(CHESTER COUNTY, S.C.) -- A middle school student is dead after his school bus blew a tire and overturned on a South Carolina highway, officials said.
The collision happened Thursday afternoon on Interstate 77 in Chester County. The bus was carrying students from Pine Ridge Middle School back from a field trip outside Charlotte, North Carolina, school officials said.
The boy who died was an eighth grader at Pine Ridge and 13 years old, according to Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker.
There were two adults and approximately 35 students on the bus, the school district, Lexington School District Two, said in an updated statement Thursday night.
A spokesperson for the Chester County Sheriff's Office said there were "multiple injuries" in the crash, but that there is no confirmed number or information on the nature of the injuries at this time. The victims were transported to multiple hospitals. The crash was reported around 1:47 p.m., the sheriff's office said.
The bus was traveling southbound on I-77 when it "traveled off of the road to the right, struck a guard rail and overturned," South Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Tyler Tidwell said. The bus was the only vehicle involved in the incident, he said.
Footage from the scene showed the school bus overturned, with part of the bus on top of a guardrail.
Two additional buses that were traveling back from the field trip maneuvered to avoid the accident, the school district said.
Multiple agencies, emergency responders and school personnel were on the scene, with EMS assessing all the occupants on the buses, school officials said.
"We are grateful for the support of our EMS, first responder, and law enforcement partners, both those based here locally and those up the road at the affected Interstate 77 sites," the school district said in a statement. "They worked tirelessly today to assist our Lexington Two students, families and employees."
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.
"Today’s school bus accident in Chester County is a tragedy no family should ever have to endure," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. "Please join us in praying for the victim, their family, a speedy recovery for those injured, and the entire Lexington Two community. All of South Carolina is with you."
Between the three buses, an estimated 35 students and four adults were transported for further medical evaluation, the school district said.
"We are grateful for the support of our EMS, first responder, and law enforcement partners, both those based here locally and those up the road at the affected Interstate 77 sites," the school district said in a statement. "They worked tirelessly today to assist our Lexington Two students, families and employees."
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.
"Today’s school bus accident in Chester County is a tragedy no family should ever have to endure," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. "Please join us in praying for the victim, their family, a speedy recovery for those injured, and the entire Lexington Two community. All of South Carolina is with you."
ABC News' Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
Michael B. Jordan gets double the trouble in Ryan Coogler's latest movie, Sinners. He plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack, World War I veterans who go back to their Mississippi hometown to open a juke joint — but are met with vampires and the harsh reality of the Jim Crow laws in their community. MBJ tells ABC News the film was a first for him in many ways.
"I never did a horror film before and playing two characters, and twins at that ... I think the combination of all those things makes this experience like truly, truly unique and special for me," he says.
Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mary, one of Jordan's love interests in Sinners, praises his performance in the film.
"I was so in awe the entire time of Michael and his ability to so seamlessly go between the two all while keeping a smile on his face and setting the tone for the rest of us," she says.
Sinners, out now in theaters worldwide, marks the fifth film Jordan and Coogler have worked on together. Their previous collaborations are Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
TYLER – School leaders in East Texas share their opinions following the Texas House’s passage of the private school voucher program early Thursday morning.
The Texas House and Senate have each passed different versions of the bill and will now need to negotiate a compromise. Once an agreement is reached, the final version will be sent to Gov. Abbott’s desk.
Joel Enge, Director of Kingdom Life Academy, is a vocal advocate for the proposed bill, which he believes empowers families with greater educational choice .“Parents now have the opportunity to choose,” Enge said. “They have educational freedom.”
Kingdom Life Academy, a project-based micro-Christian school in Tyler, sees education savings accounts as a game-changer—one that could open doors for more students to access schools like theirs. Continue reading Schools react to the passage of school vouchers
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) -- The Florida State University community is reeling and police are searching for a motive after a gunman opened fire on the Tallahassee campus on Thursday, killing two and injuring six.
Tallahassee police have laid out how the shooting unfolded.
The suspect, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, arrived at a campus parking garage at about 11 a.m. and stayed in the area for around an hour, moving in and out of his car, police said.
Ikner left the garage at 11:51 a.m., police said, and then between 11:56 and 11:57 a.m. he started firing a handgun, police said. The shooting was reported to 911 by 11:58 a.m., police said.
