TYLER – This week, the city finished collecting data to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities by packing up its DaxBots and conducting a sidewalk survey throughout the city. Officials claim that DaxBots gathered real-time data on 90 miles of pedestrian pathways, including sidewalks and crosswalks at intersections, during the previous four to five weeks. The information will be utilized to evaluate Tyler’s walkways’ present level of accessibility for people with disabilities. Continue reading Sidewalk robots complete work
Parents of Nolan Wells call for ‘thorough investigation’ amid unanswered questions about son’s ‘suspicious’ death
(NEW YORK) -- The parents of Nolan Xavier Wells, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, broke their silence on their son's mysterious death in an interview with "Good Morning America" anchor Michael Strahan on Friday morning.
"We just want honesty and transparency. We want a thorough investigation," Christine Wonsley said. "We want that same respect that would be given to anybody else, and that's it. We just want answers."
The Wonsleys, who were joined by their attorney Ben Crump, called for a "thorough" and independent investigation.
They also expressed the need to shed more light on unanswered questions, including what they allege are deleted messages from their son's phone, that have led them to become "suspicious" about his death following a July 4 boating trip.
"Nolan was just like this bright light ... his smile, his energy was just, just so infectious," Christine Wonsley said. "He was just a genuinely a good person. Like I always say, all the best parts of me are with him."
Elmore Wonsley said Wells "was very loving."
"There was not a friend that he couldn't make ... he's gonna be really missed," he said.
Wells, who played football at Southwest Mississippi Community College, went missing during a Fourth of July celebration with high school friends on Horn Island, a popular undeveloped island just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, officials said.
The 18-year-old's body was recovered on Monday. Authorities said they suspect Wells drowned, but are still investigating. An autopsy was conducted but results could take weeks, officials said.
The disappearance
According to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter, a friend of Wells contacted the Coast Guard around 11 p.m. last Saturday, July 4. Separately, Wells' mother contacted the sheriff's office about her son around midnight leading into Sunday, July 5.
The Wonsleys cast doubt on claims by friends that Wells decided to stay behind on the island, while his friends left.
"That we cannot answer," Christine Wonsley said when asked why Wells would stay behind. "I just, I can't -- I can't fathom why he would."
Elmore Wonsley said that would have gone against the advice they gave Wells.
"We always told him, if you go with a group, you stay with a group," he said.
Ledbetter told ABC News in an interview that aired on "GMA" on Friday that nothing "yet" from the evidence they collected indicates that foul play was involved in Wells' death, but the investigation will take time and is ongoing, he added.
"We're working towards the same goal as the family. We want a thorough investigation. We're trying to find out everything ," he said. "We are providing a thorough, professional, and accurate investigation. That's what we're going to continue to do, until we arrive at the answers that the family deserves."
Crump, the attorney representing the Wonsleys, told ABC News Live in an interview on Wednesday that Wells could swim, his family is "not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally."
Unanswered questions
Christine Wonsley told "GMA" that his family tracked his phone, but when she went to pick it up from Wells' friends, she said it appears that some texts and SnapChat messages had been deleted. It is unclear which friends Wells' phone was retrieved from and who could have been in possession of it prior to that.
"When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing," Christine Wonsley said. "It wasn't even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay in Snapchat ... even my sister was like 'Yeah, that's suspicious.'"
Crump, who joined the Wonsleys on "GMA" Friday, said that the family has questions about a cell phone video of an "argument" that was posted online.
"You can hear an argument going where Nolan is saying, 'Give me my freaking phone! What are you freaking doing?' And so then his phone ends up missing," Crump said.
"No young person leaves their cell phone," he added. "It's not adding up, and that is the problem when you think about the history of Mississippi. Yeah, so there are so many questions that need to be answered."
Ledbetter told GMA on Thursday night that Wells' phone has not been turned over to investigators yet.
"It may be important, may be a piece that we haven't got yet," he said.
Crump told reporters during a press conference on Friday that the family plans to turn the phone over to law enforcement after their own investigators complete their examination.
"We're going to do it expeditiously and give it to them to examine it as well," he said.
Ledbetter noted that the "argument" video will be part of the investigation.
As the family searches for answers, the investigation will continue in Washington, D.C., Crump said, where "we are having an independent autopsy done at behest of his family."
He noted that former NFL football star Colin Kaepernick helped pay for it.
"We flew his body up from Mississippi to D.C. because they wanted an autopsy done by a person with no interaction with the Mississippi law enforcement because there's an issue of trust here that is really important," Crump said.
Ledbetter told "GMA" that the sheriff's office welcomes the independent investigation.
"By all means, that's more information looking into the death of Nolan that will be made available and another set of eyes looking at it," he said.
Ledbetter asked the public for "patience" as investigators look into a "substantial amount" of tips, in addition to reviewing photo and video evidence.
The sheriff's department stressed Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island to come forward with photos or videos, "particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells."
ABC News' Sasha Pezenick, Kirk Cohall and Mark Guarino contributed to this report.
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Man fatally shot by federal officer in Houston was not ICE target, DHS says
In brief: ‘Sterling Point’ trailer and more
Not vacationing this summer? That's OK — you can have your own Euro summer at home when You, Me & Tuscany hits streaming on Aug. 7. The romantic comedy starring Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page and Marco Calvani becomes available to stream exclusively on Peacock that day. The film follows a woman who impersonates a man's fiancée while crashing at his Italian home only to fall in love with his cousin ...
The trailer for Sterling Point has arrived. This new coming-of-age series comes from creator Megan Park. It's set to premiere to Prime Video on Aug. 5. Ella Rubin, Keen Ruffalo and Jay Duplass star in the show about a young woman who inherits her mysterious grandfather's Canadian island ...
Netflix has released its first look at season 2 of The Gentlemen. The streaming service has also announced that the new season will debut on Sept. 3. Guy Ritchie created, co-writes and also directs the show that stars Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Ray Winstone, Joely Richardson and Vinnie Jones ...
