At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as of Monday morning. Additionally, 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 87,000 are under evacuation warnings.
Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest health care systems in California, said most of its facilities remain open and operational but seven remain closed, including facilities in the cities and neighborhoods of Pasadena, Rosemead, Santa Monica, Canyon County and Sylmar.
Keck Medicine of USC shared an update to its website stating that all affiliated hospitals remain open but at least nine clinics remain closed, including those in Arcadia, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge and Los Angeles.
Providence health care system, which serves five Western states including California, also announced that some of its outpatient services, such as doctors' offices, were closed but that its hospitals remain open.
Adventist Health Glendale said in a statement on its website that its hospital and emergency department is operating as usual and patients are not being evacuated. However, some patients with elective procedures are being rescheduled to a later date and all non-essential visitation has been postponed.
"Some patients with elective procedures may be rescheduled for a later date â These patients will be contacted directly by their provider," the statement said.
As of Sunday afternoon, UCLA Health said clinic operations were "impacted" in the neighborhoods of Calabasas, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena. However, it's unclear from the UCLA statement how many clinics are closed.
"Affected patients will be contacted with additional information. Patients with questions or seeking to reschedule appointments are encouraged to contact their physician's office or clinic," UCLA Health stated on its website. "UCLA Health asks that visits to our medical center emergency departments be reserved for urgent and life-threatening medical conditions."
Some health care centers are working to reopen after being temporarily closed. Cedars-Sinai shared in an update on its website Monday that it was planning to resume non-urgent and non-emergency procedures, some of which it had postponed because of the fires.
"Our Medical Network has reopened most outpatient offices and surgery centers that had been temporarily closed, including locations in Brentwood/West Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Pasadena and Santa Monica. We continue to do everything possible to minimize any disruptions to care," Cedars-Sinai's update stated.
Additionally, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has locations in four states including California, said its main campus in Duarte and all of its outpatient clinics are open as staff work to accommodate patients "whose care was impacted over the last few days."
(LONDON) -- A ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Hamas, with the Qatari prime minister announcing the deal Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Israeli minister, party to resign in protest of 'reckless' ceasefire deal
Far right Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced his party will resign from government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition tomorrow over the ceasefire deal which he calls "reckless."
Netanyahu will have a narrower majority, but the resignation will not topple his coalition.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Israel has not received list of hostages to be released, Netanyahu says
Israel has not yet received the list of which hostages will be released, warning that Israel wouldn't move forward with the ceasefire if this was not received, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
"Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. The sole responsibility lies with Hamas," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Hamas has not yet commented on the list.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Bruno Nota
Ceasefire to begin at 1:30 am ET Sunday
Qatarâs Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari has said that the ceasefire will begin at 1:30 a.m. ET, which is 8:30 a.m. local time in Gaza, according to a statement posted on X.
âAs coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza. We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official sources.â
Israeli government says it has approved deal
The Israeli government said it has approved the ceasefire deal.
"The government has approved the outline for the return of the abductees," the government said in a statement. "The outline for the release of the abductees will come into effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025."
116 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since ceasefire announced
At least 116 Palestinians have been killed and 264 injured since the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced on Wednesday.
Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire deal
The Israeli cabinet met Friday and voted to approve a ceasefire deal reached between Hamas and Israel.
The deal now needs approval from the government before it is ratified by Israel.
The ceasefire is on track to go into effect on Sunday.
Israeli cabinet meeting after Netanyahu says there is a deal
The Israeli cabinet is currently meeting to to discuss and ratify the ceasefire deal reached with Hamas.
âThe political-security cabinet discussion began at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem," read a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released on Friday. "Earlier, an operational security situation assessment was held regarding the implementation of the agreement, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with the negotiating team that returned from Doha."
If a deal is reached, Netanyahu's office said that hostages could be released as early as Sunday, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Hostage release could begin as soon as Sunday
Hostages could be released as early as Sunday, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
âSubject to approval by the Cabinet and the government, and the entry into force of the agreement - the release of the hostages can be realized according to the planned outline, in which the hostages are expected to be released as early as Sunday,â the statement read.
Netanyahuâs cabinet has yet to vote on the agreement and a vote has been delayed twice so far on Friday morning.
Gazaâs Civil Defence Agency has said that more than 100 Palestinianâs have died since the initial announcement on Wednesday.
Netanyahu says hostage deal has been reached
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office was informed by the negotiating team that "agreements have been reached on a deal to release the hostages," his office said in a statement.
Netanyahu's security cabinet will meet Friday, the statement added. Then, Netanyahu's cabinet will convene to "approve the deal," the statement said.
The hostage families have been informed of the agreement, and preparations are being made for their return, the statement said.
86 Palestinians killed in IDF strike since deal announced
At least 86 Palestinians have been killed and 250 others were injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire agreement was announced on Wednesday.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it has hit at least 50 targets for the second day in a row.
Israel preparing for return of hostages
Israel is preparing for the return of hostages, with its rehabilitation department and the Israel Defense Forces on full alert, according to the Ministry of Defense.
"They will provide all necessary assistance and support to the returning hostages and their families in all aspects, emphasizing close medical and mental health care and support, and will enhance emotional support and guidance for all families," the ministry said in a statement Thursday.
Israeli cabinet to ratify deal on Friday
The Israeli cabinet will meet on Friday to discuss and ratify the ceasefire deal reached with Hamas, according to a senior Israeli official.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Ceasefire held up by Hamas demands: Israeli official
A day after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was announced, the agreement is being held up by disagreements between the two sides, according to a senior Israeli official.
"The hold up is due to new demands by Hamas that Israel will never agree to. Among them, issues regarding Palestinian Prisoners," an Israeli official told ABC News.
Hamas has denied that it has made more demands and said it is abiding by the ceasefire deal announced on Wednesday and said the ceasefire urgently needs to be implemented.
