FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU leading scorer Frankie Collins will miss the rest of the season because of a broken bone in his left foot, the school said Friday.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard, in his first season at TCU after spending the past two at Arizona State, is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday in Dallas.
Collins leads the Horned Frogs (5-4) with 11.2 points and 4.4 assists per game. He also averages 4.4 rebounds per game.
TCU said Collins broke his foot in the first half of its 83-74 loss to Vanderbilt last Sunday. He still played 35 minutes, finishing with six points and seven assists.
Collins played 31 games as a freshman for Michigan’s NCAA Sweet 16 team in 2021-22 before transferring to Arizona State. He started all 32 games last season for the Sun Devils, averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
He could potentially get another college season through a medical redshirt.
Arizona State is in its first Big 12 season. It will host TCU on Feb. 15.
NEW YORK (AP) — If anybody knows Deion Sanders’ mind, it might be Travis Hunter.
And the two-way Colorado star says Coach Prime is indeed staying put with the Buffaloes.
“I got a lot of insight. He ain’t going nowhere. He’s going to be right where he’s at right now,” Hunter said Friday in Manhattan, where he’s a heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
In his second season at the school, Sanders coached No. 20 Colorado to a 9-3 record this year and its first bowl bid since 2020. Hunter, Sanders and the Buffaloes will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Sanders’ success and popularity in Boulder has led to speculation the flashy and outspoken former NFL star might seek or accept a coaching job elsewhere this offseason. Sanders, however, has dismissed such talk himself.
Hunter followed Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering string of individual accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year.
The junior wide receiver and cornerback plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft and is expected to be a top-five pick — perhaps even No. 1 overall. But he backed up assertions from Sanders and his son, star Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, that both will play in the Alamo Bowl rather than skip the game to prepare for the draft and prevent any possible injury.
“It’s definitely important because, you know, I started this thing with Coach Prime and Shedeur and most of the coaches on the coaching staff, so I want to finish it off right,” Hunter said. “I didn’t give them a full season my first year (because of injury), so I’m going to go ahead and end this thing off right. It’s going to be our last game together, so I’m going to go out there and dominate and show the loyalty that I have for him.
“Definitely looking forward to it. I’m just excited to go out there and play football one more time before the offseason.”
Doug Meacham has returned to Oklahoma State as former teammate Mike Gundy’s offensive coordinator, the school announced Friday.
Meacham played offensive line for the Cowboys from 1983 to 1987 and worked with tight ends and inside receivers on Oklahoma State’s coaching staff from 2005 to 2012.
Meacham most recently was an offensive coordinator in 2021 at TCU, and he remained on the Horned Frogs’ staff through this season. He was an assistant coach for the TCU squad that reached the national championship game after the 2022 season. In 2014, during the first of his two stints as offensive coordinator there, he was finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
Meacham also has been a college offensive coordinator at Kansas, Houston, Samford, Henderson State, Jacksonville State and Georgia Military and held the same position for the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks.
It’s the latest in a flurry of moves Oklahoma State has made as it tries to bounce back from a 3-9 season that ended the school’s 18-year bowl streak under coach Mike Gundy.
Meacham replaces Kasey Dunn. Earlier in the week, the school hired New Orleans Saints assistant Todd Grantham as defensive coordinator. He replaced Bryan Nardo.
They will join Gundy, who agreed to a restructured contract after the worst season in his 20 years at the school.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, paying a big price for one of baseball’s best hitters.
The Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023.
Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago’s outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki’s agent about the outfielder’s no-trade clause.
The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Cubs announced later in the day that they had agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with catcher Carson Kelly, a Chicago native. He played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games.
The New York Yankees also were in the mix for Tucker before the trade was completed.
“We certainly had many conversations with the Astros.” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the end of the day I’m glad that Mr. Tucker is not in the American League East or the American League at all. But it’s a big get for the Chicago Cubs.”
Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July.
Paredes, who bats from the right side and is known for his pull power, chuckled as he talked about taking aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.
“I feel very happy. It’s not only a beautiful stadium, but it’s a stadium that benefits my hitting,” he said through a translator.
Even with the acquisition of Paredes, who also can play first, Astros general manager Dana Brown did not close the door on a reunion with Bregman.
“Pretty much Alex Bregman’s status is still the way it is,” Brown said. “Nothing has changed since the last time I’ve talked to you guys.”
Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.
