(NEW YORK) -- President-elect Donald Trump is asking a federal appeals court to reconsider overturning a jury's verdict that found he sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and awarded her $5 million in damages.
After the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit determined last month that Trump failed to prove he deserved a new trial, lawyers for Trump on Tuesday requested an en banc hearing, in which the full court would hear the case rather than a select panel.
A New York jury in 2023 awarding Carroll $5 million in damages after it found Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her in 2022 when he denied the allegations.
Last year, another jury ordered Trump to pay an additional $83 million in damages for his defamatory statements about Carroll.
Trump argued the trial court in 2023 erred when it allowed two women to testify about Trump allegedly assaulting them, as well as permitting Carroll's lawyers to show the jury part of the now-infamous "Access Hollywood" tape in which Trump boasted about grabbing women.
"To have any chance of persuading a jury, Carroll's implausible, unsubstantiated allegations had to be -- and repeatedly were -- propped up by the erroneous admission of highly inflammatory propensity evidence," wrote Trump's lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, and D. John Sauder, who have all been picked by Trump for top Justice Department posts in his incoming adminstration.
Trump's lawyers argued that the trial court's decisions, if left uncorrected, could set a damaging precedent of allowing "inflammatory propensity evidence in a wide range of future cases."
Trump's request for an en banc hearing is his final appellate option before possibly turning to the Supreme Court.
(LOS ANGELES) -- Fires are continuing to burn in Southern California, with further weather-related threats expected to increase as another Santa Ana wind event picks up this week.
While the end to the fire danger is not yet in sight, the hazards that will remain in its wake will be severe, especially due to the urban nature of many of the burn zones, experts told ABC News.
The fires burning in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties are occurring on the urban-wildland interface -- areas where wildland landscapes meet with urban dwellings, Costas Synolakis, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Southern California who has studied how urban fires exacerbate post-fire related hazards, told ABC News. The further away from wildland, the less chance of ignition, which is why heavy winds were able to spark house-to-house spread quickly.
But these wildfires are so severe that they have penetrated into more urban areas, Scott Stephens, professor of fire science at the University of California, Berkeley, told ABC News.
The fires will have unprecedented environmental impacts, Synolakis said.
Landslides will be of great concern once the fires subside
Once the fires are out, landslides from burn scars will be a big concern when rain returns to Southern California and could be an issue for years to come. Post-fire debris flows are particularly hazardous because they can occur with little warning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Post-wildfire landslides can exert great loads on objects in their paths, strip vegetation, block drainage ways, damage structures and endanger human life, according to the USGS. Additionally, wildfires could destabilize pre-existing, deep-seated landslides over long periods. Flows generated over longer periods could be accompanied by root decay and loss of soil strength, according to the USGS.
Landslides already historically occur in California. But conditions are currently extreme enough to warrant concern for increased threat, Edith de Guzman, a water equity and adaptation policy cooperative extension specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told ABC News
The wildfires are incinerating the shrub cover, so when a rain event does occur, the precipitation hits a ground surface that could be bare minerals and unable to soak it up, Stephens said.
"You're going to get flows of soil, rock and debris," Stephens said.
In Los Angeles, debris basins designed to catch some of the materials sliding down the mountain to lessen the threat of landslide hazards have been built in Mount Wilson and near Eaton Canyon.
The landslide danger will be especially dangerous in the Pacific Palisades, the neighborhood nestled in the lower hills of the Santa Monica mountain range on the Westside of Los Angeles that was decimated by the Palisades fire, because there is no debris basin there, Synolakis said.
"Palisades is going to be an area that people need to be on the watchout for landslides because the valley walls are steep," Synolakis said.
The houses that did survive the wildfire in the Palisades could also be in great danger of a severe rainstorm undercutting the foundation, Synolakis added.
Homes near creeks and steep hills could also contribute a lot of debris to landslides, Stephens said.
An average of 25 to 50 people are killed by landslides each year in the U.S., according to the USGS.
Long-term pollution could impact the region, experts say
An even bigger concern than potential landslides is the environmental impact of the fires, Synolakis said. In the near future, these burned-out communities will be filled with cleanup crews dressed in hazmat suits, Hugh Safford, a research fire ecologist at the University of California, Davis, told ABC News.
Since the fires are burning down manmade structures, the materials used to construct homes and cars are depositing toxins into the air and ground as they combust, the experts said.
"This is going into the local creek systems and in the local soils," Safford said, adding that many of the homes built before the 1980s likely are filled with asbestos.
Debris from the scorched homes near Malibu's Big Rock will end up in the ocean as well -- by wind and sea -- due to the proximity to the coastline, Synolakis said.
In Altadena, homes that were destroyed near the San Gabriel Valley Groundwater Basin could contribute pollutants to the water system, De Guzman said.
Researchers are already monitoring soil to see what kinds of heavy metals and other toxins have seeped in during the combustion process. It won't be long before the toxins end up in the ocean through the watershed, Synolakis said.
The environmental impact of a series of wildfires this big is yet to be seen, Synolakis said. And the cleanup process will be long and arduous, Safford said.
Fire danger expected to persist
On Monday afternoon, winds will begin to pick up in the mountains and higher elevations gusting 20 to 30 mph, locally 50 mph.
There is very little rain relief for the fires in sight for the Los Angeles area in the near future, forecasts show.
While there is a 20% chance for a sprinkle on Saturday, that precipitation is expected to occur closer to San Diego.
