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Javier Bardem, Amy Adams unpack their new reimagining of ‘Cape Fear’

Javier Bardem and Amy Adams in 'Cape Fear.' (Apple TV)

Max Cady is back, and this time he's played by Javier Bardem.

Apple TV's limited series adaptation of Cape Fear has just debuted its first two episodes. This reimagining of the classic 1962 film and Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake finds Bardem taking on the role of the former prisoner set on revenge. He told ABC Audio he felt pressure stepping into both Robert De Niro and Robert Mitchum's shoes.

"Of course, the pressure is about me being a huge admirer of De Niro's and Mitchum's iconic performances," Bardem said. "But also, the pressure was off when I first read the scripts and I felt that there was a different take, different character to play because it's a different time in history."

Bardem said he didn't have to emulate anything specifically from De Niro or Mitchum's takes on the role, outside of the "sense of humor" and "the irony of those performances," although those aspects "were present [in] the writing."

This take on Cape Fear gender swaps Max Cady's lawyer into a woman — a new, reimagined character named Anna Bowden. Amy Adams portrays Anna, and she spoke about what this change brings to the story.

"I really love that aspect of it, this dynamic between them and the sort of power play. ... There's a depth and sort of a complexity to the relationship that we got to explore," Adams said.

Going further, Adams said the story has more nuances when Max Cady's lawyer is a mother, with audiences "understanding the risk and the protective nature that she would have."

"Women's relationship with shame is also something that I was interested in exploring through this. And pressuring yourself and being unforgiving to yourself," Adams said. "It gave me a lot to play with."

Hiring blows past expectations, accelerating in May despite Iran war

e HR recruitment manager holding resume in hands while having an interview in a modern office. (Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- Hiring blew past expectations in May, registering at a blockbuster clip despite a continued rise in inflation set off by the Iran War.

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, according to the report, which marked an acceleration from 115,000 jobs added in April. The reading for April exceeded economists' expectations. The reading amounted to a slight downshift from March, when the U.S. economy gained 185,000 jobs.

Still, the job gains in May indicated a robust expansion of the labor market, defying concern about a potential economic downturn. Hiring has proven unexpectedly resilient in recent months, despite a rise in costs borne by businesses and shoppers.

The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3% in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.

The leisure and hospitality sector added 70,000 jobs in May, far exceeding an average of 14,000 jobs added each month over the past year. Job gains also came in local government and healthcare.

The Middle East conflict, which began on Feb. 28, prompted the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The standoff triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded.

The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.

The price of an average gallon of gas stood at $4.24 as of Thursday, AAA data showed – an increase of $1.26 per gallon since the war began on Feb. 28. That amounts to a roughly 42% price jump in about three months.

Grocery prices have also climbed as a result of higher diesel costs borne by suppliers.

A persistent increase in consumer prices may put pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates as a means of dialing back inflation. The choice to raise interest rates could slow price increases, but it risks a cooldown in economic performance.

For now, the U.S. economy appears robust. The economy grew at a solid pace over the first three months of 2026, rebounding from sluggish performance at the end of last year.

Futures markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed to hold interest rates steady when policymakers meet next month, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of investor sentiment.

Brendan Banfield to be sentenced for elaborate double-murder plot to get rid of his wife

The judge's gavel and scales as a symbol of the judiciary and justice. (SimpleImages/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- A Virginia man found guilty of killing his wife and a stranger lured to their home in an elaborate plot to get rid of his spouse so he could be with his au pair is set to be sentenced on Friday.

Brendan Banfield was convicted in the 2023 murders of his wife and a man prosecutors said he "catfished" on a fetish website. Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield pretended to be his wife to lure the man to their Fairfax County home for what was believed to be a consensual fake rape scenario in order to frame that stranger for his wife's murder.

A jury found him guilty of two counts of aggravated murder in February. He faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The former IRS agent was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in 2024 following a monthslong investigation into the deaths of his wife, 37-year-old nurse Christine Banfield, and the stranger, 39-year-old Joseph Ryan.

Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield plotted the murders with the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair.

Police responded to a 911 call from the home in Reston on Feb. 24, 2023, and found Ryan dead in an upstairs bedroom with gunshot wounds to his head and chest. Christine Banfield had been stabbed seven times in the neck, prosecutors said.

