LOS ANGELES (AP) â Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.
Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.
McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.
Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such country and rock ânâ roll standards as âSunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,â âHelp Me Make it Through the Night,â “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others, whether Ray Price crooning âFor the Good Timesâ or Janis Joplin belting out âMe and Bobby McGee.â
He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film âAlice Doesnât Live Here Anymore,â starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 âA Star Is Born,â and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvelâs âBladeâ in 1998.
Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.
“There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson,” Nelson said at a 2009 BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson. âEverything he writes is a standard and we’re all just going to have to live with that.â
Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage, including a performance with Cash’s daughter Rosanne at Nelson’s 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 2023. The two sang âLoving Her Was Easier (Than Anything Iâll Ever Do Again),â a song that was a hit for Kristofferson and a longtime live staple for Nelson, another great interpreter of his work.
Nelson and Kristofferson would join forces with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to create the country supergroup âThe Highwaymenâ starting in the mid-1980s.
Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, rugby star and football player in college; received a masterâs degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England; and flew helicopters as a captain in the U.S. Army but turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville. Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a part-time janitor at Columbia Recordsâ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the seminal âBlonde on Blondeâ double album.
At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story of how Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cashâs lawn to give him a tape of âSunday Morninâ Cominâ Downâ with a beer in one hand. Over the years in interviews, Kristofferson said with all respect to Cash, while he did land a helicopter at Cashâs house, the Man in Black wasnât even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one ever actually cut and he certainly couldnât fly a helicopter holding a beer.
In a 2006 interview with The Associated Press, he said he might not have had a career without Cash.
âShaking his hand when I was still in the Army backstage at the Grand Ole Opry was the moment Iâd decided Iâd come back,â Kristofferson said. âIt was electric. He kind of took me under his wing before he cut any of my songs. He cut my first record that was record of the year. He put me on stage the first time.â
One of his most recorded songs, âMe and Bobby McGee,â was written based on a recommendation from Monument Records founder Fred Foster. Foster had a song title in his head called âMe and Bobby McKee,â named after a female secretary in his building. Kristofferson said in an interview in the magazine, âPerforming Songwriter,â that he was inspired to write the lyrics about a man and woman on the road together after watching the Frederico Fellini film, âLa Strada.â
Joplin, who had a close relationship with Kristofferson, changed the lyrics to make Bobby McGee a man and cut her version just days before she died in 1970 from a drug overdose. The recording became a posthumous No. 1 hit for Joplin.
Hits that Kristofferson recorded include âWatch Closely Now,â âDesperados Waiting for a Train,â âA Song Iâd Like to Singâ and âJesus Was a Capricorn.â
In 1973, he married fellow songwriter Rita Coolidge and together they had a successful duet career that earned them two Grammy awards. They divorced in 1980.
The formation of the Highwaymen, with Nelson, Cash and Jennings, was another pivotal point in his career as a performer.
âI think I was different from the other guys in that I came in it as a fan of all of them,â Kristofferson told the AP in 2005. âI had a respect for them when I was still in the Army. When I went to Nashville they were like major heroes of mine because they were people who took the music seriously. To be not only recorded by them but to be friends with them and to work side by side was just a little unreal. It was like seeing your face on Mount Rushmore.â
The group put out just three albums between 1985 and 1995. Jennings died in 2002 and Cash died a year later. Kristofferson said in 2005 that there was some talk about reforming the group with other artists, such as George Jones or Hank Williams Jr., but Kristofferson said it wouldnât have been the same.
âWhen I look back now â I know I hear Willie say it was the best time of his life,â Kristofferson said in 2005. âFor me, I wish I was more aware how short of a time it would be. It was several years, but it was still like the blink of an eye. I wish I would have cherished each moment.â
Among the four, only Nelson is now alive.
Kristofferson’s sharp-tongued political lyrics sometimes hurt his popularity, especially in the late 1980s. His 1989 album, âThird World Warriorâ was focused on Central America and what United States policy had wrought there, but critics and fans werenât excited about the overtly political songs.
He said during a 1995 interview with the AP he remembered a woman complaining about one of the songs that began with killing babies in the name of freedom.
âAnd I said, âWell, what made you mad â the fact that I was saying it or the fact that weâre doing it? To me, they were getting mad at me âcause I was telling them what was going on.â
As the son of an Air Force General, he enlisted in the Army in the 1960s because it was expected of him.
âI was in ROTC in college, and it was just taken for granted in my family that Iâd do my service,â he said in a 2006 AP interview. âFrom my background and the generation I came up in, honor and serving your country were just taken for granted. So, later, when you come to question some of the things being done in your name, it was particularly painful.â
Hollywood may have saved his music career. He still got exposure through his film and television appearances even when he couldnât afford to tour with a full band.
Kristoffersonâs first role was in Dennis Hopperâs âThe Last Movie,â in 1971.
He had a fondness for Westerns, and would use his gravelly voice to play attractive, stoic leading men. He was Burstyn’s ruggedly handsome love interest in âAlice Doesnât Live Here Anymoreâ and a tragic rock star in a rocky relationship with Streisand in âA Star Is Born,â a role echoed by Bradley Cooper in the 2018 remake.
He was the young title outlaw in director Sam Peckinpahâs 1973 âPat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” a truck driver for the same director in 1978âs âConvoy,” and a corrupt sheriff in director John Sayles’ 1996, âLone Star.â He also starred in one of Hollywood biggest financial flops, âHeavenâs Gate,â a 1980 Western that ran tens of millions of dollars over budget.
And in a rare appearance in a superhero movie, he played the mentor of Snipes’ vampire hunter in âBlade.â
He described in a 2006 AP interview how he got his first acting gigs when he performed in Los Angeles.
âIt just happened that my first professional gig was at the Troubadour in L.A. opening for Linda Rondstadt,â Kristofferson said. âRobert Hilburn (Los Angeles Times music critic) wrote a fantastic review and the concert was held over for a week,â Kristofferson said. âThere were a bunch of movie people coming in there, and I started getting film offers with no experience. Of course, I had no experience performing either.â
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Hall reported from Nashville. AP National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rosanne Cash.
WASKOM â According to our news partner KETK. three members of a California fire and rescue team were injured in a crash in Waskom while driving to the East Coast to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The San Diego firefighters were traveling in their Ford F-350 truck when they were involved in a collision on Interstate 20 near the border of Texas and Louisiana around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. MĂłnica Muñoz, a spokesperson for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD), said the injured firefighters were flown to a hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, for treatment. The remaining crew members were sent to Waskom, Texas, to await further instructions.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
âThe news of this crash is devastating. We are doing everything we can to offer support to our department and those team members and their families who were part of this deployment,â said SDFD Assistant Chief James Gaboury. Continue reading California firefighters hurt in Waskom crash
When Cindy Taff was a vice president at the giant oil and gas company Shell in Houston, her middle schooler Brianna would sometimes look over her shoulder as she worked from home.
âWhy are you still working in oil and gas?â her daughter asked more than once. âIs there a future in it? Why arenât you moving into something clean?â
The words weighed on Taff.
âAs a parent you want to give direction, and was I giving her the right direction?â she recalled.
At Shell, Taff was in charge of drilling wells and bringing them into production. She worked on oil and natural gas that’s called unconventional in the industry, because the oil or natural gas is difficult to get out of the ground â it doesn’t naturally gush out like in movies. It’s a term often used for oily shale rock. Taff was somewhat unconventional for the industry, too. Her coworkers used to tease her for driving an efficient hybrid.
âYouâre not helping oil and gas prices by driving a Prius,” they’d say.
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EDITORâS NOTE: This is part of an occasional series of personal stories from the energy transition â the change away from a fossil-fuel based world that largely causes climate change.
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Taff wanted Shell to pursue the energy that comes from the Earth’s natural heat â geothermal. Her team looked into it, but Shell never greenlit any of those projects, saying it would take too much time to recoup the investment.
When Brianna went to college, she was passionate about energy too, but she wanted to work on renewables. After her sophomore year, in the summer of 2020, she got an internship at a geothermal company â one that in fact had just been launched by Taff’s former colleagues at Shell â Sage Geosystems in Houston.
