(NEW YORK) -- Stocks futures traded slightly higher early Wednesday, following another volatile day for the market amid the continued rollout of President Donald Trump's tariffs on goods from top U.S. trading partners.
Dow futures were higher by 189 points or 0.46%. Both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 also appeared ready to open narrowly higher on Wednesday.
Traders are expected to be looking to Wednesday's inflation report for clues on the health of the economy amid Trump's escalting trade war. Expectations are that inflation will be up 2.9% compared to a year ago. A worse-than-expected report could add to negative stock sentiment.
Trumpâs 25% tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum products came into effect overnight. The European Commission said EU member states would retaliate with duties on U.S. goods, sending European markets mostly higher.
Some economists say that while the tariffs could boost the local steel industry in the United States, they could also lead to higher prices for industries that purchase steel. Those higher prices may eventually reach consumers.
The U.S. relies heavily on imported aluminum and those costs are expected go up as well.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Anadolu via Getty Images
(LONDON) -- The prospects for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine are "in Moscow's hands," a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following successful U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Andriy Yermak -- the head of Zelenskyy's office -- was part of the Ukrainian delegation that met with American representatives in Jeddah, where both teams agreed to pursue a 30-day ceasefire and use the pause in fighting as a launchpad for full peace negotiations to end Russia's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor.
"Ukraine is ready to accept a 30-day ceasefire if Russia agrees," Yermak wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning. "This is a necessary step to begin work on real security guarantees and preparing the final terms of a peace agreement."
"But now the key is in Moscow's hands -- the whole world will see who really wants to end the war and who is simply playing for time," he added.
Moscow was readying itself to hear details from Tuesday's U.S.-Ukraine meeting, with officials "scrutinizing" the publicly released statements, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
He added that Russia "doesn't want to get ahead of itself" on the potential ceasefire, saying the Kremlin will want to first get specifics directly from Washington. A "summit phone call" may be in the cards, he said.
President Donald Trump's return to office has put Ukraine in a strategic bind, no longer able to rely on the "ironclad" -- if at times hesitant, according to many Ukrainians -- American support during former President Joe Biden's time in office.
Trump has aligned with Russian narratives about the conflict, framing Ukraine as the key impediment to peace, falsely blaming Kyiv for starting the war, undermining Zelenskyy's legitimacy as president and seeking to recoup years of American aid via a controversial minerals sharing deal.
Last week, the Trump administration announced a freeze on U.S. military aid to and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Tuesday's meeting in Saudi Arabia saw that pause lifted, officials said.
Moscow has welcomed the radical U.S. shift in rhetoric and policy, which culminated in an explosive Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting last month.
Kyiv has been striving to prove its readiness for peace, while stressing that no deal can succeed without American security guarantees to deter repeat Russian aggression. Ukrainian leaders have also cast doubt on President Vladimir Putin's readiness to end the fighting and urged their U.S. partners to be wary of the Kremlin.
Following Tuesday's talks, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram of the 30-day ceasefire plan, "Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step. The United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so."
"We agree, and if the Russians agree, the silence will take effect at that very moment," he added. "An important element in today's discussions is America's readiness to restore defense assistance to Ukraine and intelligence support."
"Ukraine is ready for peace," Zelenskyy wrote. "Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war -- or continue it. The time has come for the whole truth. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine."
Speaking in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he is "very serious" about a ceasefire. "For me it is important to end the war," he added.
"I want the president of the United States to see it, I want Americans to see and feel it," Zelenskyy said. "I want Europe and all to be in alliance in order to do everything to force Russia to end this war."
"As for the security guarantees, we will talk about them in more details if there is ceasefire for 30 days," the president continued. "These 30 days are given to prepare a draft. We have our proposals, but we will draft the steps that we will agree on with our allies and formats of security guarantees which Ukraine will have after the war is over."
"Today, everything depends on the fact whether Russia wants to cease fire or to continue killing people. Today, it fully depends on this country. United States of America demonstrated its steps and position. Ukraine demonstrated and outlined its positions in a very direct way, without any reservations. And Russia will have to answer to that."