Dry conditions are expected in the long term as well. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that La Nina conditions are expected to persist through April 2025, with Southern Californian expected to be very close to drier than normal.
(LOS ANGELES) -- Multiple fires raging across the Los Angeles area will cost insurers as much as $30 billion, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs estimated in a report released this week.
After accounting for non-insured damages, the total costs will balloon to $40 billion, the report said.
The ongoing fires, according to analysts, “appear to already be the costliest wildfire event in California history.”
The forecast would make the fires one of the 20 costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, when calculated as a share of the nation’s gross domestic product, analysts added.
The wildfires have left a path of wreckage in their wake. More than 12,000 homes and other structures have burned down in the fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
At least 24 people have died and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, continue to burn.
Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of Los Angeles County. About 92,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.
A rise in high-cost natural disasters has strained insurers and helped send home insurance premiums nationwide soaring, experts previously told ABC News. Plus, a recent bout of acute inflation has made homebuilding and repairs more expensive, they noted, exacerbating the cost crunch for insurers.
Industry unrest roiling the insurance market in California demonstrates the role climate change has played in skyrocketing premiums and struggling insurers, some experts said.
The average home insurance price jumped a staggering 43% in California from January 2018 to December 2023, S&P Global found last year.
Over recent years, many insurers have reduced coverage or stopped offering it altogether in California as wildfire risks have grown. With more frequent and intense wildfires, insurers face the prospect of more claims and higher costs.
While wildfires are a natural and necessary part of Earth's cycle, climate change and other more direct human influences have increased their likelihood. Climate change is making naturally occurring events more intense and more frequent, research shows.
Los Angeles residents and homes remain under threat from the wildfires.
A "particularly dangerous situation" with a red flag warning will go into effect in western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County on Tuesday, weather officials said, with winds threatening to further fuel historic Southern California wildfires.
ABC News' Kevin Shalvey, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Meredith Deliso, Max Golembo, Matthew Glasser and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson in 2023; Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images
Jessica Simpson has issued a new statement sharing that she and her husband of 10 years, former NFL player Eric Johnson, are "living separately."
The singer, actress and fashion mogul said in the statement, "Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage. Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them."
The couple, who married in July 2014, share three children together: daughter Maxwell, 12, son Ace, 11, and daughter Birdie, 5.
Jessica added, "We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family."
According to People, Johnson was seen without his wedding ring in November 2024, around the same time that Jessica wrote about making new music on Instagram and added, "This comeback is personal. It's an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve."
Jessica was previously married to 98 Degrees singer and Love Is Blind host Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006.
(WASHINGTON) -- Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's embattled pick for defense secretary, faced senators on Tuesday for a contentious confirmation hearing.
Hegseth was grilled by members of the Armed Services Committee on allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety he's denied -- as well as his position on military policy issues, including women in combat and diversity goals.
Hearing wraps after 4.5 hours
The Armed Services Committee gaveled out at 1:45 p.m., after hours of questions posed to Hegseth.
The hearing largely centered on allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement that Hegseth's faced. Hegseth has denied those accusations, bemoaning them as a "coordinated smear campaign."
Senators also debated Hegseth's qualifications and whether he is experienced enough to lead an agency as large as the Department of Defense.
Relatively little time was spent discussing foreign policy or Trump's military objectives in a second term.
Hegseth pressed on if he would carry out a potentially illegal order
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan asked Hegseth multiple times if he would push back should he ever be asked to carry out an illegal order as defense secretary.
"I reject the premise that President Trump is going to be giving illegal order," Hegseth said.
Mark Kelly grills Hegseth on allegations of public intoxication
Sen. Mark Kelly brought up specific allegations of public intoxication made against Hegseth during his time at a veterans nonprofit.
The Arizona Democrat and veteran asked Hegseth to respond "true or false" to the allegations, which included having to be carried out from functions drunk.
Hegseth responded repeatedly only by calling them "anonymous smears."
Kelly concluded his time by accusing Hegseth of misleading the committee and the country about his self-proclaimed personal challenges.
"It’s hard to square this circle,” Kelly said. “Which is it? Have you overcome personal issues or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can’t be both. It’s clear to me that you’re not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would be disqualifying for the job."
Republican Schmitt argues Americans are 'tired of woke ideology'
Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, argued Americans are "tired of woke ideology" as he questioned Hegseth on DEI programs and other military policy initiatives.
Schmitt also had a message for Democrats: "If you haven't picked up on that, you missed the plot, because that's what Nov. 5 partially was about."
Schmitt praised Hegseth as a "disrupter" of the ilk that Americans who voted for Trump want in Washington.
Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, displays copy of Soldier's Creed
Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a former helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs when her aircraft was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, also criticized Hegseth as unqualified for the job.
As she spoke, she displayed a copy of the U.S. Army Soldier's Creed behind her and recited some of it out loud.
"Every single day that I woke up and fought my way back because I wanted to go back and serve next to my buddies who saved my life, this same copy, these words, I repeated over and over and over again," she said.
"Mr. Hegseth, our troops follow these words every single day and they man up and they pack their rucksacks and they go to war and they deserve a leader who can lead them," Duckworth added.
Mullin blasts Democrats over alleged 'hypocrisy'
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., took aim at Senate Democrats, claiming hypocrisy over their attacks on Hegseth.
"You guys aren't any more qualified to be the senator than I'm qualified to be," he said.
Mullin took shots, even asking, "How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? How many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?"