At noon, Ikner was shot by officers and taken into custody, police said. He's expected to survive and remains hospitalized as of Saturday morning.
"When I heard what had happened, I was frantic -- thought he might be the one hurt. And then when I found out it was him I just collapsed at work," Ikner's biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, told ABC News on Friday in her first comments since the shooting. "There's so much that needs to be said about this, but I just can't talk without crying. We need time to process all this."
One slain victim was identified as Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old husband and father of two who was an employee of a campus vendor.
"Chabba's family is going through the unimaginable now," their family attorney Bakari Sellers said in a statement. "Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, they're living a nightmare."
The other victim was identified as Robert Morales.
Morales was formerly an assistant football coach at Leon High School, where he demonstrated "dedication, integrity, and a true passion for mentoring young athletes," Leon High Athletics said in a statement.
"His commitment to the game and to shaping the lives of his players extended far beyond the field," the statement said. "His legacy of leadership, compassion, and service will forever remain a part of the Leon Lions tradition."
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare officials said the hospital received six patients, all in stable condition.
All six are expected to make full recoveries and two of them may be released on Friday, officials said.
Officials revealed that the suspect's stepmother, Jessica Ikner, is a current deputy with the local Leon County Sheriff's Office. While authorities identified Jessica Ikner as the suspect's mother, court documents indicate she is his stepmother.
Phoenix Ikner had access to one of his stepmother's personal guns, which was one of the weapons found at the scene, Sheriff Walter McNeil said. He is still in the hospital and will not be charged or arraigned until he is discharged, police said. He's also invoked his right to remain silent.
Jessica Ikner -- who was on duty as a school resource officer at a middle school at the time of the shooting -- has taken an indefinite personal leave of absence, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said it's launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.
In a statement to the Florida State University community, President Richard McCullough called the shooting a "tragic and senseless act of violence."
FSU canceled classes and sporting events through the weekend, but said classes and business operations will resume Monday.
"Our hearts are heavy after the tragedy that took place April 17," McCullough said in a statement Saturday. "We are grieving with the families and friends who lost someone they love. And we are with all those who were injured and are now recovering. This has shaken all of us, and I want you to know: We are here for you."
The university said it was offering mental health support services and other counseling services for students and employees.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he has an "obligation to protect" the Second Amendment when asked by a reporter in the Oval Office if he sees anything "broken" with America's current gun laws.
"Look, I'm a big advocate of the Second Amendment. I have been from the beginning. I protected it, and these things are terrible, but the gun doesn't do the shooting. The people do. It's a phrase that's used probably too often," Trump said.
"I will tell you that it's a shame," he said of the shooting.
ABC News' Alex Faul, Faith Abubey and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Mabank man was arrested Wednesday night after officials located a sock with suspected meth.
According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, around 10:52 p.m., narcotics investigators stopped a 2010 Harley-Davidson motorcycle at the 8200 block of US Highway 175 West in Kemp and watched the driver, Joseph Duane Whitworth, 52 of Mabank, throw a sock into the grass ditch.
Officials said after locating the sock, they found a gallon-sized plastic bag with a large amount of suspected meth inside alongside clear plastic baggies known for packaging narcotic sales.
Whitworth was arrested for the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair. He is currently being held at the Henderson County Jail.
(WASHINGTON) -- House Democrats are demanding the White House preserve the independence of the Smithsonian Institution after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in late March that directed federal agencies and the Smithsonian to eliminate what the order calls "anti-American" and "improper" content from the vast network of museums and national parks.
The top Democrat of the House Administration Committee, Rep. Joe Morelle, and other Democrats who have oversight of the Smithsonian Institution sent a letter, first obtained by ABC News, to Vice President JD Vance, who serves as a member of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents.
"We urge you to reject any effort to effectuate the goals of the Proclamation and to preserve the 175-year tradition of curatorial independence that has come to define the Smithsonian Institution," the lawmakers wrote, raising concerns over Trump's order.
The order, entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," directs Vance to eliminate what it claims are "improper ideology" from all areas of the institution, which consists of 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
"Unfortunately, we now stand at the brink of seeing the Smithsonian at its worst: shaped solely by the views and ideology of one individual as a means of expanding his political power," the letter states.