"I believe that the meeting itself in Saudi Arabia ruins Russian plans to escalate relations between Ukraine and United States," Zelenskyy said. "On the contrary, there is de-escalation."
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the administration hasn't spoken to Putin yet "with substance" regarding the ceasefire proposal.
"We haven't spoken to him yet with substance because we just found out and we just were able to get Ukraine to agree," he said. "So, we're going to know very soon. I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation."
Trump would not comment on whether he has a meeting with Putin scheduled.
"But we had a great success yesterday," he said.
"It's up to Russia now," Trump said. "But we've had a good relationship with both parties, actually. And we'll see. People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington, D.C., will pursue "multiple points of contacts" with Russia to see if Putin is ready to negotiate an end to the war.
"The ball is truly in their court," Rubio said during a refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland, as quoted by the Associated Press. Rubio also said he hopes that Russia will end attacks on Ukraine in the coming days.
"We don't think it's constructive to stand here today and say what we're going to do if Russia says no," Rubio said, adding he would avoid statements that "are abrasive in any way."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement said that "the ball is now in the Russian court."
"This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff -- who took part in the recent U.S. talks with both Ukraine and Russia -- is due to visit Moscow "in the coming days," according to a source familiar with the plans. Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency also reported Wednesday that CIA Director Jim Ratcliffe spoke by phone with Sergey Naryshkin -- the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, said in an interview published Wednesday that he does not believe Trump wants to provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
"He has his own view of the situation, which he regularly and directly states," Lavrov said. "This war should never have started."
Despite apparent progress in Jeddah, the fighting continues. Fierce combat is ongoing all along the front line, particularly in the western Russian Kursk region, where Moscow's forces are pushing Ukrainian troops back from positions seized in a surprise August offensive.
Overnight, both sides launched drones across the shared border. Russia's Defense Ministry reported the downing of 21 Ukrainian UAVs.
Ukraine's air force reported three missiles and 133 drones launched into the country overnight. The air force said 98 of the drones were shot down and 20 lost in flight without causing damage. Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv regions were affected, the air force said.
ABC News' Kelsey Walsh, Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) -- An inflation report to be released on Wednesday will provide a fresh gauge of economic performance under President Donald Trump as markets slide and recession fears swell in response to an escalating trade war.
Economists expect the data to show that inflation eased in February.
Consumer prices are expected to have risen 2.9% over the year ending in February, which would amount to a slight slowdown from a 3% rate recorded in January.
Analysts and households alike will closely watch for movement in egg prices, which soared 53% in January compared to a year ago. Bird flu has decimated the egg supply, lifting prices higher.
The Trump administration has started investigating egg producers to learn if market practices have contributed to the price hikes, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Inflation has fallen dramatically since a peak of about 9% in 2022, but a recent acceleration of price increases has placed inflation a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.
If the report reveals a cooldown in February, that could soften pressure on the Federal Reserve, which bears responsibility for keeping inflation under control.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week said the administration's tariff plan would likely raise prices for U.S. shoppers and retailers
The scale and duration of the tariffs remain unclear, but a portion of the taxes on imports will probably reach consumers, Powell told an economic forum in New York City last week.
"We're at a stage where we're still very uncertain about what will be tariffed, for how long, at what level," Powell said. "But the likelihood is some of that will find its way. It will hit the exporters, the importers, the retailers and to some extent consumers."
The stock market has plunged since Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China last week, giving rise to warnings on Wall Street about a potential economic downturn. Within days, Trump delayed some of the tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
On multiple occasions in recent days, the White House declined to rule out a possible recession, saying the tariffs would require a "period of transition."
A solid, albeit disappointing jobs report on Friday exacerbated concerns among some observers.
Employers hired 151,000 workers last month, falling short of expectations of 170,000 jobs added. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1%, which remains a historically low figure.
The Trump administration slapped 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as 10% tariffs on imports from China. The fresh round of duties on Chinese goods doubled an initial set of tariffs placed on China last month.
