(LONDON) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reacted to President Donald Trump's remarks about Iran, calling them "pure deception."
Trump described Tehran as the "most destructive force" in the region during a speech on Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and accused Iranian leaders of being "focused on stealing their people's wealth" to fund regional proxies.
"It is America that has prevented the progress of the Iranian nation through its sanctions over the past forty-odd years, with its own pressures and military and civilian threats; the one responsible for the economic problems is America," Araghchi said to the press on the sidelines of the government board meeting, as the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.
Trump's criticisms of the Islamic Republic came a few days after the fourth round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks in Muscat, which Tehran described as "difficult but useful." Washington said was "encouraged" by its outcome.
"The fact that Trump is applying maximum pressure in this very meeting and then addressing Iran's economic problems is not entirely correct," the Iranian foreign minister said.
Addressing Trump's comments on Iran's regional presence, Araghchi reiterated Tehran's position that Israel is the source of threat in the region with the strikes and killing in the Gaza Strip, where the Israel Defense Forces say that they are fighting Hamas militants.
America presenting "Iran as a threat is pure deception and a substitution of threats," Araghchi said.
Iranian foreign minister said that Iran is waiting for Omani authorities to announce the time and place of the next round of negotiations, saying Tehran's approach is to pursue dialogue.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) â Nikola Jokic was nearly unstoppable against Oklahoma Cityâs gritty, aggressive defense.
The Thunder made a valiant effort to disrupt him, as they have all series. Denverâs superstar center still had 44 points and 15 rebounds on Tuesday night. He made 17 of 25 shots, with many of them closely contested.
It wasnât enough. Oklahoma City beat Denver 112-105, and now the Nuggets will return home trailing their Western Conference semifinal series 3-2 and facing elimination in Game 6 on Thursday.
Jokic said Oklahoma City still played the same kind of defense that bothered him in Games 2 through 4, when he shot just 33% from the field and 18.2% from 3-point range. He again mostly dealt with 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein and the rugged, energetic Jaylin Williams.
To Jokic, the difference was simple.
âThe ball is going in,” he said. “They were still doing what theyâre doing.â
Jokic made 8 of 13 shots and scored 19 points in the first half.
âHe made the touch shots around the rim that seemed like hadnât been going his way lately, which is surprising because heâs been so good at it for so long,â Denver interim coach David Adelman said. âOnce he saw those go in, it just kind of unleashed everything else.â
But Jokic’s teammates struggled. Jamal Murray scored 28 points but made just 10 of 27 shots. Aaron Gordon scored 13 points. No other Nuggets player scored more than eight points.
Jokic’s teammates made 23 of 72 shots and scored just 61 points.
âWe had a great performance from Nikola, just have to have a few other guys have a game, which we can do in Game 6,” Adelman said. âI have full confidence in our guys.â
Denver took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City outscored the Nuggets 34-19 in the final period.
Jokic said falling short was disappointing, but he believes the Nuggets still can win the series.
âI mean, of course, it happens,â he said of the rough finish. âAnd some people will say that we were not supposed to win Game 1, but we won it. And then Game 3, we didnât play very well, but we won. … Itâs a playoff. Itâs a series. Every game is different.”
DALLAS (AP) â Another playoff hat trick for a Finnish forward the Dallas Stars acquired in a trade during the regular season.
This time, it was a first for Mikael Granlund. Not yet another three-goal game for Mikko Rantanaen, though he did have one of the assists.
Granlund’s first career postseason hat trick accounted for all the goals for the Dallas Stars in their 3-1 win Tuesday night that put them up 3-1 in their second-round Western Conference series against the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets.
âWhen you pass all the time, you know, youâre gonna surprise the goalie maybe once in a while to shoot the puck,â Granlund said. âItâs good to shoot every once in a while.â
It certainly was for the Stars, with Granlund scoring in each period.
âHeâs just super responsible, 200-foot player. I think he does more in our end than in the (offensive) zone, which obviously I love as a goalie. The shot blocks, the good sticks,â said Jake Oettinger, who had 31 saves for Dallas.
âI think when we focus on that and we take care of that, a guy like that, his skill takes over and I think he gets rewarded for playing good in our end … Not the most dynamic (scorer) you would think, and then all of a sudden itâs in the back of the net.â
Granlund got his first goal after skating down the middle over both blue lines, and a nifty move around Brandon Tanev near mid-ice, before snapping a 38-foot shot past Connor Hellebuyck for a 1-0 lead just 8 1/2 minutes into the game.
