut, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Hezbollah has not yet commented on the death of its commander.

This comes hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will "continue the fighting with full force."

At least 23 people were killed -- including 19 Syrian refugees -- and four others were injured after Israel struck a building on the Syrian-Lebanese border in another strike Thursday, officials said.

Nearly 700 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since Monday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Strikes this week follow the explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies throughout the country last week.

Netanyahu shot down the possibility of a cease-fire that could end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon after the U.S. and France said they have put a proposal on the table for a 21-day stop in fighting. He also said fighting in Gaza will continue until the goals of the war are achieved.

Despite the proposal on the table, all signs point to Israel preparing for a possible ground invasion into Lebanon.

President Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that there is global support for a 21-day cease-fire proposal that he and other leaders have called for.

"We were able to generate significant support from Europe, as well as the Arab nations. It's important this war not widen," Biden told reporters as he returned to the White House Thursday.

The president was returning from the U.N. General Assembly, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday to discuss details of a joint statement announcing the proposal, according to senior administration officials.

The Israel Ministry of Defense secured a $8.7 billion U.S. aid package from Washington to support its ongoing military efforts. The package includes $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement, which has already been transferred, and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Israel has said it is attacking Hezbollah in order to allow residents to return to the north.

As tensions continue to rise in the region, Iran "will not remain indifferent in case of a full-scale war in Lebanon," the Iranian Foreign Minister said in comments to reporters Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

He also warned Israel's "crimes will not go unpunished," and said the Middle East region "risks full-scale conflict" if the U.N. Security Council does not "act now to halt Israel's war and enforce an immediate cease-fire."

"The Israeli leaders must understand that their crimes will not go unpunished. The path to de-escalation is clear. Israel must immediately stop its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. Without a cease-fire in Gaza, there will be no guarantee of peace in the region," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Wednesday.

"Iran will not remain indifferent in case of a full-scale war in Lebanon. We stand with the people of Lebanon with all means," he added.

This is how much the fire risk in South America has increased in recent decades

(RIO DE JANEIRO) -- Scientists have quantified how much more fire-prone South America has become in recent decades, as several parts of the continent experience severe wildfires.

Some regions in South America are experiencing many more days with extreme fire conditions, putting some of the continent's most important ecosystems -- such as the Amazon rainforest and the Gran Chaco forest -- in grave danger of a single spark starting an uncontrollable wildfire, according to a study published Thursday in Communications Earth & Environment journal.

Since 1970, the number of days per year that are extremely hot, dry and have conditions of high fire risk, such as heavy winds, have tripled -- even quadrupled -- in some parts of South America, the researchers found. Millions of square kilometers have experienced the high increase to fire risk, Raul Cordero, a climate scientist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and lead author of the study, told ABC News.

A concurrence of a drought and heat wave is a "horrible" cocktail for the onset of a wildfire, Cordero said. While the conditions have existed in South America before, the frequency at which the fire-risk days are happening today "cannot be compared what used to be normal in the 80s," Cordero said.

"If somebody sets a fire, it's going to make it quite hard to control the propagation of that fire," Cordero said.

The researchers calculated the number of days per year that each 30-by-30 kilometer grid cell on the South American continent experienced simultaneous hot, dry and flammable extremes between 1971 and 2022. The extremes for each condition were measured by daily maximum temperature records, 30-day rainfall averages and daily fire weather index records, according to the paper.

The frequency of these simultaneous extremes increased across the entire continent during the time frame, the data showed.

There are four fire-prone "hotspots" in South America that researchers found to have particularly increasing risk for fire: the Amazon rainforest in most of its nine-country span; the border between Venezuela and Colombia; the Gran Chaco, the second-largest forest on the continent located in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay; and central Chile, which experienced severe wildfires in February, Cordero said.

The main driver to the increase of fire conditions is climate change, Cordero said.

Places like the Amazon rainforest have been experiencing persistent drought for the last two decades, while the global temperature has been increasing simultaneously, he said.

When agricultural fires are set, it gives way for the fires to get out of control, and fast, Cordero said. Agricultural fires are typically set by farmers aiming to clear the land before the next season but also for illegal activity, such as logging, he said.

"Because of the weather conditions are so extreme, they set the fire, and then the propagation on the fire can't be controlled," he said. "That's the problem."

In addition, the warm El Niño phase increased the fire risk in the northern Amazon region, while the cooler La Niña phase led to increased fire risk in central South America, the paper found.

Several parts of South America are currently experiencing record-breaking wildfires, including the Amazon rainforest, the Cerrado tropical savanna and the Pantanal wetlands.

Further deforestation in the region will lead to more severe wildfires in the future, experts say.

Common sense on illegal immigration.

Former president Donald Trump is pledging to deport millions of illegal aliens if he is elected. That sounds great to a whole lot of voters.

The simple fact is illegal immigration has long ago quit being a border state issue. There are few places in the country in which the negative fiscal and social consequences of having allowed 10+ million unvetted, mostly poor, mostly uneducated, and often criminally inclined people into the country aren’t being felt.

So, Trump’s pledge to begin deporting them is getting a sympathetic hearing in many quarters. Polling suggests that upward of 70 percent of Americans are in favor of mass deportation of illegal migrants.

But missing from Trump’s pledge is any detail as to how such a mass deportation might happen. We’re talking something north of 10 million people. Rounding up and deporting that many human beings presents logistical and political challenges on a cosmic scale.

One such challenge is the optics of it all. The images of armed federal officers descending upon “immigrant communities” and forcibly putting “good people who just want a better life” into vans and busses to be shipped out of the country will not play well. The Trump-hating media will have a field day.

The inevitable video of a frightened and crying little girl clutching her stuffed animal as she is stared down upon by a rifle wielding ICE officer will tear at the hearts of even the hardest of secure border hardliners.

But that doesn’t mean that we can or should avoid the clear necessity of drastically reducing the population of people living in the United States illegally. No nation that wishes to call itself sovereign can live with what is going on now.

So, let’s be smart about it. Start with rounding up gang bangers and criminals. That roundup won’t evoke much sympathy (except from the lefty-loon ‘defund the police’ crowd).

But forcibly gathering millions of non-criminals and deporting them is a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, there’s self-deportation. Those millions came in one by one, and they can leave one by one. And there’s a very simple and legal way to bring that about.

Cut off the goodies.

No more free cell phones. No more EBT debit cards for free groceries. No more driver licenses. No more free housing in hotels.

Also, to further weaken the magnet that is attracting so many illegal migrants, put real teeth in the enforcement of existing laws regarding employment eligibility. Severely punish a few employers and other employers will take notice.

Do these things and the illegal migrant population in the U.S. will begin to shrink.

The Left will call it xenophobic and (wait for it) racist.

But for some clarity, take a look at the Brits. It says plain as day on the stamp they put in your passport when you enter their country, “Employment and Recourse to Public Funds Prohibited.”

Are the Brits xenophobic and racist?

Or is it perhaps that one nation’s xenophobia and racism is a more discerning nation’s common sense?

Sergeant placed on leave after ‘use of force incident’

EMORY – The Rains County Sheriff’s Office said a sergeant has been placed on administrative leave after a “use of force incident” happened at the Rains County Jail on Sept. 4 according to our news partners at KETK. The “incident” reportedly involved a Rains County Jail inmate and is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers. Rains County Sheriff Michael Hopkins said the sheriff’s office will do an internal compliance investigation of the case after the Texas Rangers complete their investigation. The sergeant involved has been put on administrative leave while the investigations are underway as per policy. The sheriff’s office said that no other information will be released until the investigations are complete.