RUSK COUNTY – Residents are mourning the recent death of former Rusk County Sheriff Danny Pirtle, who died last week.
The Kilgore Police Department said former Pirtle, who died at 80 on Friday, spent most of his life protecting East Texas residents. Before becoming the sheriff of Rusk County, Pirtle served as a supervisor in criminal investigations for the police department.
“We lost a great man on Friday night. Sheriff Pirtle has gone on to be with our Lord,” the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said. “He was a devoted husband, father and sheriff of our county. Keep his family in your prayers.”
According to his obituary, Pirtle’s funeral has been scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home of Henderson. A private family burial will be held at Laneville Cemetery at a later date.
Sen. Darline Graham Nordone participates in a a ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol, July 14, 2026, in Washington. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, confirmed in an interview with Fox News that aired Monday she will run for the seat for a full term, in addition to serving out the rest of Lindsey Graham's unfinished one.
"I've been praying a lot, talking to my family. But with the love of my family, with the support of his staff -- I know I'm a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey. He cared about the people of this state. I've worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state," she said in the interview.
"I feel like I can do it," she continued. "I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes, absolutely."
Asked by Fox News anchor Sean Hannity if she's inclined to get into the race or if she's made a final decision, Darline Graham said, "I've made a decision."
"You're in?" Hannity asked, to which she responded, "I'm in."
Darline Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to finish the final few months of her brother's current term, which expires in January. She was sworn in last week at the Capitol.
The late Sen. Lindsey Graham's spot on the November general election ballot for a full six-year term is being filled by a special Republican primary election set for August 11. Filing for candidates for the primary opens on Tuesday and closes on July 28.
Republican Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry of South Carolina have already launched campaigns, as has businessman Mark Lynch, who ran against Lindsey Graham in the state's regular June primary.
But on Friday, President Donald Trump endorsed Darline Graham, encouraging her to run for the seat and writing, "There would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey."
Darline Graham served as a commissioner on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and has worked in other state roles, including in roles where she worked with individuals with disabilities.
Darline Graham has spoken about how her brother took care of her after both of their parents passed away when they were young.
Storm clouds pass through midtown Manhattan in New York City, July 18, 2026. (Gary Hershorn/ABC News)
(NEW YORK) -- The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are bracing for a new round of severe storms and possible flash flooding on Tuesday after getting hammered by heavy rain on Saturday.
The greatest threat -- a level 3 out of 5 risk -- will span from northeastern Kentucky to New Jersey, including Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Numerous severe thunderstorms with potentially destructive winds and tornadoes are possible in this region.
Flash flooding will be a concern for a large swath of the Interstate 95 corridor, from D.C. to Philadelphia to New York City.
Flood watches have been issued for Tuesday, from Delaware to southern New York, where rainfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour, potentially triggering flash flooding, especially in urban areas. This includes Philadelphia and New York City.
There is growing concern for slow-moving thunderstorms bringing torrential rain in some areas on Tuesday, possibly unfolding by the late morning or early afternoon.
The storms are expected to last throughout the day.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a unicellular parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. (CDC)
(WASHINGTON) -- Federal health officials have been investigating five different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases since the start of parasite season in May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said during a press conference on Monday.
Three of those clusters are considered over, acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said. Meanwhile, the largest cluster, linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states, has seen cases as recently as last week.
The majority of cases have been reported in Michigan, where there are now 6,148 cases, according to an update Monday morning from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). This is an increase of more than 1,000 cases since Friday.
"I want to stress that our investigation continues, including into other potential sources and commodities for other clusters of illnesses," Diamantas said during Monday's press conference.
So far, the CDC has confirmed 1,644 infections linked to the outbreak in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and has advised the public not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in those five states.
The agency said the true number of cases in the outbreak is "likely much higher than the number reported" because many people recover from the illness without medical care and are not tested for the Cyclospora parasite.
Diamantas also addressed a false positive test result over the weekend from a sample of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.
Last week, Taylor Farms de Mexico issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, with the recall affecting 27 states. The recalled products were distributed from June 29 through July 16 and have a best-by dates up to Aug. 3.
Over the weekend, the FDA said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, which was not part of the recall, tested positive.
However, the agency later clarified that during a re-review of the sample results, it determined the result was a false positive. Taylor Farms issued a statement on Sunday, saying "we were informed that FDA made a mistake."
"To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora," Taylor Farms wrote in its statement Sunday.
"Based on initial information provided by health officials, in an abundance of caution, we completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. Recalled product was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico," the Taylor Farms statement continued. "All other Taylor Farms products, including all Taylor Farms brand products available for purchase, are not involved in the recall."
Diamantas said Monday that the false positive did not change the FDA's findings that linked cases to shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms.
"I also want to be clear that our weakened communications around a false positive test result do not change the basis for FDA's ongoing outbreak investigation or the epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms,” Diamantas said.
The FDA similarly shared a post on X Monday afternoon, saying that the epidemiological data supporting the Taylor Farms lettuce recall was "overwhelming."
"FDA's traceback investigation and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico," the FDA's post read, in part. "FDA will continue to work with federal and state partners to investigate this multistate outbreak and ensure products implicated in this outbreak have been removed from the market."
The CDC said it's also investigating other cyclosporiasis outbreaks and illnesses unrelated to the larger outbreak. At least 29 other states have confirmed domestically acquired cases since May 1, the CDC reports.
Additionally, 440 cases in 35 states have been confirmed among people who ate or drank food or water that made them sick while traveling outside the U.S. in the days before they came ill, according to the CDC.
Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, walk the final mile of the 12-mile ruck march during E3B on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Sept. 21, 2024. (U.S. Army)
(WASHINGTON) -- Senate Democrats are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers about his directive requiring the military to measure troops' testosterone levels, seeking details on how the policy will be carried out amid concerns over how it will apply to women and whether it could inadvertently encourage service members to self-medicate with potentially dangerous supplements.
In a letter to Hegseth, Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Gary Peters of Michigan, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ruben Gallego of Arizona said the Pentagon has provided little explanation for the new requirement, raising questions about its scientific basis, cost and potential consequences.
"The Department has provided no evidence that this sweeping new policy will improve force readiness or health, nor has it explained the scientific basis, costs, or risks associated with implementing it across the force," the senators wrote.
Last week, Hegseth directed the military to begin screening testosterone levels for all service members, including women, age 30 and older as part of their annual physical health assessments, expanding routine exams that have traditionally focused on baseline health measures such as vision, hearing and other standard medical screenings. Troops under 30 may opt into testing voluntarily, and any recommendation for testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, would also be voluntary for all ages.
The policy has yet to be formally implemented, thus the specifics have not yet been figured out and it remains unclear when service members will begin undergoing testosterone screenings as part of their annual health assessments, though Hegseth directed a plan be ironed out by Aug. 15.
The cost is also unknown and the Defense Department could require additional medical personnel to be hired for the screenings at routine annual exams.