A day later, Trump issued a one-month delay for tariffs on auto-related goods from Mexico and Canada. The carve-out expanded soon afterward with an additional one-month pause for goods from Mexico and Canada compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement.
On Tuesday, Trump announced plans to add another 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, bringing the total to 50%. The move came in response to threats made by Ontario to cut off electricity to parts of the U.S., Trump said.
Hours later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a joint statement with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on X announcing the suspension of the 25% surcharge on electricity sent to the U.S.
The tariffs slapped on Canada, Mexico and China are widely expected to increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers.
A key gauge of consumer confidence registered its largest monthly drop since August 2021, the nonpartisan Conference Board said in February.
The share of consumers who expect a recession within the next year surged to a nine-month high, the data showed. A growing portion of consumers believe the job market will worsen, the stock market will fall and interest rates will rise, the report added.
ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Soo Youn contributed to this report.
Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images
(LONDON) -- The European Union and Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on Wednesday after the Trump administration's metals duties went into effect, broadening a trade war with several of America's top trading partners.
The U.S. at midnight began imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from all trading partners, with no exceptions or exemptions, the White House said.
Global trade tensions rattled U.S. stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 330 points, or 0.8%, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.25%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq ticked up 0.25%.
Officials representing the European Union said member states would place countermeasures on some 26 billion euros, or about $28 billion, worth of U.S. goods. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a statement that the EU "must act to protect consumers and business."
"Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers," von der Leyen said. "These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States."
Canada followed by announcing tariffs on about 29.8 billion Canadian dollars, or about $20.7 billion, in U.S. goods expected to be imported, government officials said. The U.S. imports more steel and aluminum from Canada than any other country.
"Our sole focus is to stand up for Canada interests, Canadian jobs and Canadian workers," Dominic LeBlanc, minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Canada, said in a press conference in Ottawa.
The Canadian tariffs will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, LeBlanc said. They were designed to be proportional to the U.S. tariffs, he said.
The European measures were also designed to match the scope of those U.S. tariffs, which the European Union said would be worth about $28 billion. The countermeasures were expected to begin on April 1 and be fully in place by April 13, the commission said.
"In the meantime, we will always remain open to negotiation," von der Leyen said.
The countermeasures comprise two steps, the first of which is to restore on April 1 a set of previously suspended 2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the U.S. on a range of products.
For step two, member states will then put in place by mid-April new countermeasures targeting about 18 billion euros worth of U.S. goods entering the bloc.
Those new countermeasures will target both industrial and agricultural products, including steel and aluminum, home appliances, wood products, poultry, beef and other food imports, according to a fact sheet released on Wednesday.
Maros Sefcovic, the EU's trade commissioner, said European officials would continue working with their U.S. counterparts toward a "win-win" outcome, but the "unjustified tariffs on our exports will not go unanswered."
"We should be making this great relationship stronger, not weaker," he said in a statement.
ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.
(LONDON and ROME) -- Pope Francis' condition remained "stationary" on Wednesday, with tests confirming his improvement, according to the Vatican.
A chest X-ray performed on Tuesday confirmed improvements recorded over the past few days, the Vatican press office said in its Wednesday evening update.
The pope continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and "noninvasive mechanical ventilation during his night rest," the Holy See, the Vatican's press office, said.
"This morning, after following the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Hall, he received the Eucharist, dedicated himself to prayer and, subsequently, to motor physiotherapy. In the afternoon, after joining the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia, he continued his prayer, rest and continued his respiratory physiotherapy," the Vatican said.
The pope rested peacefully overnight as he began his 27th consecutive day in the hospital Wednesday morning, the Vatican said earlier in the day.
The pope's prognosis was "lifted" on Monday, meaning he is no longer in imminent danger, but the clinical picture still remains complex.
The 88-year-old pontiff will continue "for additional days, the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital environment" due to the "complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented at hospitalization," the Vatican said.
"The improvements recorded in previous days have further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and the good response to pharmacological therapy. For these reasons, the doctors decided to lift the prognosis," the Holy See said Monday in a statement.