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Scoreboard roundup — 7/9/26
Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson on the live-action ‘Moana’ adaptation
How far will you go to see the live-action adaptation of Moana? Catherine Laga'aia, who stars as the titular wayfinder in the new film, hopes you'll go as far as your local movie theater.
The young actress takes over the role of Moana from Auli?i Cravalho, who voiced her in the original 2016 animated film. Laga'aia told ABC News that she and Cravalho have formed a sisterhood that will always connect them.
"I have sisters. I know what that bond feels like. And it's to have a shared experience with someone. To live through something with someone. It's one of the binding qualities of sisters, and me and Auli'i now have that," Laga'aia said. "We truly are sisters. We've lived through something together, whether or not we did it in the same year, we've experienced something similar, and that's what has bound us together."
Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui in this new version of the film. He said the songs and the film's dialogue carried a different weight when performing in person and not simply recording them in a voice booth.
"Everything carries a different weight," Johnson said, pointing out that the live-action features "real flesh and blood, human beings" who have "soul behind the eyes."
Johnson understands how beloved the original Moana is and the importance of doing justice to the story.
"It was the opportunity for us to showcase our culture in a real way, live-action way, but also we had a shot to do something pretty cool and different," Johnson said.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
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Wally Funk, aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.
Funk died Wednesday at her apartment in an assisted living facility in the Dallas and Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O’Dell said Thursday. O’Dell, who described herself as Funk’s caregiver, said she was by Funk’s side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.
“It took its toll,” O’Dell said in a phone interview.
Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space with that agency. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.
At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.
Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas.
In a post on X, Blue Origin said Funk was a “pioneer in every sense of the word.”
“We were humbled to be part of her journey,” the post said.
O’Dell said Funk was the “most eternally optimistic person” she had ever met.
“She was told by many, many, many men, ‘No, you can’t do this. No you can’t do that,’ ” O’Dell said. “And she never got mad about it. She just was more determined.”
Funk was the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, according to a brief biography released by the City of Grapevine.
In the 1960s, she and other female pilots went through astronaut training in the Mercury 13 program, but they were not allowed to become astronauts.
“Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.
Mexican man killed in Houston ICE shooting was not the target of operation, lawmaker says
HOUSTON – A Mexican man living in the U.S. who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was not the person federal authorities had been targeting in a Houston operation, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said Thursday.
The Democratic congresswoman, whose district includes the Houston neighborhood where the shooting occurred, said acting ICE Director David Venturella told her the agency has confirmed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo “was not a target.”
Salgado Araujo was a homebuilder who had lived in the U.S. for more than 35 years, had no criminal record and was close to finishing the long process of obtaining legal status when he was killed early Tuesday morning, according to his family.
“We’ve got to do something. This is just one more death too many,” Garcia said in an interview with MS Now. “And if we’ve got to bring outside, independent folks to come in and look at it, we should do that.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return an email seeking comment late Thursday.
DHS, which oversees ICE, previously said that federal officers were conducting a targeted operation to arrest a person in the country without legal status when they attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Salgado Araujo. The agency has said Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle and that a federal officer fired a weapon in self-defense.
Asked whether ICE agents had been specifically targeting Salgado Araujo, DHS said earlier Thursday that officers had been surveilling a property where they had previously observed two white vans.
“On July 7, officers were almost at the target’s address when they observed a white van with an individual who resembled the target. Officers then initiated the vehicle stop,” the department said.
The federal agents weren’t wearing body-worn cameras, DHS said, and few photos or videos surrounding the shooting have emerged publicly in the days since the encounter, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers.
In a statement, DHS said the agents at the scene in Houston had not yet been issued body cameras, which it blamed on Democrats and a record government shutdown that was fueled by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, a Democrat who also represents Houston, said if the agents didn’t have the devices, it was because Trump and Republican lawmakers did not want them to be carrying them.
“Houston is done accepting excuses from an agency that has more money than it knows what to do with and still can’t manage basic accountability,” he said in a statement.
The Harris County District Attorney’s office said it would conduct an investigation into the shooting. The office is consulting with local prosecutors in Minneapolis, where federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, to learn how they have navigated investigations into federal immigration agents, spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre said.
“Although access to key evidence remains under federal control, we are pursuing investigative avenues available to us and will conduct a review of any information we collect within our reach,” Lemaitre said in an emailed statement.
Three men, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, were detained by ICE during the fatal traffic stop, according to Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, who has been communicating with their families.
LULAC has yet to obtain video footage that clearly shows what happened during the moments of the shooting and has offered a reward of $5,000 for information from witnesses, Proaño told The Associated Press. The position of Salgado Araujo’s van and ICE vehicles has obstructed security camera footage LULAC has reviewed, he added.
“It’s going to make it even more difficult to find the truth in all this,” he said.
DHS said the ICE agents involved in the incident were expected to receive body-worn cameras in the next 60 days.
In the aftermath of the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Democrats had refused to fund ICE and the Border Patrol without changes to those operations designed to increase accountability and transparency. Republicans in Congress eventually passed legislation funding just ICE and CBP for three years.
Rep. Harris reacts to groundwater lawsuit
TYLER – State Rep. Cody Harris of Palestine shared his views Thursday on a federal lawsuit against a local groundwater conservation district that could affect the water supply for East Texans.
On Tuesday, Redtown Ranch Holding and Pine Bliss filed a federal lawsuit against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District for their alleged ” deliberate scheme” to stop the company from drilling.
“The idea that he is having his water taken from him is just ridiculous. He’s going to get access to his water that’s underneath the land, but it’s going to be subject to whatever the new rules that the GCD’s adopt, just like everybody else in the district,” State Rep. Cody Harris of Palestine.
