On Rebel's Instagram, she posted a photo from the event, with both women wearing gorgeous white bridal gowns, against a breathtaking postcard perfect location.
According to Us Weekly, the intimate affair included Wilson's mom Sue Bownds, her sisters Annachi and Liberty Wilson, and her brother Ryan Ryot, along with some of the couples' close friends.
The Pitch Perfect actress, 44, and Agruma, 40, began dating in 2021 and went public with the romance in 2022, the same time Wilson came out as queer.
That same year, Wilson welcomed her first child, a baby girl, via surrogate.
The couple announced their engagement in 2023.
One of the first to salute the happy couple online was Rebel's Pitch Perfect co-star Adam Devine, who enthused, "Both of you look stunning! Congrats Rebs. Look at us all grown up! So happy for you!"
KTBB 97.5 FM is in the process of moving its transmitting antenna to a new tower. This process dictates that during the week of Sept. 30, KTBB 97.5 FM will either be off the air or operating at significantly reduced power for extended periods. All of KTBB-FMâs programming is simulcast on KTBB AM 600, and operation of KTBB AM 600 will continue normally. KTBBâs programming is also available via streaming on desktop computers and on mobile devices via the free KTBB Mobile App for Apple and Android.
(ERIE, Pa.) -- At a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday, former President Donald Trump suggested "one rough hour" of law enforcement would deter retail theft.
After falsely claiming crime is up in the U.S. under President Joe Biden, mostly due to migrant crime, Trump brought up seeing stores in New York City and San Francisco locking up their merchandise behind glass doors.
"See, we have to let the police do their job. And if they have to be extraordinarily rough --" Trump trailed off as his rally crowd cheered.
Trump went on to claim, without evidence, that people are walking out of stores with items like air conditioning units and refrigerators "on their back," "And the police aren't allowed to do their job," he said.
"They're told if you do anything, you're going to lose your pension; you're going to lose your family, your house, your car. The police want to do it. The Border Patrol wants to do it. ... They're not allowed to do it because the liberal left won't let 'em do it," he said on stage.
"You know, if you had one day, like, one real rough, nasty day with the drugstores as an example, where when they start walking out with--" Trump continued before pivoting to retail crime in San Francisco, falsely claiming his opponent in the presidential race -- Vice President Kamala Harris -- was responsible for reclassifying felony theft as misdemeanors if under $950, even though it was a proposition approved by California voters.
Trump, who said he recently had a tenant end a lease due to retail theft, said things are "so bad."
"One rough hour -- and I mean real rough -- the word will get out, and it will end immediately, end immediately. You know, it will end immediately," he said.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain finally got to smash a watermelon for the first time this season Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Smashed the hopes of a bunch of playoff drivers trying to earn an automatic berth in the next round, too.
The seventh-generation watermelon farmer took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go, then held off title contender William Byron the rest of the way to the finish line. It was the first win for Chastain since last year’s finale at Phoenix, when he also played a bit of a spoiler on the day that the NASCAR Cup Series crowned its champion.
âWe haven’t gone anywhere. We keep showing up,â said Chastain, who barely missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. âIt’s not easy when you’re failing or struggling at something, and you just can’t get to where you want to get to.â
The retiring Truex, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, finished third in what was likely his final Kansas race.
He was leading when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution of a wreck-filled day. Truex picked the top on the restart, and Chastain opted for the bottom, and it was the No. 1 car from Trackhouse Racing that got the big push to the front.
âIt’s pretty deflating when you don’t make the playoffs, and we knew the last couple of races of the regular season, we were right on that cut line,â said Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen. âBut there’s no give-up here. We’re not laying down.â
Byron’s second-place run was the best among the 12 drivers going on to the second round of the playoffs. And while the win would have locked him into the next round of the playoffs with unpredictable Talladega up next, the result was enough to move the No. 24 car to the top spot in the playoff points standings.
âYou’re so close, and going to Talladega, you know what that is,â Byron said. âBut proud of the effort.â
Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champ’s postseason hopes a big boost. Ty Gibbs was fifth, followed by four more playoff contenders: Alex Bowman was sixth, pole sitter Christopher Bell recovered from a couple of scrapes with the wall to finish seventh, Denny Hamlin salvaged an eighth-place run after trouble on pit road, and Chase Elliott was ninth after starting at the rear of the field due to an engine change.
âConsidering yesterday and starting last and everything, it could have been a lot worse,â Elliott said. âBut I’m always on the side of the fence where our car was good enough. I felt like (the results) could have been a lot better, but we’ll take it.â
Kyle Busch looked like he might finally extend his streak to 20 seasons with a Cup Series win when he passed Chastain with 64 laps to go. But cycling back to the front after pit stops, Busch was trying to squeeze by Chase Briscoe as the latter fought to stay on the lead lap. Busch ended up hitting the wall and skidding down the back stretch with 30 laps to go.
He wound up 19th, extending his winless streak to 51 races dating to last year in St. Louis.
âI guess I got in too big of a hurry,â Busch said. âI mean, I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.â
Kyle Larson had perhaps the longest day of anyone. The winner last week at Bristol had a right rear go down 18 laps into the race, sending him into the wall. The damage appeared to be minimal, and his Hendrick Motorsports crew kept working at it the rest of the race. But he still finished 26th, just behind fellow playoff drivers Briscoe and Tyler Reddick.