Now it was Taff looking over her daughter’s shoulder and asking question as she worked from home during the pandemic.
And Sage executives were talking to Brianna, too. âWe could use your mom here,” they said. “Can you get her to come work for us?â Brianna recalled recently.
That’s how Cindy Taff left her 36-year career at Shell to become chief operating officer at Sage.
âI didn’t understand why Shell wasn’t pursuing it,â she said about applying the company’s drilling expertise to heat energy. “Then I got this great opportunity to pivot from oil and gas and work with these guys that I have the utmost respect for. And also, I wanted to make my daughter proud, quite frankly.â
Brianna Byrd, now 24, is the operations engineer and spokesperson at the company. She’s glad her mother, now CEO, left oil and gas.
âOf course Iâm biased, sheâs my mom, but I donât think Sage would be where it is without her,â she said.
The United States is a world leader in electricity made from geothermal energy, but this kind of electricity still accounts for less than half a percent of the nationâs total large-scale generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2023, most geothermal electricity came from California, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho and New Mexico, where there are reservoirs of steam, or very hot water, close to the surface.
The Energy Department estimates this next generation of geothermal projects, like what Sage is doing, could provide some 90 gigawatts by 2050 â enough to power 65 million homes or more. That hinges on private investment, and on companies like Sage introducing this form of energy to regions where, until now, itâs been thought to be impossible.
How it works
Sage has two main technologies: The first makes electricity out of heat. The company drills wells and fractures hot, dry rock. Then electric pumps push water into those fractures, heating it up, and the hot water gets jettisoned to the surface where it spins a turbine.
But a funny thing happened during testing in Starr County, Texas. In late 2021, the team realized much of their technology could also be used to store energy.
If that works, it could be a big deal. Currently, to store energy at large scale, the United States is adding batteries, mostly lithium-ion type, to solar and wind projects, so they can charge up and send electricity back to the electric grid when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. These batteries typically supply four hours maximum power.
Sage envisions some of its technology placed at solar and wind farms, too. When electricity demand is low, they’ll use extra energy from a solar or wind farm to run electric pumps, pumping water into the underground fractures, leaving it there until demand for electricity increases â storing the energy beneath the Earth’s surface for hours, days or even weeks.
It’s a novel way to use the technology, said Silviu Livescu, lead author on a report looking at the future of geothermal in Texas. Livescu knows Taff and has followed the company’s progress.
âItâs the right moment for companies like Sage with a purpose, with a mission and with the technology to show that geothermal indeed is the energy source we need to address climate change,â said Livescu, who co-founded a different geothermal startup in Austin, Texas.
These days, Taff is often out in front, talking with politicians and policymakers about the potential of geothermal. She attended the United Nations COP28 climate talks last year to share her vision for this kind of energy.
Sage has raised $30 million so far and is growing.
It’s building a small (3-megawatt), geothermal energy storage system at San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc., south of San Antonio this year. It’s working with U.S. military facilities in Texas that see geothermal as a way to power their bases securely. Sage recently announced partnerships for heating communities in Bucharest, Romania; clean electricity from geothermal for Meta’s data centers, and energy storage and geothermal projects in California.
The company is final-testing a proprietary turbine to more efficiently convert heat to electricity.
Because of her oil and gas background, Taff said she knows geothermal will only be adopted widely if the cost comes down. The mantra at Sage is: It’s going to be clean and it’s going to be cheap. She’s excited to be working in a field she feels is on the cusp of playing a big role in cleaning and stabilizing the electrical grid.
âIâve never looked back,â she said. âI love what Iâm doing and I think itâs going to be transformative.â
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While the United States has made considerable progress fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis since its peak in the 1980s, headway has not been equal among racial/ethnic groups.
Overall, HIV rates have declined in the U.S. and the number of new infections over the last five years has dropped among Black Americans and white Americans. However, Hispanic and Latino Americans have not seen the same gains.
Between 2018 and 2022, estimated HIV infections among gay and bisexual men fell 16% for Black Americans and 20% for white Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, Hispanic Americans saw rates held steady, the CDC said.
There may be several reasons for the lack of decline, including Hispanic Americans facing health care discrimination, experts told ABC News. Some may also face the stigma that prevents patients from accessing services or makes them feel ashamed to do so. There is also a lack of material that is available in their native language or is culturally congruent, experts said.
"Where we are in the HIV epidemic is that we have better tools than ever for both treatment and for prevention, and we have seen a modest slowing in the rate of new infections, but we have seen a relative increase in the rate of new infections among Latino individuals, particularly Latino men who have sex with men," Dr. Kenneth Mayer, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical research director at Fenway Health in Boston, told ABC News.
"So, the trends are subtle, but they're concerning because it does speak to increased health disparities in that population," he continued.
Hispanic Americans make up more cases and more deaths
Although Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 18% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 33% of estimated new HIV infections in 2022, according to HIV.gov, a website run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is in comparison with white Americans, who make up 61% of the U.S. population but just 23% of HIV infections.
Hispanic and Latino gay men currently represent the highest number of new HIV cases in the U.S.
What's more, Hispanic males were four times likely to have HIV or AIDS compared to white males in 2022 and Hispanic females were about three times more likely than white females to have HIV over the same period, according to the federal Office of Minority Health (OMH).
Additionally, Hispanics males were nearly twice as likely to die of HIV Infection as white males and Hispanic females to die of HIV Infection in 2022, the OMH said.
Erick Suarez, a nurse practitioner and chief medical officer of Pineapple Healthcare, a primary care and HIV/AIDS specialist located in Orlando, Florida, told ABC News that watching the lack of progress made in the HIV/AIDS crisis for the Hispanic and Latino population is like "traveling back in time."
"When I say traveling back in time for the Hispanic/Latino population with HIV, I mean [it's like] they are living before 2000," he said, "Their understanding of treatment and how to access it is in that pre-2000 world. ⊠The state of HIV and AIDS in the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States right now is a few steps back from the general American population."
He said many Hispanic/Latino HIV patients come to the United States unaware of their HIV status. If they are aware of their status, they come from countries where prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is hard to find or doesn't exist.
When they get to the United States, they be afraid or unsure of where or how to access health care. Even Hispanic/Latino Americans whose families have been here for generations, have trouble accessing health care due to racial and ethnic disparities, Suarez said.
Previous research has shown Hispanic/Latino Americans with HIV reported experiencing health care discrimination, which could be a barrier to accessing care.
Facing discrimination, stigma
Hispanic and Latino patients with HIV report facing discrimination in health care, experts told ABC News. A CDC report published in 2022 found between 2018 and 2020, nearly 1 in 4 Hispanic patients with HIV said they experienced health care discrimination.
Hispanic men were more likely to face discrimination than Hispanic women and Black or African American Hispanic patients were more likely than white Hispanic patients to face discrimination, according to the report.
There may also be stigma -- both within the general population and within their own communities -- associated with HIV infection that could prevent patients from accessing services, according to the experts.
Suarez said one of his most recent patients, who is Cuban, traveled two hours to a clinic outside of their city to make sure no one in their familial and social circles would know their status.
"The interesting part is that even though I speak with them like, 'You understand that everything that happens within these walls is federally protected, that it is private information. No one will ever know your information, and our goal is for you to get access healthcare. You can do this in your own city,'" Suarez said.
"Now, because of the stigma, they will travel long distances to avoid contact with anyone and make sure that no one knows their status. So, stigma is a huge factor," he continued.
Rodriguez said this stigma and mistrust has led to many Hispanic and Latino Americans to not seek medical care unless something is seriously wrong, which may result in missed HIV diagnoses or a missed opportunity to receive post-exposure prophylaxis, which can reduce the risk of HIV when taken within 72 hours after a possible HIV exposure.
Making resources 'available, attainable and achievable' Experts said one way to lower rates is to make information on how to reduce risk as well as how to get tested and treated available in other languages, such as Spanish, and making sure it is culturally congruent.
However, Rodriguez says translating documents is not enough. In the early 2010s, when the CDC was disseminating its national strategy to reduce HIV infection, the agency began to circulate materials on how to reduce HIV incidence, reducing stigma and increasing use of condoms for sex, Rodriguez said.