"You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man's made a mistake and you want to sit there and say that he's not qualified," said Mullin, who claimed his wife had to forgive him "more than once."
Democrat Gary Peters says he's not 'convinced' Hegseth can manage Pentagon
Michigan Democrat Gary Peters called out Hegseth's lack of management experience as a potential problem for an agency the size of the Pentagon.
"You have not convinced me that you are able to take on this tremendous responsibility with this complex organization with little or no management experience," Peters said.
After his remarks, Republican chairman Roger Wicker briefly chimed in.
"You've managed more people than the average United States senator," Wicker told Hegseth. The remark prompted some laughter among attendees.
Several Democrats say Hegseth ignored requests for meetings
Several Democratic senators have said Hegseth did not respond to their requests for one-on-one meetings ahead of Tuesday's hearings.
Hegseth spent a notable amount of time on Capitol Hill since his nomination as he looked to shore up support amid the allegations of misconduct.
"I was ready," Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, told Hegseth as he asked him if he was "afraid" to meet with some of his colleagues.
Tuberville praises Hegseth
Sen. Tommy Tuberville spent most of his questioning praising Hegseth.
The Alabama Republican and former Auburn University football coach made an analogy to football to the confirmation process.
"I came from a team sport where you were the people, the players actually won the games. And that's what's going to happen here. You're not going to win the game now. You're going to set the precedent," he said.
Tuberville continued the Republican questioning about the "woke" military and Hegseth again committed to focusing on leadership that focused on military values.
'I've dedicated my life to the warfighters,' Hegseth says on what drives him
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott asked Hegseth why he wanted the job and what drives him.
Hegseth took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and responded that he loved his country and was "dedicated my life to the warfighters."
"People that really know me know where my heart's at. It's with the guys in this audience who've had my back, and I've had theirs," he said.
Senator tries to pin down Hegseth's view on the Geneva Conventions
Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine pressed Hegseth several times on whether he would abide by the Geneva Conventions, a 1949 set of agreements regulating the use of force during wartime that forbids torture.
Hegseth argued the applications of the Geneva Conventions are "incredibly important" but that the rules of engagement have changed for troops since then.
"The Geneva Conventions are what we base our -- but what an "American First" national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield," Hegseth said.
Hegseth defends controversial tattoo
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer began his questioning by praising Hegseth's vocal devotion to Christianity.
He stayed on topic and asked Hegseth to explain why he says he was not allowed to serve with the National Guard during the 2020 Biden inauguration. Hegseth claims that it was because of his tattoo of the Jerusalem Cross on his chest, which has been linked to white nationalists.
Hegseth claimed it was a "historic Christian symbol," and denied he was an "extremist."
However, the National Guardsman who in 2021 pegged him as a potential "insider threat" clarified in an interview with ABC News in November that his complaint targeted a "Deus Vult" tattoo on his forearm. The term is used by far-right militants.
Sgt. DeRicko Gaither told ABC News "this wasn't then and isn't now a personal attack towards Pete Hegseth."
"The protocol was followed and would be followed again if this issue involved any other service member, myself included," he said.
Hegseth did not mention his arm tattoo during his questioning.
Hegseth and Democrat Kaine have contentious exchange on sexual misconduct allegations
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine tore into Hegseth over the sexual assault and misconduct allegations made against him, which Hegseth has denied.
The contentious back-and-forth saw Kaine ask Hegseth if he would respect his oath as defense secretary the same as he did for his marriages.
"I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I'm redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus," Hegseth said.
Kaine also pushed back on Hegseth's claim that the allegations were all from anonymous sources.
"We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother," Kaine said.
Hegseth's mother, Penelope, has defended her son since his nomination but had previously sent an email to him amid his divorce in 2018 in which she wrote that he was an "abuser of women." The New York Times first reported the email.
Hegseth commits to 'get woke out of the military'
Alsaka Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan questioned Hegseth and brought up his concerns and criticism of the Biden administration over what he called "woke" issues such as climate change research and investigating racism in the armed services.
He asked Hegseth if that would be the military's priority under his command.
"My secretary of the Navy, should I be confirmed, sir, will not be focused on climate change," Hegseth said with a big grin. "Just like the secretary of the Air Force won't be focused on LG-powered fighter jets. or the secretary of the Army will not be focused on electric-powered tanks."
"I say we're going to be focused on lethality, defeating our enemy," Hegseth added.
Hegseth on whether he would use military to seize Panama Canal, Greenland
Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono pressed Hegseth if he would use the military to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
"One of the things that President Trump is so good at is never strategically tipping his hand," Hegseth said. "And so I would never in this public forum give one way or another what orders the president would give me in any context."
Hegseth questioned about sexual assault allegations, alcohol use
Hegseth came under fire when questioned by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono about his past allegations of sexual assault, and alcohol use.
Hegseth pushed back against Hirono about the sexual assault allegation made by a woman in October 2017 claiming "it was fully investigated and I was completely cleared."
The police did file a report about the incident but while no charges were filed it also did not state he was "cleared." Hegseth later entered a confidential settlement with the woman in 2020.
"As secretary, you will be in charge of maintaining good order and discipline by enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice, UCMJ. In addition to the sexual assault allegations. By the way, the answer to my second question should have been yes," the senator said.
Ernst, a veteran herself, presses him on women in combat view
Ernst mentioned her own military experience as she questioned Hegseth, saying she was denied an opportunity to serve in a combat role because she had gray hair but standards have since changed.
"Will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?" she asked, stressing she believed they needed to meet standards set out by the military.