According to our news partner KETK, the board’s chairman, Terry Morrow, said in a statement, ” We are here to protect the groundwater we have in the district, and we will do what we can under the law to protect it,” said the board chairman of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District. Continue reading Rep. Harris reacts to groundwater lawsuit
Cyberattack targets sensitive data from Lufkin accounting firm, report shows
LUFKIN — Sensitive information may have been stolen from a Lufkin accounting firm, a cyberthreat intelligence program reported in late June, according to our news partner, KETK. SOCRadar, which is an extended threat intelligence platform, helps warn organizations of cyber threats. It found that the accounting firm Todd, Hamaker & Johnson was attacked by ransomware Akira on June 30.
Approximately 40 gigabytes of client and employee data were breached in the attack, and Akira is threatening to release the information publicly, the Lufkin Daily News reported. Akira uses ransomware to impact a wide range of businesses in North America, Europe and Australia, threatening to breach and release information that is sensitive, according to the FBI.
Since 2023, Akira has been known to attack small to medium-sized businesses specialized in many industries, including financial services.
SOCRadar says Akira uses “double extortion tactics,” which encrypt data and exfiltrate sensitive information to pressure victims. The accounting firm has not commented to confirm the information breach, when contacted by news media.
Student pilot forced to land plane solo after instructor allegedly jumped midair to his death: Investigators
(TOLEDO, Argentina) -- A 22-year-old pilot in Argentina was forced to land the plane she was training in after her instructor allegedly jumped midair to his death, investigators said.
The unidentified student was taking lessons at the Flying Parrot Cordoba school and had taken off from Toledo on Saturday with her instructor, Leandro Bertazzo, a school official told ABC News.
During the lesson, Bertazzo allegedly jumped out of the plane after telling the student that she knew what to do, the student had told police, according to the school.
The student, who had a license but not enough flight hours, was able to land the Cessna 150 alone, according to investigators.
The student told the police that she could not believe that it happened and thought it was a joke, according to investigators.
The 42-year-old flight instructor's body was recovered later that day, investigators said. The school said he was with them since 2022.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office No. 2 of Córdoba said it would continue the investigation.
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Charlie Kirk court hearing: Video of suspect Tyler Robinson’s roommate alleging he confessed
(UTAH) -- Over objections from defense attorneys, a video was played in a Utah courtroom on Thursday in which the roommate of Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged in the 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, claimed Robinson confessed to the shooting.
Lance Twiggs, Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, claimed in the highly redacted videotaped interview with prosecutors and detectives that Robinson told him in person that he killed Kirk.
"He didn't go into detail. I just asked him in person what he said was true the night before, and he said it was," Twiggs said in the video filmed in April 2026 at the Utah County Attorney's Office. "He started crying a little bit and he said he wishes he hadn't done it, and kept going around just doing stuff, I think to keep himself busy or distracted, or something."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Air Force revokes more than 100 promotions after testing snafu
(WASHINGTON) -- The Air Force earlier this week said 135 airmen who were initially told they had earned promotions will not receive those promotions after the service discovered a scoring error on a required promotion exam.
The issue, announced Tuesday, affected only security forces airmen, who serve as the Air Force's law enforcement and security personnel. An outdated answer key was used to score the promotion test, leading the service to incorrectly notify 135 airmen that they had been selected for promotion to technical sergeant, a mid-level enlisted rank, according to the Air Force.
"We owe it to those affected to address it immediately," Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe, the service's top enlisted leader, said in a statement. "This is going to be hard for everyone impacted."
Airmen's promotions are based on a series of factors including testing, schooling and how long they've been serving.
The service called the incident an "isolated" and a "highly unprecedented anomaly." It rescored each exam with the correct answer key. Out of 586 airmen selected for promotion, 451 will keep their promotions, according to the service.
Air Force officials said they are evaluating the implementation of additional safeguards in its promotion process.
A separate group of 135 airmen who were incorrectly denied promotions because of the testing error will now be promoted, the Air Force said.
The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile testing and evaluation issues involving the service. Last year, the Air Force Academy launched a broad investigation after discovering nearly 100 cadets had cheated on a weekly knowledge test. A separate cheating scandal in 2020 involved nearly 250 cadets accused of honor code violations, prompting a review of the academy's programs.
"We promote Airmen based on merit, which is established in federal law and policy," Lt. Gen. Jefferson O’Donnell, deputy chief of staff for Air Force Manpower, Personnel, and Services, said in a statement earlier this week. "Who we are as an Air Force, defined by our core values, demands integrity in the meritocratic promotion system; we have a core obligation to ensure the Airmen who earned it are selected."
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US-Iran strikes ‘put into question’ key parts of MOU, Qatari official says
(LONDON) -- Renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East puts into question key elements of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreed by regional nations last month, a senior Qatari government official told ABC News on Thursday.
Majed al-Ansari, an adviser to Qatar's prime minister and the spokesperson for the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the sidelines of the Chatham House think tank's 2026 conference in London that Doha is hoping that intense rounds of reciprocal strikes between the U.S. and Iran do "not kill off the memorandum of understanding altogether."
"But it does put into question a lot of other things that we have already agreed upon," he said.
The past 48 hours, Ansari said, have been "quite tense." He added that since the resumption of strikes, "We've seen again navigation through the Strait of Hormuz basically grind to a halt."
"We are urging all sides to exercise restraint and give some more time for the talks," Ansari said.
U.S. Central Command said it launched more than 170 strikes on Iranian targets over the past two days in response to alleged Iranian attacks on commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week -- allegations that Tehran denied. One of the ships attacked was a Qatari liquid natural gas tanker, the Al-Rekayyat, Qatar said.
In response to the U.S. strikes, the Iranian military claimed to have launched attacks on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
The U.S. and Iran have traded several volleys of attacks since the MOU was signed on June 17.
Ansari denied the Iranian claim that it launched fresh attacks on Qatar on Thursday. "There haven't been any attacks in Qatar. The Iranian claims, they're claims. But our military was very much ready, immediately as the attacks began on the region," he said. "We had some pass overs, but nothing targeting us."