He said that of a compendium of 30 interventions, maybe one was in Spanish. When he took the materials back to his native Puerto Rico, many were having trouble understanding the materials because it has been translated by someone who is of Mexican heritage.
Secondly, rather than the materials being written in Spanish, they had been translated from English to Spanish, which doesn't always translate well, Rodriguez said.
"When we talk about Hispanics, we have to talk about, first of all, the culture. Our culture is very complex. Not one Spanish language can speak to all of the Hispanic communities," he said. "And then we also have to look at the generations of Hispanics. Are you first generation, second generation, third generation? "
He added that the key is making resources "available, attainable and achievable."
This month, the White House convened a summit to discuss raising awareness of HIV among Hispanic and Latino Americans and to discuss strengthening efforts to address HIV in Hispanic and Latino communities.
Mayer said it's also important to make sure information is disseminated on social media that is culturally tailored for Hispanic and Latino experiences.
"It's important for social media to seem culturally relevant, to make sure that they understand that HIV is not just a disease of old white guys, and that they may have a substantial risk," he said. "Make sure that they're educated by what they can do to protect themselves since we have highly effective pre-exposure prophylaxis, and we have ways to decrease STIs with a doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis.
The experts added that having more Hispanics and Latinos represented in medicine, research and public health may encourage more Hispanic and Latino Americans with HIV or at risk of HIV to seek care or treatment.
"Seeing and being able to recognize that your healthcare provider looks like you, sounds like you, in some way it represents you, is a key aspect of getting people on treatment and access,' Suarez said. "And not only that, but keeping them in treatment and having them come back and stay and keep that going, that's a key issue."
DALLAS (AP) â Newly emerged film footage of President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade speeding down a Dallas freeway toward a hospital after he was fatally wounded sold at auction Saturday for $137,500.
The 8 mm color home film was offered up by RR Auction in Boston. The auction house said the buyer wishes to remain anonymous.
The film has been with the family of the man who took it, Dale Carpenter Sr., since he recorded it on Nov. 22, 1963. It begins as Carpenter just misses the limousine carrying the president and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy but capturing other vehicles in the motorcade as it traveled down Lemmon Avenue toward downtown. The film then picks up after Kennedy has been shot, with Carpenter rolling as the motorcade roars down Interstate 35.
The shots had fired as the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in front of the Texas School Book Depository, where it was later found that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had positioned himself from a sniperâs perch on the sixth floor. The assassination itself was famously captured on film by Abraham Zapruder.
Carpenter’s footage from I-35, which lasts about 10 seconds, shows Secret Service Agent Clint Hill â who famously jumped onto the back of the limousine as the shots rang out â hovering in a standing position over the president and Jacqueline Kennedy, whose pink suit can be seen. The president was pronounced dead after arriving at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of the auction house, said in a news release that the film âprovides a gripping sense of urgency and heartbreak.â
Carpenter’s grandson, James Gates, said that while it was known in his family that his grandfather had film from that day, it wasn’t talked about often. So Gates said that when the film, stored along with other family films in a milk crate, was eventually passed on to him, he wasn’t sure exactly what his grandfather, who died in 1991 at age 77, had captured.
Projecting it onto his bedroom wall around 2010, gates was at first underwhelmed by the footage from Lemmon Avenue. But then, the footage from I-35 played out before his eyes. âThat was shocking,” he said.
The auction house has released still photos from the portion of the film showing the race down I-35, but it is not publicly releasing video of that part.
LIVINGSTON â On Friday, Republicans and Democrats from the Texas House of Representatives met with death row inmate and Palestine native, Robert Roberson according to our news partner KETK. Roberson is scheduled to be put to death by the State of Texas on Oct. 17 amid questions about the science provided to secure that sentence and bipartisan calls for clemency.
Twenty-one years ago, Roberson was convicted of murdering his daughter Nikki, who doctors at the time of the trial said had suffered from a version of shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis that has come under question by scientists. Gretchen Sween, an attorney for Roberson, said the case was a tragedy, not a crime.
âThis isnât just about Robert, this is about other people like Robert in similar situations and maybe not just on death row,â said Republican State Rep. Lacey Hull of Houston. âHis case is not unique, his case and his hope and all of our hope, is to shine a light on this and to make the necessary reforms to where we are not executing or imprisoning innocent people.â Continue reading Texas lawmakers meet with Palestine man on death row
BOSTON (AP) â The CEO of a hospital operator that filed for bankruptcy protection in May will step down after failing to testify before a U.S. Senate panel.
Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre has overseen a network of some 30 hospitals around the country. The Texas-based company’s troubled recent history has drawn scrutiny from elected officials in New England, where some of its hospitals are located.
A spokesperson for de la Torre said Saturday that he âhas amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable termsâ and âwill continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population.â
Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said earlier this month that Congress âwill hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his greed and for the damage he has caused to hospitals and patients throughout America.â
De la Torre’s resignation is effective Oct. 1. The Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday that was intended to hold him in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a committee.
The Senate panel has been looking into Steward’s bankruptcy. De la Torre did not appear before it despite being issued a subpoena. The resolution refers the matter to a federal prosecutor.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) â A federal judge on Friday ordered a hearing next month over Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty to conspiracy in connection with the 737 Max jetliner, two of which crashed, killing 346 people.
Families of some of the passengers killed in the crashes object to the agreement. They want to put Boeing on trial, where it could face tougher punishment.
U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor set a hearing for Oct. 11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Boeing is accused of misleading regulators who approved minimal, computer-based training for Boeing 737 pilots before they could fly the Max. Boeing wanted to prevent regulators from requiring training in flight simulators, which would have raised the cost for airlines to operate the plane.
The Justice Department argued in court filings that conspiracy to defraud the government is the most serious charge it can prove. Prosecutors said they lack evidence to show that Boeing’s actions caused the crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.
Relatives of victims and their lawyers have called the settlement a sweetheart deal that fails to consider the loss of so many lives. Some of the lawyers have argued that the Justice Department treated Boeing gently because the company is a big government contractor.
The agreement calls for Boeing to pay a fine of at least $243.6 million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and be placed on probation for three years.
TEXARKANA, Texas (KETK) â The Texarkana Police Department arrested two parents on Saturday after their 5-year-old son died on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the department reportedly got a report of a child not breathing in the 3300 block of Nichols Drive at around 2 p.m. on Friday. When officers responded to the scene they found a 5-year-old boy unresponsive and started CPR. The boy died at the hospital not long after they arrived. On Saturday, Texarkana PD announced that the boyâs parents had been arrested.
Terry Robinson, 35 of Texarkana, was arrested for capital murder of a person under 10-years-old. His bond was set at $5,000,000. Destiny Culvahouse, 24 of Texarkana, was arrested for injury to a child with serious bodily injury or death. Her bond was set at $1,000,000. Robinson and Culvahouse are both being held in the Bi-State Justice Center.
PALESTINE â The Palestine Police Department said they arrested a man for an assault that happened in the parking lot of Southside Baptist Church on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, officers were dispatched to the scene at Inwood Drive and Crockett Road at around 10:57 a.m. on Friday. A caller had reported seeing the driver of a white Ford Explorer pull into the parking lot, get into the back of the car and start âbeatingâ the woman in the back seat. The Ford then reportedly left on Inwood Drive heading east and was located by police at the Kimâs on Loop 256.
Those in the Ford were identified by police as James Wriley Marks, 23 of Montalba, a 22-year-old woman and their two children. Palestine PD then told Marks they were arresting him because they determined he had committed a family violence assault.
Marks reportedly resisted arrest but was taken into custody after being put on the ground. Marks is being held in the Anderson County Jail on charges of assault causing bodily injury family violence and resisting arrest search or transport. No bond has been set, according to jail records.
DALLAS (AP) â The State Fair of Texas opened Friday under a new firearms ban, having withstood weeks of pressure from Republicans who had charged into a public rift with one of the state’s most beloved institutions and have spent years championing looser gun laws.