The move comes as a broader focus on fitness has been core to Hegseth's tenure -- an unusual move for a role traditionally focused on large operations and the macro workings for the Pentagon -- which includes regular videos from the Pentagon of Hegseth working out with troops.
Hegseth has directed the services to adjust their fitness tests and reassess body-fat standards, including new measurement methods introduced earlier this month. The Army has also begun integrating gender-neutral fitness requirements for soldiers serving in ground combat roles.
Among the unresolved questions are whether service members could face administrative consequences if their testosterone levels fall below a threshold the Pentagon has yet to define and how the policy will apply to women.
"Coupled with the Department's recent repeated efforts to redefine military culture around an exaggerated conception of masculinity, this initiative risks undermining years of work to ensure that women service members are evaluated and valued based solely on their ability to perform the mission," the senators wrote.
Some welcomed the expanded access to testosterone screening and treatment, arguing that obtaining testosterone replacement therapy through Tricare, the military's health insurance program, can be cumbersome. But others warned the policy could create unintended incentives for troops to use unregulated supplements or anabolic steroids to avoid being flagged for potential health issues, while raising concerns about embarrassment for those found to have low testosterone.
"I think this is a great idea on paper, but we need to be careful about how it's implemented," said one official who works in fitness coaching and spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Low testosterone has long been a concern in some parts of the military, particularly within the special operations community, where prolonged stress, intense physical demands and inadequate caloric intake are believed to contribute to lower hormone levels, though there's little detailed research on the subject.
At the same time, testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, has surged in popularity across podcasts, social media and the broader wellness industry, where it is often promoted as a way to boost energy, muscle mass and overall vitality. Medical experts caution, however, that clinically low testosterone is relatively uncommon.
Testosterone deficiency affects roughly 2% of men, according to the American Urological Association, and physicians have warned that the growing popularity of TRT has created the misleading impression that the condition is far more widespread than medical evidence suggests.
Moreover, factors such as insufficient sleep and poor nutrition can contribute to lower testosterone levels, studiesshow, two issues the military has long struggled to address.
Nutrition, in particular, has been a persistent challenge across the services, with troops often reporting inconsistent access to high-quality, protein-rich meals. Military dining facilities have faced criticism for menus heavy on fried foods and carbohydrates, sugar, limited portions and operating hours that do not always align with the schedules of service members working long or irregular shifts.
"It's a readiness, retention, recruiting and long-term health issue," Rob Evans, an Army veteran whose app Hots & Cots collects reviews from service members on housing and food on military bases, told ABC News about issues with nutrition on military facilities.
CARTHAGE — Panola College was recently awarded a $196,000 state grant to support the development of an innovative pathway for students entering the healthcare industry.
According to Panola College, the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education Pathways Design and Planning Grant helps public colleges create and expand workforce education programs in high-demand careers.
For Panola College, the money will be used to design a flexible pathway for healthcare students to pursue a career in phlebotomy, as a CNA, EKG technician or patient care technician.
“This grant reflects Panola College’s commitment to providing innovative educational opportunities that respond directly to the needs of our students, employers, and communities,” Vice President of Instruction at Panola College Natalie Oswalt said. “By creating seamless pathways from workforce training to college credentials, we are opening more doors for students while helping address critical healthcare workforce shortages across East Texas.”
The grant allows the college to develop a plan and roadmap to implement program expansions and support the growth of the healthcare industry in the area, the college added.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted to a quiet finish Monday after stocks of chipmakers and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom trimmed some of their recent losses.
The S&P 500 dipped 0.2%, coming off its first losing week in the last three and just its third since the end of March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 307 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite was basically flat after slipping by less than 0.1%.
Nvidia added 0.2% and held firmer following its drop on Friday, when it was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Sandisk climbed 2.7% after tumbling 29% last week.
Advanced Micro Devices rose 1.6% after announcing an expanded partnership where Microsoft will use its products for AI, including its new Helios product starting in the second half of the year.
AI stocks rebound, but not enough to boost the markets.
Such stocks have been under pressure for weeks on worries that their prices shot too high in the euphoria around AI. On one hand, companies are making billions of dollars in revenue as customers pour money into AI chips and data centers. But all that spending may fizzle out if AI doesn’t produce as much profit and productivity as promised.
Wall Street may get some hints on that soon as some of the biggest spenders on AI report their latest quarterly results. On Wednesday, Alphabet will tell investors how much it made during the spring and give updates on its AI efforts.
All kinds of companies are under pressure to report strong growth in profit for the spring. They will need to in order to justify the big moves their stock prices have made. Indexes are near their records, even with the recent shakiness for AI stocks.
AMC Entertainment jumped 26.8% after the movie-theater operator reported stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also said some of its theaters in Los Angeles and other cities ran “The Odyssey” for more than 85 straight hours from Thursday through Sunday to meet demand.
Domino’s Pizza climbed 2.1% after delivering stronger revenue for the spring than expected. CEO Russell Weiner said the company saw growth in orders for both its carryout and delivery businesses, even with the broad industry continuing “to face pressure on consumer demand.”
Another restaurant chain, Jersey Mike’s, is beginning its roadshow to raise interest in its stock, which it’s planning to sell on the New York Stock Exchange for between $21 and $25 per share in an initial public offering.
It and other businesses are facing pressure in selling to U.S. households feeling crunched by still-high inflation, thanks in large part to high gasoline prices. The average cost for a gallon of gasoline in the United States has gotten back above $4 because of higher crude oil prices.
After dropping below $72 early this month, roughly back to where it was before the war with Iran began, the price for a barrel of Brent crude has been jumping recently as fighting continues in the Middle East.
On Monday, the price swung between roughly $86 and $91 before settling at $89.22, up 1.3%.
The war with Iran is keeping oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf to customers, which pushes up oil’s price. S&P Global counted only 127 vessels crossing the strait during the week through Sunday, down nearly 50% from the week before.
Worries about expensive oil and high inflation have sent Treasury yields higher in the bond market, which threaten to slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.59% from 4.55% late Friday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran. Higher yields have already sent the average 30-year mortgage rate to its highest level in nearly a year.
The higher yields weighed on the broad U.S. stock market, and the majority of stocks fell on Wall Street.
A 3.8% drop for Warner Bros. Discovery also helped erase a gain for the S&P 500 early in the day. A federal judge ordered it and Paramount to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court.
All told, the S&P 500 fell 14.41 points to 7,443.28. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 307.16 to 51,839.26, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 12.17 to 25,508.07.
In stock markets abroad, indexes ended mixed in Europe.
The moves were sharper in Asia, where South Korea’s Kospi fell 4.5%. It’s been at the center of the huge swings for AI stocks because it’s dominated by two tech companies, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Stocks were stronger in China, where indexes rose 2.4% in Hong Kong and 0.9% in Shanghai.
PALESTINE – The search of a Palestine residence has uncovered the sale of illegal drugs, seizures of methamphetamine and the arrest of six person on Sunday.