"My answer is yes, exactly the way you caveated it," Hegseth responded.
Ernst, a sexual assault victim, also asked Hegseth if he would commit to having a senior-level military official dedicated to sexual assault response and prevention, to which he responded yes.
Ernst says she 'had frank conversations' with Hegseth
Sen. Joni Ernst, a closely-watched GOP vote, began her questioning by talking about her "frank conversations" with Hegseth during her meetings last month.
The Iowa Republican said she had some concerns about wasteful spending but also women in the military and sexual assault allegations in the military.
"I do appreciate you sitting down and allowing me the opportunity to question you thoroughly on those issues that are of great importance to me," she said.
"I think previous secretaries of Defense, with all due respect, haven't necessarily emphasized the strategic prerogative of an audit," Ernst said.
Hegseth said an audit would be his priority.
Gillibrand grills Hegseth on his claims about quotas
Hegseth has claimed military readiness has been eroded due to "quotas" on racial or gender diversity.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, heatedly pushed back.
"Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist," she said. "It does not exist."
"Everything you've said in these public statements is politics," she continued. "I don't want women. I don't want moms. What's wrong with a mom?"
Hegseth defends comments about women in combat
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen grilled Hegseth on his past comments about women serving in the military, including his previous comments that women should not serve in some combat roles.
"Senator, I would like to clarify, when I'm talking about that issue, it's not about the capabilities of men and women, it's about standards," Hegseth said. "And this committee has talked a lot about standards, standards that we unfortunately, over time, have seen eroded in certain duty positions, certain schools, certain places, which affects readiness, which is what I care about the most, readiness."
During the exchange, Shaheen asked Hegseth for his message to the almost 400,000 women serving today who she said now may wonder whether they can rise to the highest ranks of the military.
"I would say I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, men and women, Black, white, all backgrounds with a shared purpose," Hegseth said. "Our differences are not what define us. Our unity and our shared purpose is what define us. And you will be treated fairly and with dignity, honor and respect, just like every man and woman in uniform."
After a tense back and forth, Shaheen said to Hegseth: "I appreciate your eleventh-hour conversion."
Hegseth says US has to modernize nuclear arsenal
Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, questioned Hegseth about investing in the United States nuclear arsenal and whether he agreed with Trump's posture during his first administration -- that preventing attacks from adversaries was the "highest priority."
"Yes, I do, because ultimately, our deterrence, our survival is reliant upon the capability, the perception and the reality of the capability of our nuclear triad," Hegseth responded. "We have to invest in its modernization for the defense of our nation."
Hegseth rails against media when asked to respond to allegations
Committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in the first question of the hearing, asked Hegseth to respond to the allegations against him.
"Let's get into this allegation about sexual assault, inappropriate workplace behavior, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement during your time as a nonprofit executive," Wicker said.
Hegseth, who has denied the accusations, railed against what he claimed was a "coordinated smear campaign" by the news media. "All they were out to do, Mr. Chairman, was to destroy me," Hegseth said. "And why do they want to destroy me? Because I'm a change agent and a threat to them. Because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is war fighting."
Hegseth then turned personal, saying he's not "perfect" but is now ready to lead the Pentagon.
"I'm not a perfect person, but redemption is real," he said. "And God forged me in ways that I know I'm prepared for."
Hegseth opening statement interrupted by outbursts
Hegseth is now speaking for the first time before the committee.
His opening statement is being interrupted by hecklers, who were then escorted out of the room.
Chairman Roger Wicker thanked authorities for their "swift reaction" to the first incident.
"Let me just say this, the Capitol Police are going to remove immediately individuals who are interrupting the hearing," Wicker said.
Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, endorses Hegseth
Trump's pick for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, introduced and endorsed Hegseth.
Waltz was recognized by Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the committee, who noted Waltz was still a member of Congress for several more days.
"He will bring the perspective of being the first secretary of defense to have served as a junior officer on the front lines, not in the headquarters on the front lines in the War on Terror, and recognizes the human costs, the financial costs and the policy drift that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war," Waltz said of Hegseth.
Waltz is also a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.
Charged scene inside the room as confirmation hearing begins
Dozens of veterans -- some wearing service badges -- filled the hearing room in the Dirksen Building in support of Hegseth, wearing pins with the nominee's name. A number of them are wearing black baseball caps with the nominee's name and the bone frog logo associated with the Navy SEALs.
Spotted in the crowd were Sean Parnell, a former Army Ranger and conservative media personality, and Tim Kennedy, an ex-UFC fighter and former Green Beret.
The group, which was buzzing with excitement ahead of the hearing, appeared to cheer for Hegseth and shout "USA!" as the hearing got underway.
There are also a small group of Code Pink antiwar protestors in the room, with signs reading "No Hegseth No Crusade" and "No Hegseth No Christian Jihad."
ABC News' Benjamin Siegel, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and Olivia Rubin
Panel's top Democrat to say Hegseth is not qualified for the job
Sen. Jack Reed will tell Hegseth in no uncertain terms that he does not believe he is qualified for the job of Secretary of Defense.
"I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job," Reed will say, according to his opening statement.
Reed will also address the allegations against Hegseth, which Hegseth has denied.
"We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. A variety of sources -- including your own writings -- implicate you with disregarding laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues. I have reviewed many of these allegations, and find them extremely alarming," Reed will say.
He also alleges that Hegseth's comments suggest he will politicize the military.