The letter is the latest effort by Democrats to push back on one of several actions taken by the White House to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government.
The order also directs Vance and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum to restore federal parks, monuments, memorials and statues "that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events."
"If this Proclamation were to be implemented, the Smithsonian's curatorial independence and excellence would be eliminated, and 175 years of this tradition would end," the lawmakers warn.
Trump, in the order, singled out the National Museum of African American History and Culture which he said perpetuated "race-centered" and "divisive" ideas.
"This flagrant attempt to erase Black history is unacceptable and must be stopped. The attempt to paper over elements of American history is both cowardly and unpatriotic," the letter states.
The Smithsonian Institution was first established by Congress with funding from British scientist James Smithson.
Ryan Gosling is set to join the Star Wars galaxy, landing the lead role in a new standalone film titled Star Wars: Starfighter, Lucasfilm announced Friday.
Star Wars fans cheered when they learned of the news at Star Wars Celebration 2025, a three-day fan event running through April 20 outside Tokyo, Japan.
Star Wars: Starfighter director Shawn Levy, who also directed Deadpool & Wolverine, broke the news to the legions of fans gathered at the Makuhari Messe convention center. Gosling himself made a surprise appearance.
“One of those rumors I heard that I do need to dispel, is, I had heard at one point that my movie was going to star Ryan Gosling and believe me, that would be a dream come true for me," Levy said on stage. "So today, I just wanted to tell you here in this room that that rumor is 100% true.”
Gosling said he's excited to join the all-new Starfighter project.
“I think the reality is that this script is just so good," he said. "It has such a great story with great and original characters. It's filled with so much heart and adventure. And there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn [Levy]. So it's something I just really, really wanted to do.”
According to Lucasfilm and Levy, Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to begin filming this fall. The movie takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019.
Star Wars: Starfighter will open exclusively in movie theaters on May 28, 2027.
Disney is the parent company of Lucasfilm and ABC News.
(HARRISBURG, Pa.) -- Days after an arson attack damaged his official residence, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sat down with Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive interview and a tour of the charred rooms.
"This is sadly a real part of our society today. And it needs to be universally condemned, George," Shapiro said regarding the rise of politically motivated threats and attacks that the Department of Homeland Security has warned about in recent years.
"I don't care if it's coming from the left, from the right. I don't care if it's coming from someone who you voted for or someone who you didn't vote for, someone on your team or someone on the other team," Shapiro continued.
The governor spoke with Stephanopoulos from one of the fire-damaged rooms at the governor's residence in Harrisburg on Thursday. For the first time together, the governor and first lady Lori Shapiro also toured the damage, along with Stephanopoulos.
The attack happened early Sunday, hours after the Shapiro family hosted more than two dozen people for the first night of Passover. The assailant hopped a fence at the governor's mansion, broke windows and hurled Molotov cocktails made from beer bottles and gasoline, police said.
Shapiro and his family were in the residence at the time of the fire but were evacuated safely and not injured, according to state police.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline described it as "surreal" to see fire shooting from the governor's residence. Luckily, the door from the main dining room was closed at the time of the blaze, keeping the fire from spreading into the living quarters. Had the door not been closed, Enterline said Shapiro and his family would no doubt have been at risk.
The suspect in the attack -- 38-year-old Cody Balmer -- turned himself in and allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with a hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, according to court documents.
The suspected arsonist allegedly decided to firebomb the Democratic governor's official residence because of "what he wants to do to the Palestinian people" and "based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine," according to police search warrants.
Balmer faces eight criminal charges, including attempted murder, terrorism and aggravated arson. So far, prosecutors have not invoked a hate crime law, which in Pennsylvania is known as ethnic intimidation.
Balmer -- a mechanic who had previously expressed disdain for Democrats on social media -- was denied bail at his arraignment on Monday.
During the hearing, his attorney said Balmer is indigent and asked for a "reasonable monetary bail," but the judge denied it, saying that while he appreciated that Balmer turned himself in, there were no conditions that could keep him from being a danger to the community.
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia/Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native living Maryland, was deported in March to a mega-prison in his home country of El Salvador -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution -- after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13.
His attorneys say that Abrego Garcia, whose wife is a U.S. citizen and who has 5-year-old child and two step-children, escaped political violence in El Salvador in 2011 and is not a MS-13 member.