"Regarding the claims of Netanyahu's office, I confirm that Hamas is committed to what was agreed upon and to the ceasefire agreement that was announced by the mediators; and no amendments were added. I hope that such statements from Netanyahu's office are not an attempt to evade their commitment to the ceasefire agreement," a senior Hamas official told ABC News.
The two sides are also at odds over who controls the Philadelphi corridor -- a stretch of land separating Gaza and Egypt. This has been a sticking point throughout months of negotiations.
Israel is accusing Hamas of making a "last minute demand to change the deployment of IDF forces in the Philadelphi corridor," Israeli spokesman David Mencer said at a press conference Thursday.
Israel wants to retain control of the corridor, saying it needs to do so to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hamas.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Hamas 'desperate' for Gaza ceasefire deal, Kirby says
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told "Good Morning America" on Thursday that Hamas is "desperate" for a ceasefire deal in Gaza after more than a year of intense fighting.
"Hamas is in a much weaker position now than they were in May when this deal got put on the table," Kirby said of the ceasefire agreement, a version of which was tabled by President Joe Biden's administration last summer.
"They're also more isolated with a ceasefire with Israel and Hezbollah -- they can't count on Hezbollah coming to their aid, Iran is weaker," Kirby said of Hamas. "There have been a lot of developments that have put Hamas in a situation where they were more desperate to get to a deal. That's where we are."
Pressure from President-elect Donald Trump and his team "sent a strong signal to everybody in the region," including Hamas, the surviving hostages in Gaza and their families, Kirby acknowledged.
"This new Trump team will have to implement this deal which is why President Biden made sure we were keeping them informed and coordinating with them all the way through this process," Kirby said.
Kirby spoke with GMA shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of trying to renege on parts of the ceasefire agreement, which is yet to be ratified by the Israeli cabinet.
"We're confident that we're going to be able to start implementing it on Sunday," Kirby said, though added there are some "implementing details that still need to be ironed out" with Israel.
As to the future of Gaza, Kirby said Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in control.
"Post-conflict Gaza, all the governance that needs to happen there, meeting the aspirations of the Palestinian people, all that needs to be ironed out, and it's going to have to be done regionally," Kirby said.
A collective day-after plan will have to ensure that "Hamas cannot return, cannot be in power, cannot threaten Israel and yet all the aspirations for safety and security of the Palestinian people can be met, as well as those of the Israeli people."
Of the U.S. hostages slated for possible release, Kirby said the White House knows "several that are still alive."
"We don't have perfect visibility on every single one, but I think we have a pretty good sense," he added. "We know who is going to be coming out in this first tranche. There will be additional Americans coming out in follow-on tranches.
Israeli military will stay in Philadelphi corridor, source says
A senior political official confirmed to ABC News that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in the Philadelphi corridor -- the strip of land separating Gaza from Egypt -- throughout the first phase of the nascent ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israeli troops will remain in the corridor throughout the first 42 days of the ceasefire process, the official said, their footprint remaining at its current size with forces deployed in "outposts, patrols, observations and control along the entire length of the axis."
The official added that if peace talks fail during the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli forces will stay in the corridor.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Hamas 'committed' to ceasefire, statement says
Hamas said on Thursday they were "committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said the organization had attended to renege on "parts" of the agreement.
-ABC Newsâ Nasser Atta
Israel says Hamas trying to renege on parts of deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Thursday that Hamas was attempting to renege "on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last minute concessions."
"The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement," the statement said.
The Israeli cabinet is due to meet on Thursday to approve the ceasefire agreement that was announced on Wednesday. The ceasefire is due to begin on Sunday.
Officials involved in the matter told ABC News the Israeli negotiating team is still in Doha, Qatar, where negotiations have been held.
-ABC News Bruno Nota and Jordana Miller
ICRC ready to facilitate hostage releases, Gaza aid
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement it is "ready to help implement the agreement reached by the parties and bring hostages and detainees home," as mediators and combatants in Gaza prepare for Wednesday's ceasefire deal to come into effect on Sunday.
The ICRC has previously helped facilitate the release of 109 hostages and 154 detainees, the organization said in its statement, describing such operations as "highly complex" and requiring "meticulous logistical and security planning to minimize the risk to life."
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said she hopes Wednesday's agreement "marks a new beginning."
"Civilian lives must be protected and their needs prioritized," she added.
"The coming days are critical and we are counting on the parties to hold to their commitments. While the agreement is welcome, it is not the end. There are immense humanitarian needs that must be addressed, which will take months, if not years."
Khamenei claims Hamas victory in ceasefire
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Gaza ceasefire deal announced Wednesday showed Israel was "forced to retreat."
"It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza," Khamenei said in a post to X.
"Everyone will realize" that the patience of Palestinians and the "steadfastness" of Hamas and other militant groups delivered victory over Israel, the Iranian leader said.
2 American hostages expected to be released in 1st phase of deal: Official
Two living Americans are expected to be among the 33 hostages in Gaza released as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday.
Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen are both expected to be released, with Siegel qualifying for release due to his age and Dekel-Chen because of an injury after being shot on Oct. 7, the official said.
"We're now very hopeful that we begin to see hostages come home as early as Sunday," the official said.
Edan Alexander, a third living American hostage, will fall in the second release phase because of his Israeli military service, the official said, adding that the U.S. remains fully committed to getting him out.
The remains of four American hostages also remain in Gaza, President Joe Biden said. The remains of deceased hostages will be returned in phase three, he said.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Kelsey Walsh
12 people killed in Gaza City bombings: Civil Defense
Twelve people were killed and at least 20 people were injured after bombings in Gaza City within the past hour, Gaza's Civil Defense said.
The attacks were reported after the announcement of a hostage and ceasefire deal, the first phase of which isn't set to go into effect until Sunday.