Francis' doctors said there are positive signs of the pontiff's recovery, but caution remains, according to Vatican sources.
Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
Thursday will mark the 12th anniversary of when Pope Francis was voted to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who previously resigned.
Li Hongbo / Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are now in effect, part of an escalating series of trade maneuvers by President Donald Trump that have unsettled markets.
As of Wednesday, the U.S. is imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from all trading partners with no exceptions or exemptions, according to an earlier statement by the White House.
Products that are expected to be impacted include canned goods, vehicles and washing machines.
Baseball bats, sewing needles and lamps could also go up in price.
While the tariff is being slapped on imports from all countries, the U.S. imports more steel and aluminum from Canada than any other country.
The 25% tariffs go into effect just a day after Trump threatened to double the tariff specifically on Canada amid an intensifying tit-for-tat between the two countries over Trump's tariff policies.
Earlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity from the province sent to U.S. customers in response to earlier U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.
That led to a threat from Trump to up the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50%.
Trump later reversed course after an agreement was reached and Ford pulled back his threat to impose the electricity surcharge.
âAfter President Trump threatened to use his executive powers to retaliate with a colossal 50 percent tariff against Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke with Secretary Lutnick to convey that he is backing down on implementing a 25 percent charge on electricity exports to the United States," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.
Ford will travel to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on trade.
ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) -- The major U.S. airlines thought they were going to have a strong first quarter, but things are not going as well as expected.
Each of the major U.S. airlines has put out guidance pointing to significant economic uncertainty that is directly affecting their domestic bookings this spring.
For its part, Delta was sure this would be a strong first quarter, but this morning the airline's CEO admitted they were wrong.
Speaking out Tuesday during the J.P. Morgan industrials conference in New York, Southwest, United and American all echoed the same message.
The reasons: Two major plane incidents -- including the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C. -- the uncertain economic future, plummeting government travel and reductions to corporate travel.
Overall, bookings fell after the deadly Jan. 29 D.C. crash, rebounded a bit, and then fell again after the Feb. 17 crash in Toronto, in which a regional jet crashed upon landing, overturned and caught fire.
"It caused a lot of shock amongst consumers. Thereâs a whole generation of consumers that didnât realize these things can happen," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said during the J.P. Morgan conference on Tuesday.
Consumer confidence is unsettled and companies are waiting to see how things shake out. While companies wait, they are booking fewer seats.
Delta expects revenue to be down $500 million -- or 4% less than it anticipated this quarter.
Airlines say they will cut capacity -- reducing the number of seats they are flying -- in order to stabilize the market.
American Airlines has taken a significant hit at the D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport from both the January crash and reductions in government travel.
The airline is reducing capacity there to limit the losses.
United says government travel is down 50%.
One bright spot: Airlines say despite the domestic bookings being weak, international travel remains strong -- and airlines believe this summer will still be strong.
Scarlett Johansson doesn't carry any hope of a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The actress, who starred as Black Widow in the superhero film franchise, told InStyle for a cover story that she does not see a possibility for that character to return.
âNatasha is dead. She is dead. Sheâs dead. Okay? They just donât want to believe it,â Johansson said. âTheyâre like, âBut she could come back!â Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. Weâre going to have to let her go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.â
Johansson's Natasha Romonoff was killed off in the 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. The character appeared in the prequel movie Black Widow, which debuted in theaters in 2021.
Johansson is now gearing up to star in a brand-new film franchise. She'll appear in the upcoming Universal Pictures film JurassicWorld: Rebirth.
Johansson said the studio recently asked if she would join Instagram to help promote the film.
âI mean, even today, I got an email from Universal [Pictures], and theyâre like, âHey, would you consider joining Instagram in tandem with the release of Jurassic World: Rebirth?'" Johansson said. âI get a lot of pressure to join social media. [It does make me think] ⊠is there a way where I could do this and stay true to who I am? It didnât feel like I could.â
The actress said that all of the work she puts out is based in truth and that joining Instagram would not be true to her.