At the time, Magalhães and Banfield told police they came home to find Ryan stabbing Christine Banfield to death. Banfield and Magalhães each shot Ryan, they said in their 911 call and to responding officers at the scene.

Magalhães was arrested first and initially charged with second-degree murder for the death of Ryan. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the maximum, in February. Prosecutors said she admitted to shooting Ryan at Brendan Banfield's direction.

Brendan Banfield was arrested several months after Magalhães and charged with two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of his wife and Ryan.

Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife that Ryan had been instructed to bring, and, before calling 911, altered the crime scene to make it look as though Ryan stabbed her -- including by transferring some of his wife's blood onto Ryan's hands.

Magalhães testified against Brendan Banfield during his trial, telling the court that he expressed his desire to "get rid of" his wife in October 2022. She said he told her he wanted to marry her and have children with her, and that he didn't want to divorce his wife because "she would have more money than he would" and because he wanted custody of the couple's daughter.

She prayed for forgiveness from the victims' families during her sentencing hearing.

"There is nothing I could possibly do to make it up to you, for your loss. There are so many regrets, this is my biggest. It's a tragedy I have been carrying with me, and I know I can never take back the devastation of what I have done," she said.

Following Magalhães' sentencing, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said the au pair's testimony was "invaluable in helping the jury understand the convoluted double-murder plot orchestrated by Brendan Banfield."

During his three-week-long trial, Brendan Banfield testified in his own defense. He admitted to the affair though maintained his innocence.

He said he came home on Feb. 24, 2023, after the au pair called to alert him about a stranger in the home. He said he went up to his bedroom with his gun drawn and found his wife naked with Ryan and that she called out, "Brendan, he has a knife!"

"I was extremely terrified," Brendan Banfield told the jury. "I don't think I've ever been more panicked in my life."

He said he fired his government-issued firearm, striking Ryan in the head, after he said the man appeared to stab his wife.

The couple's then-4-year-old daughter was in the basement of the house at the time of the killings. Brendan Banfield was additionally found guilty of child endangerment, as well as using a firearm while committing or attempting to commit murder.

ABC News' Sophie Sonnenfeld contributed to this report.

Appeals court to hear arguments over whether Trump’s ballroom plans can continue

A 31-page report on the White House ballroom submitted to the panels reviewing the project show the proposed addition to the White House from additional angles and features new renderings of the project. Commission of Fine Arts

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's plans to build a White House ballroom are in the hands of three appellate judges who will hear oral arguments Friday over whether construction should be allowed to continue.

The panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will weigh the Trump administration's request to throw out a lower court judge's order halting the construction, in a lawsuit brought by historic preservationists.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled in late March that Trump has gone beyond his authority in building the ballroom, given that it has not been authorized by Congress.
Leon's order was administratively stayed by the appellate panel on April 17, a move that has allowed construction to continue since then.

The Trump administration has argued in court papers that beyond the president's desire to build a large, permanent event space to host future inaugurations and state dinners, the ballroom -- part of a broader "East Wing Modernization Project" -- is essential to national security.

The Justice Department points to recent shootings that have occurred in relatively close proximity to the president, including at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and on Pennsylvania Avenue in May, as examples of why the ballroom is needed for security reasons. Both of those incidents had gunmen allegedly exchanging fire with Secret Service police officers.

The government's filings in the case have described the ballroom project as a fortification of the entire White House complex, saying that with its "deeply ensconced bunker, and its attendant bomb shelters, hospitals, medical facilities, and other National Security functions, to the highly sophisticated Drone Port and Sniper Nests atop the Ballroom, the complex is a highly knitted, unified whole."

The administration also argues that the group that has sued, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lacks the standing necessary to bring a case.

Lawyers for the National Trust say that it's Congress, not the president, that controls the grounds of the White House, and that Leon was correct to determine in his ruling that no statute "comes close" to giving Trump the authority he claims to construct a large edifice next to the executive mansion.

"The public's interest in its government following the law, and the maintenance of the President's proper role in our system of separated powers, underscore that the district court did not abuse its discretion," they write in a brief, urging the appeals court judges to let Judge Leon's injunction stand.

