Measles cases reach 1,046 in US as infections confirmed in 30 states: CDC

Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) -- Measles cases have reached 1,046 as the virus continues spreading across the United States, according to data updated Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Infectious disease experts have previously said the U.S. is likely on track to surpass the 2019 total of 1,274 cases, which were confirmed over the course of a year. This year's total also marks the second highest case count in 25 years, CDC data shows.

The CDC says 12% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.

About 96% of measles cases are among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to CDC data.

Meanwhile, 1% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 2% of cases are among those who received the recommended two doses, according to the CDC.

At least three deaths have been confirmed this year, two among children and one among an adult, all of whom were unvaccinated.

It comes as an unvaccinated traveler with measles may have exposed people at Denver International Airport and a nearby hotel, health officials said on Thursday.

The patient was in the international terminal on Tuesday, May 13, and then took a shuttle to stay at the nearby Quality Inn and Suites that night. The next day, the patient took a shuttle back to the airport and boarded a domestic flight.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said anybody who may have been exposed on either flight will be directly notified by health officials.

Similarly, a resident of King County in Washington state traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and a medical center while infectious, Public Health – Seattle & King County said on Tuesday. The individual was likely exposed to measles while recently traveling internationally.

Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Health sent out an alert that a non-resident with measles attended the Shakira concert at MetLife stadium last week, potentially exposing people.

Although the concert occurred on May 16, officials warned that people may develop symptoms as late as June 6. So far, no associated cases have been identified.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.

"I think the overall and overarching worry we have is that, as vaccination rates decline, we're starting to now see very contagious diseases such as measles come back and, generally, you need a 95% immunity wall of the population to stop an outbreak," Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine and medical director of infection prevention at New Haven Hospital, told ABC News.

"There are now many areas of the U.S. where we don't hit that 95% and it's much lower than that, and I think we're seeing the consequences," he continued.

Roberts say he's worried about misinformation that has arisen around the MMR vaccine such as a link between the vaccine and autism, which has been debunked by several high-quality studies.

"I worry that we are seeing this misinformation and parents are reading these things on the Internet, which is not based in truth," he said. "What we try to do as health care providers and public health professionals is really just to give the right information out there that the measles vaccine is safe. It is effective and measles itself is not a run-of-the-mill cold; it can lead to these really devastating consequences if somebody's vulnerable and gets infected."

Dr. Karen Tachi Udoh is an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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Police search for missing Longview man

Police search for missing Longview manGREGG COUNTY – Our news partner KETK reports that the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who was last seen on Wednesday at his home in Longview.

According to the sheriff’s office, Morgan Brady Smith was last seen wearing jeans, a white -sleeved, collared button-up shirt, and skater shoes. Smith’s vehicle is a black 2007 Honda Coupe with the the front bumper missing, Texas license plate: SFX3672

If anyone has information about Morgan’s whereabouts or have seen the car described, they are asked to contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office at 903-236-8400 or call 911.

Popular video game ?’Elden Ring’? to become a live-action film

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

Bandai Namco Entertainment, in partnership with film company A24, has announced that a live-action film adaptation of the popular video game Elden Ring is in the works. 

The project will be helmed by writer and director Alex Garland, known for his work leading films Civil War, Ex Machina and Annihilation. Garland rose to prominence in the late 1990s with his award-winning book, The Beach. 

Elden Ring, the brainchild of Japanese game developer FromSoftware, is an action role-playing game set in an authentic dark fantasy world, as described in a statement. "The game allows players to explore vast environments and dungeons to discover the unknown and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming obstacles and challenges."

The game was originally released in February 2022, and more than 30 million units have been shipped worldwide, Bandai Namco said.

No cast or release date information has been revealed yet. Fans can, however, look forward to Elden Ring Nightreign, a spinoff action game set for release on May 30. 
 