President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that the MOU was "over" following the reported Iranian attacks, dismissing leaders in Tehran as "scum" and threatening intensified military action.
Asked about those comments, Ansari said Doha and "all parties remain engaged in the talks."
"Yes, we're not at the place that we were hoping to be at this time in the chronology of where we wanted the talks to go. But talks have not broken down," he said. "But, of course, any escalation on the ground derails the diplomatic work."
Qatar -- alongside Pakistan -- played a key role in forging the 14-point MOU agreed in June, under which the U.S. and Iran agreed to the reopening Strait of Hormuz and the end of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The agreement also stipulated that fighting would stop for 60 days while the U.S. and Iran negotiated the terms of a final deal, which would cover issues including Iran's nuclear material.
Ansari said talks on that final deal are ongoing despite the escalating strikes and heated rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran.
"The easy answer is everybody's talking to everybody," he said when asked what was happening behind the scenes, noting that work is ongoing on all three separate tracks -- one regarding the Strait of Hormuz, one regarding Iran's nuclear program and the third regarding the sanctions on Iran and frozen Iranian assets.
"Our focus is on that diplomatic resolution right now," Ansari added. "The focus has to be on the diplomatic track working, the talks succeeding and on the end of war to pave the way for sustainable peace in our region, and not for it just to be lulls between attacks."
"No country, however strong that country is when it comes to its military, is able to withstand an unending military conflict in a small region like ours," Ansari said.
Nonetheless, he said Qatar's armed forces are prepared for renewed conflict. "We have taken all the contingencies in respect of what might happen in the region," Ansari said.
Qatar, he added, has "not taken part in any attacks against Iran or any other of our neighboring countries." When asked if Doha would be willing to do so, Ansari replied, "We reserve the right to retaliate."
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ETFB gets 40K food donation
TYLER – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has delivered one of 250 truckloads of food to the East Texas Food Bank, an initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
This specific donation of 40,000 pounds of food is equivalent to 30,000 meals for East Texans.
The 250 truckloads of food are part of a larger donation effort by the church in observance of the nation’s 250th birthday. The delivery to the East Texas Food Bank included non-perishable items such as pasta, beans and rice, along with household essentials like dish soap, all intended to reach dinner tables across the region. Continue reading ETFB gets 40K food donation
Then what?
New York City Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani (Anna Connors/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Government accountants recently reported that Social Security is in real fiscal trouble. The system is paying out about $230 billion per year more than it’s taking in from payroll taxes.
Those shortfalls are being covered for now by redeeming the U.S. Treasury bonds that Social Security was required by law to purchase back when it was running a cash surplus. (Fun fact, for decades those bonds were kept in an ordinary locked filing cabinet in a government office in Parkersburg, WV. Today, the records are all electronic.)
When Social Security needs cash to cover payouts to recipients, it presents one of those bonds to the U.S. Treasury Department for redemption. The funds are deposited in Social Security’s operating account, and everyone gets their monthly benefit.
But here’s the rub. At the rate of $230 billion a year in redemptions, those bonds will all be cashed in by 2033. After that, Social Security won’t have enough cash to cover its monthly payouts. If that were to happen today, it would mean an automatic 22 percent reduction in benefits to every Social Security recipient in the country. Things would get politically ugly really quick.
I bring this up not for purposes of doing a column on Social Security but rather to ask a pointed question of the Democratic Socialist mayors and congressional candidates that have lately been in the news.
Ladies and gentlemen, Social Security has been around for about 90 years. It’s not new. So, if there’s not enough money from taxation to cover a long-established program like Social Security, from where do you imagine the money will come to cover free housing, a guaranteed basic income for every citizen, free childcare, free college, free universal health care and all the rest of your grand socialist ideas?
Oh, wait, now I remember. You’ll get it from the rich. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and all those guys will finally have to pay their “fair share.” (Given the current leftist definition of “rich,” so, too will the guy who makes $400,000 a year owning car washes and the woman who makes $500,000 a year selling residential real estate.)
But here’s the problem. If you taxed the net worth of the 10 richest people in America at 100 percent, leaving them completely destitute, you’d cover the current federal deficit (which does not include all of new the free stuff you Democratic Socialists are proposing) for about a year and a half.
If you taxed the annual income of the much loathed “one percent” at the rate of 100 percent, you’d cover a bit less than half the present federal budget (again before all the new free stuff).
Then what?
And never mind that if you confiscated 100 percent of the wealth of guys like Musk, Bezos et. al., and if you confiscated 100 percent of the incomes of the most successful people in the economy, they’d immediately stop doing what they do to be so successful and tax revenue would then fall to zero. (Any of you enlightened lefties ever heard of the Laffer Curve?)
So, again I ask. Then what?
We’ll all hold our breath waiting for your answer.
Slocum VFD Safety Chief hospitalized
SLOCUM – A firefighter with the Slocum Volunteer Fire Department is currently in the hospital after experiencing a serious medical emergency while on duty earlier this week.
According to our news partner KETK, the department spokesperson said while responding to a fire on Tuesday, Safety Chief Dan Hernandez experienced a medical emergency and was taken to a hospital in Palestine.
After being stabilized, Hernandez was taken by an ambulance to a hospital in Tyler, where he currently remains.
“We request your thoughts and prayers for Dan, his wife Valerie, his son Trey, his grandsons and all of his family,” the department said. “We not only consider Dan an integral part of our department, but also a long-time friend and member of our Slocum community.”
East Texas breeder who sold sick, aggressive dogs pleads guilty, faces up to 20 years
HOPKINS COUNTY (KETK) — An East Texas breeder pleaded guilty last week to four counts of wire fraud after a viral dog shooting video led to the discovery of her unlicensed breeding facility in December 2025.
Kirstine Michelle Hicks, owner of Giant German Shepherds, appeared in federal court after being arrested on Dec. 21, 2025, for a social media video depicting her allegedly shooting at a dog three times and leaving it for dead, spurring an investigation into her breeding facilities.