The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain.
“It’s just a dream-come-true kind of thing,” Wesneski said. “I am excited to be an Astro.”
Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball’s best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year.
“Look, make no mistake. We’re still going to compete,” Brown said, “and this is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, yeah, wow, I understand it now, I get it. … I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year.”
While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal.
Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.
“It’s a really good first-round college bat with power, with a chance to hit, and he’s pretty athletic as well,” Brown said. “So we’re really excited about Cam Smith.”
Tucker was Houston’s first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018.
Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year.
The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.
Kelly gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons, and his deal with Chicago includes a $7.5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses during each of the three seasons; $250,000 each for 81 and 91 games started.
The Cubs were in need of more depth behind the plate. They also have Miguel Amaya, who played in a career-high 117 games this year, and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 20.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Winning the NBA Cup won’t bring a championship parade to Oklahoma City or Houston or Atlanta or Milwaukee. There’s a trophy. There’s some cash. There are bragging rights. And that’s about it.
The way the final four teams in the tournament see things, that’s enough.
The semifinals of the NBA Cup are Saturday: Atlanta takes on Milwaukee, and Houston faces Oklahoma City, those games in Las Vegas — as will the championship game Tuesday night.
“As a kid, you grow up, you watch Lakers versus Boston on TV. You watch Miami versus Cleveland. You watch marquee matchups and you watch big games, and you dream about getting there one day,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “To be in this position is special. You don’t take it for granted.”
For most of the players in these NBA Cup semifinals, this is their first time on such a stage. Only nine players currently on the Hawks, Thunder, Bucks and Rockets have ever been to the NBA Finals.
“We’re a group that’s trying to develop an identity,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “Having some success can help that.”
It’s not a totally surprising final four: Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for last season’s playoffs and if the season was over Friday the Thunder would have that seed again — just ahead of No. 2 Houston. And in the East, the Bucks (winners in 11 of their last 14) and Hawks (winners in seven of their last eight) are among the hottest teams right now.
“For a lot of guys that haven’t tasted the playoffs yet, it’s the closest thing to that as far as intensity and physicality and something on the line,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of the NBA Cup. “Meaningful basketball is really good for our young guys. They haven’t had a ton of those games.”
The Bucks have some players — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton among them — who have been to the NBA Finals and won. But getting to Vegas is a huge accomplishment, even for those guys, considering Milwaukee started 2-8.
“It’s just a lot on the line,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard said. “It requires you to focus. You’ve got to come and get the job done. So, I think in that way it’s similar to a playoff experience, just that you’ve got to get the job done.”
It’s also a chance for teams that are considered small-market — there’s no Boston or New York or Los Angeles teams in this final four — to get more national TV games and maybe pick up a few more fans.
“At the end of the day, you just want to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But it’s pretty sweet to be highlighted and showcased in a way. Yeah, it’s what dreams are all about, and for them to come true is special.”
Semifinal matchups
—Atlanta vs. Milwaukee, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST (TNT)
Season series: Hawks, 1-0.
BetMGM line: Bucks by 3.5 points.
Outlook: Both teams are clearly playing their best basketball of the season. If there’s one edge Milwaukee has, it’s that the Bucks were in the NBA Cup semifinals (before it was called the NBA Cup) last season.
—Houston vs. Oklahoma City, Saturday. 8:30 p.m. EST (ABC)
Season series: Split, 1-1.
Outlook: The Rockets had to rally late and hold off Golden State in the quarterfinals, and the Thunder — since losing to Houston on Dec. 1 — are 4-0 and winning those games by a margin of 22.3 points.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The woman who in 2006 falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her — making national headlines that stirred tensions about race, class and the privilege of college athletes — has admitted publicly for the first time that she made up the story.
Crystal Mangum, who is Black, said in an interview with the “Let’s Talk with Kat” podcast that she “made up a story that wasn’t true” about the white players who attended a party where she was hired to perform as a stripper “because I wanted validation from people and not from God.”
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t and that was wrong,” Mangum, 46, said in the interview, which was released Monday. The interview was recorded last month at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where Mangum is incarcerated for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2011.
The former Duke players were declared innocent in 2007 after Mangum’s story fell apart under legal scrutiny. The state attorney general’s office concluded there was no credible evidence an attack ever occurred, and its investigation found no DNA, witness or other evidence to confirm Mangum’s story.