Austin Cindric had to pit twice at the end of Stage 1 because of a loose wheel, but he was back in contention when his left rear went down near the end of Stage 2, sending him spinning down the back stretch. He finished four laps down in 34th.
âThat is unacceptable for the position we are in, and especially with the speed we’ve had in the car,” Cindric said. “I’m pretty bummed about all that. I think the next two weeks are weeks we can go have great races, but we definitely wonât be able to get this one back. It makes our goals a little more clear going into Talladega and the Roval (at Charlotte).â
Blaney and Bell are six points behind Byron in the playoff standings, and Larson another 10 points back. Joey Logano is in the eighth and final spot above the cutoff, four points ahead of Reddick and 14 ahead of Daniel Suarez. Briscoe and Cindric are the other drivers in peril with two races left before the next cutoff.
Carl Edwards was back at Kansas Speedway to drive the pace car, eight years after walking away from the sport. He never won a Cup Series race at the track west of his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, but he did win a Truck Series race 20 years ago.
âI thought it was just going to be a ceremonial âgrand marshalâ kind of pace car thing,â Edwards said, âbut they made me come in this morning and do a lesson. A little more pressure than I expected.â
NASCAR continues the Cup Series playoffs next Sunday at Talladega. Blaney won a year ago, beating Kevin Harvick to the line after a last-lap wreck that included Elliott, Briscoe, Cindric and Riley Herbst.
(WASHINGTON) -- The White House is touting its American Rescue Plan (ARP) COVID emergency funding program as a win for public education with nearly 90% of its funds exhausted by Monday's deadline, according to senior Department of Education officials.
The final $122 billion phase of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund (ESSER), a part of the ARP law signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021, was distributed to state and local education agencies to reopen schools and promote physical health, safety and mental health and well-being.
In total, that funding and two prior installments of ESSER during the 2020 pandemic is roughly $190 billion. It has been obligated or used on school recovery projects that are wrapped up. Senior Department of Education officials said about 12% of ARP projects that are still underway are expected to be finished by the end of a January, 2025, liquidation extension window.
The ESSER package that was doled out to states as discretionary funding sparked controversy over how the funds were being spent. Many conservatives speculated whether it was being utilized at all, blaming the federal Education Department for a lack of academic recovery and low test scores on national assessments coming out of the pandemic.
Education finance expert Jess Gartner, who has been tracking school spending projects, told ABC News that school districts had planned for the window closing on ESSER funding.
"The reality is, the vast majority of school districts turned the page on Fiscal Year 25 on July 1: that means budgets for the year are done and dusted. They were approved in May or June," Gartner said, adding, "It's not like September 30 is going to catch CFOs by surprise. You know, they've been planning for this deadline for three, four years, and they have a budget for the whole year that's already in motion and fully approved."
What is ESSER?
ESSER was granted by the Department of Education's Education Stabilization Fund. It was meant to meet the challenges of the pandemic and academic recovery, according to the COVID relief data website.
In ESSER I, Congress allotted about $13 billion through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act when the pandemic first closed schools for in-person learning in March 2020.
In ESSER II, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act provided an additional $54 billion in December 2020.
The final installment of nearly $122 billion, or ESSER III, came under the American Rescue Plan Act -- the fund enabled states to reopen schools and for students to recover from the pandemic. ARP provided additional FY 2021 funding for the Department of Education to assist states with addressing the impacts of COVID-19 on elementary and secondary schools.
ESSER III brought the total to about $190 billion in emergency funding for state and local education departments.
How is ESSER III being used?
That $122 billion was tacked onto the roughly $68 billion in money in ESSER I and ESSER II the previous year. As discretionary funding, states could distribute the allotment however they chose. In the last 3 1/2 years, school districts have used it on infrastructure projects, school enrichment and summer programs, and staff positions where needed.
Baltimore City Superintendent Dr. Sonja Santelises said her district's large projects -- critical in supporting an urban school population -- included building bathrooms, expanding summer programs and providing tutoring sessions.
"We didn't want to leave money on the table," Santelises said. "There was an intentional decision [in some urban school districts] to invest one-time money in building back what was already an under-resourced infrastructure in the school district -- these are the districts that are least likely to have the funding to do the capital projects," she added.
Despite critics ridiculing the spending practices in some states -- leading to tense debates about learning loss -- education experts told ABC News the summer programming and high-impact tutoring proved to be vital in academic recovery. Students who were socially isolated and fell behind used robust tutoring programs to not only catch up, but to also return to school if they were showing attendance issues, according to FutureEd Director Thomas Toch.
"Tutoring creates connections between students and adults and one of the things that we've learned in the wake of the pandemic is that kids are feeling more alienated, more isolated, than ever," he said. "An important sort of antidote to these high levels of chronic absenteeism is connecting kids to adults more fully than they have in the past."
A recent Pew Research Center survey of public K-12 teachers found more than 90% of teachers said their students are chronically absent. Of the teachers surveyed, about half of them said in five years the American education system will be worse than it is now.
Despite gains from the academic recovery programs ESSER provided during the pandemic, Harvard's Center for Education Policy Research Faculty Director Tom Kane said students are potentially facing permanent damage from the closures if learning loss ceases to improve.
What happens to ESSER now?
The obligation deadline for the last portion of ESSER funding is today -- Sept. 30 -- more than four years after the start of the pandemic and three years after ARP became law.
New emergency funding will not be granted to aid in the effort to help school communities recover from COVID. As U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona fights attacks on public education writ-large, he told ABC News "the recovery dollars were intended to prevent further exacerbation."