According to our new partner KETK, the Palestine Police Department officers served a search warrant on a residence at North Jackson Street on Sunday as part of a narcotics investigation in the area.
Officers found approximately 18 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, small bags and money. The following six individuals were at the residence and were arrested and charged:
Lori Hill, 58: Manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, 4 grams to 200 grams Continue reading Six arrested at alleged drug house
An image representing 'Afterlife with Archie.' (Disney+)
The epic highs and lows of high school football aren't the only triumphs and defeats Archie Andrews will face.
Afterlife with Archie, the bestselling comic book written by Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has been greenlit for a TV series adaptation at Disney+. It's set to arrive on the streamer just in time for Halloween 2027.
Afterlife with Archie follows the classic Archie Comics characters in the all-American town of Riverdale as it's turned into a zombie-overrun apocalypse. In this version of Riverdale, "the only thing scarier than the undead is trying to survive your teenage years," according to an official description. "When a supernatural spell from a certain teen witch backfires, unleashing an army of the possessed dead upon Riverdale, Archie and his friends must fight to stay alive, testing the friendships, romances, and loyalties that have always held them together."
This new series will hail from Warner Bros. Television. Aguirre-Sacasa executive produces alongside Jimmy Gibbons. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman also executive produce while Jon Goldwater executive produces for Archie Comics Studios.
“This was the comic book that started it all. Before there was a Riverdale, before there was a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there was Afterlife with Archie, which I collaborated on with the best horror artist in the business, Francesco Francavilla,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “Getting to turn Afterlife into a TV series for the amazing team at Disney+ with our incredible partners at Berlanti Productions, WB and, of course, Jon (Goldwater) and his Archie family is truly a full-circle moment — and the ultimate dream project for me. Time to say a prayer for Archie, Betty, Veronica and the whole gang, ‘cause THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING!!!!”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of Democratic U.S. senators and the Independent senator from Maine pushed for more details Monday from Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the agency’s vetting practices for new agents and how officers conduct vehicle pursuits, even as they demanded that body cameras be swiftly rolled out to all officers.
The demands came in a letter spearheaded by Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King, signed by 38 Democratic senators and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE. The demands follow two deadly shootings in which ICE officers shot and killed immigrants in Houston and Maine.
The Associated Press reported last week that the ICE officer in Maine who opened fire and killed a man from Colombia had a history of violent behavior toward family members that was detailed in family court records.
His first ex-wife, Ashley Brouillette, told AP he was physically violent with her, including once throwing boiling water at her while she was holding their child.
His second ex-wife, Lucinda Brouillette, sent a statement over the weekend alleging “a persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear, and control.”
“Throughout our marriage and in the years that followed, I have feared for a long time that his anger, aggression, and escalating behavior would eventually result in severe, life threatening violence, and I often believed I would be the one on the receiving end of it,” she wrote.
Hundreds of pages of family court documents describe their turbulent marriage, and the years after. Lucinda Brouillette told the court he had stalked and harassed her and physically and verbally abused his daughter, according to multiple requests for temporary protection orders. Brouillette tackled his teenage daughter and smashed spaghetti in her hair, and during another outburst, he dragged his daughter around the house as she cried, she said.
“Dave needs counseling or something for his PTSD & depression,” she wrote in an application for a temporary protective order on behalf of his teenage daughter which a judge granted in 2021.
In court filings, David Brouillette said that his second ex-wife had slandered him.
Multiple family members told the AP the government should have never given him a gun, badge and the authority to patrol city streets as the Trump administration ramps up its mass deportation agenda.
The senators’ letter on Monday listed new measures to increase accountability at the agency, including transparency about whether ICE considers records from family court of domestic violence or abuse when vetting new recruits.
“We remain supportive of removing dangerous convicted criminals from our communities, but this goal can and must be achieved without endangering these very communities in the process. By no stretch could either of the victims in Texas and Maine be characterized as ‘the worst of the worst,’ making these tragic deaths even more egregious,” the senators wrote. “The American people deserve clarity and accountability.”
They said ICE should immediately start wearing uniforms or vests that clearly identify them as “ICE” instead of the more generic “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.” Civil rights groups and advocates have often criticized ICE for not wearing uniforms or clear identification on their ballistics vests identifying them as deportation officers.
Senators also demanded to know what changes were being made to how officers conduct traffic stops and vehicle pursuits.
The shootings in Maine and Houston both involved ICE officers shooting at people who were in vehicles at the time. In the wake of the Maine shooting, Homeland Security temporarily stopped officers from conducting vehicle stops except in specific situations. But just a day later, after fierce criticism from some MAGA supporters, President Donald Trump said on social media that traffic stops should continue.
Homeland Security said last week that it was adding new training in crowd-control measures, high-risk vehicle stops, live-fire exercises and medical training, in response to what they called coordinated attacks against their officers and ICE facilities.
Troy Jackson, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during a demonstration outside of a federal immigration office after a man was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, on July 14, 2026 in Scarborough, Maine. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears all but certain to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee for Senate in the party's bid to unseat Republican incumbent Susan Collins this November.
Jackson's campaign said Monday that "it is turning its full focus toward defeating Senator Susan Collins," citing a "decisive advantage" during recent county-level caucuses.
Jackson, who comes from a logging family not far from the Quebec border, is a familiar face to Maine voters due to his history of activism and his lengthy background as a state lawmaker in Augusta.
His campaign's statement also came after an eventful Sunday for Maine politics as four other Democrats dropped out of the running: Dan Kleban, Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah and Jordan Wood.
"We are suspending our campaign tonight. This is the conclusion of the caucuses and letting this process play out," Wood, the former chief of staff to Katie Porter when she served as a congresswoman representing California, said in a selfie-style video posted to social media on Sunday evening.
"I'm so proud to endorse my friend Troy Jackson. I didn't know Troy until over a year ago when I decided to run for office for the first time, but he has become a friend, someone I trust, someone that I know represents and will serve all people in Maine," Wood added.
Shah and Kleban, like Wood, also endorsed Jackson. Bellows did not mention Jackson when suspending her Senate campaign.
Maine Democrats held county-level nomination meetings over the weekend in order to select delegates ahead of their party's Senate nominating convention set for this coming Saturday, July 25.
While the Maine Democratic Party's website lists that eight candidates remain in the race to replace Platner, including former primary candidate David Costello and activist Ashley Webb, delegates who expressed support for Jackson received overwhelming support at the nomination meetings and the candidates who withdrew Sunday were previously viewed as Jackson's main rivals.
Jackson's campaign said that 481 of 500 county delegates support his candidacy. A total of 601 delegates will participate in the July 25 convention, with the additional 101 delegates being members of the Maine Democratic State Committee.
Just over six weeks ago, Jackson stood in front of a crowd in a Bar Harbor theater to ask Mainers to support his own bid for governor (a race he lost) and to vote for Platner in the Democratic Senate primary.
But after Platner was accused earlier this month of sexual assault by a former girlfriend, an allegation he's denied, Jackson joined calls for him to exit the race. Platner formally withdrew his candidacy on July 10.