Despite their names being cleared, Jim Cooney, one of the former players’ lawyers at the time, told The Associated Press that Mangum’s allegations caused an “enormous tornado of destruction” for countless people involved, including the accused men. They were wrongfully vilified nationally as “racially motivated rapists,” Cooney said.
The Durham prosecutor who championed Mangum’s case was disbarred for lying and misconduct. Prosecutors at the time declined to press charges against Mangum for the false accusations.
The former lacrosse players reached an undisclosed settlement with Duke University in 2007 after suing it for the handling of the rape allegations.
Mangum, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013 and is eligible to be released from prison as early as 2026, told the podcast interviewer that she hopes the three falsely accused men can forgive her.
“I want them to know that I love them and they didn’t deserve that,” she said.
Durham-based podcaster Kat DePasquale said she wrote to Mangum because she was curious about the case that got so much attention, and that Mangum wrote back saying she wanted to talk.
Mangum’s apology struck Cooney as sincere and “a good first step,” but he said the decision to forgive her is ultimately up to the three former lacrosse players.
“It’s going to be a part of their biography for the rest of their lives and part of their obituaries,” Cooney said of the three men.
(AUGUSTA, Ga.) -- One person was shot and killed in an "isolated" shooting in on-post housing at Fort Eisenhower on Saturday, according to the base. The shooter has been apprehended and the base reopened after it had gone into lockdown.
"Fort Eisenhower is actively supporting the victim's family and assistance will be available to anyone impacted by this tragedy. The safety of our residents and personnel remains our primary concern," Fort Eisenhower said in a statement Saturday.
No information regarding the victim will be released until next-of-kin has been notified.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) -- A frustrated Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for federal assistance after the latest drone sighting temporarily shut down an airport Friday night, the latest in a series of mysterious occurrences taking part across the country.
Officials at Stewart International Airport, located roughly 60 miles north of New York City, said they shut down their runways for an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration alerted them that a drone was spotted in the area around 9:30 p.m.
"There were no impacts to flight operations during the closure," the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.
Hochul said in a statement Saturday that the incident is the latest drone sighting in the state since mid-November and expressed her frustration.
"This has gone too far," she said.
Hochul said she has called on the New York State Intelligence Center to probe the drone sighting incidents but called on the federal government to do more.
Specifically, she called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA's oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.
"Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential. Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people."
Residents and officials have been looking for answers after drones have been seen hovering in the sky in several locations, especially in central New Jersey, since mid-November. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and several members of Congress have also called for the federal government to investigate the sightings.
The White House downplayed some of the concerns of residents in a press briefing Thursday with national security communications adviser John Kirby saying "many" of the reported drone sightings appear to be lawfully operated manned aircraft.
He said they have been unable to "corroborate some of the reported sightings" using their detection techniques, but are still investigating.
In the meantime, the FAA and federal officials are taking precautions because of the drones.
The agency issued a temporary no-drone zone during Saturday afternoon's Army-Navy Game taking place at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are scheduled to attend the game.
The FAA has also imposed temporary drone flight restrictions in New Jersey over the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County in response to the reported drone activity.
ABC News' Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.
(KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA) -- The humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict in Gaza has left in its wake thousands of people with life-altering disabilities.
The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, coupled with Gaza's crumbling health care infrastructure, has created what some describe as insurmountable challenges for those injured during the violence.
About 25% of the people who have sustained injuries in the conflict -- an estimated 22,500 people -- now require long-term rehabilitation, according to the World Health Organization. More than 106,000 people have been injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
But in Gaza, where medical resources are already stretched to the breaking point, even basic rehabilitation services remain out of reach.
Many disabled individuals face not only physical pain but also profound psychological scars and societal rejection in Gaza, international and local medical professionals said. With limited access to medical care, psychological support, and assistive devices, they are often left to navigate life with disabilities that forever alter their futures.
"In any circumstances, recovering from an extensive injury and attending physical rehabilitation takes an enormous amount of psychological strength. To do this in a conflict zone -- where accessing mobility aids, appropriate transportation, or any at all, physiotherapy sessions, proper nutrition, and rest is very difficult -- takes a severe toll on every individual experiencing it," International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Hisham Mhanna told ABC News in an interview.
In the more than a year since Israel began its retaliatory war against Hamas, the terrorist group that attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage, much of Gaza has been destroyed by airstrikes, according to the United Nations. Nearly 100 hostages remain missing in Gaza with about two-thirds believed to be alive.