Jess Gartner believes school districts, by and large, handled the lump sum money well. With FY 2025's budget already in the books, school district leaders shouldn't panic and should be prepared to rely on the funds they would have typically received before COVID, Gartner said.
"These budgets are planned years in advance," Garner told ABC News. "It's kind of like if you were planning to buy a house, right? You don't show up at the closing, like, 'Oh man, how am I gonna pay for this?'" she quipped.
Now school districts have to make due with the chunk of funding they annually receive from the federal government, which is on average about 10%. Similar to before the pandemic, they will be supported by state and local governments, which make up roughly 90% of public school funding.
But the COVID-19 emergency exposed infrastructure and workforce problems that public schools were dealing with before the pandemic and were exacerbated on a large scale during it, education experts said.
Some leaders like Santelises are calling for more help as the pandemic's impact on students continues.
"It's the federal government's responsibility to champion looking at the long term impact and to not take the posture that somehow three years you wave a wand and all the kids are back, " Santelises said. "The kids are not all back."
Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, NC, Sept. 28, 2024. -- Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) -- The death toll from Hurricane Helene is still climbing as Americans across the Southeast count the cost of last week's massive storm.
The storm made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region with sustained winds of 140 mph.
Helene intensified as it approached the U.S. coast, bringing with it devastating winds, massive flooding and enormous storm surge.
In North Carolina, extreme floods washed away homes and bridges. At one point, authorities closed 400 roads deeming them unsafe for travel. At least 30 people died and dozens are missing, state authorities said.
"This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Members of the National Guard and relief teams from 19 states joined search and rescue missions in the state.
William Ray, the director of the North Carolina Department for Public Safety emergency management, said response teams "are working around the clock to make rescues, to access neighborhoods."
In Asheville, there has been no cell service or water supply for several days. Zeb Smathers -- the mayor of Canton, to the west of Asheville -- told Good Morning America the situation was "apocalyptic, not just for Canton, but the entire region."
The area is suffering from a total cell phone "blackout," Smathers said, meaning residents are unable to check on loved ones or urge those at risk from further flooding to evacuate.
Parts of North Carolina were inundated with up to 30 inches of rain, triggering deadly flash floods and landslides.
In Lake Lure in the west of the state, resident George Carter told Good Morning America: "When you turn the corner and you see your community just full of buildings and trash and floating boathouses and floating homes, it just sort of takes your breath away."
"It was scary," he added.
Adam Jackon, from Tyron, North Carolina, said neighbors were trapped by falling trees.
There were "probably 50 trees blocking my neighbors from coming out," he said. "I started helping them yesterday, the neighbors at the other end of the road. We got us out, but the other neighbors are trapped."
The Painter family from Asheville, meanwhile, returned home to find 35,000 gallons of water in their basement. "It's eerie," Jacob Painter said. "I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach the whole time."
"You're stepping on mud and trying not to fall because it's so thick and slippery," Ciara Lantz-Painter said.
Randall Houghton spoke with Good Morning America near a devastated motorhome site. His camper was washed away by floodwaters, he said, forcing him to spend the night on the side of the road.
"It's crazy," said Houghton. "I anticipated something bad when she said the water is going to come over the top of the parking tables."
At least two people were killed in Tennessee, though that number may rise as search and rescue efforts continue. More than 70 people are still missing, state officials said.
Among them is Steve Cloyd, whose jeep was found in the aftermath of the storm, according to his family.
His family's hope, wife Keli told Good Morning America, is that Steve was able to escape the vehicle. "I need that big one, so I can breathe again, so my kids can breathe again," she said.
"His Minnesota Vikings won today. So I want to sit here and watch those highlights with him."
ABC New's Joel Lyons, Dom Proto, Octavio Cadenas, Alex Colletta and Kimberly Randolph contributed to this report.
An ABC News graphic shows the latest weather conditions and warnings in the wake of Helene, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. -- ABC News
(NEW YORK) -- The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents, destroying homes and toppling trees in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Dozens have been killed.
Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.
Here's how the news is developing:
FEMA has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600K meals to North Carolina
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called the impact of Hurricane Helene on the state "absolutely catastrophic" in a statement Monday.
"This is an unprecedented response and an absolutely enormous coordinated effort by the state, federal and local partners," Cooper said.
Cooper, who inspected the staging area at the Asheville airport Monday, said "Hundreds of thousands of pounds of supplies are being flown in, packed onto helicopters and flown into areas that can't be reached by vehicles."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600,000 meals to people in North Carolina, Cooper said.
The governor added that there are 92 search and rescue teams working to help bring residents to safety.
Biden says he'll travel to North Carolina on Wednesday
President Joe Biden told reporters from the Oval Office he will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to survey the damage.
He said he plans to land in Raleigh for a briefing and then do an aerial tour of Asheville to avoid straining on-the-ground resources.
He said he will visit Georgia and Florida "as soon as possible after that."
Asked by ABC News' Karen Travers how Americans can help out, Biden recommended people reach out to the Red Cross -- and gear up for a long recovery.
"There is a lot to do, and this is just beginning," Biden said. "We've been through this before, but not -- not like this. This is the worst ever."
Harris to impacted communities: 'Our nation is with you'
Vice President Kamala Harris called the storm damage throughout the Southeast the "worst destruction and devastation that we have seen in quite some time" during remarks from FEMA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon.