âSo if I was a person who really enjoyed social media, then I could totally get on the bandwagon. But Iâm not," Johansson said. "And I think the film will do fine.â
WEST TEXAS (AP) – Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?
Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas’ total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.
New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the stateâs total to 33. The outbreak has spread from Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak, to include one case in Eddy County.
Oklahoma’s state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are âassociatedâ with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.
Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases â and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.
In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.
Do you need an MMR booster?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.
Adults with âpresumptive evidence of immunityâ generally donât need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.
A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don’t always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.
Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.
People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s donât need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from âkilledâ virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who donât know which type they got.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
How can you treat measles?
Thereâs no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates â above 95% â diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called âherd immunity.â
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
AUSTIN (AP) â A Texas appeals court on Tuesday halted the execution of a man who has spent more than 30 years on death row and had been set to die by lethal injection this week over the killings of six girls and young women found buried in the desert near El Paso.
It was the second scheduled execution in the U.S. halted on Tuesday after a federal judge stopped Louisianaâs first death row execution using nitrogen gas, which was to take place next week.
In Texas, the order was another reprieve for David Leonard Wood, who in 2009 was about 24 hours away from execution when it was halted over claims he is intellectually disabled and thus ineligible for execution.
Those claims were later rejected by a judge and Wood, 67, had been set to die Thursday. But the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, issued a stay of execution after his latest appeal, which renewed his claims of innocence.
The court put Wood’s execution on pause âuntil further order.” It did not elaborate on the decision in a brief three-page order.
Had Wood been executed this week, he would have spent 32 years and two months on Texasâ death row, the longest time a Texas inmate has waited before being put to death.
The 1987 murders remained unsolved for several years until authorities say Wood bragged to a cellmate that he was the so-called âDesert Killer.â The victimsâ bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the same desert area northeast of El Paso.
Authorities said Wood gave rides to the victims and then drove them into the desert, where he sexually assaulted and killed them. The victims were Rosa Casio and Ivy Williams, both 23; Karen Baker, 21; Angelica Frausto, 17; Desiree Wheatley, 15; and Dawn Smith, 14.
Two other girls and a young woman were also reported missing but were never found.
Wood, a repeat convicted sex offender who had worked as a mechanic, has long maintained his innocence.
âI did not do it. I am innocent of this case. Iâll fight it,â Wood said in recent documents filed in his appeals.
On March 4, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined a request to commute his death sentence to a lesser penalty or grant him a 90-day reprieve.
His lawyers have for years sought to have hundreds of pieces of evidence tested for DNA after testing in 2011 of bloodstains on the clothing Smith wore found a male DNA profile that was not Wood. The Texas Attorney Generalâs Office has fought against new DNA tests and various courts have denied Woodâs request for it.
Prior to the court’s decision Tuesday, Gregory Wiercioch, one of Woodâs attorneys, said that when authorities identified Wood as a suspect, they focused on him and not on the evidence they had.
âWeâve tried to make it clear to the courts that heâs innocent, and weâll see if anyone listens,â Wiercioch said.
TYLER – The East Texas Human Needs Network (ETHNN) has merged with Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. ETHNN is a diverse group of organizations and individuals that work together to strengthen the programs, connection, and improve awareness of services that meet essential human needs. Goodwill often serves as a resource center for many of these same human needs. Goodwillâs programs are based in education and skills training designed to help individuals meet their needs through employment. Continue reading East Texas Human Needs Network merges with Goodwill
HALLSVILLE â One person was killed after a high-speed chase ended in them crashing into a Hallsville Church on Monday night. According to our news partner KETK, the driver was identified as 29-year-old Jason Thomas Hart of Longview.
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 10:47 p.m. about a suspicious vehicle driving through the Mason Creek Mobile Home Park. The caller said that a dark-colored sedan was driving in circles in front yards and nearly hit several residences. Minutes later, deputies saw the vehicle matching the same description running a stop sign at the intersection of FM 968 and FM 450. Deputies continued their pursuit on FM 450 north, as Hart ignored lights and sirens.