Organizers put the ban in place following a shooting last year that injured three people and sent some fairgoers running and climbing over barriers to flee. By the time thousands of visitors began streaming through the gates in Dallas on Friday â greeted by a roughly five-story tall cowboy statue known as âBig Texâ â the state’s highest court had rejected a last-minute appeal from the the state’s GOP attorney general, who argued the ban violated Texas’ permissive gun rights.
Corey McCarrell, whose family was among the first inside the sprawling fairgrounds Friday, expressed disappointment that he couldn’t bring his gun to make sure his wife and two children were protected.
âIt was a little upsetting,â said McCarrell, who has a license to carry in Texas. âBut it didnât prevent us from coming.â
Millions of visitors each year attend the Texas fair, which is one of the largest in the U.S. and runs through October. When the fair announced the gun ban last month, it drew swift backlash from dozens of Republican legislators and a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit.
Paxton said Friday that he wasn’t giving up, even after the Texas Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday that criticized the state’s argument as lacking.
âI will continue to fight this on the merits to uphold Texansâ ability to defend themselves, which is protected by State law,â he said in a statement.
Tensions over gun laws are recurring in Texas, where a commanding GOP majority in the state Capitol has succeeded in loosening restrictions over the last decade.
Texas allows people to carry a handgun without a license, background check or training. Concealed handguns are also permitted in college classrooms and dorms.
Not long after the fair opened Friday, Janie Rojas and her best friend quickly snatched up one of the fair’s famous corn dogs. She said she had been coming to the fair longer than she can remember and was glad to see the ban in place.
âIâd rather nobody carry on the premises with all the kids and everybody here,â she said.
The fair previously allowed attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their weapon as long as it was concealed, fair officials said. After announcing the ban, the fair noted over 200 uniformed and armed police officers still patrol the fairgrounds each day. Retired law enforcement officers also can still carry firearms.
The State Fair of Texas, a private nonprofit, leases the 277-acre (112-hectare) fairgrounds near downtown Dallas from the city each year for the event. Paxton has argued the fair could not ban firearms because it was acting under the authority of the city. The law, Paxton said, prohibits governmental agencies from banning firearms. But city and fair officials say the fair is not controlled by the city.
In August, a group of Republican lawmakers urged fair organizers to reverse course in a letter that argued the ban made fairgoers less safe. The letter said that while the fair calls itself âa celebration of all things Texas,â the policy change was anything but.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has not spoken publicly about the ban and a spokeswoman did not return a message seeking comment. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, a Republican, said this week that he trusts the fair to make sure visitors are safe.
Rhonda Hines came to the fair Friday with a group of friends wearing T-shirts with âSister Circleâ on the front, made for the occasion. She said she’s licensed to carry a gun and believes people should be able to carry at the fair. Still, she wasn’t bothered by the ban. âI’m OK either way,â she said.
By midday Friday, Daisi Diaz and her family had already had corn dogs and were starting to work on some fries. Both she and her husband are licensed gun owners, but she said they don’t usually carry firearms. She supported the ban at the fair, where last year’s attendance put the number of visitors at more than 2 million.
âI was surprised that they didnât do anything like that before,” Diaz said. âI mean, itâs a crowded area.â
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) â A federal judge on Friday ordered a hearing next month over Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty to conspiracy in connection with the 737 Max jetliner, two of which crashed, killing 346 people.
Families of some of the passengers killed in the crashes object to the agreement. They want to put Boeing on trial, where it could face tougher punishment.
U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor set a hearing for Oct. 11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Boeing is accused of misleading regulators who approved minimal, computer-based training for Boeing 737 pilots before they could fly the Max. Boeing wanted to prevent regulators from requiring training in flight simulators, which would have raised the cost for airlines to operate the plane.
The Justice Department argued in court filings that conspiracy to defraud the government is the most serious charge it can prove. Prosecutors said they lack evidence to show that Boeing’s actions caused the crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.
Relatives of victims and their lawyers have called the settlement a sweetheart deal that fails to consider the loss of so many lives. Some of the lawyers have argued that the Justice Department treated Boeing gently because the company is a big government contractor.
The agreement calls for Boeing to pay a fine of at least $243.6 million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and be placed on probation for three years.
MOUNT VERNON â The Franklin County Sheriffâs Office said that five men have been arrested for online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct following a multi-agency operation. The operation was a multi-agency effort to capture suspects who were using social media to try and solicit sexual conduct from minors.
Over two days this week, the following men were arrested on charges of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct: Vynay Chumm, 39 of Paris, Coyt Eugene Cameron, 29 of Omaha, Collin Bryce Cassels, 32 of Dallas, Jesus Moises Gonalez, 42 of Ft. Worth, David Scott Oguin, 55 of Trinidad, Texas, was arrested by the Henderson County Sheriffâs Office after he allegedly communicated with an undercover online persona which was part of the operation.
Franklin County Sheriff Ricky Jones thanked the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Henderson County Sheriffâs Office, the Rains County Sheriffâs Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department and the Mount Pleasant Police Department for their help in this operation.
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike near the southern Lebanese village of Al-Mahmoudiye on September 24, 2024. (RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Israel continued its intense airstrike campaign across Lebanon, which included several strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs and one in the center of the city.
Israel's Lebanon operation continues as leaders consider their response to Iran's Tuesday long-range attack, in which hundreds of missiles fired into the country, according to Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.
Iran said the unprecedented attack was retaliation for a wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Sirens sounded across Israel and some citizens were urged to seek shelter in protected areas. Most of the missiles were intercepted, but "several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed," an Israeli security official said.
The U.S. fired missiles to help Israel defend itself against the missile attack, according to the Pentagon's Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Here's how the news is developing:
'Sleepless night' in Beirut as Israel continues strikes
More than a dozen Israeli airstrikes shook Beirut over the last 24 hours, with the United Nations' special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis reporting "another sleepless night" in the capital.
One strike occurred around midnight local time in the heart of central Beirut, close to the Lebanese parliament building. It is rare for Israel to bomb the center of the capital, with most recent attacks occurring in the southern suburbs.
Israel called the bombing a "precise strike." Lebanese health officials said seven people were killed and another seven injured.
Israeli warplanes also continued their bombardment of Beirut's densely-populated southern Dahiya suburb into Thursday morning, with at least 17 strikes there over the past 24 hours.
46 killed in strikes across Lebanon in past 24 hours: Ministry of Health
Forty-six people were killed and another 85 injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier it had conducted a series of strikes in southern Lebanon targeting "terrorist infrastructures," including munitions production sites.
The IDF said it also conducted a "precise strike" on Beirut late Wednesday local time.
German air force plane evacuates 130 people from Lebanon
The German air force said it evacuated 130 German citizens out of Lebanon on Wednesday.
"These are mainly embassy employees, their family members and others who have asked for help," the German air force said in a release.
The four-hour flight arrived in Berlin safely at 9 p.m. local time, the German air force said.
State Department charters first flight for Americans out of Beirut
The United States arranged a charter to carry 100 American citizens and their family members out of Lebanon on Wednesday, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The flight marked the first U.S. government-organized charter from the country since Hezbollah and Israel began trading rocket fire almost a year ago.
The flight, which had capacity for 300 people, departed Beirut for Istanbul, Turkey, several hours ago, Miller said during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
"We do hope to organize additional flights in the coming days, depending on demand," Miller said.
There are 7,000 people in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, according to Miller. Not all are asking for assistance, but "some of those, I presume, will eventually look to depart Lebanon," Miller said.
Middle East Airlines is the only commercial carrier currently flying out of Lebanon.
G7 leaders to sanction Iran over attack on Israel: Biden
President Joe Biden said he and other G7 leaders will sanction Iran in response to its attack on Israel.
"We're making it clear that there are things that have to be done," he told reporters after departing Joint Base Andrews Wednesday afternoon.
Biden said he called the G7 meeting. He spoke with other G7 leaders earlier Wednesday to coordinate a response to the attack, the White House said.
Asked whether he'd support an attack on Iranian nuclear strikes, Biden said no, and that he and the other G7 leaders agree that Israel has a "right to respond, but they should respond in proportion."
Biden said that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "relatively soon."