The Trump administration, while acknowledging that Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in error, has said that his alleged MS-13 affiliation makes him ineligible to return to the United States.
Here is how the case has unfolded.
March 15, 2025
The Trump administration, as part of its immigration crackdown, deports three planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to El Salvador, where they are incarcerated in the notorious CECOT mega-prison under an agreement with the Salvadoran government. The alleged gang members include Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose protected legal status precludes him from being deported to that country.
March 18, 2025
Families of several of the deported men tell ABC News that their detained relatives have no criminal record in the United States -- a fact that's acknowledged by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, who nonetheless says that "the lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose" and "demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile."
April 1, 2025
In a sworn declaration as part of a lawsuit brought by Abrego Garcia's attorneys, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official says Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador as a result of an "administrative error" -- but that he is still under a "final order of removal" for deportation, after the government rescinded his protected legal status due to his purported gang ties as alleged by a confidential police informant.
Court documents say that on March 12, Abrego Garcia was detained by ICE officers who "informed him that his immigration status had changed" due to the MS-13 allegations, after which he was transferred to a detention center in Texas and then deported to El Salvador.
April 4, 2025
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, at a hearing in Maryland, grants a preliminary injunction and orders the government to "facilitate and effectuate" the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States by midnight on April 7.
Asked by Judge Xinis under what authority law enforcement officers seized Abrego Garcia, DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni says he does not have the answer, telling the judge, "Your honor, my answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating and I'm also frustrated that I have no answers for you on a lot of these questions."
April 5, 2025
A day after the hearing, the Justice Department places DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni on indefinite paid leave over a "failure to zealously advocate" for the government's interests.
April 7, 2025
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issues a temporary administrative stay putting off Judge Xinis' midnight deadline for the government to return Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, in order to give the court more time to consider the arguments presented by both sides.
April 8, 2025
After the Trump administration, in a court filing, argues that a judge can't demand Abrego Garcia's return because a federal court can't order a president to engage in foreign diplomacy, an attorney for Abrego Garcia tells ABC News he believes the Supreme Court will rule in his client's favor.
April 9, 2025
In an interview with ABC News, Abrego Garcia's wife, a U.S. citizen, denies the Trump administration's allegation that her husband is a member of the criminal gang MS-13.
April 10, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules that Judge Xinis "properly requires the Government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador."
"The intended scope of the term 'effectuate' in the District Court's order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court's authority," the court writes. "The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs."
The Trump administration, interpreting the ruling as prohibiting the district court from ordering the executive branch to take any action that would violate the separation of powers, celebrates the order as a victory for the administration.
April 11, 2025
Saying "the Supreme Court has spoken quite clearly" that Abrego Garcia should be released from El Salvador, Judge Xinis slams the government's handling of the case and orders the Justice Department to provide her with "daily updates" on Abrego Garcia's status and their efforts to bring him back.
April 12, 2025
A State Department official, in response to Judge Xinis' demand for daily updates, tells the judge that Abrego Garcia is "alive and secure" in El Salvador's CECOT prison, but provides no information about their efforts to return him to the United States.
April 14, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi, in an Oval Office meeting with President Trump and the visiting El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, says that Abrego Garcia's return is "up to El Salvador," after which Bukele says, "I don't have the power to return him to the United States."
April 15, 2025
Judge Xinis, in a hearing, takes Justice Department attorneys to task over their inaction and orders government officials to testify under oath through expedited discovery in order to resolve Abrego Garcia's wrongful detention.
Prior to the hearing, a DHS official says the Trump administration is "prepared to facilitate Abrego Garcia's presence in the United States ... if he presents at a port of entry" -- but that DHS does not have the authority to forcibly extract him "from the domestic custody of a foreign sovereign nation."
April 16, 2025
The Department of Justice files notice that it will appeal Judge Xinis' ruling ordering the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, and releases two documents that were previously used to allegedly tie Abrego Garcia to MS-13.
The developments come on the same day that DHS, in a social media post, shares court records showing that Abrego Garcia's wife had a month-long order of protection against him in 2021, in which she cited being slapped, hit with an object, and being detained against her will.