In March, she was indicted for acting as an unlicensed animal dealer and four counts of wire fraud.
Further investigation found that Hicks had as many as 131 German shepherds on her property in devastating conditions by the end of December 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas said.
Additionally, the investigation into Giant German Shepherds found that Hicks has been running the business fraudulently. She advertised dogs as healthy, met certified parentage and were American Kennel Club (AKC) registered though the indictment found that they were not.
Information presented in court determined that the representations of the dogs she was selling online were false. Instead of selling purebred and AKC-registered dogs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Hicks sold mixed-breed dogs that were unhealthy, with fabricated documentation for an inflated price.
A March indictment identifies four alleged victims of Hicks’ wire fraud scheme, including a disabled veteran who prosecutors say received an aggressive dog accompanied by falsified paperwork. The dog reportedly had undisclosed medical issues and bit the buyer multiple times, drawing blood.
The indictment also states that Hicks knowingly violated the Animal Welfare Act by not obtaining a license from the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture before selling or transporting dogs from June 2024 to December 2025.
On Wednesday, Hicks pleaded guilty to the four counts of wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love. She could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
“The depraved indifference to animal suffering we witnessed in this case was shocking,” United States Attorney Jay R. Combs said. “My office will continue to advocate for the victims who were defrauded by the defendant, as well as the animals who suffered, and often died, in cruel conditions. The concerned citizens who brought this to light are to be commended, along with the amazing animal rescue organizations who worked so hard to assist in caring for the animals, most especially Big Dog Ranch Rescue.”
What you need to know about cyclosporiasis: How it spreads, how it’s treated
(NEW YORK) -- Multiple states are reporting an increase in cyclosporiasis cases, an intestinal infection caused by a parasite.
Health officials in Michigan have reported more than 1,200 cases and, in neighboring Ohio, cases have topped 170.
Here's what you need to know about the infection, including how it spreads, how it's diagnosed and how to treat it.
What is Cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as Cyclospora, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The infection affects the small intestine and can cause watery diarrhea with sometimes "explosive" bowel movements, according to the federal health agency.
Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting.
The agency further said it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.
How it spreads
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC.
How the infection is diagnosed
A healthcare provider will diagnose cyclosporiasis by testing stool samples, according to the CDC.
Patients may have to submit several stool samples on different days to detect the parasite because laboratory tests may have a hard time detecting Cyclospora.
The CDC says a patient's healthcare provider will need to specifically request testing for the parasite.
How cyclosporiasis is treated
Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, and taken for 10 days, according to the CDC.
The CDC says most people with healthy immune systems will eventually recover without treatment, but if left untreated, patients may be sick for a few days to a month or longer.
How to prevent infection
It's unclear exactly how Cyclospora contaminates food and water, according to the CDC.
The agency says people can prevent infection by thoroughly washing produce, cutting away bruised or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating pre-prepared or pre-cut produce.
Additionally, the CDC recommends washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
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Julianne Nicholson to reprise ‘Mare of Easttown’ role in ‘Task’ season 2
Julianne Nicholson has been cast in season 2 of Task.
The actress is set to reprise her Mare of Easttown role as Lori Ross in the upcoming season of Task, ABC Audio has confirmed.
This directly connects the shows Task and Mare of Easttown. Both were created by Brad Ingelsby and take place in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Now they exist in the same universe.
Nicholson won an Emmy in 2021 for portraying Lori Ross, a mother of three children who resides in Easttown, in Mare of Easttown.
Season 2 of Task follows star Mark Ruffalo once again taking on the role of Agent Tom Brandis.
"Tom Brandis takes the helm of a new task force, but the deeper the operation runs, the harder it is to tell who's the target," according to the season's official logline.
Also starring are Mahershala Ali as Eddie Barnes, Harry Melling as Brennan Boylan, Adam Nagaitis as Luke Clemmons, Aminah Nieves as Nataly Zamora and Edgar Ramírez as Miguel Contreras.
In addition to creating the show, Ingelsby serves as its writer, showrunner and executive producer. Ruffalo also executive produces. Task season 2 is currently in preproduction, according to HBO.
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Donovan Mitchell signs 4-year, $273M extension with Cavaliers, who await LeBron James’ decision
CLEVELAND (AP) – The Cleveland Cavaliers have achieved one of their primary aims of the offseason while the wait continues on whether LeBron James will return to the franchise for a third time.
The team announced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell has signed his four-year, $273 million contract extension.
The seven-time All-Star agreed to the extension on Tuesday, the first day the Cavs could offer it. Mitchell had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million.
“From day one, he embraced this organization, our fans, and our community. He’s been clear in his desire to be here, and that speaks volumes about who he is,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. “Securing Donovan long term reflects our shared vision and our commitment to building toward another NBA championship in Cleveland.”
The 29-year-old Mitchell led the Cavaliers this past season to their first conference final since 2018. He averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, along with 26 points in the playoffs.
Mitchell’s extension has been the Cavaliers’ biggest move of the offseason while everyone in the NBA waits to see where James decides to sign.
The Cavaliers are a sentimental favorite for James to return. The 41-year-old from Akron, Ohio, was the top overall pick by Cleveland in 2003 and has spent 11 of his 23 seasons wearing wine and gold (2003-10, 2014-18). He left for Miami in 2010 but returned four years later to lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016.
James Harden — whom the Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline — also is considering a new deal to remain with Cleveland after turning down his player option for 2026-27.
It is likely Harden will wait until after the Cavaliers do the rest of their offseason moves before coming back.
So far the Cavaliers have seen Dean Wade (Philadelphia) and Larry Nance Jr. (Indiana) depart, but they did re-sign reserve center Thomas Bryant.
For now, Mitchell’s extension it is the fourth-biggest contract in terms of total value in NBA history behind the $314 million contract Boston gave to Jayson Tatum, the $285 million deal that the Celtics gave to Jaylen Brown — who now plays for Philadelphia — and the $276 million deal that Nikola Jokic currently has with Denver.