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
Biden's influence with Israel 'diminished': CFR
With President Joe Biden entering the last few months of his presidency, his personal influence with Israel has "diminished" and its leaders are less likely to take his advice, according to experts at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the think tank and former deputy national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration, said during a briefing Wednesday that Israel thought Biden's advice to "take the win" after defeating Iran's April attack was âbad advice."
"They've reached the conclusion -- and this is not just [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, I think it's Israel -- that this is bad advice, that theyâre in an existential conflict and they need to show victory," Abrams said.
Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at CFR, said the Israelis are determined to "change the rules of the game."
"They would not return to a situation in which they had to live under the threat of Hamas and now, obviously, also Hezbollah," Cook said.
Abrams said he thinks "nothing" is off the list for Israel's possible targets in Iran as it vows a response to Tuesday's missile attack.
For the past year, Biden has been warning against a wider war and escalation.
-ABC News' Selina Wang
European Commission warns flights not to operate in Iranian airspace through October
The European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a bulletin Wednesday warning flight operators not to fly in Iran's airspace through Oct. 31.
The agency said there is "high risk" in the airspace due to the Iranian attack against Israel and Israel's plans to retaliate.
Iran's Civil Aviation Organization has canceled all flights across Iran through 5 a.m. local time Thursday, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
-ABC News' Clara McMichael and Hami Hamedi
Biden spoke with G7 to coordinate response to Iran's attack: White House
President Joe Biden spoke with other G7 leaders on Wednesday to coordinate a response to Iran's attack on Israel, according to a White House readout of the meeting.
The response discussed includes "new sanctions," the readout added.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at Israel: IDF
Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at Israel in its attack on Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Wednesday.
The damage was "relatively minor," Halevi said while visiting the Tel Nof Airbase in Israel.
Halevi said Israel will respond.
"We have the capabilities to reach and strike any point in the Middle East. And those of our enemies who have not yet understood this will soon understand," he said.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
IDF confirms 8 soldiers killed in southern Lebanon
Eight Israeli troops were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Hezbollah said their fighters surprised a group of Israeli soldiers near the town of Yaroun in southern Lebanon and detonated a "special explosive device."
Several other Israeli soldiers were injured, the IDF said earlier.
"All of the fighters went to the hospitals for medical treatment, their families were informed," the IDF said.
Israel response to Iran missile attack will 'come fast,' official says
An Israeli official told ABC News on Wednesday that "Israel's response to Iran's attack will be significant and come fast."
Iran launched a large barrage of cruise missiles -- either 220, according to a U.S. official, or 180, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- on Tuesday evening.
"This evening, Iran made a big mistake -- and it will pay for it," Netanyahu said shortly after the attack.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
IDF confirms 7 soldiers killed in south Lebanon
Seven Israeli troops were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement posted to social media.
The IDF did not say how the troops died. Another seven soldiers were injured, the force added.
"All of the fighters went to the hospitals for medical treatment, their families were informed," the IDF wrote.
Iranian leader blames US, Europe for Middle East turmoil
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday morning that "the basis of the region's problems is the presence of the United States and some European countries who falsely claim peace and tranquility."
Iran launched 220 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, according to a U.S. official. The attack was in protest of Israel's recent operations against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran fired 180 missiles in its second direct attack on Israel since Oct. 7.
"This evening, Iran made a big mistake -- and it will pay for it," Netanyahu said Tuesday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that 90% of the missiles launched hit their targets.
Israel deploys more troops into Lebanon with air, artillery support
The Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that more troops "are joining the limited, localized, targeted raids on Hezbollah terror targets and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon that began on Monday."
The IDF said its 36th Division -- including soldiers of the Golani Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, 6th Infantry Brigade and additional forces -- would join the ground incursion.
The units will be accompanied by air and artillery units, the IDF added.
IDF says it hit 'munitions production sites' in Beirut
Recent airstrikes in southern Beirut targeted "munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures," according to an Israel Defense Forces statement published on Wednesday morning.
"Fighter jets of the air force, under the precise intelligence guidance of the intelligence division, carried out a series of targeted attacks in recent days throughout Beirut," the IDF wrote.
Beirut -- and particularly its southern suburb of Dahiya -- has faced intense airstrikes in recent days as Israeli warplanes target what the IDF says are a variety of Hezbollah-associated targets.
The southern suburbs were also the site of the airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.
'Israel is coming,' opposition leader says after Iran attacks
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Iran will "pay a significant and heavy price" for Tuesday's ballistic missile attack.
"With our military capabilities, our defense industries, the support of our allies and in particular the strength of our incredible people -- we know that even when the cost is high, we will win," Lapid wrote on X.
"Tehran knows that Israel is coming," he added. "The response needs to be tough and it should send an unequivocal message to the terror axis in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza and in Iran itself."
"Alongside that response, we need to develop a coherent regional strategy which translates military successes into a strategic victory, into change in the region. And we must not forget, not even for a moment, the urgent need to bring our hostages home," he said.
Defense Sec. Austin says Iran should 'halt any further attacks'
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called on Iran to "halt any further attacks" following its missile strike on Israel.
"U.S. forces in the Middle East intercepted multiple missiles launched by Iran toward Israel, as we fulfilled our commitment to partner with Israel in its defense. We condemn this outrageous act of aggression by Iran, and we call on Iran to halt any further attacks, including from its proxy terrorist groups," Austin said in his statement. "We will never hesitate to protect our forces and interests in the Middle East, and to support the defense of Israel and our partners in the region."
Austin said he is "deeply proud" of the U.S. troops involved in helping save lives by intercepting missiles launched at Israel.
"Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the Middle East, and the Department maintains significant capability to defend our people, provide further support for Israelâs self-defense, and deter further escalation," Austin added. "I will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with our allies and partners."
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
IDF issues more evacuation orders south of Beirut
The Israel Defense Forces just issued more evacuation orders for communities south of Beirut early Wednesday local time.
The orders come after the IDF said it was conducting strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
Israel striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces said it is currently striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
The update comes about an hour after the IDF issued an evacuation order for parts of southern Beirut suburbs.
Iran's missile attack largest ever on Israel, Israeli official says
The Iranian barrage marked the largest missile attack ever on Israel, according to Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.
"Tonight, Iran carried out the largest and most violent missile attack against the State of Israel to date," Danon said in a statement through his spokesperson earlier Tuesday. "We are ready and prepared defensively and offensively."
Iran fired 220 total missiles over two waves in 30 minutes, according to a U.S. official.
US Embassy in Jerusalem lifts shelter-in-place order
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has lifted a shelter-in-place order for U.S. government employees and their family members, stating in an updated security alert, "The threat of missile barrages has diminished."
Previous travel restrictions to areas outside the greater Tel Aviv region, Jerusalem and Beâer Sheva remain in place until further notice, it said.
2 US Navy destroyers fired missile interceptors: Pentagon
Two U.S. Navy destroyers fired "approximately a dozen" missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing earlier Tuesday.
Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole.
A Navy official told ABC News they believe the two destroyers shot down multiple Iranian missiles.
No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian missile attack, Ryder said.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Iran fired 220 missiles in 2 waves: US official
Iran fired 220 missiles in two waves over 30 minutes, with a brief pause between the waves, according to a U.S. official.
Some of the missiles did impact Israel, but not in major areas, the official said. There was no direct impact near Tel Aviv, although some shrapnel fell in the area, the official said.
Many missiles were intercepted over Jordan, the official said.
Among the casualties from the attack, a Palestinian was killed in Jericho, and there are reports of a Bedouin killed in the Negev, according to the official.
-ABC News' Martha Raddatz
IDF issues evacuation warning for southern Beirut suburbs
The Israel Defense Forces have issued an evacuation warning for residents in southern Lebanon.
The "urgent warning" was issued to residents of southern Beirut suburbs Tuesday night local time.
A similar warning was also sent on Monday.
Netanyahu: 'Iran made a big mistake'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's attack "failed" while vowing to respond.
"Iran made a big mistake tonight -- and it will pay for it," he said in a statement. "The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies."
"We will stand by the rule we established: Whoever attacks us -- we will attack him," he added.