 

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Tyler Police stepping up DWI enforcement during memorial day holiday

TYLER –Tyler Police stepping up DWI enforcement during memorial day holiday Starting on Friday, May 23rd through Monday, May 26th, the Tyler Police Department will be adding additional officers on the street utilizing STEP (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program). With increased traffic in the city and at Lake Tyler for the Memorial Day weekend, these officers will be specifically watching for impaired or intoxicated drivers. They want everyone to enjoy the Memorial Day Holiday. Please be responsible and don’t drink and drive.

Accused neo-Nazi cult leader extradited to US, as DOJ alleges ties to deadly Nashville school shooting

Metro Nashville Police Department

(NEW YORK) -- The alleged leader of a neo-Nazi cult based overseas has been extradited to the United States and accused of inspiring "multiple senseless killings" around the world, including the shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, that four months ago left one student dead and another injured, according to the Justice Department.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national arrested in Moldova last year, was arraigned Friday in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, the DOJ said. His attorney entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and the judge ordered him detained. A status conference in the case was scheduled for June 11.

Chkhikvishvili was indicted last year on several federal charges, including two counts of soliciting hate crimes and other violent attacks. According to the DOJ, he was a leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult," a Russian and Ukrainian-based extremist group also known as "MKY" that promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and others it deems "undesirables."

In announcing his indictment last year, the DOJ said Chkhikvishvili – who allegedly also goes by the moniker "Commander Butcher" – distributed a self-authored "Hater's Handbook" encouraging readers to commit school shootings and other mass "terror attacks," providing suggested methods and strategies.

The DOJ also said he planned and solicited help for a mass casualty attack targeting Jews and other minorities in New York City on New Year's Eve, but the person he solicited was actually an undercover FBI agent.

Since his arrest in July of last year, Chkhikvishvili had been held in Moldova. But he is now expected to appear is a U.S. federal court on Friday, and federal prosecutors hope a federal judge will agree to keep him detained pending trial, according to the DOJ filing.

"The defendant's repeated solicitations of violence have had the intended effect. They have directly resulted in real violence, including multiple senseless killings, in the United States and around the world," the Justice Department said in its filing.

As an example, the DOJ wrote: "In January 2025, a 17-year-old student killed one individual and injured another before committing suicide inside Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The attacker livestreamed part of the attack. Prior to the attack, in an audio recording posted online and attributed to him, the attacker claimed he was taking action on behalf of MKY and at least one other group. The attacker's [writings] explicitly mentioned the defendant by name and included numerous references to MKY's founder, Yegor Krasnov. The attacker stated that he would write Krasnov's name on his gun."

The DOJ also said an August 2024 knife attack in Turkey and the April 2022 murder of an elderly woman in Romania were connected to Chkhikvishvili's actions.

"The defendant has consistently demonstrated that he is capable of orchestrating deadly attacks from behind a computer screen at home," the Justice Department added. "Moreover, the defendant has repeatedly stated that he has committed acts of violence and that he intends to commit more. The Court should take the defendant at his word and detain him in the interest of public safety."

In a statement issued Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case against Chkhikvishvili "is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Disney pushes back release dates on next two ‘Avengers’ movies

Marvel Studios

Sorry, Avengers fans -- you'll have to wait a little while longer for the next movie(s) to hit the big screen. 

Disney revealed Thursday that Marvel Studios is pushing back the release of two of its upcoming films: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. 

Doomsday, which had an original release date of May 1, 2026, is now set for December 18, 2026. Secret Wars had its release moved from May 7, 2027, to December 17, 2027. The later premieres allow for more time to spend making the films as they are among the most in-depth productions yet. 

In a March announcement that production had begun on Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel also revealed the cast, naming Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Wyatt RussellDavid HarbourWinston Duke and other Marvel familiars.

Anthony and Joe Russo, who've directed four other MCU films, return as directors for both films. 

"Being able to create stories and explore characters within the Marvel Universe fulfilled a lifelong dream of ours, and we discovered a powerful connection with audiences in each film that we made," the Russos said in a statement last year. 

Disney is the parent company of Marvel and ABC News.

 

 

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Russia, Ukraine begin large prisoner exchange, expected to continue in coming days

Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

(LONDON) -- Russia and Ukraine have begun a large exchange of prisoners of war on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said, with around 1,000 soldiers from each side expected to be swapped at the Ukraine-Belarus border when completed.