Prior to beginning consideration this week of an immigration enforcement funding bill, Senate Republicans removed a $1 billion provision, drafted in response to a request from the Secret Service, that officials said a portion of which would have gone toward security-related aspects of the ballroom project.

Arguments in the case will be heard by Obama-appointee Patricia Millett, Trump-appointee Neomi Rao and Biden-appointee Brad Garcia.

ABC News' Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

Scoreboard roundup — 6/4/26

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Golden Knights 3, Hurricanes 4 (Stanley Cup Final - Game 2, Series tied 1-1)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Padres 4, Phillies 6
Orioles 8, Red Sox 2
Guardians 1, Yankees 2
Giants 12, Brewers 9
Blue Jays 7, Braves 2
Royals 8, Twins 6
Athletics 6. Cubs 7
Pirates 5, Astros 1
Dodgers 2, Diamondbacks 3

In brief: ‘The Odyssey’ gets an R rating and more

Christopher Nolan fans scrambled to get tickets to his upcoming film The Odyssey on Thursday. Variety reports demand for IMAX screenings and other premium large format screenings of the film was so high this week that AMC's ticketing app paused briefly. Those attempting to buy tickets also waited in virtual queues for up to an hour. Nolan's take on Homer's epic also received an R rating, the outlet reports, making it one of the most expensive R-rated movies in history. The film arrives in theaters on July 17 ...

Joshua Jackson has joined the season 3 cast of Your Friends & Neighbors. Deadline reports that Jackson has joined the ensemble in a major recurring role. He joins season 3 newcomer Michelle Monaghan, who will be a series regular. The news comes ahead of the show's season 2 finale, which debuts on Friday ...

Devil May Cry has been renewed for a third and final season. Netflix announced that the animated series has been renewed for season 3, which will end the adaptation of the popular Capcom game. Adi Shankar showruns the series about the portal between the human and demon realms and the demon-hunter-for-hire named Dante in the middle of it all ...

Nick Jonas on ‘Power Ballad’ role: ‘I’ve lived a lot of these experiences’

Nick Jonas as Danny and Paul Rudd as Rick in 'Power Ballad.' (David Cleary)

In the new John Carney movie Power Ballad, Nick Jonas plays a former boy band member who steals a song from Rick — a wedding singer played by Paul Rudd — and uses it to establish his solo career. Nick said he really wanted work with Carney and Rudd, but took on the role of Danny in the film because he could relate to it on several levels.

"I've lived a lot of these experiences," he told ABC Audio. "And not just the career stuff and the fame aspect of Danny's life, but the songwriting and the journey to find yourself, push the envelope, do something different, the pressure that you can feel."

That pressure is what leads Danny to claim Rick's song as his own. Rick then crashes out, and begins regretting putting his own music career on hold to have a family. Nick says the movie asks the question, "How far would you go to get everything you ever wanted, and at what cost?"

Carney told ABC Audio that he chose Nick because it was important to him to cast an actual musician in the role of Danny.

"He just has stood on so many stages in the world. He walks onto a stage and he just is natural, he knows how it works," Carney said. He added that an actor "can't carry that off as well as a real singer who's been onstage since he was like 6."

As for Rudd, he shows off some very impressive singing and guitar skills in the film. But he didn't look at it as a way to surprise people with his hidden talents.

"I'm always just like, 'Oh God, I hope I don't fall on my face,'" he said. "But I feel that with just about every job I do. ... It's more of just, 'I hope it's believable.'"

New city attorney hired

CHANDLER – The Chandler City Council voted to hire a new city attorney in a meeting discussing the city’s leadership on Thursday night. During the meeting, city council discussed the conduct of City Administrator Kalon Rollins and Chandler Police Department Chief Johnny Foster. The city’s agenda for Thursday’s meeting included discussion of improper spending, bond issues, social media policy and hiring policy under Rollins and Foster.

The city council members also voted to hire Ronald D. Stutes, 67 of Tyler, as the new Chandler City Attorney during Thursday’s meeting. Stutes is a member of the Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith law firm and has represented both the City of Palestine and the City of Dallas.

Ultimately, no formal action was taken against either Rollins or Foster at Thursday’s meeting.