Rantanen upped his NHL-leading playoff total to 19 points (nine goals) with the primary assist on Granlundâs goal that broke a 1-1 tie with 2:08 left in the second period. Rantanen had consecutive hat tricks in these playoffs, in the 3-2 win to open this series at Winnipeg, after his three goals and an assist in the third period of their 4-2 win in Game 7 against Colorado to help knock out his former team in the first round.
After securing his hat trick, Granlund did a double fist pump from his knees, then popped up to his skates. His fourth goal in this postseason came on a power play with 12:37 left in the game.
The 33-year-old Granlund, in his 13th NHL season and with his fifth team, had scored multiple goals only one time in his previous 69 playoff games. That was in 2014 for Minnesota, which picked him ninth overall in the 2010 NHL draft.
The Stars got Granlund from San Jose along with defenseman Cody Ceci on Feb. 1. Rantanen was a deadline acquisition March 7 from Carolina, who had him for only 13 games after getting him from Colorado, the team Dallas beat in seven games in the first round.
âWe were just talking in there … the Granlund-Ceci trade, both those guys, invaluable contributions. I thought Ceci was outstanding tonight for us. And Granny led the way,” coach Pete DeBoer said. âWhat (Granlund) does on the ice is one thing, but the guy oozes leadership. Our Finnish group there, heâs is kind of the elder statesman of that group.â
TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler was awarded $800,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to fund a project led by Dr. Julie George, School of Nursing clinical assistant professor, and Hillary Oliver, School of Nursing simulation hospital and skills lab director. Through this grant, George and Oliver will develop curriculum for nursing faculty across Texas, covering the topics of simulation planning, pre-briefing, facilitation strategies, debriefing, assessment and evaluation and continuous quality improvement.
Daniel Day-Lewisâ return to the big screen, Anemone, has a release date. Focus Features confirms the film, starring and co-written by Day-Lewis and directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, comes to theaters in limited release Oct. 3 and opens wide Oct. 10. The three-time Oscar winnerâs last film was 2017âs Phantom Thread.
The CW announced that it has picked up Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent for two seasons. The first season of the Dick Wolf drama series, starring Aden Young and Kathleen Munroe, will premiere on the network this fall.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis headed to Disney+ on May 28. The Marvel blockbuster, starring Anthony Mackie, originally hit theaters Feb. 14. Disney is the parent company of Marvel and ABC News.
(NEW YORK) -- Carbon dioxide may be a naturally occurring substance on Earth, but too much of its presence has contributed to global warming, climate scientists say.
Carbon dioxide, known by the chemical formula CO2, is a gas produced by various natural processes, including respiration in animals and plants, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and the decay of organic matter.
But human activity since the 1800s, namely the use of fossil fuels for energy, is overwhelming the planet's natural carbon sinks, such as oceans and forests. Therefore, the heat-trapping gas causes global temperatures to rise as more of it accumulates in the Earth's atmosphere.
"CO2 is rising right now because of the emissions that we're putting into the atmosphere, and it's rising very rapidly," BÀrbel Hönisch, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, told ABC News. "And carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and so it heats the atmosphere."
But the invisible gas is also critical for life on Earth. Plants breathe it in, and humans breathe it out.
The goal of climate mitigation isn't to remove CO2 from the atmosphere completely, but to even out the unnatural surplus instead, said ABC News Chief Meteorologist and Chief Climate Correspondent Ginger Zee.
"We want to get back to the natural amount of CO2," Zee said.
The consequences of extra CO2 in the atmosphere extends beyond the climate itself. As excess greenhouse gases heat the planet, the ocean becomes more acidic, impacting marine life, Hönisch said. In addition, climate change is fueling rapid growth of certain types of algae, further collapsing ecosystems, Hönisch added.
"Climate is a combination of different components that must be just right for life to exist on our planet," she said.
Humans have injected more than 1.5 trillion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, when the use of fossils fuels began to skyrocket, according to the Global Carbon Budget.
Historical levels of climate change are determined by a number of processes. Samples of ice, lake and seafloor cores indicate how much carbon dioxide existed at different periods on the planet. In addition, more than six decades of CO2 measurements have been taken at the Mau Loa Observatory on Hawaii's Big Island, home to the largest active volcano in the world.
The Keeling Curve, a graph that plots concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere over time, uses measurements taken at Mau Loa Observatory, starting in 1958.
