AUSTIN – Texas Public Radio reports that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced on Friday that agency employees may have improperly accessed the data of 61,000 people. HHSC said it terminated those involved with the breach. The incident was also referred to the agencyâs Office of Inspector General (OIG) for investigation to pursue criminal charges. Information inappropriately obtained or disclosed includes Social Security numbers, full names, home addresses, and Medicaid and Medicare Identification Numbers. HHSC recommends recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to monitor their Lone Star Card transactions for any fraudulent activity.
Affected individuals should carefully review their accounts and report any questionable charges to a provider or company. The agency is still determining the impact of the breach on other programs. Anyone else impacted by the breach will be notified as HHSC conducts its review. âHHSC understands the impact this privacy breach may have and is committed to protecting the confidential information of those we serve,â the agency said in the release. The agency said it is strengthening internal security control and will implement additional fraud prevention measures. It will also offer two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protections to those impacted.
SAN ANTONIO – The Dallas Morning News reports that a Texas jury has ordered a barbecue restaurant to pay $2.8 million to a woman who was badly burned by its barbecue sauce. The woman, 19-year-old Genesis Monita, sued Bill Miller Bar-B-Q in San Antonio after spilling sauce on her right leg, resulting in second-degree burns. The incident unfolded in May 2023, after Monita ordered breakfast tacos with barbecue sauce from the drive-through. She then pulled into a nearby parking spot to eat, according to the lawsuit. When she removed the sauce from the brown paper bag, Monita dropped it on her leg because it was so hot. Bill Miller B-B-Qâs policy says sauce should be heated to a minimum of 165 degree. That day, the sauce was 189 degrees. Monitaâs attorney Lawrence Morales II said the restaurant should have warned her about the temperature of the sauce, and placed it in an adequate styrofoam container rather than plastic, and provided better training to employees.
(WASHINGTON) -- Leading candidates for the Democratic National Committee chairperson election said Tuesday's claim by front-runner Ken Martin that he has the support of 200 members is inflated and fails to paint an accurate picture of the dynamics of the race.
Chair candidates need a simple majority of DNC members, or 225 votes, to win. If it holds, Martin's latest endorsement count would bring him close to victory on the first ballot.
The role of the chair, who guides fundraising, recruiting and organizing efforts for Democrats nationally, holds particular importance in years when the party is outside of the White House and lacks a de facto leader.
Whoever wins the election will have the responsibility of balancing messaging against the Trump presidency while looking to define and rebuild a party now marked by decisive losses in the executive branch and across both chambers of Congress.
Typically, presidents appoint their own chairs to lead the parties they represent.
Martin, the Minnesota Democratic Party chairman, announced his 200-member number in a statement Tuesday morning.
"I'm honored to have gained the support of leaders from across the country," Martin said. "Our campaign is gaining momentum and we're going to continue to work hard for people's votes."
The teams of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler claimed the dynamics of the race are far from locked.
In a statement to ABC News, Wikler's spokesperson claimed Martin is inflating his whip count in an attempt to create "false momentum" and "lacks a clear path to victory."
"Ken Martin is releasing inflated whip counts because his momentum in this race has stalled and he is seeking to create a false sense of momentum," the spokesperson said. "Our internal count has Ben within 30 votes of Ken, with a surge in support since last week's union endorsements. Ken has fewer votes than the combined support for Ben and Martin O'Malley and lacks a clear path to the majority."
O'Malley's team swiped at Martin, claiming that the 200 figure is inflated and unsubstantiated. Pushing further than Wikler's team, O'Malley spokesman Chris Taylor told ABC News that "not a single soul" believes Martin, who he asserted is acting "beneath the seriousness of this moment."
"This race isn't about inflated and unsubstantiated numbers or tricks and gimmicks," Taylor said in a statement. "It's about making the changes we need to win and rebuilding the Democratic Party for the future of our Republic. There is not a single soul running for any DNC office who believes Ken Martin's count. It's disrespectful to the 448 voting members of the DNC -- many of whom are still making up their minds -- and beneath the seriousness of this moment."
In their statements, O'Malley's and Wikler's teams both pointed to their internal numbers, which they said show a much closer race. None of the leading candidates have provided a full list of names of their supporters. O'Malley's team said it has commitments from 100 members. Wikler's team declined to offer its internal count.
Even still, public endorsements for Martin seem to outnumber all others.
Over the past few weeks, Martin's campaign has been rolling out daily endorsements on social media. His bid boasts the support of at least 50 current state party chairs and vice chairs, including party leaders from swing-states Arizona, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, and several members of Congress, including Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, as well as leaders of the Young Democrats of America.