Now, in nearly a week, Maine voters should know for certain whether Jackson will officially be the Democrats' pick to try to flip the high-profile Senate seat.
A tropical depression that formed in the Gulf off the west coast of Florida, July 19, 2026, is expected to become Tropical Storm Bertha. (Sadik Demiroz/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- A tropical storm watch is in effect Monday for parts of the Gulf Coast after a tropical depression formed over the weekend and is expected to become Tropical Storm Bertha late Monday or Monday night.
The National Hurricane Center said it is closely monitoring what is currently Tropical Depression Two, which formed Sunday.
The tropical storm watch has been issued from the Florida panhandle to the southeast Louisiana coast, including Panama City and Pensacola, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Gulfport, Mississippi.
Tropical storm conditions, including strong winds and rain, are possible in the watch area by late Monday.
As of 2 p.m. ET Monday, the tropical depression was struggling to strengthen and become better organized. The system was centered about 110 miles south of Panama City and drifting northwest at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph. A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.
The tropical depression is still forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha sometime late Monday afternoon or into the night. The system is forecast to gradually strengthen over the next 48 hours while moving mostly parallel or along the Gulf Coast.
After the depression becomes a storm, it's expected to slowly strengthen over the next few days and move mostly parallel to or along the Gulf Coast. The latest forecast puts the system near or south of New Orleans by Wednesday.
The storm could impact the Louisiana coast and the areas of southeast Texas on Wednesday and into Thursday. Tropical storm conditions will be possible from New Orleans to Houston.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible across Florida on Monday and into Monday night, mostly along the Gulf Coast and panhandle.
A possible storm surge of 1 to 3 feet could impact the area from Indian Pass, Florida, located about two hours southwest of Tallahassee, to the Chassahowitzka River, about 90 minutes north of Clearwater on the Gulf coast. The rough surf could produce life-threatening rip currents.
From Monday evening through Wednesday, thunderstorm activity is expected to shift toward southern Alabama and Mississippi. Widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected in the area along the Gulf Coast through Friday, with isolated totals up to 8 inches possible.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A tropical depression drifting erratically in the northern Gulf of Mexico is expected to strengthen later Monday with rain that could trigger flooding and winds capable of downing trees and power lines in several states this week.
The depression was centered about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, with sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). It was poised to gradually strengthen and reach tropical storm status later in the day, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The Miami-based center said the system was roughly moving toward the northwest near 3 mph (6 kph) and is expected to move near or along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days, prompting a storm surge watch extending from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Florida border on the Gulf Coast.
A tropical storm watch also was posted from the Ochlockonee River in Florida westward to southeastern Louisiana at the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line.
The National Weather Service office in New Orleans said storm conditions may set in from the Florida Panhandle westward into Louisiana by Tuesday. It warned of wind gusts of 40 mph (60 kph) and noted a possible “life threatening” storm surge watch for the Alabama, Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana coasts.
Storm surges of up to four feet (1.2 meters) could occur in portions of the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines, the hurricane center said, warning there also could be an isolated tornado or two possible over the Florida Big Bend region this week.
Areas of flash flooding will also be possible through Friday along the coast, from western Florida to middle Texas, the weather service said. It added that rainfall could reach 3 to 5 inches
A photo of Jabari Banks. (Ian Buosi) | Chloe Fineman appears in her 'Saturday Night Live' season 51 cast headshot. (Rosalind O'Connor/NBC) | A photo of Ben McKenzie. (Scout Tufankjian)
The upcoming Myron Bolitar TV series adaptation has gained several more stars.
Netflix has announced that Jabari Banks, Chloe Fineman and Jamie McShane have joined the cast of the upcoming drama series. Also joining the cast as a recurring guest star is Ben McKenzie.
They join the previously announced stars Colin Woodell, KJ Apa and Diane Guerrero, who will play Myron Bolitar, Win Lockwood and Esperanza Diaz in the show.
Myron Bolitar will be based on writer Harlan Coben’s longest-running series, which spans 12 books.
"After an injury ends his NBA dreams, Myron Bolitar reinvents himself as a sports agent — using charm, smarts, and a ruthless partner to navigate the high-stakes and dirty world of sports, where saving his clients often means risking himself," according to the show's official logline.
Banks will play Dwayne Richmond, described as "a charismatic tennis prodigy who experts anticipate will be among the best players in the world," according to Netflix. "He’s the star client at MB Sports, and the picture of cool, from his signature shoes to his trademarked sunglasses."
Fineman is set to portray Parker Quinn, "a sports reporter for a major sports publication who has built a stellar reputation through hard work and an undeniable passion for the game," according to the streamer.
McShane is playing Detective Ray Dimonte, an NYPD homicide detective, while McKenzie will play Gavin Pierce, who's described as "one of the biggest agents in sports," according to Netflix. "Gavin was Myron's agent during Myron’s brief professional career. Following Myron’s injury, Gavin dropped Myron and the two have never reconciled their differences."
Emmy winner David E. Kelley and Kyle Long are set to co-showrun, write and executive produce the series. House of the Dragon's Greg Yaitanes will direct multiple episodes of the show.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Rudi Garcia is not continuing as Belgium coach after failing to reach agreement with the country’s soccer federation on a contract extension.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said Monday that it will not renew Garcia’s deal beyond the end of this month, and that it is looking for a successor to the French coach who led the Belgian team to the World Cup quarterfinals, where it was beaten by eventual champion Spain.
“Garcia has unquestionably played a key role in restoring the Belgian Red Devils,” Belgium sports director Vincent Mannaert said. “He was appointed national coach in a challenging sporting and financial context. Thanks in particular to his commitment and experience, team cohesion was restored and a strong result was achieved at the most recent FIFA World Cup.”
Garcia was appointed Belgium coach in January 2025 as the successor to the fired Domenico Tedesco, who failed to revive the team during a relatively short tenure. Garcia, who coached several big clubs including Napoli, Marseille and Roma in his much traveled career, had never managed a national side.
He touted his achievements in his 18 months as Belgium coach, pointing to the team’s World Cup campaign and improved standing since he took over.
“I wish Belgium every success as they continue the generational transition that I was proud to help initiate,” Garcia said.
NEW YORK (AP) — It was a rough week for WNBA All-Stars heading into the game this weekend.
Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese both were injured Sunday. Bueckers had a rough collision with Nneka Ogwumike in the fourth quarter of Dallas’ game against Los Angeles. The second-year star guard won’t play Monday night against New York as she’s in concussion protocol.
Reese’s knee buckled as she jump-stopped at the basket in a win over Chicago. She fell to the ground. Reese got up quickly, but went down again after a few seconds. She went back to the bench but didn’t return. The Dream are off now through the All-Star break and Reese was voted a reserve for the team by the league’s coaches.
Reese is leading the league with 11.8 rebounds per game and 14 double-doubles. She’s averaging 14.9 points.