There have been 270 Russian soldiers and 120 Russian civilians swapped for 270 Ukrainian soldiers and 120 Ukrainian civilians on Friday, according to the defense ministry. The exchange is expected to continue "in the coming days," Russia said.

"We are bringing our people home," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "The first stage of the '1000-for-1000' exchange agreement has been carried out."

"Thank you to everyone who is helping and working 24/7 to bring Ukrainian men and women back home," he continued. "It is very important to return everyone who remains in captivity. We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to make such steps possible."

The Russian soldiers and civilians were in Belarus, "where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The exchange was prepared following bilateral peace talks in Istanbul last week.

Though the meeting -- the first direct talks between the combatants since the spring of 2022 -- failed to result in a ceasefire, the two sides did agree to Friday's prisoner swap.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that once the swap is complete, Russia will hand over a draft "outlining the conditions for achieving a sustainable, long-term, comprehensive settlement agreement," according to Russian state media.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Friday that Ukraine is committed to a ceasefire and called the exchange the "first stage."

"We achieved 1,000 for 1,000. After this, if it will be successful, as I said first is exchanges, second is the ceasefire," he said.

Such exchanges have taken place throughout Russia's 3-year-old invasion, though the swap -- once completed -- will be by far the largest to date. Prisoner exchanges are one of the few areas in which Moscow and Kyiv have been able to reach an accord during the conflict.

President Donald Trump also held a high-stakes phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, saying afterward that Russia and Ukraine will "immediately" start negotiations toward a ceasefire. Trump said he also spoke with Zelenskyy after the call with Putin.

Fierce fighting and long-range drone exchanges continued regardless -- and despite continued U.S.-led efforts to produce a ceasefire agreement.

Russia carried out a "large-scale aerial attack" on Ukraine overnight Friday using 175 drones and one ballistic missile, the Ukrainian air force said.

Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 150 of those Russian drones, but damage was reported in the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Ukraine's air force on Wednesday reported 76 Russian drones launched into the country overnight, of which 63 were shot down or lost in flight without causing damage. The air force reported damage in four Ukrainian regions.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 162 Ukrainian drones overnight.

ABC News' Natalia Popova and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

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Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office searching for missing girl

Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office searching for missing girlSULPHUR SPRINGS – Our news partner KETK reports that the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 16-year-old girl who was last seen at work on Thursday in Sulphur Springs.

According to the sheriff’s office, 16-year-old Evelyn Vazquez was last seen working at the McDonald’s in Sulphur Springs.

Officials said Vazquez could be with 25-year-old Angel Daniel Garduno, who has a 2010 tan Chevy Malibu.

Stocks slide as Trump threatens tariffs on Apple and European Union

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) -- Stocks tumbled in early trading on Friday after President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs targeting tech giant Apple and the European Union.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 458 points, or 1.1%, while the S&P 500 declined 1.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.6%.

Shares of Apple fell nearly 3% at the open of trading. European stocks also declined on Friday, as the STOXX Europe 600 index fell nearly 2%.

In a social media post, Trump urged Apple to manufacture iPhones in the U.S., criticizing the company for plans to shift some production to India in an effort to avoid tariffs slapped on China. If Apple fails to shift iPhone manufacturing to the U.S., Trump said, the company would face a 25% tariff.

Minutes later, Trump issued a social media post slamming the European Union over a trade posture that he described as "very difficult to deal with." In response,Trump said he is "recommending" a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union to begin on June 1.

The market dip erased some gains made in recent weeks as Trump rolled back levies.

Trump last month exempted phones, computers and chips from so-called "reciprocal tariffs" imposed on China-made goods, which at that time amounted to a 125% levy. The move also excluded such products from a 10% across-the-board tariff imposed on nearly all imports.

Last week, Trump temporarily slashed the reciprocal tariffs on China from 125% to 10% as the U.S. and China hold trade negotiations. China still faces 20% tariffs over its role in the fentanyl trade, bringing total levies on Chinese goods to 30%.