Wikler has the support from one of the highest-ranking Democrats, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and rubber stamps from both centrist and progressive organizations within the party. Last week, Wikler won the support of four powerful public sector unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
O'Malley has also been rolling out endorsements from individual members, including current and former members of the Congressional Black Caucus, alongside former mayors.
The DNC has been hosting forums that function as debates between candidates for all officer positions. There are two left, one this week and one next week, a few days before the officer elections on Feb. 1.
Ayo Edebiri is a magazine writer covering the newest album from a pop star played by John Malkovich in the upcoming horror film Opus.
In the trailer for the A24 film, which was released Tuesday, Edebiri plays Ariel, a young writer who receives a coveted invitation to cover the listening party for pop icon Moretti, played by Malkovich, who disappeared from the public eye for 30 years and is now making a comeback.
Opus comes from writer and director Mark Anthony Green. It arrives in theaters on March 14.
The trailer follows Ariel as she attends the listening party with her colleague, played by Murray Bartlett. They're flown out on a private jet with blacked-out windows for a weekend retreat-like event filled with Moretti's biggest fans and other journalists.
"Congratulations, and welcome to this once in a lifetime gathering," Malkovich's Moretti says in the trailer.
As the trailer goes on, many strange circumstances take place, making Edebiri's Ariel gradually more concerned.
"Is this not alarming to you?" she asks Bartlett, who responds, "Are you sure you haven't been drinking with us?"
Juliette Lewis, Young Mazino, Stephanie Suganami and Tatanka Means also star in the film, which makes its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 27.
(WASHINGTON) -- In his first public comments following President Donald Trump's inauguration, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated on Monday that he sees a second Trump presidency as an opportunity for a new era in U.S.-Russian relations.
Putin spoke of the challenges Trump faced in the weeks running up to the November election, including the assassination attempts, and said Trump had "showed courage to win in a convincing manner."
In a televised statement made from his official residence, the Russian leader said he recognized "the desire [of Trump's team] to restore direct contacts with Russia," blaming the rupture of U.S.-Russian relations on the Biden administration -- while neglecting to mention his decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which saw tensions spike between Washington and Moscow.
Putin also recognized Trump's stated desire to de-escalate the conflict, saying "we also hear [Trump's] statement about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III. We certainly welcome this attitude and congratulate the president-elect of the United States of America on his assumption of office."
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin has been increasingly isolated on the world stage. In June 2024, fresh off the heels of his closely watched visit to North Korea, Putin met with Vietnamese President To Lam in Hanoi to reaffirm the Kremlin's ties to its long-time ally Vietnam in a bid to boost trade.
Trump has already indicated he would meet with Putin, saying during an Oval Office spray on Monday that "I'll be meeting with President Putin." Trump didn't say when the meeting might occur. Later, when asked for his message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump suggested the Ukrainian president is willing to come to the negotiating table, but said he's unsure if Putin would.
"He told me he wants to make a deal. He wants to make -- Zelenskyy wants to make a deal. I don't know if Putin does," Trump said.
During his latest January press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump had indicated he hoped to meet with Putin within six months into his second presidency.
"I know that Putin would like to meet," Trump said at the time. "I don't think it's appropriate that I meet until after the 20th, which I hate because, you know, every day, people are being -- many, many young people are being killed."
This comes as Russia and Ukraine exchanged large drone attacks on Sunday night into Monday, with UAVs forcing flight restrictions at three Russian airports and prompting reports of an attack on a major military aviation hub.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "ready to work together with Americans to achieve peace," referring to Trump as a "strong person."
"The inauguration of the new president of the United States, Donald Trump. He is a strong person. I wish President Trump and all of America success. Ukrainians are ready to work together with Americans to achieve peace, true peace. This is an opportunity that must be seized," Zelenskyy said during his daily remarks on Monday.
This moment "is a good opportunity" to establish security "for ourselves and for everyone in Europe," Zelenskyy added.
ABC News' Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
SAUSTIN – The Austin American-Statesman reports several months after more than 110 Texas OB-GYNs said the state’s abortion ban must change, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Sunday said the law should be amended to protect doctors and pregnant patients at risk of death. “I do think that we need to clarify any language so that doctors are not in fear of being penalized if they think the life of the mother is at risk,” Patrick said on WFAA’s “Inside Texas Politics” after he was asked whether he expected “any significant abortion legislation, either to clarify current statute or to strengthen it.” Patrick, who runs the Senate and has established significant influence over what bills are passed, is the first major Republican official in Texas to say he supports clarifying the state’s near-total abortion ban this legislative session. Soon after Patrick’s remarks, two senior Republican lawmakers in the House and the Senate confirmed that some within the Legislature have already begun brainstorming on a potential tweak to the ban.