"In coordination with state and local officials, President Biden and I will continue to make sure that communities have the support and the resources that they need -- not only to respond to this storm and its immediate aftermath, but also the resources they will need to recover," Harris said.
Harris said more than 3,300 federal personnel are on the ground to assist with recovery efforts, including deploying food, water and generators as well as helping to restore water and power.
"To everyone who has been impacted by this storm, and to all of those of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss, our nation is with you," she said. "We will continue to do everything we can to help you recover and to help you rebuild. No matter how long it takes."
Harris said she has spoken to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and plans to be "on the ground as soon as possible" without disrupting any emergency response operations.
Storm 'unprecedented' for western North Carolina
Helene is "an unprecedented storm" for western North Carolina, requiring an "unprecedented response," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday.
"Weâre dealing with a situation that is unlike anybodyâs ever seen in western North Carolina," he said.
The damage is "extensive and devastating" and is "going to require significant resources, both in the short-term and the long-term," the governor said.
Ninety-two rescue teams are out conducting search and rescues right now, Cooper said.
More than 300 roads are closed and some bridges have been destroyed, officials said.
Over 7,000 North Carolina residents have registered for FEMA individual assistance and that money is already flowing in, according to Will Ray, director of North Carolina Emergency Management.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell promised that the agency will "be here as long as it takes to finish this response and continue through the recovery."
"We have the resources here in North Carolina to help," Criswell said. "We will continue to send additional resources in."
Full extent of damage still unclear: Homeland security adviser
Homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood Randall said the full extent of the damage from the hurricane is still unclear.
âIt probably will take several more days, as communities begin to be opened up by the debris clearance on the roads, and we can get in, and really understand what's happened to them," she said.
Sherwood-Randall said about 600 people are unaccounted for.
âWe're very hopeful that some of those people just don't have cellphones working and actually are alive," she said.
Sherwood-Randall said 3,500 federal response personnel have been deployed to the region and additional personnel is expected to arrive in the coming days.
With communication remaining a major challenge, Sherwood-Randall said, "Today, FEMA will install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina to provide immediate connectivity for those in greatest need."
She also highlighted that in states that have received major disaster declarations, FEMA is working to distribute serious needs assistance, which gives "an immediate $750 direct payment to eligible households, to allow them to pay for essential items like food, baby formula, water, medications and other emergency supplies."
-ABC Newsâ Molly Nagle
Sen. Rick Scott calls for Senate to reconvene to pass emergency aid
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is calling upon the Senate to reconvene to approve an emergency aid package for victims of Hurricane Helene.
"While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and [Small Business Administration] damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities," Scott said in a statement Monday.
Any additional funding, beyond the funding approved by President Joe Biden and able to be drawn down from FEMA, would need to be approved by both chambers of Congress.
The Senate let out on Wednesday after approving a stopgap funding bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. The Senate is not scheduled to return until Nov. 12. The House is also out of session and would need to return to approve any aid.
-ABC Newsâ Allison Pecorin
How to help
Click here for a list of charities and organizations that are supporting relief efforts, including the Red Cross and Americares.
Trump visits hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia
Former President Donald Trump visited hard-hit Valdosta in southern Georgia on Monday to distribute supplies and "stand in complete solidarity with ⊠all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene."
"Valdosta has been ravaged," Trump said. "The town is, very, very badly hurting, and many thousands are without power. They're running low on food and fuel. We brought a lot of it down with us."
"Weâll continue to help until you're bigger, better, stronger than ever before," Trump said.
The former president held a âmoment of silence and prayer" for those killed in the storm.
Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Gov. Brian Kemp said.
Trump said heâll also visit North Carolina as the state works to recover from Helene.
Biden plans to visit storm zone Wednesday or Thursday
President Joe Biden said Monday that Helene is "not just a catastrophic storm -- it's a historic, history-making storm."
Biden said he will travel to the impact zone as soon as possible, ideally Wednesday or Thursday. He said heâs been told itâd be disruptive to visit immediately, and he does not want to interfere with these areas accessing the relief they desperately need.
"Communities are devastated. Loved ones waiting, not sure if their loved ones are OK, and they can't contact them because thereâs no cellphone connections. Many more folks displaced have no idea when theyâll be able to be return to their home, if ever, if thereâs a home to return to," he said.
"There's nothing like wondering, 'Is my husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, alive?' And many more who remain without electricity, water, food and communications," he said.
Biden said heâs directed his team "to provide every available resource as fast as possible."
Biden vowed, "We're not leaving until the job is done."
Helene 'spared no one' in Georgia, governor says
Hurricane Helene "literally spared no one" in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday.
Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Kemp said. The victims include: a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys, who died when a tree fell on their home; Leon Davis, an assistant fire chief from Blackshear, who died when a tree fell on his car while he was responding to a call; and a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who died when a tree fell on their burning house, he said.
More than 500,000 customers in Georgia remain without power after Helene damaged over 5,000 poles, the governor said. Kemp said Georgia Power officials are calling Helene the most devastating storm theyâve faced.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.
35 dead, hundreds unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina
Thirty-five people are dead and 600 people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.
County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.
Shelters are at capacity, officials said.
The city of Asheville has partnered with Verizon to establish a temporary cellphone tower, officials said.
-ABC Newsâ Alex Faul and Jessica Gorman
600 people still unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina
Six-hundred people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.
County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.