The U.S.-China agreement marked the latest softening of Trump’s levies, coming weeks after the White House paused far-reaching "reciprocal tariffs" on dozens of countries. Trump also eased sector-specific tariffs targeting autos, and rolled back duties on some goods from Mexico and Canada.

An array of tariffs remain in place, however, including an across-the-board 10% levy that applies to imports from nearly all countries. Additional tariffs have hit auto parts, as well as steel and aluminum.

Consumers face the highest overall average effective tariff rate since 1934, the Yale Budget Lab found earlier this month.

A growing set of major retailers have warned of possible tariff-driven price hikes, including Nike, Target, Walmart and Best Buy.

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Harvard sues Trump admin for its ban on school enrolling international students

Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images

(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) -- Harvard University sued the Trump administration Friday, alleging that the decision to revoke the school's ability to enroll international students "is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act."

The Trump administration said on Thursday the school lost its ability to use the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (which allows for noncitizens to study at the university under a specific visa) because it had not complied with demands sent last month to supply information on student visa holders.

"As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' policies, you have lost this privilege," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the university.

Harvard President Alan Gerber pushed back in a message to the university on Friday.

"The government has claimed that its destructive action is based on Harvard's failure to comply with requests for information from the US Department of Homeland Security. In fact, Harvard did respond to the Department's requests as required by law," Gerber said.

In its complaint, Harvard said there is "no lawful justification" for canceling the status.

The school accused the administration of waging an "unprecedented and retaliatory attack" because the university supports policies the administration doesn't like.

"The government has casually discarded core First Amendment protections, the protections of procedural due process, and DHS's own regulations to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and its community. Harvard's more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders -- and their dependents -- have become pawns in the government's escalating campaign of retaliation," the complaint reads.

The dispute over international students is the latest development in the administration's standoff with one of the country's most prestigious universities.

Trump has threatened the school's tax-exempt status and is withholding billions in federal funding after the school's refusal to comply with the administration's demands regarding campus policies and governance, including actions on antisemitism and the use of DEI on campus.

Noem wrote to Harvard in April requesting a tranche of information be given to DHS in order for the school to retain its SEVP status.

According to the letter, she asked Harvard to give information over on student visa holder's "known" illegally activity; violent activity; threats to students or faculty; disciplinary actions taken as a result of being involved in a protest; information on whether the student obstructed the school's learning environment; and the coursework that the student is taking to maintain the visa status.

Noem said the school did not provide adequate information in response, and that it is a "privilege, not a right" for students to study at American universities.

The latest poll by ABC News/Washington Post found most Americans (66%) took Harvard's side in the conflict. Thirty-two percent of respondents sided with the Trump administration.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Megan Fox says pregnancy was ‘unplanned but a happy surprise’

Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

Megan Fox is getting candid about her most recent pregnancy.

The actress and mom of four, who welcomed a baby girl with Machine Gun Kelly in March, wrote in a post on her Instagram Story Wednesday that the pregnancy was "a happy surprise."

The post included a video of her posing for a photo shoot while six weeks pregnant.

"38 years old, six weeks pregnant (unplanned but a happy surprise)," she wrote in text overlaid in the video.

"Please stop listening to the patriarchy," she continued. "Women are eternal light beings. We do not have an expiration date Don't let them rob you of your power."

She ended the post by telling her followers to watch her new show, Overcompensating, which dropped May 15 on Prime Video.

Fox announced she was expecting a child with Kelly in November 2024.

She is also the mom of three children -- Noah, Bodhi and Journey -- from her previous marriage to Brian Austin Green.

Kelly also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

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4th woman arrested for allegedly assisting escaped New Orleans inmates

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

(NEW ORLEANS) -- A fourth woman has been arrested for allegedly helping inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail last week, police said.

Casey Smith, 30, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly assisting two of the 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

"Through investigation, members of the NOPD’s Special Operations Division Tactical II team obtained information linking Smith to allegedly aiding at least two of the reported escapees as they were transported to multiple locations in the hours following their escape," the New Orleans Police Department said in a press release on Friday announcing the arrest.