-ABC News' Sami Zyara
Biden announces ceasefire deal
President Joe Biden released a statement saying Hamas and Israel had agreed to a deal, "after many months of intensive diplomacy," by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
"I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council," Biden said in the statement. "It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran â but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done."
Biden also highlighted the three living American hostages who are still being held, and the four remains of American hostages yet to be returned.
What comes next in ceasefire process?
While a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Hamas and Israeli negotiators, the Israeli government still needs to approve the deal.
The deal is expected to be approved, but it will take several votes.
Netanyahu says Philadelphi snag was resolved
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a statement that the snag about control of the Philadelphia axis -- the strip of land between Gaza and Egypt -- has been worked out.
However, his office said they are still working out several unresolved issues.
"In light of Prime Minister Netanyahu's firm stance, Hamas has backed down on its demand at the last minute to change the deployment of forces on the Philadelphia axis," the prime minister's office said in a statement. "However, there are still several unresolved clauses in the outline, and we hope that the details will be finalized tonight."
Trump celebrates ceasefire, takes credit for deal
President-elect Donald Trump immediately posted on Truth Social about the agreement on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
He wrote, in all caps, "WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!"
He then also followed that up with a post taking credit for the deal, though the Biden administration has also been involved in the negotiations.
"This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies," Trump wrote.
Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire agreement
A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, more than 15 months into the conflict.
A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Jan. 3 in Qatar. Delegations from Israel and Hamas were dispatched to Doha to resume the negotiations, which were brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The Biden administration also helped broker the talks.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously told reporters the United States wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Blinken on Jan. 6 reported "intensified engagement," including by Hamas, on reaching a deal, though he added, "We are yet to see agreement on final points."
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has hit a last-minute snag, with both sides at odds over the Philadelphia axis, a piece of land separating the Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to an Israeli source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
"The Israeli negotiating team was recently informed that the Hamas terrorist organization decided at the last minute to make new demands - this time regarding the Philadelphia axis, in contrast to the maps that have already been approved by the cabinet and American mediators. Israel strongly opposes any changes to these maps," the Israeli source told ABC News.
Hamas has given green light to ceasefire deal, sources say
Two sources close to the ceasefire negotiations tell ABC News Hamas has given the green light to the agreement.
"We are very close," the sources said. "The goal (is) an agreement today or tomorrow."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
IDF attacks 50 Gaza targets as ceasefire deal nears
The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli intelligence agencies coordinated to attack around 50 targets across the Gaza Strip in the previous 24 hours, the IDF said in a Wednesday morning post to X.
The attacks targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the IDF said.
It reported strikes in Gaza City in the north of the strip, Khan Younis in the south and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
The targets included "terrorist cells, weapons depots, underground infrastructure, anti-tank positions and military structures," the IDF said.
The latest wave of strikes came as ceasefire negotiators in Qatar reportedly neared a deal to pause -- and eventually scale down -- the 15-month-old war.
Israel, Hamas agree on core elements of Gaza ceasefire, but haggling over details: US officials
Israel and the highest ranks of Hamas have now agreed to the core elements of the hostage release-ceasefire deal on the table, but both sides are continuing to haggle over the details of the proposal, according to two officials familiar with the negotiations.
The outstanding differences are seen as relatively minor, but talks are expected to continue into Wednesday, the officials said.
Many of the items that are still being ironed out are tied to stubborn sticking points that have emerged in the past, like the operation of the Rafah border crossing and Israeli security concerns connected to the movement of displaced Palestinians back to their homes in northern Gaza.
The disagreements are unlikely to derail progress at this point, according to the officials.
Two of the three Americans that are possibly alive inside Gaza are poised to be released in the initial days or weeks of the ceasefire if an agreement is reached, but an official said they expect the releases will happen slower than they did during the truce in November 2023.
While they donât have recent proof of life for the two Americans, the assumption is that they and most -- but not all -- of the 33 hostages freed under the deal will be returned alive.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
Israel waiting to hear back from Hamas on ceasefire agreement
Israel is currently waiting to hear back from Hamas on the most recent draft language of a ceasefire deal, sources told ABC News.
The two sides are reportedly closer to an agreement than ever before, according to a spokesperson for Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani.
"The ongoing talks in Doha regarding Gaza are fruitful, positive and focus on the final details. Meetings are underway in Doha between the parties to the agreement and we are awaiting updates from them," the spokesperson told ABC News.
Implementation of the agreement will begin shortly after it is announced, according to the spokesperson.
Qatar expecting ceasefire deal 'soon'
Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a Tuesday briefing that participants in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha are close to a ceasefire deal.
"We expect the agreement to be announced soon," the spokesperson said during the press conference.
Qatar is a key mediator between Israel and Hamas and has hosted several rounds of ceasefire talks in the capital Doha.
-ABC News' Nasser Atta
61 Palestinians killed in Gaza as ceasefire talks continue
The Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces strikes killed at least 61 Palestinians in the previous 24 hours and injured 281 more in the Hamas-run territory.
The total number of Palestinians killed since the war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is now 46,645 with 110,012 people injured, according to the ministry.
-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
Hamas says Gaza talks are in 'final stages'
Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks with Israel are in their "final stages," adding it hopes "that this round of negotiations will end with a clear and comprehensive agreement."
In a statement posted to the group's website, Hamas said it held meetings and consultations with leaders of other Palestinian factions regarding the progress made in ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
"During these contacts, the leaders of the forces and factions expressed their satisfaction with the course of the negotiations, stressing the need for general national preparation for the next stage and its requirements," Hamas said.
-ABC News' Nasser Atta
Israel hoping for ceasefire announcement 'soon,' official says
An Israeli government official told ABC News on Tuesday morning they "hope we can announce something soon" regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
The official said there had been "real progress" on every part of the negotiation in the last few days.
The official added that Hamas has changed and they are no longer "dictating" the terms, but are negotiating. "We are close, but not there yet," they said.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Sirens sound in central Israel after projectile launched from Yemen: IDF
A projectile was fired from Yemen towards Israel, the IDF said in a release early Tuesday morning local time.