Thirty people in Buncombe County have been confirmed dead from the hurricane, the sheriff said Sunday.
Buncombe County remains under a state of emergency.
-ABC Newsâ Jessica Gorman
Helene remnants move into mid-Atlantic
After dumping more than 30 inches of rain on North Carolina and producing the biggest local flood in recorded history, the remnants of Helene are forecast to move on Monday into the mid-Atlantic.
As southeastern United States worked to clean up from Helene, some of its remnants are moving into Mid-Atlantic today with heavy rain forecast for West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.
There is an elevated flood threat on Monday in Virginia and West Virginia, where the already saturated ground could get additional 1 to 2 inches of rain, which could produce flash flooding.
-ABC News' Max Golembo
Harris planning visit to communities impacted by Helene
Vice President Kamala Harris intends to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene "as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations," according to a White House official.
Harris, who was briefed by FEMA on the federal response to the hurricane, reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
At a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Harris addressed those who were impacted by the hurricane by sending her "thoughts and prayers" and thanking first responders.
"I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for folks who have been so devastated in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas and other impacted states. And we know that so many have been impacted. Some have died, but I want to thank everyone for doing everything you can to think about them," Harris said. "Send them your thoughts and your prayers. I want to thank the first responders who have done so much. I stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild."
-ABC News' Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Gov. DeSantis says power restored to all but 111K in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared a major update on power restoration progress in the state on Sunday.
DeSantis said a post on X that most customers who lost power after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area last week, have had their electricity restored.
The governor said power was back for 2.3 million customers, and 99% of the state has power.
He added that power remains out for 111,000 customers.
Biden intends to visit hurricane zone this week
President Joe Biden spent his Sunday evening receiving briefings on the damage from Hurricane Helene, and speaking to local officials from the impacted areas.
In a statement, the White House said Biden intends to travel to the impacted areas this week, "as soon as it will not disrupt emergency operations."
Additionally, Biden spoke by phone Sunday with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Valdosta, Georgia, Mayor Scott Matheson and Taylor County, Florida, emergency management director John Louk, according to the White House.
The president also reached out to additional officials across North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina.
"In each conversation, the President received updates on response and recovery efforts, and he shared how the Biden-Administration will continue providing support to impacted communities â for as long as it takes," the White House said in the statement.
-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky
Trump to visit Valdosta, Georgia
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to receive a briefing on the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, help distribute supplies and deliver remarks, his campaign said.
President Joe Biden said Sunday that the photographs showing Hurricane Helene's damage are "stunning."
When asked by reporters about his message to the victims, Biden said, "It's tragic."
"My FEMA advisor is on the ground in Florida right now. ⊠We're working hard," Biden said.
Asked by ABC News if there are more resources the federal government could be providing, Biden responded, "No, we've given them. We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn't ask for it yet -- hadn't asked for it yet."
-ABC Newsâ Michelle Stoddart
25 dead in South Carolina
Hurricane Helene's impact on South Carolina has been "devastating," and the storm has claimed the lives of 25 people in the state, Gov. Henry McMaster said Sunday.
"We donât want to lose any more," McMaster said.
Nearly 1.3 million customers lost power in South Carolina at Helene's peak. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 800,000 customers remain in the dark.
The governor emphasized that power companies are working around the clock to restore electricity. Thousands of workers are on the ground, but downed trees tangled in power lines are delaying efforts, he said.
-ABC Newsâ Jason Volack
FEMA sending more search and rescue teams to North Carolina
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the agency is sending more search and rescue teams to western North Carolina, where residents are facing "historic" flooding from Hurricane Helene.
"I don't know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now. But we have had teams in there for several days. We're sending more search and rescue teams in there," Criswell told CBS' Face the Nation.
Gov. Roy Cooper described Hurricane Heleneâs damage in western North Carolina as "catastrophic."
"This unprecedented storm dropped from 10 to 29 inches of rain across the mountains, leading to life-threatening floods and landslides," he said Sunday.
Water systems have been impacted and some roads have washed away, hampering the ability for officials to set up food and water distribution sites.
"We have sent bottled water in, but we also have the Army Corps of Engineers that's getting ready to start assessments today to see what we can do to help get those water systems back online quickly," Criswell said.
"We're also moving in satellite communications, Starlink satellites, into the area to help facilitate the lack of communication that part of the state is experiencing," Criswell added.
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Bayfront Convention Center on September 29, 2024 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
(ERIE, Pa.) -- With less than 40 days left until November's election, former President Donald Trump continues to escalate his personal attacks against Kamala Harris, calling for the vice president to be "impeached and prosecuted."
Throughout his campaign rally speech in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump said Harris should be disqualified from running for president, resign from office and be investigated at the highest level.
"She should be disqualified. She should resign the vice presidency and go home to California," Trump told the cheering crowd while discussing the "invasion" at the U.S.-Mexico border.
While criticizing the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies, Trump baselessly called for the Vice President to be impeached.
"She should be impeached and prosecuted for her actions," he said.
Trump has a long history of threatening legal action against his political rivals, including President Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 election.
Now, as he faces his own set of legal battles, the former president is again calling for investigations into his new opponent, Vice President Harris, over policies he disagrees with, attempting to blame her for the deaths of people killed by undocumented immigrants.
Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, her first trip there in more than three years.
Delivering a speech in Douglas, Arizona, a border town in the critical battleground state, Harris called for tougher security measures and criticized Trump for his role earlier this year in tanking a bipartisan bill that was the result of months of negotiations.