In 2024, CO2 levels in Earth's atmosphere reached the highest ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Curbing the emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use is key for limiting the impacts of a warming world, such as more frequent and intense extreme weather events and rising sea levels, climate scientists say.
(WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- A massive fire on Sunday that leveled a New Jersey home, where first responders later recovered the bodies of a man and a woman, has been ruled a murder-suicide, authorities said Tuesday.
Neighbors reported hearing a blast around the time of the fire early Sunday in the Gloucester County community of Washington Township and said it sounded like a bomb going off.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said the woman found dead in a bed at the destroyed residence had suffered a fatal bullet wound to the head before the house became engulfed in flames. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Gloucester County Medical Examiner's Office.
The man was discovered dead in the living room of the destroyed home with a handgun lying near his body, the prosecutor's office said. His death was ruled a suicide by fire, according to the statement from the prosecutor's office.
The identities of the two people were being withheld pending official confirmation by the medical examiner, according to the prosecutor's office.
"The investigation conducted in the aftermath of the fire revealed the presence of an accelerant and that the home's gas line had been tampered with, enabling unrestricted flow of natural gas into the home's interior," the statement said.
A motive for the murder-suicide remains under investigation by the prosecutor's office, the Washington Township Police Department and the Gloucester County Fire Marshal's Office.
News of the medical examiner's findings came a day after the Washington Township Police Department said the explosion had prompted a "criminal investigation" and that the incident was "not accidental."
The fire occurred at 2:02 a.m. on Sunday and prompted multiple 911 calls from neighbors reporting a loud explosion and fire in the area of Tranquility Court and Orion Way, according to a statement released by the Washington Township Police.
"Responding officers arrived at 13 Tranquility Court and observed that the residence was fully engulfed in flames and appeared to have been heavily damaged by an apparent explosion," according to the police statement.
Washington Township Fire Department firefighters arrived shortly after the police and extinguished the flames, according to the statement.
Video taken by ABC Philadelphia station WPVI showed damage to at least one home near the destroyed house. The footage also showed a car that had apparently been damaged.
Neighbors who live blocks away reported being rattled awake.
Investigators said the fire was likely not caused by an explosion and that the blasts neighbors heard may have happened after the fire had already ignited, according to WPVI.
(ALLEGANY COUNTY, MD) -- A flash flood emergency has been issued for parts of northwestern Maryland on Tuesday, where severe flooding led to the evacuation of two elementary schools.
A flash flood emergency was issued for Westernport, Luke and Barton in Allegany County, where up to 5 inches of rain had fallen as of Tuesday afternoon. Rainfall rates were up to 1 to 2 inches an hour.
Numerous water rescues have occurred, including at two elementary schools in Allegany County, officials said.
About 200 students and teachers were evacuated from Westernport Elementary School in Westernport by motorized boats to a nearby church, Allegany County officials confirmed to ABC News.
All students and staff were safely evacuated, according to the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services. The Allegany County Sheriffâs Office led the evacuation efforts and the Maryland State Police were assisting with the reunification of students.
Students at Georges Creek Elementary in Lonaconing were also being evacuated to a nearby high school, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said Tuesday afternoon.
Students at Westmar Middle School in Lonaconing were sheltering in place, the department said. Family reunifications have been delayed due to ongoing road closures caused by flooding, a government source told ABC News. No injuries at been reported at this time.
State police were helping with additional road closures due to high water.
County officials urged drivers to avoid all flooded roadways and not attempt to drive through standing water.
"Severe flooding is currently impacting Georges Creek and surrounding areas in Allegany County due to rising water levels," the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon. "Multiple areas have already been evacuated."
More than 15 million Americans across the Mid-Atlantic remain on alert for flooding and heavy rain on Tuesday into Wednesday.
A flood watch remains in effect for portions of east-central North Carolina, east-central Virginia, eastern West Virginia, west-central Maryland and central Pennsylvania until Wednesday morning. That includes the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Hagerstown, Maryland.
Pockets of heavy rain and showers are expected to continue from North Carolina up to Pennsylvania on Tuesday into Wednesday. Some of these heavier pockets could feature strong to severe storms capable of producing some hail, isolated damaging wind gusts, and an isolated tornado, especially for east-central North Carolina and east-central Virginia.
The heavier pockets of rain will be focused more over Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, with lighter rain in the surrounding areas.