Sirens were sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the IDF said.
Latest on hostages in ceasefire deal
Thirty-three hostages, living and dead, are expected to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the ongoing negotiations.
There are 94 abductees remaining in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead, according to Israeli officials.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
'Real chance' of ceasefire success, source says
A source close to the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar told ABC News that Israel is waiting for Hamas to approve moving into a final "closing round of negotiations," adding there is a "real chance" for a "breakthrough" after a diplomatic blitz in Doha this weekend.
"We still have ahead of us a closing round of negotiations," the source added
Reuters reported Monday that mediators in Qatar handed both Israel and Hamas a final draft of the ceasefire proposal, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
Reuters reported that the official said a breakthrough was reached after talks between Steve Witkoff -- President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy -- the Qatari prime minister and Israeli spy chiefs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, said Monday "there is progress," and that the situation "looks much better than previously."
"I don't want to say more than that because I realize there are families and they are sensitive to every word, and every sentence," Saar added. "I hope that within a short time we will see things happening, but it is still to be proved."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Guy Davies
Far-right minister says potential Gaza ceasefire deal represents 'catastrophe'
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he will not support the potential Gaza ceasefire deal currently being negotiated in Qatar, describing it as "a catastrophe for the national security of Israel."
"We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing arch terrorists, stopping the war and destroying its achievements that were bought with much blood and abandoning many hostages," Smotrich wrote in a post to X on Monday.
"Now is the time to continue with all our might, to occupy and cleanse the entire strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders completely and all the hostages are returned."
-ABC News' Dana Savir
Netanyahu spoke with Biden on ceasefire and hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he spoke with President Joe Biden on Sunday about progress in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage deal.
A senior White House administration official confirmed the call to ABC News.
"The Prime Minister discussed with the US President the progress in negotiations for the release of our hostages, and updated him on the mandate he gave to the negotiating delegation to Doha, in order to promote the release of our hostages," Netanyahu's office wrote in a release about the call.
According to the White House, Biden and Netanyahu "discussed the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iranâs power in the region."
The call comes as Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is in the Middle East for negotiations. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that McGurk is there to hammer out the "final details" of an agreement.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Michelle Stoddart
100 days of Israel's north Gaza assault
Sunday marked 100 days since the Israel Defense Forces launched its military operation in northern Gaza, with the toll of dead and missing Palestinians now at 5,000 people, according to a report published by the Gaza media office in the Hamas-run territory.
Some 9,500 more people have been injured and 2,600 have been detained including women and children, the report said.
Israel continues striking targets across the strip. Over the last 24 hours, IDF attacks killed 24 Palestinians, according to data published by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The report added that 46,565 Palestinians have been killed by Israel throughout Gaza since the war began in October 2023, with another 109,660 people injured.
Israeli attacks in the north of Gaza have targeted civilian infrastructures and hospitals, which combined with a siege of the area have worsened a humanitarian crisis there.
Calling for an end to the war, the Gaza media office report urged the international community -- including the UN -- to take immediate action to stop the assault and address the humanitarian crisis in the strip.
Israeli strikes on Gaza continued as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched senior negotiators to Qatar for ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks attended by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden's outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
-ABC News' Samy Zyara and Jordana Miller
High-level delegations gather in Doha for Gaza talks
For the first time in months, Israeli sources are expressing cautious optimism that a Gaza ceasefire may be within reach before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Officials close to the matter told ABC News on Sunday that a high-level Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad -- David Barnea -- arrived in Doha, Qatar, for a critical round of talks.
Others participating are Egyptian and U.S. officials including President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden's outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
Witkoff made a surprise visit to Israel Saturday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Israel's Channel 12, progress on some issues has been made -- including the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released and the details of the Israel Defense Forces' redeployment.
But some outstanding issues remain, including whether Hamas can provide Israel with a list of hostages who are alive. A Hamas official told Saudi media on Saturday that the group is ready to show flexibility.
The first phase of the deal is expected to last six to eight weeks, as the report suggests. A leaked hostage list by Hamas shows the names of two Americans to be released in the first phase. Seven Americans are among the 94 hostages, three of whom are presumed to still be alive.
A single cow in Mexico and a pest the size of a housefly have held up pens full of Texas-bound cattle worth millions of dollars for the past six weeks.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned Mexican cattle imports since November after a parasite known as screwworm, which wriggles into the flesh of livestock and kills them if left untreated, was discovered on a cow near Mexicoâs border with Guatemala. The ban on imports is a bigger problem than the screwworm itself, according to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and some Texas cattle ranchers, who say closing cattle imports damages their livelihoods, bottlenecks beef production and could increase beef prices for consumers.
âI get calls every single day from people asking for cattle,â said Alvaro Bustillos, president of Vaquero Trading, a livestock procurement company in El Paso. âKey steps in the production value chain are being stopped because people cannot source cattle.â
Miller remembers a time when screwworm wreaked havoc in Texas â $132 million in damages in 1976 â but said the USDA prematurely closed imports and is hampering an industry still trying to recover from two years of widespread drought. âThereâs no way we are going to get screwworm,â Miller told The Texas Tribune. âWe have a very strict import process for these cattle.â
About 3% of U.S. cattle come from Mexico. But Mexican cattle play a disproportionate role in southern statesâ beef production. Approximately two-thirds of Mexican cattle imports remain in Texas, New Mexico or Oklahoma, according to an estimate from Ben Weinheimer, the president and CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, which represents the industry across those three states.
Cattle crossing between Mexico and the U.S. remains on hold while the USDA installs new inspection pins and enhanced safety protocols to ensure cattle are healthy. Keeping the U.S. free of screwworm saves livestock producers close to $1 billion a year, said Texas Animal Health Commission spokesperson Erin Robinson, pointing to a USDA estimate that accounts for costs of labor, treatment, veterinary care, eradication efforts and loss of production.