State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who penned one of the state’s two recent abortion bans, confirmed to the American-Statesman on Monday that he agreed with Patrick and said “we’ve been working on language.” Seven-term Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach, of Plano, also indicated there is support in the House for such a change. “The Lt. Gov is (100%) right about this,” Leach wrote in a post on X quoting a Texas Tribune story about Patrick’s remarks. “Plans and work are already underway to try to get it done this #txlege session.” Texas currently prohibits abortion except when a pregnant person risks death without one, with no exceptions for rape, incest or fatal fetal anomalies. For several years, OB-GYNs and patient advocates have said the ban’s life-of-the-mother exception is too vague and too narrow to allow doctors to take preventive action before a patient reaches the point of no return. They have also argued that the threat of severe penalties for physicians â up to 99 years in prison, fines of at least $100,000 and loss of medical license â further increases doctorsâ hesitancy to act, increasing the risk that a patient would not be cared for. The letter signed by 111 OB-GYNs in November reiterated this case and also said the deaths of two Texas women who were denied abortion care during miscarriagesâ Josseli Barnaca and Nevaeh Crainâ were evidence that “the law does not allow Texas women to get the lifesaving care they need.”
SMITH COUNTY â Our news partner, KETK, reports that the Smith County Emergency Services for District 2 reported firefighters injured following a Tuesday morning crash east of Troup on Highway 13.
Smith County ESD2 officials said two firefighters suffered leg and head injuries, however, they were not deemed life-threatening. The fire truck was involved in a major rollover, and the engine was destroyed. The firefighters involved in the accident have been checked by EMS and are preparing for transport.
You can celebrate the upcoming fourth season of the popular Netflix romance series at the 2025 virtual fan event Bridgerton Season of Love.
The celebration is taking place this Valentine's Day. On Feb. 14, Bridgerton season 4 leads Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha, who play Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek, respectively, will join forces with Queen Charlotte herself Golda Rosheuvel and showrunner Jess Brownell for a virtual fan celebration that will give fans a sneak peak at season 4.
Rosheuvel will host a panel that will offer the first glimpses at Benedict and Sophie's love story. Thompson, Ha, Rosheuvel and Brownell will gather in London for the virtual event, which will also offer never-before-seen peeks at the upcoming season, exclusive announcements and other surprises.
"Be among the very first to witness an advance glimpse into the newest season of the tonâteeming with exclusive content, news, interactive delights, and an enchanting live Q&A with the show's stars and creators," Netflix's website says of the event.
Bridgerton season 4 "turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down â until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his motherâs masquerade ball,â according to its official description.
Bridgerton Season of Love A Fan Celebration will be available to stream live on Tudum By Netflix on Feb. 14 at 7 a.m. PST.
(NEW YORK) -- President Donald Trump's bid to cut off birthright citizenship is a "flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage," attorneys for 15 states and the city of San Francisco said Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the president's executive order signed just hours after he was sworn in Monday.
The lawsuit accused Trump of seeking eliminate a "well-established and longstanding Constitutional principle" by executive fiat.
"The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute. Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth," the lawsuit said.
Trump's order directed federal agencies -- starting next month -- to stop issuing citizenship documents to U.S.-born children of undocumented mothers or mothers in the country on temporary visas, if the father is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
According to the lawsuit, about 150,000 children born each year to two parents who were noncitizens and lacked legal status could lose access to basic health care, foster care, and early interventions for infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities.
"They will all be deportable, and many will be stateless," the lawsuit said.
The states warned the executive order would also cause them to lose federal funding for programs that render services to children regardless of their immigration status.
While Trump's order purports to unilaterally end birthright citizenship, only the U.S. Supreme Court can determine how the 14th Amendment applies.
"President Trump's attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution," said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. "For more than 150 years, our country has followed the same basic rule: babies who are born in this country are American citizens.
The states are seeking to invalidate the executive order and stop any actions taken to implement it. Their lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to immediately prevent the order from taking effect.
"The great promise of our nation is that everyone born here is a citizen of the United States, able to achieve the American dream," said New York Attorney General Letitia James. "This fundamental right to birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation's commitment to justice."
On Tuesday, nonprofit groups in Massachusetts and New Hampshire also filed federal lawsuits challenging Trump's birthright citizenship executive order.