About 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, a U.N. agency said in September. The Strip's hospital system has "collapsed," a spokesperson for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, told ABC News in October. Nineteen of the 36 hospitals and nine field hospitals formerly operating in Gaza were still partially functioning, the WHO said at the time.
Ahmed Al Haw, 17, a displaced person living in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, said he is among those whose lives have been irreversibly changed. Al Haw was injured in front of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis while visiting a sick relative. His family's trip turned into a nightmare when a bomb exploded near their car.
"My grandfather's leg was amputated, and as the injury developed, he passed away. My mother and sister were also injured. I lost my eye and part of my foot," Al Haw said.
For Al Haw, the aftermath of the explosion has been almost as unbearable as the injuries themselves. He has been thrust into a reality where even the simplest tasks are a struggle. The physical pain is unrelenting, but it pales in comparison to the psychological toll he endures, he said.
"At the beginning of the injury, I was in a state of depression. I didn't eat at all. One time, I even thought about committing suicide," he said.
Gaza's health care system lacks the resources to adequately address the needs of the disabled, the World Health Organization said in a recent press release announcing the publication of an analysis of the medical situation in Gaza. There is a lack of medical supplies, including prosthetics, wheelchairs and essential medications to treat people with injuries that have left them disabled, the press release said. Hospitals are overwhelmed, understaffed, and under-resourced.
"Accessing proper prosthetics and mobility aids is difficult in Gaza, where there are shortages of everything, including critical medical drugs and supplies. The focus of medical staff is on saving lives, as it must be in any emergency, but this leaves gaps in the post-recovery care in many areas." Mhanna said.
Medical aid has accounted for about 2.5% by weight of all aid that's been brought in Gaza since the conflict began about 14 months ago, according to the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli ministry overseeing the flow of food, medical aid and other supplies into Gaza. About 28,918 tons of medical aid have crossed into the Strip, according to COGAT data.
"Israel actively and continuously operates to facilitate the increase of the medical response in Gaza," COGAT says on its website. "This is done in close coordination with humanitarian aid organizations specializing in health services, and donor countries."
The most common injuries medical staff see are "loss of limbs" from bombings and shrapnel, said Dr. Sami Owaimer, director of the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Unit at the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
"The most common injuries we see are the loss of limbs due to explosions and shrapnel, alongside eye injuries that lead to blindness and spinal injuries resulting in paralysis. These wounds often cause permanent deformities and profoundly alter lives," Owaimer said.
Rehabilitation, a critical step in recovery, is virtually non-existent in Gaza. The region lacks specialized centers, modern equipment and trained professionals to provide comprehensive care. As a result, many disabled individuals are left without the tools or support needed to adapt to their new realities.
"There is a glaring lack of specialized rehabilitation centers and modern equipment, such as prosthetics and movement training devices," Owaimer said. "Comprehensive programs that integrate physical, psychological and social services are desperately needed."
For Al Haw, the psychological impact of his injuries is compounded by the stigma he faces from society, he said.
"Society does not accept me," he said. "When I walk slowly on crutches, people start shouting at me, 'Hurry up!' One time, I fell to the ground. I cry every day. I have nightmares every night. I feel very lonely. I've become mentally ill in addition to being physically and visually disabled."
The lack of psychological support exacerbates the suffering of those like Al Haw. Many patients, particularly young people, find themselves battling depression and anxiety with no professional guidance or emotional support.
"Adapting to life with a disability is a significant challenge," Owaimer said. "While some programs offer psychological and social rehabilitation, the lack of resources limits their reach and effectiveness."
The societal challenges faced by people with disabilities in Gaza, limited facilities, lack of accessibility and entrenched stigma leave many feeling isolated and marginalized. Al Haw described this isolation as being particularly painful. As the oldest of seven siblings, he said he feels a deep responsibility to support his family, especially with his father imprisoned in an Israeli jail.
"I've lost my feet and my sight, the most precious things I had. My dreams have deteriorated. I can't support my mother and sisters. My future is completely unknown," he said.
Despite the obstacles he faces, Al Haw keeps going, driven by his love for his family.
"Because of my family, I am struggling to continue living. I want to have a good future, to support my family in the absence of my father," he said.
"These individuals are not just numbers -- they are human beings with rights who deserve dignity, education, and proper rehabilitation," Owaimer said.