If either can’t play in the exhibition game in Chicago on Saturday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will name a replacement. Kelsey Plum is another player that would potentially need an injury replacement as she’s been out with a lower leg injury that’s sidelined her for nearly a month. Power poll rankings
The Golden State Valkyries remained the No. 1 team in the power poll, increasing their winning streak to nine straight. Minnesota was second with Dallas, Las Vegas and Indiana next. Atlanta moved up to sixth, switching places with New York. Washington, Chicago and Portland followed the Liberty. Toronto was 11th and Los Angeles 12th. Connecticut climbed two places to 13th with Phoenix and Seattle rounding out the poll.
Player of the week
Caitlin Clark of Indiana was the AP player of the week. She averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals to help the Fever go 2-1 last week. Clark became the first person in league history to have a 40-plus point game to go along with 10 assists in a win over Seattle. Other players receiving votes included her teammate Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, Olivia Miles of Minnesota, Allisha Gray of Atlanta and Gabby Williams of Golden State. Moving on
Reese accepted Toronto coach Sandy Brondello’s apology for an inappropriate comment that got the Tempo coach suspended for a game.
The WNBA suspended Brondello one game for being overheard calling Reese a “protected species” during the Dream’s 111-92 win over the Tempo on Friday.
“First, I appreciate Sandy’s apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I’ve had for the last 48 hours,” Reese said before the Dream played the Chicago Sky on Sunday. “It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love and also other things. But I am grateful that the league did take action.”
Brondello’s comment about Reese was picked up by the broadcast after Toronto player Nyara Sabally went down with an injury and was called for a foul following contact with Reese. Game of the week
Las Vegas at Washington, Wednesday. The Aces finish off the first part of the season and a two-game road trip with a visit to Washington to face the Mystics.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that leaders of the powerhouse league are having “real” conversations about breaking away from the rest of college sports, though that is not the preferred solution.
“They’re real,” Greg Sankey said Monday of talks with school presidents involving the SEC separating itself from the rest of the NCAA. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different.”
Sankey’s 45-minute meeting with reporters to kick off SEC football media days detailed the several issues that college sports is trying to find solutions for: Congressional legislation, litigation stemming from the new five-year eligibility rule, the future of the College Football Playoff and an overall lack of transparency regarding name, image and likeness payments to players.
Sankey acknowledged the conference’s frustration with the handling of all those issues, but also touted the league’s 13 national championships won last season across a variety of sports as a key reason it’s in no rush to move away from the current framework.
“There is meaning and value and I do think a national expectation that we participate in a national organization,” he said. “But that national organization must function in a healthy manner; otherwise, that simmering will continue”.
Duke still stinging from not getting selected to College Football Playoff after winning ACC title
The SEC has produced a 10-point paper about changes it would like to see to the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation in the Senate. The SEC and Big Ten are negotiating over with lawmakers over potential tweaks.
The SEC argues the bill does not go far enough in limiting the possibility of lawsuits against conferences and schools, and also needs better language to preempt state laws in favor of a national one regarding the tens of millions in NIL payments now so common at the top of college sports.
Sankey called the rollout of the recent NCAA rule that rewrote eligibility standards and has induced lawsuits — players mainly get five years to play five seasons — “magnifies frustration” among some in the SEC.
The SEC remains the Power Four’s only holdout over expanding the 12-team playoff to 24. Sankey said more research is needed, especially regarding “media interest” — likely shorthand for media rights interest — in adding more games.
There is also the underlying issue of what an expanded playoff would do to conference title games. Symbolic of the wide range of opinions on that topic, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his own media session that he favored conference play-in games to determine CFP spots and he doesn’t think title games should be put on the chopping block.
“Throwing those away so you can get a bad matchup between 24 and 18 doesn’t make sense to me,” Drinkwitz said.
Sankey said he also wants more transparency about who pays players and for what. Among the SEC’s proposed changes to the Senate bill would be clearer guidelines for paying players, including “NIL, pay-for-play (which is not allowed), revenue sharing and other forms of compensation.”
The commissioner conceded that the SEC is not bent on getting its way regarding every issue that college sports is trying to solve. But as one of the biggest, richest and most influential leagues in a quickly changing business, it does want to lead the way.
“I think we do a better job now than has ever been done in college athletics,” Sankey said. “But we haven’t achieved that level of stability as we go through change that’s needed at this point.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is holding steadier Monday, as stocks of chipmakers and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom trim some of their recent losses.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last three and just its third since the end of March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 93 points, or 0.2%, as of 12:16 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher.
Nvidia added 1.6% and helped the market recover some of its losses, swinging back upward after its drop on Friday was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Sandisk climbed 7.4% after tumbling 29% last week.
Advanced Micro Devices rose 4.2% after announcing an expanded partnership where Microsoft will use its products for AI, including its new Helios product starting in the second half of the year.
Such stocks have been under pressure for weeks on worries that their prices shot too high in the euphoria around AI. On one hand, companies are making billions of dollars in revenue as customers pour money into AI chips and data centers. But all that spending may fizzle out if AI doesn’t produce as much profit and productivity as promised.
Wall Street may get some hints on that soon as some of the biggest spenders on AI report their latest quarterly results. On Wednesday, Alphabet will tell investors how much it made during the spring and give updates on its AI efforts.
All kinds of companies are under pressure to report strong growth in profit for the spring. They will need to in order to justify the big moves their stock prices have made. Indexes are near their records, even with the recent shakiness for AI stocks.
AMC Entertainment jumped 21.4% after the movie-theater operator reported stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also said some of its theaters in Los Angeles and other cities ran “The Odyssey” for more than 85 straight hours from Thursday through Sunday to meet demand.
Domino’s Pizza climbed 1.8% after delivering stronger revenue for the spring than expected. CEO Russell Weiner said the company saw growth in orders for both its carryout and delivery businesses, even with the broad industry continuing “to face pressure on consumer demand.”
Another restaurant chain, Jersey Mike’s, is beginning its roadshow to raise interest in its stock, which it’s planning to sell on the New York Stock Exchange for between $21 and $25 per share in an initial public offering.
It and other businesses are facing pressure in selling to U.S. households feeling crunched by still-high inflation, thanks in large part to high gasoline prices. The average cost for a gallon of gasoline in the United States is back above $4.
It’s been tracking the increase in crude oil prices. After dropping below $72 early this month, roughly back to where it was before the war with Iran began, the price for a barrel of Brent crude has been jumping recently as fighting continues in the Middle East.
On Monday, the price swung between roughly $86 and $91. It was most recently at $88.78, down 0.4%.
The war with Iran is keeping oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf to customers, which pushes up oil’s price. S&P Global counted only 127 vessels crossing the strait during the week through Sunday, down nearly 50% from the week before.
Worries about expensive oil and high inflation have sent Treasury yields higher in the bond market, which threaten to slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.60% from 4.55% late Friday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran. Higher yields have already sent the average 30-year mortgage rate to its highest level in nearly a year.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe.