That assumes Mitchell will pick up a player option worth nearly $76 million for 2030-31. The average annual value of just over $68 million is, for now, an NBA record, barely passing the $67.9 million average value of the deal that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has with Oklahoma City.
The extension also includes full trade kicker.
Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points in four seasons with Cleveland since he was traded by the Utah Jazz in 2022.
Georgia officer charged with involuntary manslaughter after accidentally discharging gun during arrest: Court filing
(SAVANNAH, GA.) -- A now-former Georgia police officer has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after he accidentally discharged his weapon during an arrest, fatally shooting a teenager he was attempting to handcuff, according to court filings.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) filed criminal charges against Derrick Harris Jr., 37, who was an officer with the DeKalb County Police Department, on Wednesday, a day after the deadly shooting.
The teen -- 19-year-old Seth Jayden Eccles, of Savannah -- was shot Tuesday evening in the backyard of a home in Avondale Estates, according to GBI.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents had questioned him earlier that afternoon regarding the armed robbery of a mail carrier, according to GBI. Law enforcement later learned he had an active arrest warrant and began searching for Eccles, who allegedly hid in nearby woods after being allowed to walk away following questioning, according to GBI.
After multiple 911 callers reported a suspicious person moving through the backyards of homes in Avondale Estates, Harris located Eccles in a backyard of a home, according to GBI.
Harris gave the teen verbal commands at gunpoint and Eccles complied, according to GBI. The teen was lying on his stomach as Harris attempted to take him into custody, with the officer holding a firearm in one hand at the teen's back and handcuffs in the other, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
"During the process of attempting to handcuff Eccles, Harris accidentally fired his firearm," the affidavit stated. "This accidental discharge resulted in the injury and death of Eccles."
Eccles was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, GBI said.
Harris has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, and reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, according to court filings.
A second arrest warrant affidavit alleges that Harris was "consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk" and that his actions "constituted a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation."
The investigation remains ongoing. Once complete, the case will be presented to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office for prosecution and review, GBI said.
Harris was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Thursday. His bond was set at $10,000 and he has since bonded out, jail records show. Online court records do not list any attorney information for him. ABC News' attempts to reach him over the phone were unsuccessful.
Following the charges on Wednesday, the DeKalb County Police Department said that Harris has been terminated due to "violations of laws."
"This incident has had a profound impact on everyone involved. My thoughts and prayers remain with the family of Seth Jayden Eccles as they continue to grieve this tragic loss," DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Padrick said in a statement. "This has also been a difficult time for the members of our department. The men and women of the DeKalb County Police Department remain committed to serving our community with professionalism, integrity, and compassion, and they will continue to serve the people of DeKalb County with honor, service, and partnership each and every day."
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson called Eccles' death a "tragedy."
"My heartfelt condolences are with his family and loved ones as they navigate an unimaginable loss," she said in a statement on Wednesday. "Today's criminal charges and the termination of our officer reflect our commitment to accountability. We understand no one is above the law and that accountability is essential to maintaining public trust."
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Trump says he’ll remove Syria as state sponsor of terrorism for the first time since 1979
(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump, sitting next to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the NATO summit in Turkey, said Wednesday that he will remove Syria from the State Department's State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
"He's done a great job. Maybe he would have brought that up. That's a good question. Yeah, any problems with that? I think we should. Yeah, I will," Trump said of al-Sharaa when asked about removing Syria from the list.
Trump offered high praise for al-Sharaa during their meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, a remarkable turnaround for the man who once led an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
Al-Sharaa at one point had a $10 million bounty on his head and served time in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
He then then led a coalition of Islamist rebel factions in late 2024 to topple former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"He's done a really fantastic job as president. He's unified the country in a very short period of time," Trump said Wednesday, describing the Syrian leader as a "strong person" who is "respected by everybody."
"We're proud of the job he's doing," Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had alerted Congress Wednesday of the administration’s intent to rescind Syria’s designation following a 45-day period -- the amount of time required for congressional review.
In his statement, Rubio referenced an executive order issued by the president last year ordering a review of Syria’s designation and remarks on the "positive changes and counterterrorism actions taken by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and formal assurances provided by President al-Sharaa that Syria will not support acts of international terrorism in the future,” two requirements for delisting.
Congress could attempt to block the delisting but the move is not expected to face significant opposition.
What it means for Syria
Trump's commitment to potentially remove Syria from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list would mark one of the final obstacles blocking the country from fully rejoining the international financial system.
The U.S. designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 -- the longest such designation for any country on the list. The other countries on the list are Cuba, Iran and North Korea. Syria was designated as such because of the former al-Assad regime's historical support for designated terrorist groups.
But U.S. officials have said there are a number of steps needed ahead before the designation can be removed.
U.S. lawmakers are cautiously optimistic.
A bipartisan trio of lawmakers wrote to Trump earlier this month lobbying for Syria's removal from the list. But they argued al-Sharaa's government has more work to do to follow through on equal representation for women and minority constituents in Syria and ensuring security in the region.
The new US-Syria relationship
In May 2025, Trump announced he would lift sanctions on Syria to create a new relationship between the two countries.
Last November, the United Nations Security Council formally adopted a U.S.-led resolution that lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa so he could travel to the U.S. to meet with Trump in the Oval office, the first offical visit by a Syrian president.
Congress also approved repealing comprehensive sanctions under the Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act. Trump signed it into law in December.
The repeal provided a way for Syria to begin transacting with regional and U.S. businesses, but the state sponsor of terrorism designation blocks it from accessing significant U.S. foreign assistance.
Lifting this designation on Syria could facilitate a whole range of investments in the country, including in oil, banking, technology, and real estate -- which could lead to an economic sea change for the country and more overall stability.
ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
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Raging wildfires in France follow Western Europe’s warmest June on record: Report
(NEW YORK) -- As hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires that have ignited across France and other parts of western Europe, climate scientists released a report this week showing the region experienced its warmest June on record.
Sweltering temperatures in Western Europe in June, including a heat wave that broke records across several countries, are now extending into July, with a heat wave returning amidst multiple wildfires in France and other parts of Western Europe.
Last month's deadly western European heat wave occurred not only during the hottest June on record for Western Europe, but it was the second warmest globally, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a European Union scientific Earth observation program.
"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing. Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean," Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said in the report.
She noted that the record-breaking heat reflects "a climate system continuing to accumulate heat."
"The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond," Burgess said.
The report comes as wildfires have broken out in parts of Western Europe amid a severe drought.
Wildfires have broken out in Spain, Portugal and Greece.
The biggest wildfire in Western Europe is raging in the Pyrénées of France, prompting organizers of the famed Tour de France road cycling race, which started on Saturday in Barcelona, Spain, to ban spectators from lining the route in the mountainous region.
"The exceptionally large wildfire currently raging in the Pyrénées-Orientales is requiring a massive mobilization of wildfire-fighting resources, internal security forces, and all government agencies," race organizers said in a statement. "The top priority remains the protection of people, property, and natural areas, as well as bringing the fire under control."
Race organizers said only cyclists participating in the Tour de France and their supporting teams are authorized to travel the race route, which officials are trying to keep clear for emergency traffic.
The blaze in southwestern France near the Spanish border has burned 4,936 hectares, or a little over 12,000 acres, French officials said in a social media post on Wednesday.
At least 12,000 people had been evacuated from 27 municipalities across the Pyrénées-Orientales, although some have been allowed to return home as flames have subsided in some areas, authorities said.
The Pyrénées town of Vinça, which has a population of about 2,200, remained evacuated on Wednesday along with 11 other villages in the region.
Video from the region showed homes and vehicles burned, and huge swaths of forestland blackened. Firefighting aircraft were also filmed swooping down on burning areas, dropping fire retardant.
Earlier this week, the European Union announced it was sending such aircraft to France from Sweden and Cyprus.
About 450 firefighters are battling the fire in the Pyrénées from the ground and the air, but are struggling to gain control of the wildfire amid triple-digit temperatures in the area and wind gusts of up to 30 mph, officials said. Another 170 gendarmes, or law enforcement officers, have also been dispatched to the region to support the firefighting effort.
Firefighters appeared to make progress in battling the fire, reporting Wednesday that the conflagration did not expand overnight.
Temperatures in parts of southwestern France are forecast to reach 105 degrees on Wednesday, with temperatures climbing to 95 degrees and above across three-quarters of the country.
Most of the country is under an "elevated" fire alert.
High to very high fire danger warnings remained in effect on Wednesday in at least 54 departments -- or local regional areas, including the Pyrénées-Orientales department, officials said.
Before the current wildfire outbreak, the highest number of departments under high or very high fire danger warnings at the same time was 29 in 2025, authorities noted.
Officials and experts have noted the fire season has begun weeks earlier than usual in France amid the unseasonal extreme heat wave that hit Europe in June. The heat wave has returned this week.
Scientists have said the record temperatures are being pushed up by climate change.
A 22-year-old firefighter was killed while battling a blaze in the Savoie region in the French Alps on Tuesday night, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in a social media post on Wednesday.
Fire danger warnings have also been issued in the Rhône Valley in southeast France, and across the central and western regions of the country.
The danger is expected to remain at a high level through this week across most of the country, given the lack of rain, scorching temperature and low humidity, authorities said.
ABC News' Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.
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Trial for alleged Jan. 6 pipe bomber set for February
Justin Baldoni says ‘we are healing’ in 1st public remarks amid Blake Lively legal dispute
Justin Baldoni and his wife, Emily Baldoni, are speaking publicly for the first time in nearly two years as the legal dispute between Baldoni and his former It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively continues.
In a joint video shared to Instagram on Wednesday, the couple said they had chosen not to speak publicly earlier while the legal process played out.
In April, a federal judge dismissed much of Lively's case against Baldoni, including her claims that she was subjected to sexual harassment, but allowed her to pursue a retaliation claim against Baldoni's public relations teams.
Baldoni, via his Wayfarer Studios production company, and Lively later agreed to settle but remain tied up in a court fight over legal fees.
"So we have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years and it's not because we haven't had anything to say because lord knows we have," Justin Baldoni said in the video. "But it just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, we wanted to speak, something was telling us not to -- it just didn't feel like the right time."
Emily Baldoni added, "And this feels like the moment."
The couple said there is "so much to say" but that they were not going to say it all now.
"What does feel important is that we can genuinely say that we are sitting here today feeling immense gratitude for so many things and so many people and so many things that have happened to us," Emily Baldoni said.
"Gratitude has saved us," Justin Baldoni added.
Emily Baldoni said that gratitude "doesn't negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years."
"We've had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand so many things, like how could something like this even happen? Let alone disguise[d] as a fight for women," she said.
Justin Baldoni said the couple chose not to contribute to "the noise" surrounding the case.
"We just wanted to let the justice system run its course," he said.
Emily Baldoni added, "The truth and the facts have spoken for themselves. And here we are."
Justin Baldoni said the family is continuing to recover from the experience.
"We are healing," he said. "And if you've ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn't linear. It looks different every day."
He said the experience has helped the couple focus on "the kids, it's our family, it is our friends, it's our community ... it's our faith."
Justin Baldoni also thanked supporters who stood by the family.
"There were so many of you who, when we didn't have a voice, were our voice," he said. "Thank you does not feel like enough."
Emily Baldoni said the couple plans to continue focusing on their family.
"There is so much more to say, and that time will come. But for now, we are going to focus on continuing the healing and hanging out with our kiddos and enjoying life."
The video comes days after attorneys for Lively said in a court filing that Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, owes the actress $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees connected to the studio's defamation lawsuit against her, which was dismissed in June 2025. According to the filing, Lively is also seeking $539,514.01 in costs and expenses related to the dismissed case.