"In the chaos of conflict, many people with disabilities are forgotten," Mhanna, of the Red Cross, said. "But they are civilians and receive special protection under international humanitarian law. People with disabilities, and the different challenges and needs they have, must be taken into account by parties to a conflict during active hostilities."
(NEW YORK) --Luigi Mangione's mother filed a missing persons report about her son in San Francisco on Nov. 18 -- 16 days before he allegedly shot dead UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City -- law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Mangione appeared in court in Pennsylvania on Monday, shortly after his arrest at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day manhunt across multiple states. Mangione told a judge he was in touch with his family "until recently."
Law enforcement sources told ABC News that Mangione's mother spoke with a task force of FBI agents and New York Police Department detectives one day before her son's arrest on Dec. 9.
That conversation followed a tip the FBI received from the police in San Francisco, where Mangione's mother filed the missing persons report.
The tip from SFPD was based on physical appearance and Mangione's mother, in her conversation with the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force last Sunday, indicated the person in the surveillance photos circulated by the NYPD could be her son, the sources said.
The task force was still working on the information the mother and San Francisco Police Department provided when Mangione, 26, was arrested in Altoona.
The Mangione family released a statement saying they were "shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest" and offered "our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved."
Mangione is currently in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday. Mangione faces charges in Pennsylvania including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun. In New York, he faces charges including second-degree murder.
Mangione's new attorney
Mangione has now hired veteran former New York City prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him, according to a statement from her law firm Agnifilo Intrater LLP.
Friedman Agnifilo served as the second-in-command in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office from 2014 to 2021 under former District Attorney Cyrus Vance. A biography on her law firm website says she played a lead role in prosecuting "high-profile violent crime cases," including those involving mental health and cold case homicides.
"Karen Friedman Agnifilo has a three-decade background in criminal justice, litigation and trials. Her practice focuses on criminal defense in state and federal courts, leveraging her extensive experience prosecuting serious violent crimes, including complex homicide cases, from accusation to investigation to arrest and trial," the biography said.
"While serving in the Manhattan DA's office, Ms. Friedman Agnifilo was also integral to creating the office's Human Trafficking Unit, Hate Crimes Unit, Antiquities Trafficking Unit, Terrorism Unit, its Cybercrimes and Identity Theft Bureau, as well as working on the creation of Manhattan's first Mental Health Court," the biography continued.
Friedman Agnifilo is also a frequent television news guest and commentator and is a former legal analyst for CNN.
She is the co-host of a weekly podcast on the Meidas Touch Network where she discusses emerging legal issues and litigation strategy, and serves as a legal adviser for the television show "Law and Order."
Writings analyzed
Law enforcement sources told ABC News that writings seized from the suspect indicate he developed a fixation and increasing malice toward UnitedHealthcare and allegedly talked about harming its leader for months.
Some entries in the notebook seized from Mangione upon his arrest were dated as far back as mid-2024, the sources said.
That fixation eventually evolved into the alleged plan to shoot executive Thompson, the sources said.
Some of the writings were diary-style, documenting how he felt and what he did that day. They also documented a desire to focus on his health and find his purpose, the sources said.
But as time went on -- and as Mangione allegedly fell out of contact with friends and family and grew increasingly isolated -- some writings indicated a deterioration in his state of mind, illustrating a gradual build towards the alleged plan to kill Thompson at what the writings described as UnitedHealthcare's "annual parasitic bean-counter convention," sources said.
Mangione's writings, obtained by ABC News, claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world but ranks around 42nd in life expectancy.
He said UnitedHealthcare "has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit."
"I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done," he allegedly wrote. "Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming."
Neither Mangione nor his parents received insurance through UnitedHealthcare, according to UnitedHealth Group.
(SEOUL) -- The South Korean National Assembly has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in a divisive vote.
Thousands of people celebrated outside the National Assembly compound as the news was delivered while, across the city, thousands of President Yoon's supporters gathered in the city center to express their anger and rage at the result.
All 300 assembly members cast their votes for the impeachment bill on Saturday as the bill passed with a total of 204 votes for impeachment, 85 against, 3 abstentions and 8 invalid votes.
“I vow to do my best for South Korea until the end,” President Yoon said in a televised speech right after the impeachment bill passed.
The constitutional court now has up to six months to decide whether to reinstate or formally oust him.
The country’s Prime Minister Han Duk-su is to take charge until that time, according to the law.
Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Party is trying to impeach Prime Minister Han as well for not being able to stop the president from putting the country under emergency martial law, which lasted six hours.
In addition to the impeachment, the Democratic Party is seeking to arrest the president for perpetrating an insurrection.
The police have already arrested the Defense Minister, the chief of the National Police, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the military counterintelligence commander for collaborating in the insurrection.
Insurrection in South Korea is punished by death or life-long prison sentences.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Dallas man who tried to fly overseas to join the Russian military and fight against Ukraine was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for storming the U.S. Capitol four years ago.
Kevin Loftus, a 56-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, was stopped from boarding an Oct. 28 flight from Dallas to Tbilisi, Georgia, by way of Istanbul, Turkey, when Turkish Airlines identified a “security flag” associated with him, according to federal prosecutors.
Loftus didn’t have the court’s permission to travel internationally or to drive from Texas to Iowa, where the FBI arrested him three days after his flight plans fell apart, prosecutors said.
Loftus told the FBI that he had hoped to secure a 90-day visa to travel to Russia, where he intended to apply for temporary residency. Loftus said he had used the Telegram messaging platform to communicate with a man who would connect him with the Russian Territorial Defense Unit, a volunteer military corps.
“Loftus said he had already sent the man approximately $1200 to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers,” prosecutors wrote. “Loftus said his intent was to fight for Russia and against Ukraine.”
Loftus declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced him for the probation violation. The judge said Loftus has repeatedly violated court orders.
“He doesn’t think these rules should apply to him,” Friedrich said. “He wants to be above the law.”
Defense attorney Benjamin Schiffelbein said Loftus wanted to enlist in the Russian military because he “felt bad” for Russian soldiers and wanted to help them.
“He had no idea whether they could make use of him,” the lawyer said.
Loftus, a six-year Army veteran, intended to permanently relocate to another country, according to prosecutors.
“And his planned travel was for the express purpose of joining a foreign army to take up arms against one of this country’s allies and in opposition to this country’s foreign policy,” they wrote.
In January 2021, Loftus traveled from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. After joining the mob of Trump supporters at the Capitol, he entered the building and took photographs. He spent approximately five minutes inside the Capitol.
Loftus was arrested at his Wisconsin home several days after the riot. He pleaded guilty in October 2021 to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
After his arrest, Loftus posted comments about his case on social media, referring to himself as “famous” and a “hero” for taking part in the Jan. 6 attack.
“Loftus also stated that he gained that fame by ‘standing up for all Americans’ because he ‘broke the law,’ and he would file lawsuits against unidentified persons after the criminal case was over,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors recommended 30 days of imprisonment for Loftus, but Friedrich initially sentenced him to three years of probation.
For his probation violation, prosecutors requested a six-month prison sentence. They noted that Loftus, while on probation, also was arrested in December 2023 and charged with driving while intoxicated in Richardson, Texas. Loftus was required to attend a substance abuse program, but he avoided jail time for that violation.
Over 1,500 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. More than 1,000 of them have been convicted and sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to pardon Capitol rioters, but the district court judges in Washington, D.C., typically have refused to postpone sentencings, plea hearings and trials until after the president-elect returns to the White House.
Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, launching one of the first challenges in the U.S. to shield laws that Democrat-controlled states passed to protect physicians after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Collin County, and it was announced Friday.
Such prescriptions, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even since state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures.
Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Law, said a challenge to shield laws, which blue states started adopting in 2023, has been anticipated.
And it could have a chilling effect on prescriptions.
“Will doctors be more afraid to mail pills into Texas, even if they might be protected by shield laws because they don’t know if they’re protected by shield laws?” Ziegler said in an interview Friday.
The lawsuit accuses New York Dr. Maggie Carpenter of violating Texas law by providing the drugs to a Texas patient and seeks up to $250,000. No criminal charges are involved.
Texas bars abortion at all stages of pregnancy and has been one of the most aggressive states at pushing back against abortion rights. It began enforcing a state law in 2021 — even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door to state bans — that barred nearly all abortions by allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides an abortion or assists someone in obtaining one.
Paxton said that the 20-year-old woman who received the pills ended up in a hospital with complications. It was only after that, the state said in its filing, that the man described as “the biological father of the unborn child” learned of the pregnancy and the abortion.
“In Texas, we treasure the health and lives of mothers and babies, and this is why out-of-state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents,” Paxton said in a statement.