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) -- Pete Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and 15 other deceased baseball players have been removed from MLB's permanent list of banned players, according to a memo from the league's commissioner.
The decision allows Rose, who accepted a ban for life from MLB in 1989 for gambling on games, to be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously.
The decision only applies to dead players who have been placed on the ineligible list.
"The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseballâs permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration," Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. "Major League Baseballâs decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered."
However, a vote by the Historical Overview Committee, often known as the veterans committee, which considers players who made their greatest impact prior to 1980, will not vote on candidates to be included in the hall again until December 2027.
Rose died last October at 83 years old. Rose petitioned the league to be removed from the list in 1992, 1998, 2003, 2015 and 2022 -- but either was rejected or received no response each time, including from Manfred.
Rose and Jackson are likely the only two players on the list of players whose body of work would make them likely to be voted to the Hall of Fame.
Rose's workmanlike attitude and hustle on the field won him innumerable fans. By the end of his 24-year career, 19 of which were with the Cincinnati Reds, he held the record for most career hits, as well as games played, plate appearances and at-bats. He was also a 17-time All-Star, the 1973 NL MVP and 1963 Rookie of the Year.
He also won three World Series -- two with Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" clubs in 1975 and 1976, and a third with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980.
But Rose will always be remembered for being banned for life over gambling on games while he was managing the Reds.
With Rose under suspicion, new MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti commissioned an investigation led by John Dowd, a lawyer with the Department of Justice, in April 1989. By June, the damning report was released, documenting at least 52 bets on Reds games in 1987, his first season as solely a manager after serving as player/manager for three seasons. The bets totaled thousands of dollars per day, according to the Dowd Report.
"While it is my preference not to disturb decisions made by prior Commissioners, Mr. Rose was not placed on the permanently ineligible list by Commissioner action but rather as the result of a 1989 settlement of potential litigation with the Commissioner's Office," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday. "My decision today is consistent with Commissioner Giamattiâs expectations of that agreement."
Jackson, meanwhile, was banned from baseball for life in 1920 by then-Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in connection to the so-called "Black Sox Scandal."
Jackson and seven other members of the Chicago White Sox were given money by an organized gambling ring to fix the 1919 World Series for the Reds. The players made a paltry sum of money compared to today's mega-millionaire contracts and were angry about the team owner, Charles Comiskey, paying them a pittance. There was no baseball players union at the time.
All eight of the players -- featured in the 1988 movie "Eight Men Out" -- have been reinstated: Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver and Lefty Williams. Gandil was known as the ringleader of the group and allegedly set up the payment, while it's always been disputed how much Jackson even knew about the plan. He did, however, allegedly admit to accepting $5,000 as part of the scheme, according to testimony from a criminal trial over the case, something he later recanted.
If he did accept money, he didn't show any signs of throwing games on the field. Jackson hit 12-for-35 (.375) with three doubles, five runs scored and six runs batted in over the eight games in the series. The World Series was a best-of-9 format at the time.
Jackson was one of the best hitters of the early 20th century. Over 13 seasons with Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago, the outfielder had a lifetime batting average of .356 with a .423 on-base percentage. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times and led the majors in hits twice, triples twice and total bases twice.
The other former players banned from the league and now reinstated -- who are not as widely known -- were Joe Gedeon, Gene Paulette, Benny Kauff, Lee Magee, Phil Douglas, Cozy Dolan, Jimmy OâConnell and William Cox.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images
(MORGANTOWN, WV) -- The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reversed the firings of more than 100 federal employees with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the federal institute that helps protect coal miners from black lung, according to Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
Roughly 200 employees of the NIOSH office in Morgantown, West Virginia, were put on administrative leave in April and informed they would be formally fired in June. Some were temporarily brought back roughly two weeks ago, but until Tuesday they were told they would still be terminated next month.
In a letter sent Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, HHS said, "You previously received a notice regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) upcoming reduction in force (RIF). That notice is hereby revoked. You will not be affected by the upcoming RIF."
The move comes after public pressure from Capito, and follows a series of ABC News reports detailing the impact the firings would have on black lung health care programs for coal miners.
Capito, announcing the reversals on X, said, "The heath and safety of our WV workers, including our miners, is of the utmost important and I will always advocate for their wellbeing."
Critics said the initial firings, part of President Donald Trump's efforts to slash the size of the federal government, belied his vow to reinvigorate America's coal industry.
NIOSH has offices in several other states covering a range of issues from vehicle safety to firefighter health care. It's unclear if any employees in those offices were also rehired.