Harris' trip and Trump's continued comments on border security come as immigration continues to be a top issue for many voters ahead of the election.
A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 70% viewed immigration at the southern border as an "important" issue for them, and Trump led Harris by 10 points on who voters thought was best suited to handle it.
However, as his Republican allies push for Trump to focus on the issues rather than attacking Harris, Trumpâs rhetoric in recent days has become more extreme.
Trump's personal attacks on Harris Sunday echoed similar remarks from his rally on Saturday, where he called the vice president "mentally disabled."
"Crooked Joe became mentally impaired. Sad. But lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way. There's something wrong with Kamala, and I just don't know what it is, but there is definitely something missing," Trump said.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who is helping Sen. JD Vance with debate the vice presidential debate preparations, didnât go as far as to rebuke Trumpâs comments when pressed by ABC Newsâs Martha Raddatz; however, he did ultimately concede, "I think we should stick to the issues.â
BOSTON (AP) â The Boston Red Sox honored longtime radio voice Joe Castiglione, who called his final game Sunday, with an on-field pregame ceremony.
The 77-year-old Castiglione, who was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer with the Ford C. Frick Award, has been the teamâs lead radio voice since 1983.
During the ceremony, the team played highlights of his calls over videos of the American League championship team in 1986, and Bostonâs World Series title teams in 2004, â07, â13 and â18 on the center-field scoreboard.
Members of those teams came onto the field during the ceremony. Hall of Famer Jim Rice highlighted the â86 group and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez was one of the â04 former players.
Castiglione referred to his call ending the â04 championship that broke an 86-year title drought, when he thanked the fans. It came on a ground ball back to pitcher Keith Foulke, who was also there to represent that team.
âI will miss being your eyes and ears,â he said. âFor 42 years, all I can say is: Can you believe it!â
Asked how he felt making the call of his final out â a liner to center by Tampa Bay’s Richie Palacios that ended a 3-1 victory by the Red Sox, Castiglione said: âI was sort of numb. It sort of felt like the ninth inning in St. Louis in â04. … It still really hasnât set in, probably won’t until next spring.â
Before the top of the eighth, the team ran a montage of his calls over highlights shown on the center-field scoreboard. When it was over, the entire Red Sox dugout emptied, with players, coaches and manager Alex Cora stepping onto the field, looking up and applauding toward him in the booth behind home plate.
âI had some moments, especially when Alex brought the players out,â Castiglione said.
Jackie Bradley, the 2018 ALCS MVP, caught a ceremonial first pitch from Castiglione.
âForty-two years is a long, long time for someone to be working every single day to go through the struggles and the successes, the travel and the lifestyle, and always have a smile,â Martinez said. âThose are the kind of people that deserve all the respect that we are giving him today.â
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu handed him a proclamation declaring Sept. 29, 2024, as âJoe Castiglione Dayâ in Boston. Team President Sam Kennedy presented him with letters from Fenway Parkâs infamous Green Monster that read: âCASTIGâ in white with a green background color of the Monster.
Cora, a member of the â07 team, was also on the field and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, representing the â13 squad, was on the field as well.
Castiglione signed off like he does each season, reading part of A. Bartlett Giamatti’s âThe Green Fields of the Mind.â
âI did right away, right after the game ended,â he said.
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This story has been corrected to show that Castiglione was honored with an award by the Hall of Fame, not inducted.
SEATTLE (AP) â When manager Mark Kotsay removed his Oakland jersey for the final time Sunday, it was bound for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Brent Rooker? His final jersey with the name Oakland across the front will be preserved in a frame and displayed on his wall at home.
âThatâll kind of be my thing. The last jersey that says Oakland and the last time youâre representing that city specifically,â Rooker said.
The name Oakland being attached to the Athletics ended on Sunday after the final out of their season finale against the Seattle Mariners, a 6-4 defeat for the A’s. When the 2025 season begins, the Aâs will still exist â and oddly enough open the year in Seattle â but the name Oakland no longer will be there.
Kotsay, who played four seasons in Oakland and finished his third season as the manager, said it was an honor to be asked to give his final jersey to the Hall of Fame.
âWe talked about it on Thursday, the pride that I have of managing this club, of representing the city and the jersey and the front of it being Oakland one last time,â Kotsay said.
The last few weeks have been waves of emotion for those associated with the Aâs franchise, hitting a crescendo in the last few days. There was the final home series and final game at the Coliseum in Oakland on Thursday, followed by the final games in Seattle.
There were plenty of fans in green and gold in attendance at T-Mobile Park for the finale, many wearing shirts or holding signs that continued to implore A’s ownership to sell the team. No matter which team they were supporting, fans were treated to the surprise of Rickey Henderson throwing out the first pitch in a custom half-A’s, half-Mariners jersey.
Before JJ Bleday stepped to the plate for the first at-bat to open the game, a loud chant of âLet’s go Oakland,â rung out through the stadium. That chant continued and reached its peak in the ninth inning when it seemed like even the Seattle fans were joining in.
âI think weâve done a pretty good job of keeping things in perspective and by that I mean making sure that we understand the weight, the gravity of the moment, the situation, and how much it means to a lot of people,â Rooker said. âAnd doing our best to honor that and to pay homage and respect to everything else to the city of Oakland and the organization, the franchise, the people, the fans, the workers, all the people deserve.â
Like Rooker, Seth Brown intends to hold on to his jersey from the final game. He said knowing what the future looks like, with the Aâs relocating to Sacramento for at least three years beginning next season before a planned move to Las Vegas, has been a relief for players.