"Indeed, the challenge of the Secretary of Defense is to remove partisan politics from the military. You propose to inject it. This would be an insult to the men and women who have sworn to uphold their own apolitical duty to the Constitution," the statement says.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
FBI didn't interview woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017
The FBI's probe of Hegseth did not include an interview with a woman who accused him of sexual assault years ago, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
Top senators on the Armed Services Committee were briefed on the FBI's background investigation last week but sources said investigators did not speak to the accuser. The circumstances around the lack of an interview with the woman are unclear.
A police report stated that a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, told investigators in 2017 she had encountered Hegseth at an event afterparty at a California hotel where both had been drinking and claimed that he sexually assaulted her. Hegseth had told authorities that the encounter was consensual.
No charges were filed, although Hegseth subsequently paid the woman as part of a settlement agreement, which Hegseth's attorney said was only because he feared his career would suffer if her allegations were made public.
Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.
-ABC News' Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Luke Barr
Trump reiterates support for Hegseth
In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense.
"He has my Complete and Total support. Good luck today, Pete!" Trump wrote.
Plus, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller did a morning show blitz praising Hegseth.
"I think Pete Hegseth is going to kill them with kindness," Miller said on CNN, previewing Hegseth's strategy ahead of the hearing.
On Fox News, Miller said he believed Hegseth was the war hero the United States needs and highlighted support from veterans for his nomination.
"I don't see it so much of a challenge. I think it's an opportunity to talk about restoring that warrior ethos, that warrior spirit, back into the military," Miller said as he avoided any concerns of Hegseth's past.
-ABC News Oren Oppenheim and Kelsey Walsh
Hegseth to pitch himself as 'change agent'
In his opening statement, obtained by ABC News, Hegseth does not mention the allegations against him but vows to be a "change agent" and bring a "warrior culture" back to the Defense Department.
"I want to thank President Trump for his faith in me, and his selfless leadership of our great Republic," Hegseth will say, according to the prepared remarks. "The troops could have no better Commander-in-Chief than Donald Trump."
"He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness," Hegseth will say. "That's it. That is my job."
Hegseth will go on to address his lack of experience compared to previous Pentagon chiefs.
"It is true that I don't have a similar biography to Defense Secretaries of the last 30 years. But, as President Trump also told me, we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly 'the right credentials' -- whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives -- and where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives," the prepared statement reads.
-ABC News' Rachel Scott
How Hegseth could overhaul the military
Hegseth, if confirmed, would be in charge of a massive organization of more than 1 million active-duty service members and nearly 1 million civilian workers.
Hegseth has previously discussed going after alleged "wokeness" in the military by firing certain generals, taking aim at DEI initiatives and other programs. He's also said he is generally against women serving in certain combat roles unless they pass high standards men do.
Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.
Hegseth's rocky nomination
Hegseth, a former Fox News host who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard, was nominated by Trump in mid-November.
He quickly faced scrutiny from some lawmakers over his lack of management experience. Then came reports of alleged sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement, which he's denied.
At one point, ABC News reported Trump was looking at possible replacements to Hegseth.
But Hegseth's spent many days on Capitol Hill looking to shore up support, vowing to fight and telling lawmakers he's a "changed man." It appeared he was gaining some Republican support back after his one-on-one meetings with lawmakers, and Trump has since doubled down on his support for his Pentagon pick.
Still, the Senate panel that will question him on Tuesday had quietly sought additional information on some of the allegations before the hearing.
(WASHINGTON) -- With just days left in his administration, President Joe Biden will sign a new executive order focused on bolstering the infrastructure needed to for advanced AI operations in the U.S., according to the White House.
"I am signing an historic Executive Order to accelerate the speed at which we build the next generation of AI infrastructure here in America, in a way that enhances economic competitiveness, national security, AI safety, and clean energy," Biden said in a Tuesday statement on the announcement.
The order will direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to lease federal sites where the private sector can build AI infrastructure "at speed and scale," he said.
"These efforts are designed to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that is responsible and respectful to local communities, and in a way that does not impose any new costs on American families," Biden added.
Tarun Chabra, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for technology and national security, said on a call previewing the order that it's "really critical" for national security to establish a path for building the data centers and power infrastructure in the U.S.
"Domestic data centers for training and operating powerful AI models will help the United States facilitate AI's safe and secure development and harness AI in the service of our national security," he said. "It will also prevent our adversaries from accessing these powerful systems to the detriment of our military and our national security, while preventing the United States from growing dependent on other countries to access powerful AI tools."
Biden underscored the importance of AI in his remarks at the State Department on Monday.
"AI has the power to reshape, reshape economies, governments, national security, entire societies. And it must be the United States and our closest allies lead the way to ensure people's rights are respected, their safety is protected, and their data is secure," Biden said.
Officials on a call with reporters noted current strains on the AI market to make investments needed for large-scale operations saying their cost, power constraints and permitting challenges resulting in long lead times to bring data centers to market.
"The Executive Order directs certain agencies to make federal sites available for AI data centers and new clean power facilities, facilitate this infrastructure’s interconnection to the electric grid, fulfill permitting obligations expeditiously, and advance transmission development around federal sites," according to a fact sheet on the announcement.
Specifically, the order will direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to identify at least three federal sites each they own for these types of developments and allow private sector companies to bid competitively on leases to build on the sites.
(LOS ANGELES) -- As strong winds in Southern California pick up further early on Tuesday, a "particularly dangerous situation" with a red flag warning will go into effect in western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County, weather officials said.