ABC News reached out to HHS for comment.
The announcement came just hours before a federal judge ordered HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to temporarily halt its dismissal of NIOSH officials who oversee the black lung surveillance program.
"Losing the services of these experienced and dedicated employees is an aspect of the irreparable harm to the miners and the public that cannot and should not be ignored," U.S. District Judge Irene Berger wrote in her order Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear whether the ruling had anything to do with the Trump administration's decision to reinstate the workers earlier Tuesday.
Judge Berger's ruling came after a veteran coal miner named Henry Wiley, in April, challenged the Trump administration's removal of the NIOSH employees, arguing that terminations endangered him and other miners.
The judge wrote Tuesday that Wiley and a handful of NIOSH officials who testified in a hearing last week persuaded her of the importance of NIOSH's health screening program and a waiver called Part 90, which allows miners with early-stage black lung disease to transfer to roles out of the mines.
If the NIOSH dismissals were allowed to go forward, Berger wrote, "thousands of miners will go without screening for black lung, and those with black lung will be deprived of access to the Part 90 transfer option."
Berger referenced Kennedy directly, writing, "Does the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services genuinely believe that a miner diagnosed with black lung is not being injured when the program designed to confirm his condition and provide him with workplace protections to prevent its progression is rendered inaccessible? This court does not share such a belief."
Berger ordered the Trump administration to grant "full restoration of the NIOSH Respiratory Health Division, rescission of the [reduction in force letters], and compelling continued health surveillance" through the health surveillance program and Part 90.
She gave Kennedy three weeks to report in writing when the court's orders have been satisfied.
In a statement to ABC News, plaintiffs attorney Sam Petsonk said, "This opinion gives life to our foundational principles of judicial review, empowering ordinary citizens like these coal miners to defend their rights."
"We're glad to see the Administration already taking some initial steps in the direction of complying with the order. America's coal miners deserve nothing less, and in fact they deserve a heck of a lot more," Petsonk said.
An HHS spokesperson told ABC News that Kennedy has been working hard to maintain NIOSH's critical functions as HHS streamlines its operations, and that the Trump administration is committed to supporting coal miners and firefighters.
(FRY, GREECE) -- A 6.1 magnitude earthquake was reported near Greece early Wednesday local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Greek Emergency Management warned of a possible tsunami risk following the quake, which the agency reported as occurring nearly 30 miles southeast of Kasos as a 5.9 magnitude earthquake.
"Move away from the coast immediately," Greek Emergency Management said.
The USGS said the epicenter is located over 9 miles south of Fry, Greece.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(MILWAUKEE) -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Wisconsin judge who was arrested and charged last month with allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been indicted on charges alleging she concealed a person from arrest and obstructed a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States -- the same charges she was initially charged with by complaint.
She is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Thursday.
Following the indictment on Tuesday, her legal team said in a statement, "As she said after her unnecessary arrest, Judge Dugan asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court."
The judge was arrested on April 25. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement at the time that two FBI agents arrested Dugan "for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid arrest" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Dugan appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin following her arrest and was released on her own recognizance. If convicted, she could face up to six years in prison.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan in the wake of her arrest, stating in an order that it found it was "in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties."
Her case stems from the arrest of an undocumented immigrant -- Eduardo Flores-Ruiz -- on April 18, county court records show. Flores-Ruiz was set to appear in court that day before Dugan for a pretrial conference in an ongoing case where he has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse.
Upon learning ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, Dugan allegedly became "visibly angry" and confronted one of the officers, according to the federal complaint that was unsealed following her arrest.
Multiple witnesses cited in the complaint later allegedly said Dugan returned to her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court's chief judge, according to the complaint.
A DEA agent saw Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in the public hallway of the courthouse and he appeared to be making efforts to evade arrest, the complaint stated. After he was encountered by FBI and DEA agents outside the building, Flores-Ruiz "turned around and sprinted down the street" before he was ultimately apprehended, according to the complaint.
In a post on social media, FBI Director Kash Patel claimed Dugan "intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse."
Erik and Lyle Menendez were resentenced on Tuesday to 50 years to life in prison, which makes them eligible for parole — the latest step in a years-long battle for the brothers trying to get released after 35 years behind bars.
The parole process will be long and could take years.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. They have the support of over 20 family members in their efforts to be freed.
After the resentencing, Erik Menendez released a statement on Tuesday night, saying, “I am touched and humbled by the outpouring of support.”