Shutting off Mexican cattle imports has contributed to a recent increase in cow prices, said David P. Anderson, a professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension. Prices of feeder steers, which make up a large portion of Mexican cattle imports, are forecast to rise by 8% in 2025, a USDA report states. If import restrictions continue for much longer, beef production could drop, pushing up prices for consumers.
âFewer cattle mean higher beef prices, increasing inflation at the checkout line,â Miller wrote in a Dec. 23 editorial, adding that the ban âcould send shockwaves through the beef market.â
Screwworm infestations occur when a female fly lays her eggs on an animalâs open wound or another area such as their eyes or mouth. The female can lay up to 300 eggs at a time, and any warm-blooded animal, including humans, although rare, can be affected. The eggs hatch into larvae that dig into the animal and feed on living flesh.
Screwworm was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1966, but Texas experienced a more recent outbreak in 1976 that affected 20% of cattle.
When Bustillos found out the weekend before Thanksgiving that imports of Mexican cattle were to be halted because a single cow had screwworm, he was upset.
âBased on what is happening 3,000 kilometers down south, they are shutting us down,â Bustillos said. âI donât think itâs fair.â
Bustillos has a stake in both exporting and importing cattle. Heâs board chairman and president of the Chihuahua Cattlemenâs Association, which represents Mexican cattle producers. He also leads Vaquero Trading, which imports more than 200,000 Mexican cattle a year and supplies cows to feedlots in several states.
Bustillos says he has worked hard to build trust between the U.S. and Mexico, putting in place millions of dollars worth of sanitation practices that keep livestock safe and pest free on both sides of the border. Cattle entering the U.S. must have health certificates, vaccinations and testing to prevent diseases from entering the U.S, per requirements from the USDAâs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
November and December are typically when the U.S. imports the largest number of cattle from Mexico. Most of those imports are small cows headed to ranches or feedlots, where they are fattened up before getting sent to packing plants for beef production.
The U.S. has steadily increased Mexican cattle imports over the years. In 2023, about 1.1 million cattle entered from Mexico, up from about 870,000 the year prior. An extended drought coupled with higher U.S. cattle prices contributed to that increase, said Anderson, the economist.
âWe have the smallest cow herd in the U.S. since 1961, so we have higher prices here,â Anderson said about Texasâ cattle industry. âThat makes us an attractive market for Mexico to sell to.â
Federal officials have not specified when cattle shipments will resume, but a USDA spokesperson said in late December that shipments would resume âincrementally after the New Year, with full resumption sometime after that.â
âProtecting American livestock from foreign pests is our top priority,â the spokesperson said in an email. Anderson said he does not expect consumers to see significant increase in beef prices if trade resumes this month.
For Bustillos, the longer the shutdown continues, the more concerned he grows about the market. Cows are imported at certain times of year based on their weight and the availability of grass for them to graze. If the border does not reopen soon, he says, cattle could start to lose value.
For now industry leaders are hopeful trade opens up soon. âThe hope is that in January weâll start to see some semblance of normal trade,â Weinheimer said.
Anderson has heard enough stories about screwworm from his father to know the damage they can bring. âEvery day they had to grab each pig and look for wounds and sores,â he said. âTheyâd clean them out and put medicine onâŠIt was horrible.â So Anderson says it makes sense for the USDA to address screwworm before itâs anywhere near the U.S.
âIt would cost more to eradicate them if you let the problem grow bigger,â he said.
The screwworm is eliminated by dropping sterile male flies from airplanes over large areas. Female screwworm flies mate only once in their lifetime, so the loads of sterile male flies caused the population to eventually die out. That method is the only way to eradicate the screwworm today, according to the USDA.
Jim Schwertner, who operates a ranch in Williamson County, was a young boy helping run his family business when the sterile fly technique was introduced in Texas. He said it was a game changer and eliminated the screwworm within a year. âWhen they finally eradicated it, life was a whole lot easier for my dad and his cowboys,â Schwertner said. Schwertner recalled treating cattle hit by screwworm. âYouâd put insecticide on with a paintbrush to keep the screwworm off the cattle,â he said. âIt was a lot of work and really expensive.â
The technique has been used to create a biological barrier against the screwworm in Panama. But the pest has exploded there and crept northward in recent years, spreading through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. Texas and U.S. animal health officials attribute the spread to new areas of farming and increased cattle movement. Federal officials approved a $165 million emergency investment last month to stop screwworm from entering the U.S. and to help partners in Mexico and Central America eradicate it.
The eradication of screwworm has likely preserved Texasâ wildlife population. As recently as 2016, a resurgence of screwworm in the Florida Keys killed more than 130 deer before the pest was eliminated from the region the following year using the sterile fly technique.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has asked hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in South Texas to monitor for animals affected by screwworm. Any wildlife with signs of screwworm are to be reported to a local biologist. No cases have been confirmed in Texas, a spokesperson for the Texas Animal Health said.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the original article, click here.
Do you live in a red state, a blue state, or one where Republicans and Democrats share power?
Your answer might provide the best indicator of what to expect from your governor and state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump takes office and legislatures convene.
In many cases, political party identification has come to define public policy, percolating from the nationâs capital down to the 50 statehouses.
Many Republican state officials are aligning with Trump’s policies by pledging to help him crack down on illegal immigration, for example. Some Democratic state officials are mounting a resistance movement, looking for ways to shield their states from potential federal policies restricting abortion and transgender rights, among other things. Some prominent Democratic governors, meanwhile, have taken a more conciliatory approach in an effort to forge a working relationship with the new administration.