The warning begins at 4 a.m. local time. Winds are forecast to gust between 45 mph to 70 mph, with relative humidity as low as 8%.
Those strong winds and dry conditions are likely continue to fuel the historic wildfires raging in Southern California.
The largest, the Palisades Fire, has spread by late Monday to almost 24,000 acres with only 14% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Thousands of firefighters are battling the blazes across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County.
Winds overnight and early on Tuesday have been gusting up to 67 mph in the mountains near Los Angeles. The West San Gabriel Mountains have seen gusts up to 67 mph, with the Central Ventura County Valley hit about 66 mph.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the gusty Santa Ana winds will come in periods.
The strongest gusts are expected Tuesday morning and early afternoon, which will then be followed by a break in the evening. More gusty winds are expected Wednesday morning.
It has been so dry that any spark could produce major fire that would grow explosively. The weather in Los Angeles last year and early this year has been the second-driest water year on record to date. Water years are recorded from Oct. 1 to Sept. 2, with records going back to 1877.
After Wednesday, winds will begin to calm down and by Friday and Saturday humidity will come up a bit. There a very small chance for a rain shower Friday into Saturday across southern California.
TYLER— Two students at Tyler ISD were recognized as winners in the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest, organized by Optimum and co-sponsored by the Univision Foundation. The contest spans 21 states and honors students who demonstrate creativity and the connections with Hispanic culture. The recognition highlights the importance of celebrating cultural identity and the power of storytelling.
Catie Espiricueta, a junior at Tyler ISD’s Early College High School, was awarded the Grand Prize in the high school category for the West region. As part of her win, Espiricueta received $3,000 that she plans to use to pursue her educational goals at the University of Chicago, where she will major in sociology or political science. In her essay, Espiricueta reflected on a simple yet deeply significant dish, which has been passed down through generations. Continue reading Tyler ISD students recognized for Hispanic heritage essay
(LONDON) -- Talks are ongoing between Paris and Kyiv for the possible deployment of French troops inside Ukraine despite the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to social media.
Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron "had a detailed discussion about the situation on the battlefield and the progress of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk operation," the Ukrainian leader said in a Monday night post to X.
"We also agreed to work closely with key allies on achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees," Zelenskyy added.
"As one such guarantee, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine," he continued. "We addressed practical steps for its implementation, potential expansion and the involvement of other nations in this effort."
Macron and top French officials have repeatedly hinted at the possibility of deploying a French military contingent to Ukraine in a variety of non-combat roles.
French troops, Macron has said, could train Ukrainian soldiers inside the country or serve as peacekeepers to help maintain any forthcoming ceasefire agreement.
Ukrainian military analysts have also suggested that French troops could replace Ukrainian forces guarding the country's borders with Belarus and Transnistria -- the Russian-aligned separatist state in eastern Moldova -- thus freeing up Ukrainian troops for combat duties.
Macron's suggestion of NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine drew rebukes from Russia. In June, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "no instructor involved in training the Ukrainian military has immunity." He added, "It doesn't matter whether they're French or not."
Macron also faced domestic criticism. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the president "plays the war leader, but it is the lives of our children that he speaks about with such carelessness."
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said sending French troops to Ukraine would "make us belligerents."
Within NATO, Macron's suggestion won some support, particularly on the bloc's eastern flank where nations bordering Russia have generally urged a more assertive allied strategy in aiding Ukraine and containing Moscow.
But key nations like the U.S., Germany and U.K. expressed discomfort with any suggestion of allied troops operating on Ukrainian soil.
Macron framed his proposal as a pursuit of "strategic ambiguity" that could be achieved without “crossing the threshold of belligerence.” The president acknowledged last year there was no allied consensus on deploying troops.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in November that Western allies should "not set and express red lines" related to their support for Ukraine.
(WASHINGTON) -- The United States is going to ban Russian and Chinese software in vehicles, according to the Department of Commerce, due to national security concerns.
The final rule, posted on the federal register Tuesday morning, comes after the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security previewed the rule months ago.
During the rulemaking process, the Bureau of Industry and Security found that certain technologies originating from China or Russia present an undue and unacceptable risk to U.S. national security.
"Cars today aren't just steel on wheels – they're computers," outgoing Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a news release Tuesday. "They have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies that are connected to the internet. Through this rule, the Commerce Department is taking a necessary step to safeguard U.S. national security and protect Americans' privacy by keeping foreign adversaries from manipulating these technologies to access sensitive or personal information."
The software bans will apply to Model 2027 cars, while the hardware bans will apply to Model 2030 vehicles.
The final rule, which only applies to passenger vehicles, establishes that hardware and software integrated into the Vehicle Connectivity System (VCS) and software integrated into the Automated Driving System (ADS), the systems in vehicles that allow for external connectivity and autonomous driving capabilities, present an undue and unacceptable risk to national security when designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons with a sufficient nexus to the PRC or Russia, the department said.
The department says it will issue a separate rule addressing commercial vehicles in the near future.
A senior administration official told reporters on a conference call that the automotive industry largely agreed with these recommendations, which were based on national security concerns.
"Malicious access to these critical supply chains could allow our foreign adversaries to extract sensitive data, including personal information about vehicle drivers or owners, and remotely manipulate vehicles," according to a release from the Commerce Department.
The rule also prohibits manufacturers with a sufficient nexus to the PRC or Russia from selling new connected vehicles that incorporate VCS hardware or software or ADS software in the United States, even if the vehicle was made in the United States.