Hart continued fleeing law enforcement, driving erratically, with speeds as fast as 114 mph. Eventually the chase entered Hallsville. As he entered the intersection of FM 450 and U.S. Highway 80, Hart left the roadway on the west part of FM 450, hitting the wall and awning of The First Baptist Church of Hallsville. Deputies attempted to render aid to Jason Hart, but he died at the scene. Officials said case is being investigated under the guidance of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
HOUSTON (AP) – Mourners in Houston paid tribute to the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas as he lay in state at city hall Tuesday, part of a week of public events to honor the Democratic lawmaker and former mayor.
Turner, 70, died on March 5, just weeks into his first term in the House and only hours after attending President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in Washington. His family said he died at his home following health complications.
Residents observed a memorial at Houston City Hall, where Turner served as mayor for eight years before being elected to Congress in November. Houston Mayor John Whitmire made brief remarks to mourners and the Houston Symphony performed while visitors paid their respects.
âSylvester knew each and every community, and he treated everyone with equality and inclusion,” Whitmire said. “Thatâs what made him really special. He brought that public service and that message across not only our great city, but our great state.â
Turner had filled the House seat held by longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died in July. Prior to becoming mayor, Turner served as a legislator in the Texas House of Representatives for 27 years.
Turner is also scheduled to lie in state at the Texas Capitol beginning Thursday. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Houston.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet announced when a special election will be held for Turner’s seat.
AMARILLO (AP) – A federal appeals court has tossed an Amarillo womanâs death sentence after it found that local prosecutors had failed to reveal that their primary trial witness was a paid informant.
With a 2-1 decision, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals last week sent Brittany Marlowe Holbergâs 1998 murder conviction back down to the trial court to decide how to proceed.
Holberg has been on death row for 27 years. In securing her conviction in 1998, Randall County prosecutors heavily relied on testimony from a jail inmate who was working as a confidential informant for the City of Amarillo police. That informant recanted her testimony in 2011, but neither a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals or a federal district court found that prosecutors had violated Holbergâs constitutional right to a fair trial.
The appeals court disagreed, saying that the informant was critical to the juryâs determination of guilt and that the prosecution violated Holbergâs due process rights by hiding information that, according to a landmark U.S. Supreme court ruling, must be disclosed. Writing for the majority, judge Patrick E. Higginbotham cast Holbergâs case as a blight on the criminal justice system.
âWe pause only to acknowledge that 27 years on death row is a reality dimming the light that ought to attend proceedings where a life is at stake, a stark reminder that the jurisprudence of capital punishment remains a work in progress,â wrote Higginbotham, a Ronald Reagan appointee.
Holberg was sentenced to death by an Amarillo jury when she was 23 years old. The jury found her guilty of murdering A.B. Towery, an 80-year-old man and former client of Holberg, a sex worker. During trial, Holberg asserted that she acted in self-defense and that she stabbed Towery because she feared for her life and sought to protect herself after he struck her on the back of the head and refused to relent.
The prosecution, however, presented testimony from Holbergâs jail cellmate Vickie Marie Kirkpatrick, who alleged that Holberg had admitted to killing Towery âin order to get moneyâ and said she âwould do it all over again for more drugs.â
Kirkpatrick was at the time working as a confidential informant for the City of Amarillo police, a fact prosecutors did not disclose. They instead presented Kirkpatrick as a âdisinterested individual who âwanted to do the right thing,ââ Higginbotham wrote.
Holberg had experienced severe and repeated sexual abuse during her childhood and fell into a crack cocaine addiction. She turned to sex work to support her addiction, according to court documents.
On Nov. 13, 1996, she had a minor traffic accident and then sought refuge in Toweryâs apartment. A heated argument turned violent, leaving Towery dead with part of a lamp lodged within his throat. Holberg left the apartment cut, bruised and bleeding from her head where Towery struck her.
While in jail, the Randall County District Attorneyâs Office approached multiple inmates to question them about Holberg, offering them a deal in exchange for testimony. Kirkpatrick, who was placed in the same cell as Holberg, produced a statement detailing an alleged admission from Holberg. That same day, Kirkpatrick was released on bond.