Colleges risk federal funds loss

HAWKINS – The Big, Beautiful Bill finalized a new rule requiring college programs to meet an earnings benchmark to continue receiving federal funds, which could possibly impact several colleges across East Texas. The ‘Do No Harm’ provision requires higher education institutions to demonstrate that their alumni earn wages higher than those of high school graduates. Any college that fails to meet the earnings benchmark for two of the next three years will lose access to federal loans by 2028.

The U.S. Department of Education predicts that 5% of institutions will not pass this benchmark, as small colleges that offer low-paying majors, including early childhood education, vocational trades and religious studies, are at risk, including Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins.

Jarvis’ Vice President of Academic Affairs, Regina Robinson, said the university has remained proactive ahead of the upcoming provision by lowering tuition to $19,000 for all students to protect them from potential loan cuts.

The ‘Do No Harm’ provision will go into effect on July 1.

Three arrested in narcotics investigation

HARRISON COUNTY – An ongoing narcotics investigation in Harrison County led to the arrest of three people on Thursday. According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the investigation, the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI, executed four search and arrest warrants throughout Harrison County and the City of Marshall on Thursday.

During the execution of the warrants, officials allegedly found several firearms, illegal narcotics and a large amount of U.S. currency. After issuing the warrants, the following three people were arrested and charged with the manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance: Ismael Baltazar Nambo, Jesse Montano and Rojelio Roman Aviles,

According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, Nambo, Montano and Aviles are currently being held at the Harrison County Jail and their bonds have been set at $50,000. Continue reading Three arrested in narcotics investigation

Cornyn praises DHS for opening Cornyn-created state border security reimbursement fund

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially opened the Cornyn-created State Border Security Reinforcement Fund for applications from eligible states. The fund was authorized through a provision led by Sen. Cornyn as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the senator’s office. The law, also known as the Working Families Tax Act, included $13.5 billion in funding to reimburse states like Texas for “stepping up during the Biden administration to try and secure the border.

“For four years, President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies wreaked havoc on our nation, and no state did more to fill in the gaps to protect and defend the southern border than Texas,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m glad the Department of Homeland Security has followed through on my reimbursement provision by opening the application process for the State Border Security Reinforcement Fund to reimburse states like Texas for the billions of dollars spent to try and secure the border after Joe Biden’s dereliction of this federal responsibility.

Background:

Senator Cornyn has led the fight in Washington to secure federal reimbursement for Texas by:

• Swiftly backing Governor Abbott’s request for Texas to be reimbursed for the taxpayer dollars spent on Operation Lone Star
• Calling attention to the ongoing reimbursement effort on the Senate floor
• Meeting with Governor Abbott and members of the Texas congressional delegation to discuss the legislative strategy for the reimbursement push
• Holding ongoing meetings and phone calls with Governor Abbott, Senate and House leadership, and congressional colleagues regarding the effort
• Leading legislation in the Senate to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion dollars Texas taxpayers spent on Operation Lone Star
• Led a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation to the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) urging them to prioritize the release of funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion spent on border security efforts.

Rusk city manager resigns

RUSK – The Rusk City Council is currently considering who will serve as its next city manager after Bob Goldsberry resigned from the position last week, according to our news partner KETK.

Rusk City Council member for district 4, Martha Neely said Goldsberry submitted his resignation last week as he’s retiring from a long career in public leadership. Before serving as Rusk city manager, Goldsberry also served as executive director of the Rusk Economic Development Corporation.

Father kills 2 daughters, their mother in Miami stabbing murder-suicide

(MIAMI) -- A man, woman and two girls were found stabbed to death in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide in Miami.

Investigators said they believe 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten killed 46-year-old Melanie Lauren Hyer, 11-year-old Savannah Whiten and 8-year-old Sienna Whiten before taking his own life, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Ryan Charles Whiten was the biological father of Savannah Whiten and Sienna Whiten, and Hyer was the girls' mother, according to the sheriff's office.

Doral Police Officers responded to a residence in Miami-Dade for a welfare check on Tuesday at around 7:30 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.