“This has to be the first step in giving people who have no hope in prison some hope,” he said. “My goal is to ensure there are no more people spending 35 years in prison without hope. That possibility of having hope that rehabilitation works is more important than anything that happened to me today.”
The brothers watched Tuesday’s much-anticipated resentencing hearing via video from prison and gave their own statements to Judge Michael Jesic.
“I killed my mom and dad,” Lyle Menendez told the judge. “I give no excuses.”
He also admitted to committing perjury by lying in court in the 90s. He apologized to his family for years of lies and the shock and grief of the crimes.
“I committed an atrocious act,” Erik Menendez told the judge. “My actions were criminal, selfish and cowardly. … No excuse. No justification for what I did.”
He admitted to lying for years and apologized.
“I have come a long way on this path” of redemption, Erik Menendez said, adding, “I will not stop trying to make a difference.”
“This was absolutely a horrific crime,” the judge said. He noted that he was moved by letters from prison guards and is amazed by what the brothers have accomplished.
The brothers’ attorney Mark Geragos said after court, “I’m hopeful and glad that we’re one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.”
“This encourages people who are incarcerated to make the right decisions, to take the right path,” Geragos said, adding, “It’s just a win-win on so many levels.”
Menendez cousin Anamaria Baralt commended her cousins’ rehabilitation, telling reporters, “Ultimately, we are here today with this result because of Erik and Lyle. Because they chose to live their lives with clarity and a purpose of service that the judge was impressed by.”
Geragos called several Menendez relatives to the stand at Tuesday’s hearing, including Baralt.
Through tears, Baralt pleaded with Jesic to release her cousins, noting time is running out for them to be reunited with aging family members.
“They are very different men” than when they committed the murders, Baralt said, adding that “their transformation is remarkable.”
During cross-examination, Baralt told prosecutors that the brothers have taken full responsibility for the crimes and Lyle Menendez has admitted to asking a witness to lie at trial. But Baralt conceded they haven’t acknowledged some aspects of the case to her, as prosecutors argue the brothers haven’t admitted to the full extent of their crimes and cover-ups.
A retired judge who worked with therapy dogs said on the stand that the brothers are looked at as leaders and that they changed his views on inmate rehabilitation. He said he used to want to punish defendants, but because of the brothers and their work to help the elderly and other inmates, he now believes in rehabilitation.
The prosecution did not call any witnesses.
Jesic’s resentencing decision follows the recommendation made in October by then-Los Angeles County District Attorney George GascĂłn.
GascĂłn recommended the brothers’ sentences of life without parole be removed, and said they should instead be sentenced for murder, which is a sentence of 50 years to life. Because both brothers were under 26 at the time of the crimes, they’re eligible for parole immediately under California law.
GascĂłn’s office said its resentencing recommendations take into account many factors, including rehabilitation in prison and abuse or trauma that contributed to the crime. GascĂłn praised the brothers’ conduct in prison, saying they rehabilitated themselves and started programs to help other inmates.
In November, GascĂłn lost his reelection bid to Nathan Hochman, who in March filed a motion to withdraw the resentencing petition, calling the brothers’ claims of self-defense part of a litany of “lies.” The judge denied Hochman’s request.
Tuesday’s resentencing hearing was a face-off between Geragos and Hochman, who wants to keep the brothers behind bars.
Geragos told reporters outside court on Tuesday, “There are no two better candidates in the state of California right now for resentencing than Erik and Lyle Menendez.”
“It’s a unicorn-style situation where you have horrific crimes — that nobody is walking away from — but also remarkable, remarkable, almost unparalleled rehabilitation and redemption,” he said.
At the time, Hochman told reporters, “The Menendez brothers have failed to come clean with the full extent of their criminal conduct, their cover-up, their lies and their deceit.”
Following the sentencing Tuesday, he released a new statement saying, “The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice.”
“Our officeâs motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the Court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision,” the statement continued, with Hochman calling the case “a window for the public to better understand the judicial system.”
“This case, like all cases â especially those that captivate the public â must be viewed with a critical eye,” he continued. “Our opposition and analysis ensured that the Court received a complete and accurate record of the facts.”
A hearing was held May 9 to determine whether the resentencing case should include information from the California Board of Parole’s newly completed risk assessment, which was conducted as a part of a separate clemency path. The risk assessment came at the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom as a part of the brothers’ clemency bid; the brothers are pursuing multiple avenues to freedom, and the clemency path is separate from the resentencing path. Newsom can grant clemency at any time.