The state said the Texas woman received a combination of two drugs that are generally used in medication abortions. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone and primes the uterus to respond to the contraction-causing effect of the second drug, misoprostol. The two-drug regimen can be used to end pregnancies up through 10 weeks, but the drugs also have other uses and can help induce labor, manage miscarriages or treat hemorrhage.
The Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, where Carpenter is co-medical director and founder, said in a statement that shield laws are essential to preserving abortion access.
“Ken Paxton is prioritizing his anti-abortion agenda over the health and well-being of women by attempting to shut down telemedicine abortion nationwide,” the group said. “By threatening access to safe and effective reproductive health care, he is putting women directly in harm’s way.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, said they would defend reproductive freedom.
“As other states move to attack those who provide or obtain abortion care, New York is proud to be a safe haven for abortion access,” James said in a prepared statement. “We will always protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their job and we will never cower in the face of intimidation or threats.”
It was not clear what specific actions Hochul or James would take.
While most Republican-controlled states began enforcing bans or tighter restrictions on abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned, most Democratic states have adopted laws that aim to protect their residents from investigation or prosecution under other states’ abortion laws. At least eight states have gone farther, offering legal protections to health care providers who prescribe abortion pills to patients in states where abortion is banned. That scenario makes up for about 10% of all abortions in the U.S., a survey for the Society of Family Planning found.
The New York shield law includes a provision that allows a prescriber who is sued to countersue the plaintiff to recover damages.
That makes the Texas lawsuit thorny.
Even if Paxton prevails in Texas court, Ziegler said, it’s unclear how that could be enforced. “Is he going to go to New York to enforce it?” she asked.
Still, anti-abortion groups cheered the filing and abortion rights supporters derided it.
Anti-abortion advocates, who legally challenged the Biden administration’s prescribing rules around mifepristone, have been readying provocative and unusual ways to further limit abortion pill access when Trump takes office next year. They feel emboldened to challenge the pills’ use and seek ways to restrict it under a conservative U.S. Supreme Court buttressed by a Republican-controlled Congress and White House.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a group of anti-abortion doctors and their organizations lacked the legal standing to sue to try to have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone rescinded. But since then, the Republican state attorneys general from Idaho, Kansas and Missouri have sought to have some of the rules around the pills tightened — including to bar telemedicine prescriptions.
Also this year, Louisiana became the first state to reclassify the drugs as “controlled dangerous substances.” They can still be prescribed, but there are extra steps required to access them.
Lawmakers in at least three states — Missouri, New Hampshire and Tennessee — have introduced bills for next year that would bar or restrict use of the pills.
“I began to think about how we might be able to both provide an additional deterrent to companies violating the criminal law and provide a remedy for the family of the unborn children,” said Tennessee state Rep. Gino Bulso, who is sponsoring the legislation there targeting medications used in abortions.
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Associated Press journalists Amanda Seitz and Kimberlee Kruesi contributed to this report.
KILGORE — With the holiday season in full swing, the Kilgore Police Department is highlighting an uptick in scams and frauds. The police department is warning residents of frauds and scams that pressure people for some form of payment in exchange for a prize or to resolve some type of problem such as tax issues, computer viruses or arrest warrants.
“Scammers often insist you pay them using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, wiring money through a company like Western Union, using gift cards or shipping a cashier’s check through a parcel company,” Kilgore PD said.
According to our news partner KETK, scammers have tried everything such as sweepstakes scams, warrant scams to ransom scams where they claim to be a government agent informing them they have detected illicit materials on their computer or device or their identity has been stolen. Continue reading Scams, frauds on the rise during holiday season
HENDERSON COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man, Daniel Richard Simpson, 38 of Malakoff, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after admitting to ingesting a “block of meth” during police pursuit and tampering or fabricating with physical evidence.
The Athens Police Department was dispatched to a Walmart Super Center in August 2021 in reference to two men suspected of shoplifting. Authorities approached the individuals, who at the time entered a black car in the parking lot. Simpson, the driver, was issued a criminal trespass warning for Walmart and learned that he had a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation. When Simpson learned of his active warrant, he reportedly fled through city limits of Athens and eventually lost control and slid into a ditch. Simpson reportedly admitted to officials he had ingested a “block of meth” and had traveled around 38 miles with speeds up to 105 mph. Continue reading Man sentenced after admitting to taking meth during pursuit