Here’s a look at what to expect in some policy areas:
Immigration
Governors and lawmakers in red states are lining up behind Trump’s pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and deport many who are living in the U.S. illegally. A joint statement from 26 Republican governors said they âstand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal â whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard â to support President Trump in this vital mission.â
Republican lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing to give local law officers the power to arrest people who entered the country illegally, mirroring a recent Texas law that has been placed on hold while courts consider whether it unconstitutionally usurps federal authority. One bill in Missouri would offer a $1,000 reward to informants who tip off authorities about people in the country illegally and allow private bounty hunters to find and detain them.
Governors in some blue states are taking a wait-and-see approach to Trump’s immigration plans, willing to cooperate on deporting people who commit crimes but not in using the National Guard for widespread roundups of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Other Democratic-led jurisdictions are bracing for a showdown. The California Legislature has convened a special session to erect shields against Trump’s policies on immigration and other issues.
Abortion
Most U.S. abortions are carried out using drugs rather than through surgical procedures, and that is where the current abortion fight is focused.
At least four states â Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire and Tennessee â have bills introduced aimed at banning pills. None take the same approach as Louisiana, which last year classified the drugs as controlled dangerous substances.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a New York doctor, claiming she wrongly prescribed via telehealth and sent pills to a Texas woman, even though a New York law aims to protect such prescriptions.
And the Republican attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri are in court trying to roll back federal approvals of one of the pills usually used in abortion.
Education
Several efforts to expand the use of public money to pay for kids to attend private school suffered high-profile defeats in the November elections, including in Nebraska, Kentucky and Colorado.
But Trumpâs victory is seen as a boon for such efforts, which in recent years have exploded in popularity. A dozen states, almost all red, have programs allowing any student to apply for government funding for private education, including at religious schools.
With Trump in office, states could see more incentives such as block grants or tax benefits to adopt or expand models like vouchers, which subsidize private school tuition for families. Texas, for example, is expected to see momentum on the school choice front, with a number of voucher proponents winning seats in the Legislature.
Many conservative states also are pushing to bring Christianity into public K-12 education through moves such as requiring schools to teach the Bible and post the Ten Commandments. Trump has promised to promote prayer and Bible reading in schools, with current courts more amenable to religion in the public sphere, including schools.
In Texas, officials in November approved a curriculum that intertwines language arts with biblical lessons and the state education superintendent in Oklahoma has sought to require Bible-related lessons.
Diversity
Efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives are expected to expand in Republican-led states under Trump, who has vowed to get rid of perceived âwokenessâ in education. More higher education institutions may join the ranks of those already dismantling diversity offices in states such as Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas.
Attorneys general and legislatures in red states also are likely to put pressure on the private sector to pare back DEI initiatives. A Tennessee law provides one model, forbidding financial institutions from considering a customerâs participation in âdiversity, equity and inclusion training.â
Transgender issues
Republican lawmakers are expected to keep pushing for restrictions on the rights of transgender people, particularly transgender minors.
More than 30 such bills have been proposed in Texas. Although Texas and other states have bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, there are calls to go further, such as barring Medicaid and other state-funded government programs from spending on gender-affirming care for people of any age.
In his campaign last year, Trump leaned into attacks on transgender rights, suggesting a looming shift in federal policy.
The future of some of the measures could rest on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected this year on whether Tennessee had the right to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
Most Republican-controlled states already have laws banning or limiting gender-affirming care for minors and participation in womenâs and girls sports for transgender women and girls. Several also dictate which school restrooms transgender people may use.
Public health
With an incoming presidential administration that has indicated fluoride and vaccines might be in its crosshairs, lawmakers in a few states have filed bills that would end fluoridation programs and further restrict COVID-19 mandates.
Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer with no medical or public health degrees, has called fluoride an âindustrial wasteâ and said in a Nov. 2 post on X that the Trump administration would âadvise all U.S. water systemsâ to stop putting fluoride in the water. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century because it prevents tooth decay.
Arkansas lawmakers have filed bills to repeal a statewide fluoridation program and allow local public water systems to hold elections so residents can decide whether to put fluoride in the water. Montana also has a proposed bill to â ban the use of fluoride,â though the full text of the bill isnât available yet.
Vaccination laws and mandates are still in play in state governments, too. Alabama may consider changing its vaccination laws to require parental consent for any vaccine to be given to a minor age 14 or older; currently, children that age can decide whether they want medical services. Wyoming has a bill that would impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 on a business or entity that gets state or federal money if found to discriminate based on whether someone is wearing a mask, has had a COVID-19 vaccination or has been tested for COVID-19.
Itâs not clear whether these or other bills will get consideration.
___
Associated Press writers Jesse Bedayn, Erica Hunzinger, Andrew DeMillo and Alia Wong contributed to this report.
UPDATE: The Houston County Sheriffâs Office said Joe Cryer was arrested on Tuesday and has been booked in the county jail.
HOUSTON COUNTY — The Houston County Sheriffâs Office is searching for a man wanted for violating his parole and evading arrest near the Anderson County line on US Highway 287 North. According to our news partner KETK, Houston County deputies, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Crockett Police Department are reportedly searching the area for Joe Cryer, 44.
Cryer was reportedly last seen wearing a camo jacket and could possibly be armed, the sheriffâs office warned. Anyone who sees Cryer is asked to not approach him and to call 911.
Officials asked the residents on US Highway 287 near the Anderson county line to make sure their cars are locked and to report any suspicious people to to the sheriffâs office at 936-544-2862.
BULLARD — Bullard residents will soon see an increase in their water bill. According to our news partner KETK, the City of Bullard has increased expenses for residents and businesses âdue to increasing expenses and high demand in providing quality water and treated water.â The rates will take effect beginning February and be reflected in the March billing cycle.
The city said the topic has been in discussion over the last few years as residential water and sewer rates have not been adjusted since 2018 and the new rate will be similar or some cases lower than other cities their size.