But that doesnât minimize the emotional ties that come with the final day as Oakland.
âEvery day that you get to put on that uniform is something special and for everybody who puts it on today, itâs kind of one of those things where you got to feel lucky to do what you do and lucky that you get to wear a jersey that says Oakland across the front of it,â Brown said.
Even in the opposing dugout, the thought of the Aâs no longer being connected to Oakland was hard to grasp. Seattle manager Dan Wilson played in 109 career games against the Aâs and while there was nostalgia when the Mariners visited Oakland earlier this month, the finality of the situation hit on Sunday.
âTo have an opportunity to play them for the last time as the Oakland Aâs does feel different. Itâs a little bit of history passing in a way,â said Wilson, who caught the first pitch from Henderson. âI think anybody thatâs around the game can appreciate the history of the game and so when that begins to change, that changes something inside of you, too.â
CHICAGO — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed Eli Manning on Sunday for the 10th-most passing yards in NFL history.
The play came as Stafford began a drive with the Rams down eight points with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter. The completed pass, a third-down play that didn’t get the first down, went to running back Kyren Williams. The Rams punted on the next play.
The Bears held on to defeat the Rams 24-18.
With 3,943 yards this season, Stafford would throw for 60,000 yards in his career, joining just eight other quarterbacks. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers could also join that list this season.
Stafford was 20-of-28 for 224 yards when he passed Manning. He now has passed for 57,025 yards in his career.
ATLANTA — New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill injured his ribs in a 26-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, according to coach Dennis Allen.
Allen said the rib injury was on the opposite side of Hill’s previous injury, which was listed as a chest injury on the injury report. Fox Sports reported Hill bruised his lung in a Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hill left that game early to be evaluated at a local hospital and did not return, nor did he play in a Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hill scored two rushing touchdowns against the Falcons in the first half but appeared to feel the effects of the new injury in the second quarter.
Hill appeared to be clutching at his chest/ribs and left the game to briefly go inside the medical tent before quickly leaving for the locker room.
Allen said Hill’s absence changed things for the running game in the second half. Running back Alvin Kamara (hip/ribs) who has at least one broken rib, was relied on heavily with Hill out.
“I think when you get into the game and he’s on a roll, like he is, it’s kind of hard not to try to get him some touches,” Allen said. “I think that’s where probably with Taysom being out, that changed the plan just a little bit, but we’ve got to have some other guys that can step up and make some plays other than just Alvin.”
Kamara rushed for 77 yards, caught seven passes for 42 yards and scored a rushing touchdown with a minute left.
“He’s been awesome. He’s been outstanding. He’s probably been our best offensive player. He’s done a really good job for us and we’re going to need him to continue to do that,” Allen said.
Hill and Kamara are just some on a long list of injured Saints. The team went into the Falcons game without linebacker Demario Davis (hamstring), who sat out the first game of his career because of injury. Backup linebacker Willie Gay injured his hand during the game and was ruled out.
The Saints also did not have center Erik McCoy, who went on injured reserve because of a groin injury, and right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee).
Safety Tyrann Mathieu also briefly left the game with what was listed as a groin injury, but he said he was still feeling the effects of a heel injury that dated to last year and a calf injury from earlier in the season.
Chris Olave played through a hamstring injury that occurred during Friday’s practice and finished with eight catches for 87 yards.
“For him to … come up with that huge catch across the middle to give us a chance to take the lead and possibly win a football game,” quarterback Derek Carr said of Olave. “There were seven catches before that, but for him to gut that out and catch that ball, that is huge for our team.”
Allen said the team felt sure Olave would be OK after imaging tests on his hamstring.
“He tweaked it on Friday … we got the imaging, we really didn’t see anything on the imaging,” Allen said. “This is something that he kind of has dealt with before, so we felt very confident that he was going to be able to go out and play, and I thought he played well today.”
TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said after his team’s 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday that he believes his comments about Tom Brady on a podcast were misinterpreted.
He said he meant no disrespect to the seven-time Super Bowl winner who was on the call for Sunday’s game for Fox Sports, his first trip back to Tampa as an analyst.
“I think a lot of that got taken out of context, and none of it was personal by any means,” said Mayfield, who led four touchdown drives in the victory. “It’s just what he demanded of the guys, and that’s the aura of Tom Brady. And that’s what he did to bring a championship here.
“Nothing personal, but yeah, talking before the game, he’s obviously happy for me and he knows the guys, so he knows how much I enjoy throwing to Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] [because] he got to do the same. It’s fun to be able to talk about the same experience with a guy like that.”
Appearing on the “Casa de Klub” podcast with Corey Kluber and Tyler Casagrande just over a week ago, Mayfield took a playful jab at Brady. Speaking to the differences in their personalities, he said Brady’s intensity made for a stressed-out locker room.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out. … They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football, for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”
When discussing the situation on Sunday’s broadcast, Brady said, “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings. So, there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn’t daycare. If I was going to have fun, I’d go to Disneyland with my kids.
“There’s a way to approach this game and it’s with the right mindset to try to push each other outside our comfort zone, and great teammates do that. You come, I have someone like [Rob] Gronkowski, I have someone like Evans — there’s high expectations for us. We got to make sure we go out there and deliver.”