The moves were sharper in Asia, where South Korea’s Kospi fell 4.5%. It’s been at the center of the huge swings for AI stocks because it’s dominated by two tech companies, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Stocks were stronger in China, where indexes rose 2.4% in Hong Kong and 0.9% in Shanghai.
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ordered Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court.
Twelve states, led by California, sued to block Paramount’s pending buyout of Warner last week— alleging that such a combination would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly moviegoers and cable customers across the U.S.
The states’ top prosecutors called on Warner and Paramount to not close the transaction until after a court had time to “fully evaluate” their claims. And when the companies refused, they filed for a temporary restraining order — which is what District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted on Monday. That opens the door to a potential preliminary injunction that the states are also seeking to effectively block the deal.
“This is a critical first win in our case to ensure this megamerger never sees the light of day,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement following Monday’s order. “History tells the tale of what happens when a few people have great power over markets that are central to Americans’ lives: fewer opportunities for more people, worse products and services for all people.”
A Warner-Paramount tie-up would bring together two of the five last legacy studios in Hollywood — as well as host of TV networks, titles filling streaming libraries and news operations. That would include Warner’s HBO Max, fan favorites like “Harry Potter” and even CNN coming under the same roof of Paramount-owned CBS, movies like “Top Gun” and the Paramount+ streaming service.
Paramount did not immediately comment on Monday’s order. But the company, which was bought out by Skydance just last year, has vowed to “vigorously defend” its Warner acquisition. Paramount previously called the states’ complaint “wrong on both the facts and the law,” maintaining that a merger would instead strengthen competition against bigger entertainment rivals. And it touted regulatory greenlights the deal has received elsewhere, including from the administration of President Donald Trump last month.
The temporary restraining order granted Monday halts the deal from progressing for at least 14 days, although the pause could be extended for up to 28 days. The court has set Aug. 3 as a date for a hearing on the states’ preliminary injunction motion, although that schedule could also be pushed back.
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after landing in Air Force One on July 19, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- The new Air Force One will be "maxed out" with security features, undergoing an upgrade that's expected to put the Qatari-gifted jet out of commission for about a month, President Donald Trump said on Sunday.
"Well, it has, it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out," the president said of the newly retrofitted jet. "So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out."
The jet had faced security concerns in the weeks since its first operational flight on July 1, when Trump flew on it to North Dakota. The plane, a Boeing 747-8 that was gifted from Qatar, later carried Trump to the NATO summit in Turkey this month.
As Trump prepared to depart the summit, the Secret Service urged the president to take the older Air Force One jet as a precaution, due in part for the differences in security capabilities, ABC News learned at the time.
The New York Times reported that the new jet did not have the same anti-missile capabilities as the previous model. Trump's comment on Sunday followed a reporter's question about those claims, which ABC News has not independently confirmed.
"Mr. President, this plane does not have antimissile defense systems on it," the reporter asked. "Why are you flying on it?"
Trump in response said the plane would be "maxed out," a process that he expected would "take about a month." The president did not detail exactly when the upgrades were expected to begin.
The Qatari royal family's donation of the luxury jet valued at approximately $400 million, an unprecedented foreign gift, raised questions from some lawmakers and ethics experts. Ahead of his first flight, Trump gave credit to the Qatari government.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary," he said on July 1. "They spent top dollar."
"I said to Boeing, 'What's the best one?' They said this is the best plane ever built, and you're going to have the privilege of flying it, and I have a privilege also of flying it," Trump said that day.
The U.S. Air Force said it had been modifying the jet Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president.
The Air Force last year originally estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift, though it's unclear how much exactly has been spent so far. Many of the details of the retrofitting on the new plane are considered classified.
The gifted plane is expected to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement have told ABC News.
ABC News' Emily Chang, Sarah Kolinovsky and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two U.S. soldiers killed in Jordan by Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks were identified on Monday, the first troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.
The Defense Department said in a statement that 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, were killed in Jordan. They were deployed to support a U.S. mission against the Islamic State group, the statement said.
The U.S. military says 17 service members have been killed in the war with Iran.
The deaths reflect the complicated reality that American soldiers don’t need to be on the ground in Iran for there to be lethal risks in a conflict that involves drones, missiles and airplanes. American forces are arrayed across the Middle East, making other nations targets of Iran and its allies as the fighting has escalated after a breakdown in peace talks.
President Donald Trump has said the war is necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump, a Republican, now faces political pressure to bring the war to a close and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against. Drones and missiles are claiming lives on both sides
An American service member was also killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during a “controlled detonation” of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, U.S. Central Command said Sunday. A second service member was wounded and was receiving medical treatment for a minor injury.
The military said it was withholding additional information until 24 hours after families had been notified.
Iranian authorities said U.S. strikes in just the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.
Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people. Workers on ships, as well as foreign workers and others in Gulf nations, Israel and Lebanon have also died in the conflict. The first US military fatalities came soon after the war started
Shortly after the U.S. and Israel began the war on Feb. 28, an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait killed six American soldiers. The soldiers were part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa who were working at a shipping container-style building that had no defenses.
A seventh soldier died more than a week after being wounded during a March 1 attack by Iran on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Later in March, six service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting U.S. military operations against Iran crashed in Iraq. The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft took place, according to U.S. Central Command.
On Monday, the U.S. military said a Navy pilot died in a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea. The Navy initially described the July 1 crash as an emergency landing and said there was “no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action.” The remaining three sailors aboard the helicopter were rescued.
David Rancken’s App of the Day helps you keep track of your leftovers. The App Of The Day is called StillGood. You can find StillGood in the Apple Store.
Members of the DEA attend a press conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office on August 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as "El Mayo," was sentenced Monday to life in prison on drug trafficking charges that accused him of being one of the most prolific and powerful narcotraffickers in the world, according to federal prosecutors in New York City.
Together with Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as "El Chapo," he founded the Sinaloa cartel and oversaw the shipment of millions of kilograms of lethal drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. He employed armed sicarios who assaulted, tortured, and murdered and he paid millions in bribes at all levels of the Mexican government, officials said.
In federal court in Brooklyn, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
"Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good," U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.
The sentence was not in doubt. El Mayo pleaded guilty last August to a charge of committing a continuing criminal enterprise, a catch-all that included 85 violations of the law, and agreed to the mandatory life imprisonment along with a $15 billion forfeiture.
"It would be difficult to overstate the magnitude of the defendant's crimes and scale of the corruption, violence, and other harm he spread throughout Mexico, the United States, and the world," federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a sentencing memo that called for life in prison.
As part of his plea, El Mayo, 76, admitted he was responsible for at least 1.5 million kilograms of cocaine and vast quantities of heroin and fentanyl.
Federal prosecutors said El Mayo represents "serious security concerns" that must be considered when the judge recommends a prison where he will serve his sentence.
"The defendant is the co-founder of one of the world's most violent criminal organizations, and for decades directed its operations, including its violence. Moreover, many members of the Cartel remain loyal to the defendant, including one of the defendant's sons, who remains a key leader of the defendant's faction of the Cartel in the defendant's absence," federal prosecutors said.