Biden: 'Make no mistake, the US is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel'
In his first on-camera remarks since Iran's missile attack, President Joe Biden reiterated the United States' full support of Israel.
"Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel," he said.
He said that at his direction, the U.S. military "actively supported the defense of Israel" and while they are still assessing the impact, the attack "appears to have been defeated and ineffective."
Biden said there was "intensive planning" between the U.S. and Israel to "anticipate and defend against the brazen attack we expected."
Asked how he would like Israel to respond, Biden said it was an "active discussion."
"We're gonna get all the data straight," he said. "Weâve been in constant contact with the Israeli government and our counterparts, and that remains to be seen."
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
Discussions with Israel on response ongoing: State Department
Talks between the United States and Israel on what a response to Iran's attack should look like are "already underway," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Tuesday.
Those conversations were happening across the State Department, the White House and the Pentagon, he said.
Miller declined to say whether Israel had presented possible targets to the U.S. or if Iran's nuclear facilities might be a legitimate target.
"This is not to say that I'm ruling anything out and that I'm ruling anything in,â he said.
On whether Iran's attack on Israel was over, Miller repeated the U.S. assessment that the current wave has ended, but that he could not definitively say whether there would be additional waves.
"Certainly, it would be incredibly reckless and would continue to be escalatory for Iran to launch further attacks on Israel and weâll be monitoring in the hours ahead," he said.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston and Emily Chang
2 US Navy destroyers fired missile interceptors: Pentagon
Two U.S. Navy destroyers fired "approximately a dozen" missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing.
Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole.
He didn't confirm whether they hit their targets, saying the assessment is ongoing.
No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian missile attack, Ryder said.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Iran 'stands firmly against any threat': President Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that the attack on Israel was "based on legitimate rights and with the aim of peace and security for Iran and the region."
Pezeshkian also addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly in his post: "Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat."
"This is only a tiny part of our power. Do not step into a conflict with Iran," Pezeshkian added.
-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
Israel appears to have 'defeated' Iran's attack: US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel appears to have "effectively defeated" Iran's attack.
"A few hours ago, Iran -- for the second time in the space of five months -- launched a direct attack on Israel, including some 200 ballistic missiles. This is totally unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it," he said during a previously scheduled meeting with India's external affairs minister.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan also told reporters during a White House briefing that Iran's attack "appears to have been defeated and ineffective" based on the United States' early assessment.
Sullivan said the U.S. military worked closely with the IDF to defend Israel and was proud to do so, including in shooting down incoming missiles from U.S. naval destroyers positioned in the area, and that President Joe Biden will be involved in constant conversations with the Israelis about what should come next. He declined to provide any details about what level of response Biden will encourage.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston and Cheyenne Haslett
Iran says it targeted 3 military bases around Tel Aviv
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted three Israeli military bases around Tel Aviv in its attack on Israel.
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations told ABC News that "no notice was given to the U.S. prior" to the attack, though a "serious warning was issued afterward."
-ABC News' Hami Hamedi
IDF says 180 missiles fired from Iran
The Israel Defense Forces said it identified approximately 180 missiles fired toward Israel from Iran.
The Iranian missile attack began at 7:31 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the IDF said.
Most of the missiles were intercepted, but "several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed," an Israeli security official said.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
UN Security Council expected to convene Wednesday
The United Nations Security Council is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss Iran's attack on Israel, according to Israel's ambassador to the U.N.
-ABC News' Josh Margolin
DHS warns of potential cyberattack threat against US following killing of Nasrallah
The Iranian regime is unlikely to take direct military action against the U.S. homeland following Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, though his death could prompt Iran or its proxies to take alternative actions like cyberattacks, according to a new Department of Homeland Security alert.
Nasrallah's death is also unlikely to galvanize people within the U.S to take action, though the "expansion of the regional conflict and potential for increased circulation of graphic images highlighting civilian deaths could contribute to [extremist] radicalization to violence,â according to the Sept. 30 document obtained by ABC News and distributed to law enforcement agencies around the country.
"We also assess that it is unlikely that Iran or its proxies will target the homeland during any potential physical response to the airstrike,â the alert stated. "We are concerned that the incident may prompt Iranian government or other malicious cyber actors supportive of Tehran's interests to conduct cyber attacks against poorly secured US critical infrastructure entities, among other targets."
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin
Israel will have a 'significant response,' Israeli official says
Israel will have a "significant response" to Iran's attack, an Israeli official told ABC News.
"What Iran has suffered so far is only a promo," the official said.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
No additional threats from Iran at this time, no casualties reported: IDF
The Israeli military does not see any additional threats at this time from Iran, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.
Hagari said they have carried out a "large number of interceptions." There were a "few hits" in the south and officials are assessing the damage, though there are no reported casualties, he added.
"We are on high alert both defensively and offensively," he said. "We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel. This attack will have consequences."
US says it has intercepted Iranian missiles
The U.S. has intercepted some of the Iranian missiles launched against Israel, but how many is unclear, an official told ABC News.
"In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israelâs security, U.S. forces in the region are currently defending against Iranian-launched missiles targeting Israel," the official said. "Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region."
-ABC News' Matthew Seyler
Biden says US prepared to help Israel defend against Iranian attack
President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. is prepared to help Israel defend against the Iranian missile attack.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Iranian attack from the White House Situation Room and receiving regular updates from their national security team. Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel's defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles.
Before the attack began, he posted on X that he and Vice President Kamala Harris had convened their national security team.
This morning, @VP and I convened our national security team to discuss Iranian plans to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel.
We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region.
Lindsey Graham calls Iran's missile attack 'breaking point'
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel, calling it a "breaking point" on Tuesday and urging President Joe Biden's administration to respond.
âThis missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point and I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iranâs ability to refine oil," Graham said in a statement.
Graham called for oil refineries to be "hit and hit hard" and said his prayers are "with the people of Israel."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Iran confirms responsibility, says launches retaliation for assassinations
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said moments ago the missile attack was a retaliation for different assassinations carried out by Israel, Mehr News Agency reported.
The IRGC said the operation will continue if Israel does not stop, Mehr News Agency reported.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, a key ally of Iran, was killed in a strike in Beirut last week, while a top member of the IRGC was also killed.
IDF warns some citizens to enter 'protected space'
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari issued remarks Tuesday evening, announcing that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel.
He said messages have been sent to cellphones, warning Israeli citizens in certain areas to enter "protected space" and to seek shelter if they hear sirens.
Hagari added that if citizens hear explosions, they may be the result of interceptions or impacts.
"We are strong and can handle this event as well," Hagari said. "The IDF is doing and will continue to do everything necessary to protect the civilians of Israel. The IDF is fully prepared for both defense and offense at peak readiness."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Flights diverting near Iran
Several flights near Iran are diverting ahead of expected missile launches at targets in Israel.
Several Lufthansa flights and one Swiss Air flight were diverted back to Frankfurt, Germany, and Turkey as they approached Iranian air space.
-ABC News' Sam Sweeney
IDF says missiles launched from Iran toward Israel
Israel said missiles have been launched from Iran toward Israel.
Sirens are sounding across the country.
Israel expecting 240-250 missiles from Iran: Sources
Iran is expected to launch 240 to 250 missiles in two waves at four targets in Israel, including Mossad headquarters and three air bases, according to an Israeli source and a senior U.S. administration official.
Israel is not expected to launch a preemptive strike, according to the U.S. administration official. It should take the missiles less than 15 minutes to reach targets once launched.
The U.S. and Israel have all defenses activated, and Israel will âabsolutely â retaliate after it happens," the official said.
The total number of ballistic missiles is about double the number launched by Iran in April -- 99% of which were intercepted.
-ABC News' Martha Raddatz
Israeli forces issue warning for residents to stay near shelter in greater Tel Aviv
The Israel Defense Forces issued a warning for residents of the "Dan area," referring to the greater Tel Aviv area, to stay "near a shelter until further notice."
Sirens sounded in central Israel, the IDF said in a second statement, after issuing the warning to stay in shelters. The sirens sounding in central Israel were due to launches from Lebanon, the IDF told ABC News.