In a lone dissent, circuit judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, a Donald Trump appointee, wrote that the jury did not solely rely on Kirkpatrickâs testimony to reach their decision of guilt.
âThe jury was presented with graphic physical evidence that Holberg sadistically butchered a sick old manâwith a lamp rammed down his throat as the coup de grĂące,â Duncan wrote. âThat evidence doomed Holbergâs self-defense theory and there is no chance that impeaching Kirkpatrick would have resurrected it.â
Randall County District Attorney Robert Love, who was the assistant district attorney when Holbergâs case was first prosecuted, said in an emailed statement that he was âdisappointedâ by the 5th Circuitâs ruling. He declined to comment further on the case until the Texas Office of the Attorney General decides how to proceed. âThey are currently discussing the legal options available,â Love said.
Holbergâs attorneys didnât immediately respond to The Texas Tribuneâs request for comment on Monday. A Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said the agency had no comment on Holbergâs case. Holberg is currently being held at the Patrick L. OâDaniel Unit, a Gatesville prison that houses females on death row, among other inmates.
Texas leads the country in executions and is among the top three in imposing death sentences. The stateâs use of capital punishment has waned, however, and the number of people on death row has dropped by more than half over the past twenty five years. There are 174 people on Texasâ death row, and seven of them are women.
(NEW YORK) -- SpaceX said that the hydraulic system issue that postponed the Starliner mission on Wednesday has now been fixed and that the crew is once again cleared for take-off on Friday.
The mission will bring the next crew up to work on the International Space Station (ISS) and begin the return of a pair of astronauts back to Earth.
The launch Wednesday was abruptly postponed less than 45 minutes before liftoff due to a problem with a ground support clamp arm on the Falcon 9 rocket.
The clamps hold the rocket on the pad and if they don't open evenly, could cause the rocket to tip slightly.
NASA's Ken Bowersox told ABC News that while in this instance, the teams thought there was a low probability of a serious failure, they ultimately decided to not take any chances at all.
As of Thursday evening, SpaceX said ground teams have resolved the issue and successfully flushed a suspected pocket of trapped air in the system.
SpaceX said it's now targeting a launch on Friday at 7:03 p.m. ET. The company predicts a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch attempt.
Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams have been in space since June 2024 after they performed the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner. When they launched, they were only supposed to be on the ISS for about a week.
However, NASA and Boeing officials decided to send the uncrewed Starliner back to Earth in September after several issues and keep Wilmore and Williams onboard until early 2025 when Crew-10 was ready to launch on the Dragon spacecraft. Wilmore and Williams are set to return in the Crew-9 capsule.
The pair integrated with the ongoing Crew-9 mission aboard the ISS and could not return to Earth until Crew-9 completed its six-month mission and were replaced by Crew-10.
Wilmore and Williams assisted the crew with research and other responsibilities. However, NASA officials said the pair were using up more supplies meant for the ISS crew.
Steve Stich, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said that NASA teams spent all summer looking over the data on Starliner and felt there was too much risk with regard to the vehicle's thrusters.
During a press conference in September, Wilmore said he and Williams did not feel let down by anything during the mission.
"Let down? Absolutely not," Wilmore said. "It's never entered my mind. It's a fair question. I can tell you, I thought a lot about this press conference ⊠and what I wanted to say and convey."
"NASA does a great job of making a lot of things look easy," he said, adding, "That's just the way it goes. sometimes because we are pushing the edges of the envelope in everything that we do."
If the mission is successful, it's unclear when exactly Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth on Crew-9.
The crew consists of two NASA astronauts, an astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and an astronaut from Russia's Roscosmos.
SpaceX will share a live webcast of the mission beginning one hour and 20 minutes prior to liftoff on its website and on its X account. NASA will also air coverage on its X account.
"During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth," SpaceX said on its website.
SpaceX's contracted missions are part of the larger Commercial Crew Program at NASA, which are certified to perform routine missions to and from the ISS.