The risk assessment said Erik and Lyle Menendez pose a moderate risk to the community if they’re released.
The assessment revealed the brothers possessed illegal cellphones in prison, among numerous other violations, though many are not recent. However, Erik Menendez had a phone as recently as January of this year, which Hochman stressed was during the resentencing effort when he should have been on his best behavior.
The defense noted Erik Menendez had one write-up for violence 25 years ago and Lyle Menendez has had none.
Their next court appearance for the clemency case is June 13.
(NEW YORK) -- For six hours on Tuesday in a packed Manhattan courtroom, Cassie Ventura testified about how her decade-long relationship turned violent as her then-boyfriend, Sean "Diddy" Combs, seized control of her personal and professional lives and demanded she orchestrate his drug-fueled sex parties known as "freak offs."
Ventura is the star witness in the federal racketeering and sex-trafficking case against Combs, who faces the possibility of life in prison if he is convicted. Ventura's 2023 civil lawsuit -- which Combs settled with no admission of guilt -- prompted federal authorities to begin investigating Combs' conduct, and he was indicted last September.
Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied the federal charges. His lawyers insist that any sexual conduct was consensual and, though Combs' lifestyle may not be appropriate for everyone, law enforcement has no right to invade his bedroom and private life. They also insist that any acts of assault show domestic violence, but not coercion or evidence of trafficking.
Ventura testifies about her relationship with Combs turning violent
Ventura testified that her relationship gradually became violent, as Combs allegedly took control of her personal and professional lives.
Combs signed Ventura to his Bad Boy record label in 2006, when she was 19 years old. Though 17 years younger than Combs, Ventura said she wanted to be around the man who helped catapult rap music and urban fashion into the mainstream.
"I wanted to be around Sean for the same reasons as everyone else at the time. He's just this exciting and entertaining fun guy that just also happened to have my career in his hands."
As she continued her relationship with Combs, Ventura told jurors, she began to experience "a different side" of the mogul â one that featured fits of rage, violent outbursts and unpredictable mood swings.
"He would bash my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head when I was down," she said, recounting violent arguments with Combs.
"How frequently was Sean physical with you during your relationship?" prosecutor Emily Johnson asked.
"Too frequently," Ventura responded, saying she feared triggering his anger.
Ventura added that members of Combs' security team would "keep an eye" on her and that Combs would incessantly call her if she ignored him. With Combs paying for her apartment, she experienced her "stomach in knots" moments when he would drop by unannounced, not knowing if he was angry.
Ventura recounts 'Freak Offs' in detail
Ventura broke down in tears on the witness stand as she testified how she participated in drug-fueled sex parties called "freak offs" or "wild king nights."
She said she had just turned 22 when Sean Combs first proposed these marathon, drug-addled sex performances with male prostitutes.
She said she originally agreed to participate in order to indulge Combs' voyeuristic fantasies. Eventually, she told the jury, the orgies "became almost weekly," oftentimes lasting two or three days, and once going on for four straight days. She testified she was awake the whole time, fueled by ecstasy, molly and cocaine supplied by Combs.
According to Ventura, she participated in the sex parties in every one of Combs' homes and, most frequently, in hotels in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Ibiza, and Turks and Caicos. She described that Combs carefully directed the freak offs, ordering specific lighting and candles, and insisting that only Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil be used to ensure participants "glistened."
Combs shook his head as Ventura testified about the use of baby oil, describing at least one party where a baby pool was filled with oil that Combs ordered she immerse herself in while fully clothed.
"It was a mess," she said.
She testified about another instance when she thought she would choke because Combs and a male sex worker both urinated on her; multiple jurors shook their heads and looked down as she recounted the story.
It did not take long, Ventura said, before she realized she did not want to participate in future parties.
"Did you want to participate in every freak off?" prosecutor Emily Johnson asked.
"No," Ventura answered. "I felt like it was all I was good for. It was disgusting. I felt humiliated. I didn't have the words for how horrible I really felt."
She said that Combs "would be violent" with her if she refused to participate, adding that her professional career stalled as she was forced to devote nearly all her time to planning the freak-offs that Combs demanded. As she testified, Ventura flipped through a binder containing the photographs of the male escorts she says were hired for the freak-offs and recounted needing to self-medicate with illegal drugs to make it through the prolonged sessions that were demeaning and emotionally and physically draining.