"From this moment, Israelis living in central Israel are advised to stay by their safe rooms. Enter them during sirens and stay there until further notice," IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in Hebrew.
-ABC News' Dana Savir, Anna Burd and Jordana Miller
US Embassy in Jerusalem issues 'shelter in place' order
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a statement directing all government employees and their family members "to shelter in place until further notice," following reports of an imminent Iranian missile attack on Israel.
The embassy noted the "continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system," which it said "often take place without warning."
"The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events," it added.
Netanyahu warns Israelis of 'testing days ahead'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged unity among Israelis in a video statement published Tuesday, as Israel Defense Forces operations in Lebanon expanded and amid fears of an imminent Iranian missile attack.
"We are in the midst of a campaign against Iran's 'Axis of Evil,'" the prime minister said. "These are days of great achievements and great challenges."
The "great achievements," Netanyahu said, included the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut airstrike last week, plus the defeat of an alleged Hezbollah plan to launch an infiltration attack into northern Israel.
The country still faces "big challenges," he continued.
"What I ask of you is two things: One -- to strictly obey the directives of the front-line command, it saves lives. And second -- to stand together. We will stand firm together in the testing days ahead."
"Together we will stand, together we will fight and together we will win."
-ABC News Joe Simonetti and Jordana Miller
Iran to launch ballistic missiles at Israel 'imminently,' US official says
A senior White House official told ABC News on Tuesday that the U.S. "has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel."
"We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack," the official added.
"A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran," the official said.
Israeli special ops teams active in Lebanon for almost a year, IDF says
Israel special operations teams have been operating in southern Lebanon since November, an Israeli security source said Tuesday, conducting around 70 missions in groups of 20 to 40 operators.
The troops spent around 200 nights inside Lebanon, making it the most intense series of special operations missions in Israel's history, the official said.
The units operated between 1 and 2 miles inside Lebanese territory, the official said, blowing up and dismantling hundreds of Hezbollah facilities including tunnels.
Some tunnels doubled as weapons caches and others stretched to the Israeli border. Officials said on Tuesday they believed Hezbollah was planning an imminent "Oct.7-style invasion" of northern Israel.
The security source claimed that Hezbollahâs elite Radwan Force was at times as little as six hours from launching such an attack. ABC News was not immediately able to independently verify the official's claims.
The Israeli special operations units operating in southern Lebanon encountered almost no resistance, the official said, and did not suffer any casualties.
Though some 2,000 Radwan troops are believed to be present within 3 miles of Israel's border -- and between 6,000 and 8,000 in southern Lebanon in total -- they have not been fighting.
"During these operations, the troops also collected valuable intelligence and methodically dismantled the weapons and compounds, including underground infrastructure and advanced weaponry of Iranian origin," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
"Some of the weapons were recovered and taken by the soldiers back into Israeli territory."
Airstrike hits southern Beirut suburb
The southern Beirut suburb of Dahiya was hit by a fresh airstrike early on Tuesday, as Israeli warplanes continued to bomb targets across Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah members and resources.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said Tuesday that the previous 24 hours saw at least 95 people killed and 172 wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon's southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut.
Hezbollah disputes Israel's incursion claims
Israeli claims that its soldiers began ground operations inside southern Lebanon "are false," Hezbollah said in a Tuesday statement.
"No direct ground clashes have yet taken place between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces," the group said, referring to Israeli troops.
"The resistance fighters are ready for a direct confrontation with the enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanese territory and inflict the greatest losses on them," the group added.
Beirut not a target of Israeli ground incursion, official says
The Israel Defense Forces' operation in southern Lebanon is occurring "right by the border" with no intention of pushing towards the capital Beirut, an Israeli security official said during a Tuesday briefing.
The IDF has three goals, the official said.
The first is to remove the threat of cross-border fire at Israeli citizens, they said. The second is to target senior militant leaders planning such attacks, the official added.
The third goal is to create a situation in which tens of thousands of displaced Israelis can return to their homes in the north of the country.
"We're talking about limited, localized, targeted rates based on precise intelligence in areas near the border," the official said when asked about the scope of the operation.
Beirut, they added, is not on the table, though airstrikes are expected to continue across the country and in the capital.
"We're talking about Hezbollah embedding itself in the Lebanese villages, right by the border," they said.
"We're operating at the moment according to the mission we received from the political echelon. We're acting in a limited area that is focusing on the villages right by the border," they explained.
IDF claims Hezbollah was planning 'invasion' of Israel
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli troops were engaged in "limited and targeted raids" in southern Lebanon as of Tuesday morning, alleging that Hezbollah was planning "an Oct. 7-style invasion" into Israeli homes.
"Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases," ââHagari said. "Hezbollah planned to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities and massacre innocent men, women and children."
"I want to make it clear: our war is with Hezbollah, not with the people of Lebanon," Hagari continued. "We do not want to harm Lebanese civilians, and we're taking measures to prevent that."
More than 700 people were killed by an intensified Israeli airstrike campaign across Lebanon last week. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported 95 people killed and 172 people by strikes on Monday. Israeli bombing continued overnight into Tuesday morning, including in the capital Beirut.
UK charters flight for citizens in Lebanon, urges Britons to 'leave now'
The British government announced Monday that it chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon for citizens wishing to leave the country.
British nationals, their spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 are eligible, a Foreign Office press release said. "Vulnerable" citizens will be prioritized, it added.
The flight is scheduled to depart Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation in the country "is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly."
"The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority," he added.
"That's why the U.K. government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed," he said.
IDF reports 'heavy fighting' in Lebanon border areas
Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee -- the Israel Defense Forces' spokesperson for Arab media -- warned residents of southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning that "heavy fighting" is now underway in the region.
"Hezbollah elements," he said, are "using the civilian environment and the population as human shields to launch attacks."
Adraee told residents not to move vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River, which is around 18 miles north of the Israeli border. Israel previously demanded that all Hezbollah forces withdraw north of the waterway in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to end the 2006 border war.
"This warning is in effect until further notice," Adraee said.
The IDF said Monday that its ground offensive into Lebanon was underway, following a week of punishing airstrikes and targeted killings across the country.
The IDF described the operations as "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon."
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that the incursion is expected to be significant but not "major." Lebanese leaders, meanwhile, are calling for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the 2006 U.N. resolution that would see Hezbollah forces leave southern Lebanon.
10 projectiles fired back at Israel from Lebanon amid ground incursion: IDF
After Israeli forces began the ground incursion into southern Lebanon, at least 10 projectiles crossed over into northern Israel, according to the IDF.
"Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Meron in northern Israel, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon," the IDF said in a statement Monday.
"Some of the projectiles were intercepted and a number of projectiles fell in open areas," the IDF said.
IDF begins ground incursion into Lebanon
Israeli forces have begun a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF described the operations as "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon."
"The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes," the statement said.
95 killed, 172 injured in Lebanon from attacks Monday
The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks rose to 95 on Monday with 172 people injured, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said in a post on X.
Ground operations in Lebanon will be significant but not 'major': US official
The Israel Defense Forces' ground movement into Lebanon will be significant but not "major," a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
The operations will be limited to small unit commando teams, the official said, adding that the teams will have air power backup against Hezbollah fighters.
IDF issues 'urgent warning' to residents of southern suburbs of Beirut
The Israeli Defense Forces issued an "urgent warning" Monday to residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In a post on X, the IDF urged people in three neighborhoods -- Lilac, Haret Hreik and Burj Al-Barajneh -- to evacuate.
âYou are located near interests and facilities belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah, and therefore the IDF will act against them forcefully," the IDF wrote. "For your safety and the safety of your family, you must evacuate the buildings immediately, starting at a distance of no less than 500 meters."
UNRWA chief denies knowing suspended staffer was Hamas leader in Lebanon
On Monday, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini denied having being aware that staffer Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin had been the head of Hamas' Lebanon branch.
Abu el-Amin and his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for Hamas said Monday.
In his press briefing in Geneva on Monday, Lazzarini said Abu el-Amin had been suspended from his UNRWA position in March after allegations arose that he was involved in Hamas.