April 17, 2025
Slamming the government for "asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit denies the Trump administration's effort to appeal Judge Xinis' order requiring it to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return.
Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón has found her next project following the controversy over her past offensive posts on the social platform X. Variety reports that the Oscar nominee will star as a psychiatrist who "embodies both God and the devil" in the thriller The Life Lift. The film co-stars Vincent Gallo and will be helmed by first-time director Stefania Rossella Grassi ...
The teaser trailer for season 3 of Ginny & Georgia has arrived. Netflix released the first look at the season on Thursday. In the teaser for the new season, which drops June 5 on the streaming service, Brianne Howey's Georgia is on trial after she was arrested during her wedding ...
Glen Powell is joining forces with Judd Apatow for a new original comedy. Deadline reports that the pair are working on a currently untitled film, which Apatow and Powell will write together. Apatow will direct the movie, which will be about a country-western star in free fall ...
Thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel continue to return to their lands in the north from the south with their vehicles in Gaza on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) -- In mid-January, when two U.S.-based contracting firms tapped to secure a critical vehicle checkpoint in Gaza scrambled to sign up more than a hundred ex-military operators, the packing list for prospective hires included two types of assault rifles, Glock pistols, and knives, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
It said nothing of citrus fruits.
But from late January until mid-March, when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal fell apart, the ex-military and intelligence officials found that humanitarian aid measures played a crucial role in ensuring their safety in one of the Middle East's most dangerous corridors, said one of the former officials who asked not to be named.
"We observed firsthand the desperation of some of the folks coming through," the official told ABC News. "So the oranges and water were a hit."
The two U.S.-based private security companies, Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions, were hired earlier this year by a multinational consortium of states involved in negotiating the ceasefire -- including the United States, Qatar and Egypt -- to ferry tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians back to a decimated northern Gaza, without allowing the movement of weapons.
The contractors, comprised of former Special Forces personnel, diplomats, and intelligence officers, did not face any notable confrontations or threats of violence over the course of two months on the ground in Gaza, the official said, and only confiscated a smattering of small weapons during vehicle searches.
But their mission was not without its challenges. From the time their contract was awarded, leaders of the two firms had just 96 hours to recruit, screen, and transport via chartered jet more than 100 individuals scattered across the U.S. to the Gaza Strip, where they then needed to sort out how to physically operate the checkpoint, mitigate security vulnerabilities, and minimize traffic congestion, the official said.
The model could inform future efforts to secure Gaza, some military contracting experts said.
Mick Mulroy, a former CIA paramilitary officer who is now an ABC News national security analyst, said private military contractors appear to be the only logical solution to peace in the short term.
"What is going to prevent the resurgence of Hamas? If it's not a multinational military force, and it's not the Israel Defense Forces -- it's the private security forces," said Mulroy, who is also the founder of Fogbow, a humanitarian aid group. "Right now, there's no alternative that I've seen."
Confronting the past
Hamas launched a surprise attack across Israel's southern border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 Israelis while capturing about 250 Israeli hostages. Since then, Israel's military response has killed at least 50,000 Gazans, most of them women and children.
A ceasefire agreement negotiated this past January ended last month when Israel resumed hostilities after saying Hamas had not released all remaining hostages. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the collapse of the health care system.
Before the contractors deployed in January, a memo drafted by UG Solutions and circulated among former U.S. military personnel offered a daily rate of $1,100 for "operators" and $1,250 for medics, with a $10,000 advance paid "within 5 days of arrival in the country," according to a copy obtained by ABC News.
The memo solicited inquiries from former "U.S. [Special Operations Forces] Personnel Only," and while details of the mission were not made explicit, it noted that members of the team "will be able to defend yourself and there will be written [rules of engagement] once you arrive."
They had reason to tread carefully. The last time American contractors were hired to work in Gaza, in 2003, three employees of the security firm DynCorp were killed by a roadside bomb while escorting U.S. officials near Beit Lahiya, some 40 kilometers north of Rafah.
Despite the precarious threat environment in Gaza, the hired ex-soldiers spent a considerable portion of their time troubleshooting obstacles related to the destitution of Palestinians travelling through their checkpoint, the official said. Limited fuel supplies in the region meant officials "got really good at pushing cars," for example.