When Johnson asked if there was any part of the freak offs she enjoyed, Ventura began to sob. She grabbed a tissue and, through tears, said, "I thought it was the only time I could get."
"The version of him I was in love with was no longer there," she said.
Early witnesses lay foundation for Ventura's testimony
Ventura was long billed as the key witness against Combs after CNN last year obtained a 2016 videotape showing Combs kicking and dragging her in a hotel elevator lobby.
Prior to Ventura taking the stand, the jury heard from two other witnesses who appeared to corroborate and bolster part of Ventura's testimony.
Male escort Daniel Phillip testified he was paid as much as $6,000 for having sex with Ventura while Combs watched and masturbated. He also testified that he witnessed Combs throw a bottle at Ventura after she did not immediately obey his instructions and then "grabbed her by her hair and dragged her by her hair into the bedroom." Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson tried to raise doubts about Phillip's testimony, pointing to a discrepancy about dialogue in a previous statement to authorities, Philip stood by his account of the physical abuse.
On the first day of the trial, prosecutors showed the 2016 video to the jury and prepared jurors for Ventura's testimony to come. Israel Florez, an LAPD officer who was working security at the now-shuttered InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, testified that Combs offered him money to cover up the assault and that he noticed Ventura had a "purple eye." Florez said he refused the money.
"These are foundational witnesses. They create the context and the backdrop in which Cassie then testifies and gives more color and more examples, building upon earlier testimony to be the star witness that the government expects her to be," ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire said.
Ventura concluded her testimony on Tuesday by explaining the moment depicted in the video watched by jurors was the result of her effort to try to escape one of the freak-offs.
"There's an instance in Los Angeles where it got violent, and I chose to leave," she said. "When I chose to leave, I grabbed what I could and got out and Sean followed me into the hallway by the elevators, grabbed me, tried to drag me back to the room."
While jurors have already seen the video, it was played again in court on Tuesday afternoon. "That's me," Ventura said.
Ventura is expected to return to the stand when the trial resumes Wednesday morning.
(ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MN) -- Three major wildfires raging out of control in the same Minnesota county have burned more than 20,000 acres combined, destroying dozens of structures, triggering evacuations and prompting the governor to call in the state National Guard to help battle the flames.
The largest fire in St. Louis County -- the Camp House Fire -- exploded overnight to nearly 12,000 acres and was 0% contained on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
"The responders are doing everything they can, working long hours under extremely tough conditions," Cmdr. Ryan Williams of the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) said at a news conference.
The Camp House Fire, which started on Sunday in the Superior National Forest near Brimson, about 35 miles north of county seat Duluth, grew overnight from roughly 1,200 acres to 11,788 acres by Tuesday afternoon, according to Williams.
He said that up to 150 structures, including seasonal cabins, remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a video statement that more than 40 structures, including homes and cabins, have been destroyed by the Camp House Fire.
Fueled by wind gusts, relative low humidity, warm temperatures, dry underbrush and a build-up of dead trees killed by an insect infestation, the Camp House Fire has quickly spread through the area, according to officials.
"When the fire torches through tree canopies, it throws embers into the air like confetti," Williams said.
Two other wild fires burning in St. Louis County were the Jenkins Creek Fire -- which started on Monday afternoon and had spread to 6,800 acres as of Tuesday afternoon -- and the Munger Saw Fire, which also started Monday afternoon and had grown to 1,400 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the MNICS. Both fires were also 0% contained, officials said.
No injuries have been reported from any of the fires, officials noted.
As of Tuesday morning, wildfires had scorched over 37,000 acres -- far above the stateâs typical yearly total of about 12,000 acres.
"We are seeing the effects of climate change," Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said at Tuesday's news conference. "It's harder to compare current fire seasons to what used to be normal. We are trending toward hotter, drier weather -- and that's changing everything."
On Monday night, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called in state National Guard troops to help firefighters gain control of the three fires.
"Last night, many of our firefighters were out there with no sleep in extremely dangerous conditions," Walz said in a statement. "We've already seen 970 wildfires this year -- 40 on Sunday and another 40 on Monday. These are record-setting numbers, and the fires are burning fast."
The blazes ignited amid red flag fire danger warnings issued by the National Weather Service for nearly the entire state of Minnesota.
Making matters worse for firefighters were high temperatures forecast for most of Minnesota this week. On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures in the Duluth area reached the 80s.