Another senior administration official said that the dangers of Chinese and Russian software extend beyond the car. If mobile phones are connected to this software, it could give China an easy way to extract user data.
"Recent malicious cyber activity, particularly activity that they do that was volt typhoon has really heightened the urgency of preempting even more risk to our critical infrastructure, and we've seen not just volt typhoon, but really mounting evidence of the PRC pre-positioning malware in our critical infrastructure, solely for the purpose of sabotage and disruption," a senior administration official said. "With potentially millions of connected vehicles coming on the road, you know, each with 10-to-15-year lifespans, the risk of sabotage really increases substantially. The second set of risks, as was alluded to as well, are this data security risk given the massive amount of sensitive personal data, including geo location data, audio, video recordings and other live data that's collected connected by these vehicles."
(SEOUL and TOKYO) -- North Korea launched "several short-range ballistic missiles," that landed in the Sea of Japan Tuesday morning local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The missiles "flew approximately 250 km," the officials said.
"North Korea's missile launch is a clear provocative act that seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and we strongly condemn it," the officials added.
Tuesday's test launches marked the second missile test of the year, following the Jan. 6 launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, a test that coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to South Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said at the time that the "performance of our latest hypersonic intermediate-range missile system is globally significant and cannot be ignored," according to state media.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese cabinet secretary, said during a press conference on Tuesday that Japan, the United States and South Korea are "working closely together, including sharing missile alert data in real time, to ensure a thorough response."
"I will refrain from making a definitive assessment at this point, but no missiles have been confirmed to have landed in our territory or exclusive economic zone, and no damage has been reported," he said.
ABC News' Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) -- The FBI's probe into defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth did not include an interview with a woman who accused the former Fox News anchor of sexual assault in 2017, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
The top senators on the Armed Services Committee were briefed on the FBI's background investigation last week but sources said investigators did not speak to the accuser.
A police report previously obtained by ABC News, stated that a woman -- who is identified only as Jane Doe -- told investigators in October 2017 that she had encountered Hegseth at an event afterparty at a California hotel where both had been drinking and claimed that he sexually assaulted her.
No charges were filed, although Hegseth subsequently paid the woman as part of a settlement agreement, which Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, said was only because Hegseth feared his career would suffer if her allegations were made public.
The agreement stated that Hegseth made no admission of wrongdoing in the matter. Parlatore said Hegseth was the victim of "blackmail" and "false claims of sexual assault" by an unidentified woman after a Republican women's convention in California on Oct. 7, 2017.
The circumstances around the FBI's lack of an interview with the woman are unclear.
Hegseth has said the encounter was consensual and that he denied any wrongdoing and welcomed the FBI's work. He wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in December, saying that "the press is peddling anonymous story after anonymous story, all meant to smear me and tear me down."
"It's a textbook manufactured media takedown. They provide no evidence, no names, and they ignore the legions of people who speak on my behalf. They need to create a bogeyman, because they believe I threaten their institutional insanity," he wrote in the op-ed at the time.
As ABC News previously reported, the FBI questioned several individuals in Hegseth's past about his alleged extramarital affairs, his character and his relationship with alcohol.
Some witnesses contacted by the FBI did not respond, according to multiple sources familiar with background outreach and other sources briefed on the process.
The Armed Services Committee is expected to hold Hegseth's confirmation hearing on Tuesday, ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration.
We now know what Succession creator Jesse Armstrong's follow-up to the Emmy-winning HBO drama series will be. Armstrong is writing an original movie for HBO Films based around four friends who meet up during the turmoil of an international financial crisis, Deadline reports. Fellow Succession alum Frank Rich will executive produce the film along with Armstrong, who is still writing the script. Production is expected to being later in 2025, about two years after Succession ended its fourth and final season ...
Leo Woodall is a genius post-grad student who makes a huge discovery in the new trailer for Apple TV+'s upcoming conspiracy thriller series, Prime Target. The eight-episode show premieres its first two episodes on Jan. 22 and drops new episodes weekly every Wednesday through March 5. Woodall plays Edward Brooks, a mathematician who searches for a pattern in prime numbers that would help him hold the key to every computer on earth. Quintessa Swindell, Stephen Rea, David Morrissey and Martha Plimpton also star ...
We have our first look at the Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys-starring psychological thriller Hallow Road. Deadline revealed the first stills from the film, which was directed by Babak Anvari. The movie follows two parents, played by Pike and Rhys, who race against time when they get a late-night phone call from their daughter after she was in a car accident ...
TYLER — Customers of Optimum Cable Television lost local and national channels over the weekend in an ongoing rate dispute. Several cities in Texas have local television stations that are owned by Nexstar Media Group, which owns the most television stations in the U.S. They are among 63 Nexstar stations that are no longer accessible on Optimum. That includes local Nexstar stations serving Waco, Tyler/Longview, Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, Bryan/College Station, and the suburbs of Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Additionally, Optimum has dropped the Newsnation channel. Bryan/College Station is among the Optimum markets that also lost Nexstar’s antenna television channel.
Special counsel Jack Smith's final report lays out in no uncertain terms federal prosecutors' position that Donald Trump -- who is set to be inaugurated president in less than a week -- would have been convicted on multiple felonies for his alleged efforts to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 election, had voters not decided to send him back to the White House in the 2024 election.
That was one of the primary conclusions included in Smith's final report on his election interference investigation, which the Justice Department released early Tuesday morning after a federal judge, late Monday night, cleared the way for the report's release.