The defense noted that El Mayo spared the judicial system a trial and "helped protect the safety of potential witnesses who will not need to be disclosed or called to testify."
In a statement ahead of his sentencing, El Mayo said he recognized the "grave harm that illegal drugs have done to the people of the United States, of Mexico and elsewhere." He also said he recognized the "human toll of the violence and lawlessness that my criminal organization engaged in."
El Mayo said he took responsibility for his role in all of it and apologized to "everyone who has suffered or been affected by my actions."
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in 'Avengers: Doomsday.' (Disney/Marvel)
The Avengers assemble in the official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday.
Marvel and Disney released the new trailer for the upcoming superhero film on Monday.
The film follows "beloved heroes from three distinct universes" who are "set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered," according to its official description.
Anthony Russo and Joe Russo directed the film, which finds its tickets now on sale.
The trailer starts with Patrick Stewart back as Professor Xavier. He looks out a window at destruction in the sky. "Something's coming," he says. "Something we may not be able to deter. Before this day is done, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision."
From that point on, the trailer switches to the point of view of Chris Hemsworth's Thor. As the only OG Avenger left, he rallies the troops to be able to take down Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
"I've fought with many warriors in my time. They were far stronger than all of us put together and they died," Thor says. "Mark my words, we're going to need a miracle."
He may just get that miracle in the form of Chris Evans' Steve Rogers. We see him appear before Thor as he says, "Hey pal."
Thor doesn't believe it's Steve until he proves it by taking hold of Mjölnir.
Along with Downey, Evans, Hemsworth and Stewart, the film also stars Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Wesley Holloway, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena and Tenoch Huerta Mejia.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on Dec. 18.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Marvel Studios.
A person prepares to pump gas at a Valero gas station on June 16, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Gas prices in the United States topped $4 per gallon on average Monday as an escalation of the Iran war renewed fears of a global oil shortage.
Prices at the pump have jumped 13 cents per gallon, or 3%, over the past week, AAA data showed, with the average price per gallon now at $4.003.
The recent cost rise brings gasoline prices back to a level achieved soon after the Iran war began in late February. The Middle East conflict prompted Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime trading route that facilitates transportation of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The historic oil disruption sent gasoline prices surging.
Gas prices temporarily fell below $4 a gallon last month after the U.S. and Iran struck a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the war. Before the Iran war, fuel costs had last exceeded $4 a gallon in August 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
An exchange of strikes between the U.S. and Iran in recent days has reignited large-scale fighting and dampened prospects of a resolution.
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. hit Iran "hard" in honor of the U.S. service members who were killed by Iran over the weekend.
U.S. Central Command said two service members were killed in an attack on Jordan on Friday, and that a third service member remained missing. Another service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday, CENTCOM said.
The U.S. resumed its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz last week, reversing a key commitment made as part of the agreement. That move came after Iran fired upon oil tankers in the strait.
The Iran war triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded, sending the national average price of gasoline as high as $4.56 a gallon on May 21, AAA data showed.
Oil and gasoline prices began to fall in late May, however, as Iran and the U.S. appeared willing to strike an agreement that would reopen the strait. By late June, those prices gad fallen fell to their lowest level since before the war began.
Relief at the pump helped bring down prices overall. Inflation dropped more than expected in June as gas prices eased, federal government data on Tuesday showed.
Gas prices rose 3.5% in June compared to a year earlier, marking a retreat from a year-over-year inflation rate of 4.2% in the prior month. The reading for June marked the lowest inflation since March, though the pace of price increases remains more than a percentage point higher than its pre-war level.
Even after easing last month, overall inflation stands markedly higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.
ABC News' David Brennan contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) -- A dozen purported members of the Bad Boys 7, a set of the Trinitarios, were indicted Monday on racketeering conspiracy charges that accused them of five murders, including the carjacking death last August of Ariela La Langosta, a nightlife influencer with more than half a million followers on Instagram.
She was shot multiple times and found dead in her car on the Cross County Parkway in Mount Vernon.
La Langosta, 33, whose real name was Ariela Mejia-Polanco, was a mother of two.
Her family said she left her job at Ikon New York around 4:30 that Sunday morning. The Westchester County Police Department said she was found deceased a few hours later, about 8 a.m., behind the wheel of her car on the eastbound Cross County Parkway near the Broad Street exit in Mount Vernon.
A man with a history of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity pours a flammable liquid onto the sidewalk as he sets off an "incendiary device" outside a federal building in Manhattan on July 20, 2026, authorities said. (Obtained by ABC News)
(NEW YORK) -- A man described as an "anti-government extremist" set off an "incendiary device" to set a fire outside a Manhattan federal building that houses an immigration court, the FBI said, leaving three with minor injuries.
Andrew Arrabaca, 43, allegedly poured gasoline onto the ground outside 26 Federal Plaza and ignited it with a lighter and a large firework in a canister on Monday morning, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said.
He also allegedly "pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven pellets" in the direction of 26 Federal Plaza, Barnacle said.
Arrabaca "is an anti-American, anti-government extremist," Barnacle said.
After Arrabaca's arrest "he did say he was targeting the building and he was OK if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were federal employees or civilians," Barnacle said.
Two government employees and one civilian suffered minor injuries, Barnacle said, noting that the civilian victim was an immigrant there for an immigration hearing.
Arrabaca -- described by the Department of Homeland Security as an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement "rioter" -- was apprehended by officers, Barnacle said.
Arrabaca is a former soldier who served from 2001 to 2005 and worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, Barnacle said, with police noting he wore a military-style helmet. He's been taken into custody and has been interviewed, Barnacle said.
Arrabaca "came armed with bad intentions," Barnacle said.
"He had two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives," as well as several incendiary devices, Barnacle said.
Barnacle said "26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremists," and he said "Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people."
Barnacle said Arrabaca had a cart with him with "anti-ICE literature," he said when Arrabaca was being arrested, he "yelled derogatory terms toward ICE."
On the suspect's cart was a sign reading "ICE Off Our Streets," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Charges are yet to be filed, Tisch said, noting that the incident took place on federal property.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it"deeply disturbing."
"I'm relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody," he wrote on social media. "... Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city -- and hold accountable any who threaten that."
King Charles III welcomes Andy Burnham, during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government, on July 20, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images)
(LONDON) -- Andy Burnham officially became British prime minister on Monday -- the country's seventh leader in 10 years -- having already been elected as the leader of the country's Labour Party last week.
Burnham, who until recently was serving as the mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeded outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Speaking outside the prime minister's official residence -- 10 Downing Street -- on Monday morning, Starmer said, "Today I am here to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as prime minister. My work is done."
"I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve. I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved. Thank you very much," Starmer added.
Of his successor, the outgoing prime minister said, "I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support."
After his address, Starmer traveled the short distance to Buckingham Palace to formally inform King Charles III of his resignation. Burnham then also traveled to palace where the king asked him to form a government.