Another challenge for the two U.S.-based firms, which worked in tandem with a third Egyptian company, was to overcome the troubled reputation of security contractors working in the Middle East. Concerns about the use of American military contractors abroad exploded in 2007 when members of Blackwater, a private military company, killed 17 Iraqi civilians during an incident in Baghdad. Four of those hired soldiers were eventually convicted for their roles in the massacre, before they were later pardoned by President Donald Trump.
National security commentators have in the past bristled at the premise of using American contractors to work on the ground in Gaza. Peter Singer, the author of a book about contract soldiers, called it a "terrible idea" and a "not-even-half-baked notion" that merited heightened scrutiny. David Ignatius, the Washington Post columnist, characterized its proposal as "a potentially controversial part of the plan" to secure Gaza.
The coalition official told ABC News that U.S. operators were cognizant of the "optics of the situation" and took proactive steps to not appear "intimidating" to Gazans passing through their checkpoint. The official described their personnel as mainly ex-Special Forces with experience in the region -- "suburban dads" of an average age of 45-50.
"This was not going to be a security mission about running and gunning," the official said. "This was going to be all about discipline and restraint."
Several Gazans who used the checkpoint told ABC News that the contractors treated them with respect, often greeting motorists in halting Arabic. One Palestinian man who asked not to be named for security reasons observed that the contractors often tried to reduce the visibility of their weapons.
A 'target on their backs'
Threats posed by Hamas and other hostile actors in the region were compounded in part by Trump's rhetoric, regional experts told ABC News, which included a controversial proposal to redevelop the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East," displacing its population in the process. Hamas leaders said the mere suggestion was "capable of igniting the region."
Ambassador Luis Moreno, a former senior U.S. diplomat in Tel Aviv, warned that Trump's inflammatory comments likely placed a "target on their backs," referring to the American contractors.
"It's already an incredibly risky, risky job," Moreno told ABC News. "There's no doubt that Trump's declarations on moving two million Gazans out of Gaza made their lives much more complicated."
The founder of UG Solutions is Jameson Govoni, a Massachusetts-bred retired Green Beret who once said he "helped set up" a surveillance program for the Special Forces that aimed to "teach special operations soldiers how to conduct surveillance and find hard-to-find terrorist cells around the world."
Govoni later founded the Sentinel Foundation, a nonprofit focused on combating child trafficking, and a for-profit hangover cure company called Alcohol Armor, which last year hosted a David Guetta concert in Las Vegas, according to a video it shared on social media.
Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics firm in Gaza, was founded by Phil Reilly, a former CIA paramilitary officer who is no stranger to precarious missions in hostile territories. He was among the first Americans to set foot in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 -- less than two weeks after the attacks.
The contractors concluded their work in Gaza last month when the cease-fire deal fell apart and Israeli forces resumed their bombing campaign. The Israeli Defense Forces now claim to occupy some 30% of Gaza territory.
After the ceasefire collapsed, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff suggested using a "security force" in Gaza as a long-term solution. A spokesperson for Safe Reach Solutions said they had not discussed a return to the region with American officials.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kumar Rocker, a first-round pick in both the 2021 and ’22 drafts, won for the first time in the major leagues Thursday night.
Rocker struck out a career-best eight in a career-best seven innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep.
Rocker (1-2) threw a career-high 78 pitches and allowed three runs on five hits without a walk. The 25-year-old right-hander was drafted third overall by Texas in 2022, a year after concerns over a physical led to him going unsigned by the New York Mets as the 10th overall pick. He made his big league debut in September and was 0-2 last season.
“It feels great, It felt real good,” Rocker said. “And I’m happy it happened.”
Rocker opened the season in the starting rotation with multiple Texas starters on the injured list and was rocked for six runs in three innings at Cincinnati on March 31. In his most recent outing last Saturday at Seattle, he gave up four runs, three earned, in 3 1/3 innings.
The biggest difference Thursday night was overall command — throwing 58 strikes, allowing no walks – and specifically command of his slider.
“The biggest thing — we talk about it all the time — is location,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He had really good location tonight.”
Rocker credited catcher Kyle Higashioka with calling a good game. “And I just kept them off balance,” he said.