-ABC News' William Gretsky
5 killed, 57 injured in Israeli air strikes on Yemen: Houthi spokesperson
Five people were killed and 57 were injured after Sunday's Israeli air strikes in Al-Hodeidah, Yemen, the Houthi spokesperson said in a statement Monday.
"This crime will be responded to with escalating military operations against the criminal enemy during the coming period," the Houthi spokesperson added in his statement.
-ABC Newsâ Ahmed Baider
12 killed, 20 wounded in Lebanon from attacks Monday
Twelve people have been killed and at least 20 were injured in attacks in Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.
The number of casualties from strikes in Lebanon on Sunday rose to 118 killed and 376 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Hezbollah and Israel continued to trade attacks on Monday.
Hezbollah issued 10 statements taking responsibility for various attacks on Monday.
The Israeli Defense Forces said they destroyed a "surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility approximately 1.5 kilometers" from Beirut's international airport in a release Monday.
-ABC Newsâ Ghazi Balkiz and Jordana Miller
Israeli forces conducting 'training' near northern border, IDF says
Israeli forces have been "conducting training near the northern border," the IDF said in a release Monday.
"As part of increasing readiness for combat, IDF soldiers from the 188th Brigade have been conducting training near the northern border and at the command's headquarters," the IDF said in the release.
Sinwar goes radio silent in Gaza cease-fire negotiations
Senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the key architects of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, has gone radio silent, according to an official familiar with negotiations to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal.
Sinwar's absence has created another hurdle for U.S. officials who are still trying to complete an overdue "final" proposal for a deal.
It has also sparked speculation that Sinwar is dead, but the official said there is no indication that's the case.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller spoke about Hamas' role in delaying a cease-fire proposal during a briefing Monday, but did not weigh in on Sinwar's status specifically.
"When it comes to Sinwar, I don't have any update on his condition at all, one way or the other," he said, before asserting that Hamas has been unwilling to "engage at all" with Egyptian or Qatari mediators "over the past several weeks."
"So the reason you have not seen us put forward this proposal is we can't get a clear answer from Hamas of what they're willing to entertain and what they're not willing to entertain," he said. "We're going to continue to try to work it."
-ABC News' Shannon Kingston
More officials say invasion possibly imminent, US fighter jets heading to region for air defense
Israel's limited ground incursion into Lebanon could be imminent, two more U.S. officials have told ABC News.
One of the officials said Israel notified the U.S. of its intentions.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh would not confirm as much when repeatedly asked Monday, but did give new details on the additional forces being sent to the region to potentially defend Israel and its own forces.
"These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F 22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel," Singh said.
The fighter aircraft are to be used for air defense, such as intercepting missiles if needed, according to Singh. There are "an additional few thousand" troops in the region as part of the augmented force, according to Singh.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Matt Seyler
Israel imminently planning limited ground operation in Lebanon: Senior US official
The U.S. expects Israel to imminently begin a limited ground operation into Lebanon that would be targeted, in order to clear out Hezbollah infrastructure near Israeli border communities and then pull their forces back, according to a senior U.S. official.
This could start "immediately," according to the senior official.
-ABC News' Selina Wang
Biden tells Israel to stop when asked about possible Lebanon invasion
Speaking to reporters Monday at the White House, President Joe Biden addressed Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon and reports that they are preparing for a limited ground operation.
The comment, which followed Bidenâs remarks on Hurricane Helene, came after a reporter asked if he was aware of and "comfortable" with the possibility of Israel invading Lebanon.
"I'm more aware than you might know, and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now," Biden replied.
Middle East 'safer' without 'brutal' Nasrallah, Blinken says
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was "a brutal terrorist, whose many victims included Americans, Israelis, civilians in Lebanon, civilians in Syria and many others as well."
During a ministerial meeting on defeating ISIS in Washington, D.C., Blinken said Hezbollah under Nasrallah's leadership "terrorized people across the region and prevented Lebanon from fully moving forward as a country."
"Lebanon, the region, the world, are safer without him," Blinken added.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Friday, marking the most significant blow yet to Hezbollah over almost a year of cross-border conflict with Israel.
Israeli airstrikes are continuing across Lebanon and in the capital. A U.S. official told ABC News on Sunday that small-scale cross-border Israeli ground operations may have already begun, as a prelude to a wider offensive into southern Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah targets.
Blinken said the U.S. and its partners would continue to work toward a diplomatic solution "that provides real security to Israel, to Lebanon, and allows citizens on both sides of the border to return to their homes."
"Diplomacy remains the best and only path to achieving greater stability in the Middle East," he said. "The United States remains committed to urgently driving these efforts forward."
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
'Nowhere' Israel cannot reach, Netanyahu warns Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to anti-government sentiment in Iran on Monday, telling the Iranian people: "With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you -- the noble Persian people -- closer to the abyss."
"Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza," the prime minister said in a video statement posted to social media.
"Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war. Every day, their puppets are eliminated."
"Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask [Hassan] Nasrallah," Netanyahu said, referring to the Hamas military commander -- whose death the group has not confirmed -- and the former Hezbollah leader. Israel claims Deif was killed in Gaza in July, while Nasrallah was killed in Beirut on Friday.
"There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach," Netanyahu said.
"Iran's tyrants don't care about your future," Netanyahu continued. "When Iran is finally free -- and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think -- everything will be different."
"Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace," Netanyahu said. "The people of Iran should know -- Israel stands with you."
Tehran has not yet responded to Netanyahu's statement. But on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said his country would not deploy volunteer troops to Lebanon in response to Israel's expanding campaign there against Hezbollah.
"We believe that the governments and nations of the region have the necessary ability and authority to defend themselves," he said. "We have not had any request from anyone, and we know that they do not need deployment of human forces from our side."
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Somayeh Malekian
Hamas leader in Lebanon killed in airstrike, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it killed Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, the head of Hamas' Lebanon branch, in an overnight airstrike.
"Sharif was responsible for coordinating Hamas' terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives," the IDF said in a statement.
"He was also responsible for Hamas' efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti
Deadly strike hits central Beirut for first time in 18 years
An overnight precision strike on an apartment building in the Cola neighborhood was the first such strike in central Beirut for 18 years.
Four people were killed, including three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant group.
Israel did not immediately claim the strike but is widely assumed to have carried it out.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
Hezbollah deputy gives first statement since Nasrallah assassination
Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general, addressed followers Monday in the first leadership statement since Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.
"The mujahadeen will continue," Qassem said of the militant group's fighters, their work informed by "what [Nasrallah] designed."
Qassem did not announce a replacement for Nasrallah, but said Hezbollah's next leader will be chosen "sooner rather than later."
Details of Nasrallah's funeral are still unconfirmed. A three-day mourning period in Lebanon began on Monday.
-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti
IDF confirms new attacks on Hezbollah targets
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out an operation against more Hezbollah targets early Monday morning local time.
The Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Bekaa region of Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement.
Targets included launchers and buildings where the IDF said weapons were held.
The Israeli Air Force also attacked what it said were military buildings in southern Lebanon.
-ABC News Will Gretsky
At least 105 people killed Sunday in Lebanon: Ministry of Health
The death toll in Lebanon as a result of Israeli airstrikes Sunday rose to 105, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Nearly 360 individuals were wounded in the strikes, the ministry reported.
The strikes occurred in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahieh), according to the ministry.
Netanyahu announces former rival Gideon Sa'ar joined Israeli cabinet
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed opposition lawmaker Gideon Sa'ar to rejoin his cabinet, the politicians announced in a joint statement Sunday.
Sa'ar will serve in the Security Cabinet, according to Netanyahu.
"I appreciate the fact that Gideon Sa'ar responded to my request and agreed today to return to the government," Netanyahu said, noting how the leaders have put aside their disagreements.
"We will work together, and I intend to use him in the forums that influence the conduct of the war," Netanyahu added.
Sa'ar was once a member of Netanyahu's Likud Party but defected after an unsuccessful bid for party leadership. He formed his own party in 2020 called New Hope.
"I am joining the government at this stage without a coalition agreement - but with an orderly worldview and with a strong patriotic attitude for our people," Sa'ar said in the joint statement.