Smith allegedly admitted to aiding in the escapees' transport along with 32-year-old Cortnie Harris, who was arrested on Wednesday, police said. Smith has been booked for accessory after the fact to simple escape.

Smith is the fifth person, including a jail employee, arrested in connection with the jailbreak.

In addition to Harris, state police announced on Wednesday that 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste was arrested and charged with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said.

On Thursday, a Slidell woman was taken into custody for allegedly helping a fugitive who is still at large following the jailbreak, Louisiana State Police said.

Connie Weeden, 59, was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. She faces a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the run, police said.

"Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape," Louisiana State Police officials said in a statement. "Investigators determined that after the escape, she provided Donald with cash through a cell phone app."

Donald remains at large, along with four others who broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Authorities have recaptured five of the original 10 inmates who escaped.

Law enforcement officials warned that helping fugitives will carry serious consequences.

"Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable," said state police. "Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated."

Under Louisiana law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.

Amid an ongoing investigation into the escape of inmates, the Orleans Parish District Attorney issued subpoenas on Thursday to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and other sheriff's office staff members.

The order demanded access to emails, text messages and internal messages from or to Hutson and other sheriff's office staff and contractors, including those to Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker who was arrested in connection with the jailbreak.

Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to help clear the way for the inmates to escape, sources said. The prisoners, including three who are charged with second-degree murder and remain on the run, were able to crawl out through a hole after ripping the toilet off its hinges. Williams's lawyer has denied he intended to help in the inmates' escape and said a deputy asked him to shut the water off due to a clogged fixture.

"Did he admit he turned the water off? Yes, absolutely, and we're not denying that. Did he confess to conspiring to aid violent criminals to escape the jail, climb a wall, run across the interstate and terrorize the city? Absolutely not,” lawyer Michael Kennedy told ABC News.

Four other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.

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Judge says Trump has power to impose tariffs, but punts lawsuit to different court

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs may be able to survive a legal challenge, thanks in part to a Japanese zipper company that sued the Nixon administration 50 years ago.

Earlier this week, a federal judge in Florida nominated by Donald Trump suggested the president has the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs -- basing his ruling on the precedent from a 1970s court case -- but stopped short of issuing an order affirming the president's right to impose sweeping tariffs.

In a largely technical ruling issued on Tuesday, U.S. Judge T. Kent Wetherell II transferred one of the first lawsuits challenging Trump's tariffs to a different federal court while also weighing in on the legality of the controversial tariffs. Florida-based planner company Emily Ley Paper sued over the tariffs in April, asking Wetherell to invalidate them because Trump lacks the power to impose tariffs himself.

According to the judge, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 gives Trump the authority to set tariffs for reasons other than raising revenue. Wetherell wrote that Trump's justification for the tariffs -- both stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the country and resolving a trade imbalance -- is sufficient to satisfy the terms set by Congress.

"This is a civil action commenced against the United States and it 'arises out of' a federal law—IEEPA—so the dispositive question framed by the parties' filings is whether IEEPA 'provid[es] for 
 tariffs,'" he wrote. "Defendants contend that it does; Plaintiffs contend that it doesn't. The Court agrees with Defendants ..."

The decision is at best a symbolic victory for the Trump administration, which is fending off a half dozen lawsuits challenging the legality of the recent "Liberation Day" tariffs.

Judge Wetherell ultimately decided to transfer the case from a federal court in Florida to the Court of International Trade in New York, meaning that, despite his favorable view of the tariffs, he won't be the one deciding the case.

But the decision marks the first time a federal judge has suggested Trump's imposition of tariffs falls within his authority as president, offering a positive sign that the Trump administration may find a receptive audience at the Court of International Trade. During two hearings over the last week, judges at the Court of International Trade have wrestled with the same question about Trump's authority.