A technical assistant consultant was contracted by the city to study the billing rates of their water systems. The city said this study showed them the revenue theyâd need per customer to maintain their water system and how much theyâll need for a future water reserve. Continue reading Bullard raising water bill rates starting in March
NEW YORK (AP) â Walmart says customers should throw out a chicken broth product that was sold at stores in mostly Southern states late last year.
The retailer has recalled 48-ounce cartons of Great Value Family Size Chicken Broth that had been sold at 242 stores in nine states.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported the recall in December affecting just over 2,000 cases of broth with a shelf life lasting until March 2026. The FDA said the containers had packaging problems that could lead to the broth spoiling. There have been no reports of illnesses.
Walmart says anyone who purchased the product at stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Texas should not consume the broth and can ask for a full refund. The company said it’s working with the supplier to investigate.
TYLER — The Tyler Water Department is working on a main water break Sunday morning. According to Tyler Police, as crews work on this issue, both north and southbound lanes of traffic Broadway between 7th and 8th Street will be shut down. Motorists are encouraged to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Officials said an update should be released once the area is back open for normal traffic.
LONGVIEW — Thanks to a recent community petition, a portion of George Richey Road in Longview has been renamed in honor of Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt. According to our news partner KETK, the part of George Richey Road between Gilmer Road and Judson Road will now officially be known as Bill Stoudt Parkway. The change comes after the Longview City Council approved a resolution to rename the road in their meeting on Thursday.
According to the agenda for Thursdayâs City Council meeting, more than 51% of the property owners along the road agreed to have the name changed in a petition that was submitted to the council.
Stoudt was chosen because of his past efforts to help expand the road and his many years of service in Longview and Gregg County. Thank you so much Judge Stoudt for your years of dedication, spearheading not only this effort but many others in our community,â Longview city councilwoman for District 5, Michelle Gamboa said in a recap of Thursdayâs meeting.
NACOGDOCHES â Six firefighters from the Nacogdoches Fire Department are heading to California to assist with the deadly wildfires ravaging the state according to our news partner KETK. The team was deployed through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System to help combat the wildfires burning near Los Angeles in southern California.
On Saturday morning, Battalion Chief Sean Black, Captains Shawn Dillon and Dusty Arreguin and firefighters Kalin Cobb, Garrett Lowery and Wesley Pietruszka began their journey westward. The Nacogdoches Fire Department is asking the community to join them in sending well wishes for the safety of their team as they face the fires.
(NEW YORK) -- TikTok mounted a last-ditch effort at the Supreme Court on Friday meant to stop a ban of the app set to take effect within days -- but the platform's arguments may have landed with a thud.
A majority of the justices appeared inclined to uphold a federal law that would ban the company unless it divests from China-based parent Bytedance.
TikTok has challenged the law on First Amendment grounds, claiming that a ban would limit free-expression rights on a platform used by one of every two Americans. Lower courts, however, have found merit in security concerns about potential data collection or content manipulation that could be undertaken by the Chinese government.
If the court challenge fails and TikTok forgoes a sale, the ban would take effect on Jan. 19, a day before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Experts who spoke to ABC News said the measure would not penalize individuals for accessing or using the app, even after the ban takes hold.
Here's what to know about exactly how the potential ban would work, and how users could still access TikTok, according to experts:
How exactly would the TikTok ban work?
The law potentially banning TikTok -- the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act -- cracks down on the app by targeting third-party companies vital to the functioning of the platform.
Specifically, the law would restrict app stores and hosting companies, which provide the digital infrastructure on which web services like TikTok depend.
Mandatory withdrawal of the app from major app stores, such as those maintained by Google and Apple, would bar new users from downloading the app and prevent existing users from updating it.
Without updates, the app would degrade in quality over time through inconveniences such as video-loading delays and performance glitches, some experts said.
"If the app were not able to download updates, it would eventually become obsolete," Qi Liao, a professor of computer science at Central Michigan University, told ABC News.
A separate stipulation would also make it illegal for hosting companies to provide services for TikTok -- and the measure offers a fairly broad characterization of such firms.
Hosting companies "may include file hosting, domain name server hosting, cloud hosting, and virtual private server hosting," the law says.
TikTok would stop functioning if the firm's U.S.-based hosting companies stopped providing services, experts said.
"For you to pull up TikTok content on your phone, somebody has to be hosting that," said Timothy Edgar, a computer science professor at Brown University and a former national security official.
At least in theory, however, the social media giant could establish partnerships with hosting companies outside the U.S., putting them out of reach of U.S. enforcement, the experts added.
Such a move would keep TikTok available to U.S. users, but the service would likely be slower and glitchier as the digital infrastructure moves further away, they added.
"The whole point of hosting content is to have it close to users," Edgar said. "It certainly wouldn't work in any kind of smooth way."
Considering potential legal liability, TikTok will likely opt against efforts to preserve its U.S.-based platform in modified form, Edgar added. Instead, he said, services may simply come to a halt, as they did in India in the immediate aftermath of the country's 2020 ban.
"You'll get a message saying, 'Oh, it looks like you're using the app in the U.S. It's not available in your country," Edgar said.
TikTok did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Would TikTok users be able to access the app after the ban?
No matter the extent of potential service interruptions, users would still be able to access TikTok after the ban by using workarounds, experts said.
Users who do so will face technical hurdles and reduced app quality, Liao said. For some, that will likely prove a formidable deterrent; but others may seek out TikTok anyway.
"If they really want to use it, the user will find a way to use it," Liao said.
Users giving it a shot can rest assured that the conduct is perfectly legal, the experts said.
"If you're an ordinary user with TikTok on your phone, you're not a criminal," Edgar said. "There's no penalty at all."
WASHINGTON (AP) â Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more Christianity to public school classrooms, testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments.
The efforts come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office pledging to champion the First Amendment right to pray and read the Bible in school, practices that are already allowed as long as they are not government-sponsored.
While the federal government is explicitly barred from directing states on what to teach, Trump can indirectly influence what is taught in public schools and his election may embolden state-level activists.