The report lays out the probe that resulted in Trump being charged in 2023 with four felony counts of undertaking a "criminal scheme" to overturn the results of the 2020 election in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case, as well as Smith's classified documents case against Trump, was dropped following Trump's reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.
"The Department's view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government's proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind," the report said. "Indeed, but for Mr. Trump's election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial."
After conducting interviews with 250 witnesses voluntarily, calling 55 people to testify before the grand jury, executing dozens of subpoenas and search warrants, and sifting through a terabyte of publicly accessible data, Smith's team concluded they could convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump committed multiple federal crimes when he attempted to overturn the election, the report said.
"The throughline of all of Mr. Trump's criminal efforts was deceit -- knowingly false claims of election fraud -- and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States' democratic process," the report said.
For the first time, the report shed light on the internal deliberations of the prosecutors who sought to prove that Trump "engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort" while navigating the uncharted legal territory of charging a former president.
While prosecutors considered charging Trump with violating the Insurrection Act, Smith wrote that he opted against the approach because of the "litigation risk that would be presented by employing this long-dormant statute." According to the report, prosecutors worried that Trump's actions did not amount to an insurrection because he was already in power -- rather than challenging a sitting government -- when the riot took place. Smith also noted that his office did not obtain "direct evidence" of Trump's "intent to cause the full scope of the violence that occurred on January 6."
Smith also noted that the case against Trump presented unique challenges, including Trump's "ability and willingness" to use social media to target witnesses, courts, and prosecutors with "threats and harassment." Like any other case involving a conspiracy, prosecutors also expressed concerns about convincing witnesses to cooperate while the defendant still exerted influence and command over his alleged co-conspirators.
"That dynamic was amplified in this case given Mr. Trump's political and financial status, and the prospect of his future election to the presidency," the report said.
Despite those concerns, Smith's report laid out how prosecutors planned to rebut Trump's expected arguments to secure a conviction, laying out a play-by-play for how a trial would have proceeded had Trump lost the election.
If the former president argued that he acted in good faith when he claimed there was election fraud, prosecutors would present "strong proof" that Trump himself knew his claims of fraud were false. The report noted that Trump repeatedly noted in private how he lost the election, including berating Vice President Mike Pence for being "too honest" to challenge the results, telling his family "you still have to fight like hell" even if he lost the election, and remarking to a staffer, "Can you believe I lost to this f'ing guy?" after seeing Biden on television.
"This was not a case in which Mr. Trump merely misstated a fact or two in a handful of isolated instances. On a repeated basis, he and co-conspirators used specific and knowingly false claims of election fraud," the report said.
If Trump argued he was following the advice of his lawyers, prosecutors planned to present evidence showing that his lawyers were acting as accomplices to the crime, preventing Trump from legally being able to employ the argument.
And if Trump argued that he was just using his First Amendment right when he challenged the election, prosecutors planned to highlight that Trump employed his statements to commit other crimes, including using false statements to defeat a government function, obstruct an official proceeding, and injure the right to vote.
"The Office was cognizant of Mr. Trump's free speech rights during the investigation and would not have brought a prosecution if the evidence indicated he had engaged in mere political exaggeration or rough-and-tumble politics," the report said. "The conduct of Mr. Trump and co-conspirators, however, went well beyond speaking their minds or contesting the election results through our legal system."
In the report, Smith also detailed multiple interviews with various so-called "fake electors" who he said sought to cast votes for Trump -- and admitted they would not have done so "had they known the true extent of co-conspirators' plans."
Smith told how investigators obtained Signal messages where "Co-Conspirator 4" -- previously identified by ABC News as former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark -- sent a message to Rep. Scott Perry saying he had received a highly classified briefing on foreign interference in the 2020 election that "yielded nothing" to support allegations of a stolen election.
"Bottom line is there is nothing helpful to P," Clark's message said, according to the report.
The report cites the handwritten notes of former Vice President Mike Pence that the special counsel obtained, about which Smith wrote, "In repeated conversations, day after day, Mr. Trump pressed Mr. Pence to use his ministerial position as President of the Senate to change the election outcome, often by citing false claims of election fraud as justification; he even falsely told Mr. Pence that the 'Justice Department [was] finding major infractions.'"
Regarding the House select committee's investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the report said that probe only "comprised a small part of the Office's investigative record, and any facts on which the Office relied to make a prosecution decision were developed or verified through independent interviews and other investigative steps."
Volume One of Smith's final report was released to the public early Tuesday after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, following a weeklong court battle, ruled Monday that the Justice Department could release it.
Trump's former co-defendants in his classified documents case, longtime aide Walt Nauta and staffer Carlos De Oliveira, had sought to block the release of both the classified documents volume and the Jan. 6 volume, but Cannon -- who last year dismissed the classified documents case -- allowed the public release of the Jan. 6 volume after determining that its contents have no bearing on the evidence or charges related Nauta and De Oliveira in their ongoing case.
After conferring with Smith, Garland determined that he would not publicly release Volume Two pertaining to the classified documents investigation because Nauta and De Oliveira's cases were technically still on appeal.
In the classified documents case, Trump pleaded not guilty in 2023 to 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information. The former president, along with Nauta and De Oliveira, pleaded not guilty in a superseding indictment to allegedly attempting to delete surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Smith resigned as special prosecutor on Friday after wrapping up the cases and submitting his report to Garland.