When you need a detector in your food allergy toolbox, get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Soosee. You can find Soosee in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
(WASHINGTON) -- Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the head of the Oath Keepers, were released Tuesday from prison following President Donald Trump's sweeping pardon of those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
They were serving 22- and 18-year sentences, respectively, for their roles in the riot.
Four years after they raided the Capitol, threatened Congress members and assaulted police officers, a group of some of the Jan. 6 rioters convicted of the most violent incidents that day are now free men thanks to Trump.
Other convicted members were scheduled to be released throughout the day from Washington, D.C. area, jails and prisons.
Of the nearly 1,600 individuals who have faced charges associated with the Capitol attack, according to figures released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, 608 individuals faced charges for assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement trying to protect the complex that day, the office said. Approximately 140 law enforcement officers were injured during the riot, the Department of Justice has said.
A federal judge sentenced Rhodes in May 2023 after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy the year prior for his and his group's role in the riot. The Oath Keepers had stockpiled weapons at a D.C. hotel and organized the attack, according to prosecutors.
Rhodes himself did not enter the Capitol on Jan. 6 and maintained that his group only intended to provide security and medical aid to those attending multiple pro-Trump demonstrations in the area, prosecutors said.
Tarrio was sentenced in September 2023 for his conviction on seditious conspiracy and given the longest sentence of all of the convicted Jan. 6 rioters, though he was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
During his sentencing, prosecutors pointed to a nine-page strategic plan to "storm" government buildings in Washington on Jan. 6 that was found in Tarrio's possession after the riot, as well as violent rhetoric they say he routinely used in messages with other members of the group about what they would do if Congress moved forward in certifying President Joe Biden's election win.
As more of the rioters were released from jails and prisons, a group of Trump supporters, Proud Boys members and others gathered and cheered them on as they were released.
The group carried large flagpoles with Trump and American flags attached and signage that read, "no man left behind" and "pardon all j6 hostages day one."
Current and former DOJ officials have expressed alarm over the potential that Trump would hand down pardons -- or otherwise free -- violent offenders, citing the potential risk they could seek to target the prosecutors who oversaw their cases, the judges who sentenced them to periods of incarceration, or witnesses who may have testified against them.
(NEW YORK) -- Cryptocurrencies affiliated with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump plummeted in the initial hours after Trump was sworn into office Monday.
"Official Trump," a recently launched crypto token, plunged more than 20% in value over a 24-hour stretch ending Tuesday morning, according to crypto tracking site CoinGecko. After the drop, Official Trump stood at $38.
The decline for Trump's meme coin reverses some of the gains enjoyed in an initial surge after it hit crypto markets last week. The coin's price climbed from about $10 on Saturday morning to a high of about $74.59 before it began to slide.
"Melania Meme," which also launched last week, dropped in value by more than half over a 24-hour timespan ending on Tuesday morning, CoinGecko data showed. The price of the Melania Meme was $4.19 on Tuesday morning.
The recent decline for the coins associated with Trump and Melania coincided with a slight drop for bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency. In early trading on Tuesday, bitcoin fell nearly one percentage point, putting its price at $102,853.
Many digital assets have climbed since Trump won the November election, indicating investor enthusiasm about declarations Trump made in support of cryptocurrency.
In July, Trump told the audience at a cryptocurrency conference in Nashville, Tennessee, that he wanted to turn the U.S. into the "crypto capital of the planet."
Trump also has promised to ease regulations for the sector and establish the federal government's first National Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
On Monday, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler officially resigned from his position, marking the departure long-sought by some crypto boosters who viewed Gensler as overly restrictive toward digital assets.
There have been reports that Trump would sign an executive action that would prioritize cryptocurrency policy. However, no such order was among the dozens of actions Trump signed
(WASHINGTON) -- After taking the oath of office to be sworn in as the nation's 72nd secretary of state, Rubio promised that every action taken by the State Department will be determined by the answers to three questions: "Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? And does it make us more prosperous?"
The Senate unanimously confirmed Rubio's appointment to secretary of state Monday evening, making Rubio the first confirmed Cabinet member of the second Trump administration.
Rubio also gave remarks in Spanish, giving thanks to God and his family members both present and not present -- including his parents, who he said came to the United States in 1956 and that the purpose of their lives was that their children could realize dreams that were not possible for them.
Rubio, a Cuban American son of refugees, is the first Hispanic American ever to hold this position.
"It's an incredible honor to be the secretary of state of the most powerful, best country in the world," he continued in Spanish, thanking President Donald Trump for the opportunity.