Most critical was his strikeout of Mike Trout to end the fifth inning with a 4-3 lead leaving runners at first and second after the Angels scored twice in the inning. Rocker threw a 1-2 four-seam fastball, and Trout’s check swing was called a strike by first base umpire Lance Barrett.
It’s possible Rocker was pitching to hold his spot in the rotation. Jack Leiter, Rocker’s former Vanderbilt University teammate, should return from the injured list soon after being sidelined by a blister.
“It shows he can do it. He can do it again,” Bochy said. “That’s a great way to get your first win, seven innings. He’s got the stuff to be a really nice major league pitcher, be a dominant one.”
Now, Rocker has a statement performance to point to – coincidentally Rocker’s first seven-inning outing since his Vandy days.
“As I’m learning and as I’m going week to week, it’s hard to do it at this level,” Rocker said. “Just keep looking at older guys, watching them do their thing and trying to stay positive and trying to stay calm.”
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Patrick Corbin’s first home start with the Texas Rangers was no better than a 50-50 possibility when the left-hander hobbled into the clubhouse Wednesday afternoon after an apparent insect bite in his backyard Monday left him with a swollen ankle.
“It was really bad in the morning,” Corbin told reporters Thursday afternoon. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to throw.”
Said manager Bruce Bochy: “He could hardly walk when he came in. I don’t know if it was a spider or what.”
Corbin said he received treatment and was able to pitch. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits in the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
The 35-year-old Corbin was a late addition to roster, joining Texas in free agency March 18 after spending the past six seasons with the Washington Nationals.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Brian Schottenheimer’s first NFL draft as coach of the Dallas Cowboys comes after a run through free agency in which the club put the emphasis on defensive reinforcements.
That’s a bit of a twist for a former offensive coordinator getting ready to debut as a head coach while also calling plays for quarterback Dak Prescott.
“You look at what we did, I mean, I got Klayton Adams looking at me, ‘Hey man, I thought you were an offensive coach,’” Schottenheimer said, referring to his new offensive coordinator. “But I will say there’s a couple times that … we were making some decisions in free agency and I literally had to say, ‘Well, we need to go with this guy,’ and he was on the defensive side of the ball. But that’s what’s best for the football team.”
Similar questions will have to be answered when the Cowboys come up at No. 12 in the first round of the draft April 24. And there’s a similar theme from a year ago, when Schottenheimer was former coach Mike McCarthy’s offensive coordinator.
The Cowboys needed a running back then, but decided to stick with what they had. Dallas added Javonte Williams to start free agency this year, while letting Rico Dowdle go to Carolina after Dowdle became the first undrafted back in club history to rush for 1,000 yards.
Depth at running back is one of the primary talking points of this draft. And one of the top prospects, Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty of Boise State, played high school football just a few miles from the Cowboys’ team headquarters in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.
Still, there goes Schottenheimer again, talking defense.
“I think there’s a lot of depth on the defensive line. Both interior and on the edge,” Schottenheimer said. “I think there’s a lot of depth obviously with the running back position. I mean, there’s guys at every level with every different grade on them that you’re like, the difference is not that huge.”
Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones suggested on his radio show nine days before the draft that the Cowboys might trade down in the first round but were unlikely to move up.
That’s what Dallas did four years ago in getting star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who could be on the verge of becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The Cowboys had the 10th pick when they traded down to get Parsons at the exact spot where they are this year.
The depth at running back plays into the possibility of trading down to add picks for the Cowboys, who also added former Philadelphia and Carolina back Miles Sanders in free agency.
“Part of what we do in free agency is to make it to where hopefully there’s a great player sitting there with each pick that we really like and don’t want to be nailed down to, ‘Hey, it’s got to be a defensive lineman or it’s got to be a receiver or it’s got to be a linebacker or a running back,’” Jones said. “We like the two running backs we signed in free agency. We’ll see if there is a young back there as well that can help us in the draft. We’re certainly wide open to that. Just see what comes our way.”
Need
A little more than a decade ago, the Cowboys rebuilt their offensive line into one of the league’s best by drafting a blocker in the first round three times in a four-year span.
Dallas would complete a replay of that by drafting an offensive lineman in the first round after getting Tyler Smith at 24th overall in 2022 and Tyler Guyton at 29 after a trade down last year.
Such a move wouldn’t be a surprise considering six-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin retired this offseason, pushing Dallas further into a transition up front.