The new prime minister then traveled to Downing Street to give his first address, telling the assembled press that Britain must show "that we can regain our stability."
Burnham said his appointment will serve as "a circuit-breaker" for the country, pledging to deliver a new political and economic model and a 10-year plan.
Among the new prime's commitments were to address cost of living concerns, help young people into work, end homelessness, re-industrialize the country, put "life's essentials back under public control" and push for more local powers.
Through the rest of Monday, Burnham is expected to begin appointing cabinet ministers from Number 10.
Starmer announced that he would step down in June, following months of domestic political turmoil. Despite leading Labour to a historic majority in parliament in the 2024 general election, Starmer faced persistent external and internal criticism over his perceived failure to deliver rapid change after 14 years of Conservative Party rule in Britain.
Many in Starmer's party had written to the prime minister asking him to step down following local elections in May, which saw the party lose more than 1,000 seats on local councils, results that were widely interpreted as a repudiation by British voters of Labour's performance under the prime minister's leadership.
Starmer long said he intended to see out his full five-year. Announcing his resignation in June, Starmer said, "The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace."
Burnham was the only candidate in the subsequent leadership election, ultimately winning nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour members of parliament -- of the 650 MPs in total -- in the House of Commons.
In accepting the leadership of Labour last week, Burnham said his mission was "to bring back hope" and address decades of economic inequality plus falling living standards.
"We must recognize that this generation of politicians -- myself included -- have failed to challenge a political culture and an economic model that simply doesn't work well enough for ordinary people," he said.
Burnham will become the seventh leader to take the reins of the country in 10 years, a reflection of the political and economic turbulence that has beset the country since the Brexit vote in 2016.
The incoming prime minister said he would also make British politics "less toxic, adding, "I will work to build a new politics. The country is crying out for it."
Burnham, 56, was born in the Lancashire region of northern England. Burnham started out as a journalist, writing for trade magazines, before transitioning to work as a Labour parliamentary researcher while in his early 20s.
Burnham rose through the party ranks before being elected as the MP for his hometown of Leigh, in Greater Manchester, in 2001. He held that seat for 16 years, during which time he was appointed to several cabinet positions under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
During Labour's years in opposition, Burnham bid to become Labour leader twice, but was defeated by -- and then served in shadow cabinets of -- Labour leaders Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn.
In 2017, Burnham left parliament to become the mayor of Greater Manchester. In his victory speech, Burnham heralded what he called "the dawn of a new era, not just for this city region but for politics in our country. It has been too London-centric for too long. The old political and party structures haven't delivered for all people and for all places."
Burnham is associated with the center left of the Labour Party, and has described himself as a socialist. Burnham's time as Manchester mayor saw him emerge as a major proponent of shifting investment and political power out of London, and earned him the nickname "the King of the North."
ABC News' Kevin Shalvey contributed to this report.
Cup of coffee with beans (Ricky Herawan / 500px/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is safe for most adults, and regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart failure, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).
The official report, published Monday in the journal Circulation, addresses years of conflicting advice regarding caffeine and the heart.
“Coffee is potentially linked to lower risks of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart failure, though its relationship with blood pressure is complex and data isn't entirely consistent across the board," said Dr. Jennifer Miao, a board-certified cardiologist and ABC News Medical Unit Fellow.
For decades, doctors frequently advised people with heart issues to avoid stimulants. However, this comprehensive review marks a major shift by distinguishing between natural coffee beans and synthetic caffeine.
While older guidelines relied heavily on lower-quality studies, the AHA panel integrated recent clinical trials showing that even for patients who have had a procedure to address an irregular heart rhythm, daily coffee can cut the risk of the condition returning by 39%.
Habitual coffee consumption was also associated with a 20% to 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The AHA warns that your daily brewing method drastically impacts these potential health benefits, however. These heart-healthy links apply strictly to paper-filtered or instant coffee. Unfiltered options, including a French press, espresso, or Turkish coffee, retain a natural compound called cafestol. Cafestol raises low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the "bad" cholesterol that can clog arteries over time.
Crucially, these positive heart associations do not translate to highly concentrated synthetic caffeine products like energy drinks, shots, or pills. The AHA notes that high-caffeine energy drinks are consistently linked to cardiovascular harm. These products are associated with sudden spikes in blood pressure and acute episodes of irregular heart rhythms, even in healthy adults.
“The AHA distinguishes between coffee and energy drinks, which can pose significant cardiovascular harm,” said Miao. “In large amounts, energy drinks can trigger life-threatening heart rhythm issues and even cardiac arrest.”
Your ideal caffeine limit is heavily influenced by your genetics. Inherited variations in a liver enzyme gene called CYP1A2 dictate how fast your body metabolizes stimulants. While some people can easily clear 400 milligrams of caffeine, which is about three to five cups of coffee, others may experience sleep disruption and blood pressure spikes with far less caffeine.
Doctors still caution that anyone with an underlying heart problem or existing risks of developing heart disease or stroke should talk to their provider about what amount of coffee or caffeine may be safe for them to consume.
“Consume caffeine in moderation, not solely for potential health benefits,” Miao advised. Everyone's sensitivity is different, so if you have any underlying conditions or concerns, please talk to your doctor."
Yonathan Daniel, M.D., is an internal medicine resident physician at NYU Langone Health and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit
Second lady Usha Vance and U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrive for a military mothers celebration in the East Room of the White House on May 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump and the first lady honored America's military mothers at the event ahead of Mother's Day. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- Vice President JD Vance announced on Sunday that second lady Usha Vance gave birth to the couple's fourth child, a son named Alec Neel Vance.
Vance said both Usha and the baby "are happy and healthy" and thanked the medical teams at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit.
"We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother," the vice president wrote on X.
JD and Usha Vance share three other young children: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.
The couple announced they were expecting their fourth child in January, writing on social media, "Our family is growing!" They met while studying at Yale Law School and got married in 2014.
The vice president often speaks about his family and marriage, and has been a leading voice in the Trump administration's efforts to encourage the public to have more children.
"I want more babies in the United States of America. I want more happy children in our country, and I want -- and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them," Vance said in one of the first speeches of his vice presidential term at the March for Life event in Washington last year.
"And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are here at the March for Life," he added at the time.
In June, Usha Vance sat down with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis for a wide-ranging interview. The second lady shared her thoughts about her husband's political future and the biggest surprise she learned about President Donald Trump.
When asked whether she would like to see JD Vance as president one day, Usha Vance said, "I am not a particularly politically ambitious person; I would like to see him happy. I would like to see him making contributions that matter and whatever form that takes is a form that I'll be supportive of," she said.
The second lady said that the biggest surprise to her, as she's gotten to know President Trump, has been his sense of humor and his gentleness toward children.
"He has a really good sense of humor and has a sort of gentleness towards his children, towards other people's families and children," she said. "It shows a lot of caring about what they're going through and what is happening in their lives."
RUSK COUNTY – Residents are mourning the recent death of former Rusk County Sheriff Danny Pirtle, who died last week. 
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