Switching back to English, Rubio joked, "I just said I saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico -- that's what I said."
The former senator also echoed themes from Trump's inaugural address and reiterated the president's platform.
"[Trump's] primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. It will be furthering the national interest of this country," Rubio said.
"We will work hard every second of the day to help him achieve the agenda the American people have given him to achieve," he added.
In addition to thanking his former colleagues, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Idaho Sen. James Risch, Rubio expressed gratitude to his family and emphasized that "the most important job I'll ever have is that of a father and husband."
Rubio told State Department employees later Tuesday that he wanted the department to "be where it belongs -- I want the Department of State to be at the center of how America engages the world."
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony Tuesday morning, Rubio spoke with CBS and was asked about Trump's statement that he is "not confident" the ceasefire in Gaza will hold.
"Well, I'm hoping and praying it will hold -- but remember, on Oct. 6 there was a ceasefire in place between Israel and Hamas. Oct. 7 was a violation of that," Rubio said. "So when you're dealing with a terrorist organization that has committed atrocities, motivated by all kinds of evil, I don't think you can go into it very confident that things will hold in the long term.
"We want it to work out. We think there is the broader hope of a peace in the region," he added. "So we're hopeful, but I think we need to be realistic about what we're dealing with here."
Rubio also spoke with ABC's "Good Morning America" and discussed Trump's pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, TikTok and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Rubio sidestepped directly weighing on the pardons, saying his "focus needs to be 100% on how I interact with our counterparts, our adversaries, our potential enemies around the world to keep this country safe, to make it prosperous."
When asked about Trump's campaign pledge to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Day One, Rubio contended the matter is more complex and that negotiations will not be played out in public.
"Look, this is a complex, tragic conflict, one that was started by Vladimir Putin that's inflicted a tremendous amount of damage on Ukraine and also on Russia, I would argue, but also on the stability of Europe," Rubio said. "So the only way to solve these things, we got to get back to pragmatism, but we also get back to seriousness here, and that is the hard work of diplomacy. The U.S. has a role to play here. We've been supportive of Ukraine, but this conflict has to end."
It marks his fifth consecutive year emceeing the show. Heâs also a producer on the broadcast.
A press release states the ceremony will âcarry a renewed sense of purposeâ this year in light of the LA wildfires. It will raise funds to support fire relief efforts, as well as honor fire responders.
The 67th annual Grammy Awards will air from the Crypto.com Arena in LA on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
(WASHINGTON) -- The federal judge who oversaw Donald Trump's classified documents case has blocked the Department of Justice from sharing special counsel Jack Smith's final report on his probe with select members of Congress.
Judge Aileen Cannon, in an order issued one day after Trump's inauguration, offered a scathing criticism of the Department of Justice's "startling" conduct and willingness to "gamble" with the rights of Trump's former co-defendants by attempting to allow four members of Congress to review Smith's final report as directed by DOJ policy.
"Prosecutors play a special role in our criminal justice system and are entrusted and expected to do justice," Cannon wrote. "The Department of Justice's position on Defendants' Emergency Motion ... has not been faithful to that obligation."
Trump pleaded not guilty in June 2023 to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information. The former president, along with his longtime aide Walt Nauta and staffer Carlos De Oliveira, also pleaded not guilty in a superseding indictment to allegedly attempting to delete surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Judge Cannon dismissed the case in July based on the constitutionality of Smith's appointment, and Smith dropped Trump from his appeal of the case after the election due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president -- but the Justice Department appealed the dismissal of the case against Nauta and De Oliveira.
Cannon, in her ruling issued Tuesday, criticized prosecutors for being willing to release sensitive court materials -- including material pursuant to grand jury subpoenas -- while the case against Trump's former co-defendants is ongoing.
"In short, the Department offers no valid justification for the purportedly urgent desire to release to members of Congress case information in an ongoing criminal proceeding," Cannon wrote.
Cannon expressed concern that the report, if shown to members of Congress, could be leaked publicly and prevent Trump's former co-defendants from having a fair trial.
"This Court lacks any means to enforce any proffered conditions of confidentiality, to the extent they even exist in memorialized form. And most fundamentally, the Department has offered no valid reason to engage in this gamble with the Defendants' rights," the order said.
Cannon's order remains in effect at least 30 days after the case proceedings conclude, at which point the Justice Department can advise the court about their position on the order.
The DOJ's new leadership under the Trump is not expected to press for the report's release, making it unlikely that the report will ever see the light of day.