Officers entered the residence when they arrived on the scene to find a woman, man and two girls all unresponsive, according to the sheriff's office. All four individuals suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

"The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau investigation is currently leading detectives to believe this incident was a murder-suicide. Investigators are continuing to work closely with the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office as the investigation remains active," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Ken Paxton announces probe into energy drinks “to protect children from dangerous levels of caffeine”

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Celsius Holdings, Inc. (“Celsius”) based on the company’s representations and practices regarding its energy drinks marketed to teens and children. Celsius owns Alani Nutrition, LLC (“Alani”), which sells the popular energy drink commonly known as Alani Nu.

Alani Nu is a popular, low calorie, caffeine energy drink marketed toward young adults. Each 12-oz can contains 200 mg of caffeine. This is a level medical professionals consider dangerous for children and adolescents. Despite this, the brand employs colorful packaging, playful design elements, and youth-oriented branding strategies that appeal directly to younger consumers, raising serious questions about whether the company is deliberately marketing a potentially harmful product to an at-risk population.

The National Institutes of Health strongly advises against energy drink consumption by children and teens, citing documented risks including elevated heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, and dehydration. Despite these concerns, Alani Nu’s packaging typically only lists the caffeine amount and does not provide any additional warnings related to age or potential heart-health risks. These are not hypothetical risks. Multiple children and young adults across the country have reported adverse health effects following consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks. For example, the family of a 17-year-old from Weslaco, Texas, is suing the distributor of the energy drink Alani Nu after the teen died from an enlarged heart allegedly caused by excessive caffeine consumption. The lawsuit claims the product failed to provide adequate warnings about its caffeine content—a failure that may have cost a young Texan her life.

“Texas families deserve to know that the products marketed to their children are safe and not filled with dangerous levels of certain ingredients,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The tragic death of a 17-year-old Texas girl allegedly caused by consuming a highly caffeinated energy drink is a sobering reminder of what is at stake when companies prioritize profit over the safety and wellbeing of our children. I am looking into Celsius and Alani Nu to prevent more cases like this one and to ensure Texans are made aware of the any risks that come with consuming certain energy drink products.”

The Office of the Attorney General will investigate whether Celsius and Alani mislead Consumers regarding the safety of its product for teens and children in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“DTPA”).

Alleged Ohio fraudsters filed false health claims, purchased luxury cars

A composite posted to the Department of Justice's X account, June 4, 2026. (Department of Justice)

(WASHINGTON) -- Senior Justice Department leaders on Thursday announced a number of cases against those who they say perpetrated fraud in Ohio.

Four people, including two state of Ohio employees, were charged with a $30 million fraud scheme targeting the state's behavioral health department.

Two of the defendants owned businesses which claimed to provide behavioral health services for young adults that attend summer camps, church groups and recreational programs, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department alleges the two businesses submitted fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered. After the claims were not submitted because one of the behavioral health organizations' accreditation was invalid, the two allegedly conspired with another individual to submit claims.

The funds were used to fund a lavish lifestyle, according to DOJ, including purchasing 14 vehicles worth $800,000.

"The days of the brazen theft that we've seen of taxpayer dollars, abusing the generosity of the American taxpayer is over," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio. "Our message to fraudsters is simple: With our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will be working day and night to identify you, arrest you and imprison you."

Blanche and other federal leaders, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, were in Ohio to not only announce charges against alleged fraudsters, but to also announce a Top 10 fraudsters list and tout the cooperation between Ohio authorities and the federal government on fraud issues.

"Our best form of information is the American public," Patel said. "Take a look at this Top 10 most wanted. Let us know any information. There is no bad piece of information. The only bad piece of information is the one you don't give us."

Earlier this week, the Justice Department charged five individuals with scamming older Americans in romance fraud schemes totaling $15 million. The five -- mostly from Ghana -- allegedly used AI to create false stories and indicate to people they were interested in them romantically to get them to send them money.

"Once they establish trust, they use false pretenses and stories about vast inheritances of money, gold, or diamonds, and then convince these elderly Americans to help finance bogus legal proceedings in the nation of Ghana," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer said at the press conference.

The scheme allegedly went on for almost two years and impacted more than 100 people.

"They then use this stolen money to buy a mansion in Ghana. Diamond-encrusted jewelry, a Lamborghini and other high-end luxury vehicles. All of those assets have now been seized and are going through the forfeiture proceedings so that they will not profit from their fraudulent efforts," Toepfer said.