Brady’s broadcast partner Kevin Burkhardt responded, “The competitive juices are still flowing,” with Brady responding, “Still in there. No apologies.”
Mayfield laughed when he heard Brady’s “daycare” comment after the game.
“Like I said — some things got taken out of context,” Mayfield said. “He did it his own way and that’s why he has seven rings. So, not much else needs to be said.”
Brady also revealed in the broadcast that the Chicago Bears were “very stealth in their recruitment” and he “seriously considered” signing with them before choosing the Bucs as a free agent in 2020.
Brady’s return to Tampa included spotlighting him in the booth on the jumbotron, where he was greeted with a standing ovation with two minutes to go before halftime. Brady smiled and waved as his familiar walkout song, “PSA” by Jay-Z, played over the speakers.
“It’s amazing,” said Evans, who also became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer Sunday with a first-quarter touchdown. “I guess he gave us some good luck today. The last time we played the Eagles with him was a playoff game that we won [2021 wild-card round), so I guess it just brought back good memories and everybody felt like that too.”
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani came up short in his bid to become the first National League player to win the Triple Crown since 1937.
Ohtani, who led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs this season, was trying to chase down Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres for the batting title Sunday afternoon.
But Arraez went 1-for-3 before exiting Sunday’s 11-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks to end the regular season with a .314 average and place himself on the verge of wrapping up his third straight batting title. Marcell Ozuna (.304) of the Atlanta Braves has a slight mathematical chance with his team slated to play a doubleheader Monday against the New York Mets to complete the regular season.
Once the season is officially over, Arraez can set history by becoming the first player in major league history to win the batting title in three straight seasons with three different teams.
Arraez exited shortly after hitting a double into the right-center field gap in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game. It was his 200th hit of the season, the second straight campaign in which he reached that milestone.
Ohtani went 1-for-4 and stole his 59th base in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. He finished the season at .310.
“I didn’t think about the Triple Crown or how close I was to it today,” Ohtani said through a translator. “Today, I was focused on having quality at-bats.”
Joe “Ducky” Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals was the last NL player to earn the Triple Crown. He batted .374 with 31 homers and 154 RBIs in that 1937 season.
The last American League player to earn the Triple Crown was Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2012. He batted .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs and was the first player in either league to have a Triple Crown season since Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967.
Arraez won the 2022 AL batting title with the Minnesota Twins and the NL crown last season with the Miami Marlins. The Padres acquired him from the Marlins in early May.
Arraez will be the first San Diego player to win the batting title since Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn in 1997. That was the last of eight batting crowns for the legendary Gwynn.
The NL batting champion award is named after Gwynn.
Ozuna was hitless in four at-bats Sunday when the Braves lost 4-2 to the Kansas City Royals. He will need to go 9-for-9 Monday to raise his average to .31466 and pass Arraez (.31397).
HOUSTON — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson gave a simple response when asked if he was concerned about his job status following a last-second, 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday dropped his team to 0-4.
“My status? No.”
Then he added: “That’s kind of a weird question, but OK.”
Jaguars owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke have given no indication that Pederson’s job is in jeopardy, but Khan did tell the team the night prior to training camp that this is the best Jaguars team ever assembled and that “winning now is the expectation.” That means making the playoffs, which at this point is close to impossible for the Jaguars.
Only one team has made the playoffs after an 0-4 start: the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who won 11 of their next 12 games to claim the AFC West title and beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a wild card game before losing to the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round.
Asking the Jaguars to pull off something similar with games remaining against Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Detroit and the New York Jets — especially with a long list of injuries and the way quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the offense are under-performing — is unrealistic.
Pederson is 18-20 in his three-plus seasons with the Jaguars, but that includes a 1-9 record in the team’s last 10 games dating back to the start of December 2023, with the only victory coming against the Carolina Panthers on New Year’s Eve. However, the Jaguars won the AFC South in 2022 (winning five in a row to close the season) with a 9-8 record and duplicated that mark in 2023, which marks the first time the Jaguars have posted back-to-back winning seasons since 2004-05.
But the Jaguars also were 8-3 and in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season before finishing 1-5, a stretch that coincided with injuries to receiver Christian Kirk (abdomen/groin) and Lawrence (ankle, concussion and shoulder).
Now they’re 0-4 for the second time in four seasons (they started 0-5 in 2021 under Urban Meyer before beating Miami in London) and there is speculation that Pederson’s job may be in jeopardy if things don’t turn around.
One of the biggest criticisms this season is the struggling offense, which has scored a total of 60 points.
Lawrence is completing only 53.3% of his passes and his completion percentage over expectation is minus-12.8%. There was some uncertainty over whether it’s Pederson or offensive coordinator Press Taylor calling the offensive plays — they shared the duty in 2022 but Taylor took over as the full-time play caller last season — but that cleared up on Sunday when Pederson was asked if he’d consider calling plays full time.
“For what? I thought he called a great game,” said Pederson, confirming that it is Taylor calling plays. “As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays. It’s a two-way street. So you guys can sit here and point the finger all you want and it’s fine. Point it right at me, I can take it. OK. I can take it so whatever you want. Ask me, say whatever, write, go ahead.”
Pederson was clearly frustrated after the loss, but maintains the Jaguars aren’t far away from getting their first victory.
“We’re that close to flipping the switch, making more plays during the games,” he said. “We’re not making them right now and that’s what’s holding us back.”