The question comes down to the interpretation of the 1970s law that Trump used to impose his tariffs. The IEEPA gives the president the right to "regulate" imports but does not explicitly mention tariffs. Lawyers challenging the tariffs have argued that Trump's interpretation of the law oversteps his authority by treading into an issue controlled by Congress, but the Trump administration has pointed judges to a court decision related to the IEEPA's legal predecessor -- the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 -- to guide the way.

Back when President Richard Nixon confronted the country's 1971 economic crisis with steep tariffs on Japanese goods, a zipper company based in Japan called Yoshida sued Nixon over the tariffs.

The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the predecessor to the Court of International Trade, sided with the government and held that the TWAE gives the president the power to impose tariffs.

According to Wetherell, the same reasoning would apply 50 years later to the IEEPA, meaning Trump has the power to impose tariffs without the help of Congress. "The reasoning in Yoshida is persuasive, and the Court sees no reason why it would not apply to IEEPA because the operative language of IEEPA is identical to the operative language in TWEA," the judge wrote.

Despite losing its legal battle, Yoshida remains in business today. Now operating under the name YKK, it produces more zippers than any other company in the world.

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Taylor Swift no longer facing subpoena in Justin Baldoni’s legal feud with Blake Lively

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The spotlight on Taylor Swift's alleged role in the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively feud has dimmed for now.

Sources with direct knowledge told ABC News that Swift is no longer facing a subpoena from Baldoni, weeks after she was called as a witness over Baldoni and Lively's alleged conflict on the set of the film It Ends With Us.

The subpoena is no longer needed because the necessary information has been obtained, according to sources with direct knowledge.

ABC's Good Morning America has reached out to reps for Swift and Baldoni.

Swift was subpoenaed by Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman earlier this month. In February, Freedman told Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos of TMZ's 2 Angry Men podcast that he's not ruling out deposing Swift, Lively's longtime friend.

"Anyone that reasonably has information that can provide evidence in this case is gonna be deposed," Freedman said.

In response, a spokesperson for Swift told GMA in a statement at the time, "Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history."

The spokesperson added, "The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, 'My Tears Ricochet,'" and said the subpoena was "designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case."

Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a heated legal feud since December 2024, when Lively first filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the film, which he also directed.

Baldoni denied the allegations via a statement from Freedman, who called Lively's actions "shameful" for making "serious and categorically false accusations" against Baldoni. He added that it was "another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film."

Lively, represented by attorney Michael Gottlieb, and Baldoni, represented by attorney Bryan Freedman, then launched dueling lawsuits against each other.

Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively detailed a text message he allegedly received from Lively in which Baldoni claims she referred to Swift and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as her "dragons." According to his complaint, it argues that Lively leveraged her relationship with high-profile individuals like Swift and Reynolds to exert her influence over the film. Reynolds is also being sued by Baldoni.

Lively's lawyers called Baldoni's lawsuit "another chapter in the abuser playbook" and accused Baldoni of "trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni."

The actors are due to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 9, 2026, with Judge Lewis Liman overseeing the case.

Ahead of their court date, Lively filed an amended version of her lawsuit against Baldoni in February.

In March, Reynolds filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's complaint against him. Lively followed and filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's countersuit against her.

GMA has reached out to attorneys and representatives for Lively in response to Baldoni's withdrawn subpoena.

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In brief: ‘The Buccaneers’ season 2 trailer, and more

The trailer for Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers season 2 has arrived. Soundtracked to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” the trailer shows Kristine FrĂžseth’s Nan adjusting to her new role as duchess and gives a quick glimpse at a new character played by Leighton Meester. Season 2 debuts June 18 


Oscar-nominated actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is teaming up with rock legend Mick Jagger for a new biopic on rock 'n' roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, according to Deadline. Ellis-Taylor has been tapped to write the movie, while Jagger is on to produce. The film has been granted the rights to Tharpe’s music catalog, as well as the definitive biography of Tharpe, who died in 1973 


Tony winners James Corden and Neil Patrick Harris and Tony nominee Bobby Cannavale are all returning to the stage in the Broadway play ART. Previews begin Aug. 28, with an official opening night scheduled for Sept. 16 at the Music Box Theatre. The production will have a limited 17-week engagement 


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