Trump and his fellow Republicans support school choice, hoping to expand the practice of using taxpayer-funded vouchers to help parents send their children to religious schools.
But there is a parallel push to incorporate more Christianity into the mainstream public schools that serve the overwhelming majority of students, including those of other faiths. And with the help of judicial appointees from Trump’s first presidential term, courts have begun to bless the notion of more religion in the public sphere, including in schools.
âThe effect of even Trump being the president-elect, let alone the president again, is Christian nationalists are emboldened like never before,â said Rachel Laser, the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation. A smaller group, part of a movement widely called Christian nationalism, champions a fusion of American and Christian identity and believes the U.S. has a mandate to build an explicitly Christian society.
Many historians argue the opposite, claiming the framers created the United States as an alternative to European monarchies with official state churches and oppression of religious minorities.
Efforts to introduce more Christianity into classrooms have taken hold in several states.
In Louisiana, Republicans passed a law requiring every public school classroom to post the Ten Commandments, which begin with âI am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.â Families have sued.
Utah state lawmakers designated the Ten Commandments as a historic document, in the same category as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, so teachers could post it in their classrooms. Many other states have seen legislation that would put them in more classrooms. And attorneys general from 17 GOP-led states recently filed a brief supporting Louisiana’s Ten Commandments mandate.
Schools are permitted â and even encouraged â to teach about religion and to expose students to religious texts. But some say the new measures are indoctrinating students, not educating them.
Critics have raised concerns also about proliferating lesson plans. Some states have allowed teachers to use videos from Prager U, a nonprofit founded by a conservative talk show host, despite criticism that the videos positively highlight the spread of Christianity and include Christian nationalist talking points.
During his first administration, Trump commissioned the 1776 Project, a report that attempted to promote a more patriotic version of American history. It was panned by historians and scholars who said it credited Christianity for many of the positive turns in U.S. history without mentioning the religion’s role in perpetuating slavery, for example.
The project was developed into a curriculum by the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan and is now taught in a network of publicly funded charter schools supported by the college. It also has influenced state standards in South Dakota.
Challenges to some state measures are now working their way through the courts, which have grown friendlier to religious interests thanks to Trump’s judicial appointments.
In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a football coach in Washington state who was fired for praying with players at midfield after a game, saying the school district infringed on his rights to religious expression. Dissenting justices noted some players felt pressure to join the coach. But the high court said a public school can’t restrict an employee’s religious activity just because it could be construed as an endorsement of religion, reversing a five-decade precedent.
The ruling could pave the way for conservatives to introduce more Christianity in public schools, said Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina.
âDonald Trumpâs judicial appointees have emboldened statesâ to test the separation of church and state, he said.
In the wake of the football coach’s case, courts now analyze church-state separation through the lens of history, said Joseph Davis of Becket, a public interest law firm focused on religious freedom that is defending Louisiana over its Ten Commandments mandate.
The Supreme Court has endorsed the idea that âitâs OK to have religious expression in the public spaces,” Davis said, “and that we should sort of expect that … if itâs a big part of our history.â
Critics say some measures to introduce more historical references to Christianity in classrooms have taken things too far, inserting biblical references gratuitously, while erasing the role Christianity played in justifying atrocities perpetuated by Americans, like genocide of Native people.
These are among the criticisms facing the new reading curriculum in Texas. Created by the state, districts aren’t required to use it, but they receive financial incentives for adopting it.
âThe authors appear to go out of their way to work detailed Bible lessons into the curriculum even when they are both unnecessary and unwarranted,â religious studies scholar David R. Brockman wrote in a report on the material. âThough religious freedom is vital to American democracy, the curriculum distorts its role in the nationâs founding while underplaying the importance of other fundamental liberties cherished by Americans.â
Texas Values, a conservative think tank that backed the new reading curriculum, said in a statement that the court’s pivot toward permitting more Christianity in schools, and allowing more taxpayer money to flow to religious institutions, is corrective.
The football coach case has rightfully returned protections for religion and free speech in public school, said Jonathan Saenz, the Texas Values president.
âVoters and lawmakers (are) getting tired of the attacks on God and our heritage of being âOne Nation Under God,’â he said.
SMITH COUNTY â A third person has been charged in connection to a multi-state Lego theft ring that allegedly stole more than $400,000 worth of products including from several stores in East Texas.
According to our news partner KETK, Semetric Danielle Baker of Burnet, TX, was arrested by the Smith County Sheriffâs Office on Thursday. Her arrest comes after two other people were arrested in 2024 for alleged thefts from several Walmart and Target stores in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas, including stores in Longview, Tyler, Kilgore and Gun Barrel City.
The two other people accused are Brian Fleming who was arrested on Dec. 6 and Shane Joel Gentry who was arrested on Nov. 21. Gentry would reportedly sell items on eBay and Amazon and, according to an arrest affidavit, he showed Amazon an invoice for the items from Fleming. Continue reading Woman arrested in connection to $400,000 Lego theft ring
TYLER â According to our news partner KETK, United States Attorney, Damien M. Diggs, announced that he will be resigning as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Texas in January. Diggs, 49 of Frisco, will be departing from his officer position where he led an office of nearly 100 employees, including 50 prosecutors, across six fully staffed offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Plano, Sherman, Texarkana and Tyler. The district covers 43 counties from the Gulf of Mexico to Oklahoma.
Diggs was nominated by President Joe Biden on Feb. 2, 2023 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 4, 2023. He took the oath of office on May 7, 2023 from Chief U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. During his time in leadership, he focused on public safety, fighting fraud, waste and abuse, civil rights and community outreach. Under Diggsâ leadership, the office achieved noteworthy successes in criminal matters like gun and gang violence, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, public corruption, healthcare fraud, white collar crime, cybercrime, national security issues, child exploitation and human trafficking. Continue reading U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Texas announces departure