While the Cowboys could comfortably name a starting five on the offensive line right now, there could be competition at multiple spots. A rookie first-rounder would ramp that up even more, and Schottenheimer has placed an emphasis on the Cowboys being more physical and trying to improve one of the NFL’s worst rushing attacks.
“If we’re not creating competition then I’m not doing my job, and the players need to understand that,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s no jobs being given out.”
The Cowboys are thin in proven receivers behind star CeeDee Lamb after letting Brandin Cooks get away in free agency, and linebacker could use help with the apparent decision not to re-sign Eric Kendricks.
Don’t need
The offseason trade for Joe Milton III took the Cowboys out of the market for a backup to Prescott. They also have Will Grier, so drafting a quarterback would appear unlikely. There’s some level of need at every other position.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have been languishing outside the playoff picture for four years and now are hoping rookie coach Kellen Moore can improve their prospects for a return to contention.
How long the road back to relevance winds up being could hinge on how well the club uses its nine 2025 draft choices, starting with the ninth overall pick in the first round.
Entering 2017, the Saints were in a three-year playoff drought when a fruitful draft that included cornerback Marshon Lattimore, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and running back Alvin Kamara produced a return to the postseason that same year.
By the 2018 season, the Saints were the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC, hosted the conference title game and were perhaps one late blown call away from going to the Super Bowl. That was the second of four straight playoff seasons before New Orleans’ current drought, the start of which coincided with the retirement of record-setting quarterback Drew Brees after the 2020 season.
Now Moore has brought new schemes on offense and defense and already has begun the process of making roster moves aimed at fitting personnel to those schemes.
There have been free-agent signings of likely starters on the interior of the offensive and defensive lines (guard Dillon Radunz and nose tackle Davon Godchaux), at wide receiver (Brandin Cooks) and at defensive back (Justin Reid).
“I feel like we’re heading in the right direction,” Moore told reporters during recent NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.
A good draft would help consolidate those recent gains.
Need
The Saints will need a quarterback soon, if not this year. Would-be starter Derek Carr, who has struggled with consistency and injuries during his first two seasons in New Orleans, is now 34 years old and has two years remaining on his contract. Meanwhile, Moore is an offensive play-caller who presumably would want to choose his QB eventually, but for now has inherited Carr. So it’s not all that far-fetched that the Saints could trade up in the first round to snag Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart.
The Saints have other young QBs on the roster — Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler — but they struggled as spot starters when Carr was injured last season. New Orleans also has shown pre-draft interest in Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.
Meanwhile, the Saints top two cornerbacks entering last season are no longer on the club. They traded Lattimore and Paulson Adebo left in free agency. The Saints still have Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry, but could be in the market to add more depth there, and draft analysts have mentioned Michigan’s Will Johnson or East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. as potential prospects for New Orleans.
The Saints offensive line was beat up last season and often struggled. The signings of Radunz and Will Clapp were meant to address that, but there could be options to draft LSU’s Will Campbell or Missouri’s Armand Membou as well.
The Saints also could use another pass-rusher to join Chase Young and Cam Jordan on the edge. Draft analysts see Georgia’s Jalon Walker as an option there.
Don’t need
With Alvin Kamara having signed an extension last season, running back is not an urgent need for New Orleans. But if Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is available, the Saints could be tempted to take him.
At receiver, the return of Cooks to the club that drafted him in 2014 added veteran depth to a unit led by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
At tight end, the Saints recently recommitted to veteran Juwan Johnson. They hope second-year pro Dallin Holker develops into a receiving threat, have veteran Foster Moreau on the roster (although he’s recovering from a late-season knee injury) and also added veteran tight end Jack Stoll in free agency. Versatile tight end Taysom Hill remains on the roster, too, and he tries to come back effectively from a major knee injury.
Demario Davis and Peter Werner are set to return as starting linebackers, reducing pressure to fill voids at that position with draft picks.
Picks aplenty
In addition to choosing ninth overall, New Orleans entered April with one second-round pick (40th overall), two third rounders (71st and 93rd), two fourth-rounders (112th and 131st), one sixth-round selection (184th), and two picks in the seventh round (248th and 254th).
That volume of picks gives the Saints the option to package some of those in trades up or down the draft board.