The filing came after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman denied Lively's request for punitive damages but allowed her to seek attorneys' fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1, a law designed to protect people who report sexual assault, harassment or discrimination from retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
The legal dispute between the former It Ends With Us co-stars began in December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film, which he also directed.
Lively also accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of attempting to orchestrate a smear campaign against her, allegations Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios have denied.
The two later filed competing lawsuits against one another. Baldoni accused Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist, Leslie Sloane, and others of extortion and defamation, among other claims. The lawsuits were consolidated into one case in January 2025.
Baldoni's lawsuit was dismissed by Liman in June 2025. Earlier this year, the judge also dismissed most of Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni while allowing her retaliation claims against Baldoni's public relations team to proceed.
In May, Baldoni, through Wayfarer Studios, and Lively agreed to settle their ongoing dispute. Liman ruled that Wayfarer Studios must pay Lively's attorneys' fees but denied Lively's request for punitive damages. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
ABC News has reached out to representatives for Lively for comment on the Baldonis' Instagram video.
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Nolan Wells’ family to do independent autopsy, attorney describes ‘altercation’ on boat
(OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.) -- The family of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells will conduct an independent autopsy following the 18-year-old's mysterious death, according to attorney Ben Crump, who revealed new details about what he says unfolded on the day Wells vanished.
"He was a good kid. He was beloved. He was a college athlete. He had everything going for him. And so to go on that island ... and then not to come back is what is concerning," Crump told ABC News' Linsey Davis.
Wells went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with his high school friends to the popular, undeveloped Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, according to officials and Crump. The location is accessible only by private boat and doesn't have facilities, drinking water or staff.
"[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan," Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. "From what we understand, he chose to stay there."
A body believed to be Wells was recovered Monday, officials said.
One of Nolan Wells’ friends who went boating to Horn Island on July 4 was the first to report him missing, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter told ABC News Thursday.
That friend contacted the Coast Guard around 11 p.m. that night, Ledbetter said. Separately, Wells’ mother contacted the sheriff’s office about her son around midnight leading into July 5.
Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don't suspect foul play, but the sheriff's office stressed Wednesday that investigators are "working diligently to determine exactly what occurred."
Crump said investigators "continue to tell the family that 'We don't see any evidence of any foul play,' even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boats." Crump described the altercation as "Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat."
According to Crump, Wells' friends took the teen's phone with them when they left Horn Island. Crump said when Wells' family got his phone back, messages had been deleted.
Crump also said Wells' father described the 18-year-old college football player as "an elite athlete."
"He said that his son could swim. And so, they're just not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally," Crump said.
Crump said the independent autopsy will be conducted in Washington, D.C.
The sheriff's office stressed Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island to come forward with photos or videos, "particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells."
The sheriff's office said it's also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or "observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island."
"Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators. We encourage anyone with firsthand knowledge to come forward," the department said.
"Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences remain with Nolan Wells' family during this difficult time," the department added.
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Secret Service urged Trump to depart Turkey on old Air Force One as a security precaution
(NEW YORK) -- The Secret Service urged President Donald Trump to fly out of Turkey on the old Air Force One instead of the newly retrofitted Qatari-gifted plane out of an abundance of caution amid the escalation with Iran, multiple sources familiar with the plans told ABC News.
The Qatari-gifted plane left the NATO summit in Turkey earlier in the day for Mildenhall Air Force Base in England, a move Trump claimed Wednesday morning was for members of the military to tour the aircraft.
While Trump has said the change in plane had nothing to do with security concerns, he also reiterated, when asked by reporters if security concerns caused the change in flight plans, that he's "No. 1 on the kill list for Iran."
The change in plans was not prompted by a specific threat, but influenced in part by differences in the plane security capabilities, two U.S. officials told ABC News.
Mike Centrella, the Secret Service's former head of field operations, said the law enforcement agency "simply doesn’t take chances when it comes to the president’s safety, whether at home or abroad."
"Presidential travel is incredibly complex, and every movement and potential risk is carefully considered," Centrella told ABC News. "The mindset is always the same: plan for what you know, prepare for what you don't and make sure you’re ready for the unexpected."
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, told ABC News on Thursday that "the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff. As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal -- including distraction and misdirection -- to address those threats."
The New York Times first reported on the Secret Service recommendation.
When the president ultimately left Turkey in the old Air Force One to link up with the new plane in England, passengers on the aircraft were instructed to keep their windows down during the flight. According to flight data, the plane carrying the president did not turn on its tracker until it was over the Black Sea near Istanbul.
Despite continuing to insist there was no security issue that prompted him to change planes for his Turkey departure, Trump suggested that the passengers may have been asked to keep their window shades down because they were "probably on a dangerous flight."
“Well, yeah, because you're, you know, probably on a dangerous flight, because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with,” Trump said, referring to Iran.
While the administration insists that the newly acquired plane meets the safety and security requirements necessary to fly the president, the speed of the retrofitting, which took about one year, has raised questions about whether the Qatari-gifted plane boasts the same defensive security measures as the old plane.
Many of the details of the retrofitting on the new plane are considered classified. The Air Force has said the new plane is "safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission. Those requirements were carefully crafted to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous head of state interior layout minimally changed."
On Tuesday, a group of Senate Democrats sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink demanding transparency into the project from the Air Force and L3Harris, claiming the administration is ignoring national security concerns so in service of delivering Trump a "fancy plane for his personal enjoyment."
Trump took his first trip in the newly retrofitted plane last week on a trip to North Dakota.
Before the first trip, the U.S. Air Force had been modifying the jet in Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president. The Air Force had estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift.
The plane is to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement have told ABC News.
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In brief: ‘The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen’ headed to Disney Channel and more
The Cheetah Girls are strutting back to Disney Channel. A new film called The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen has been greenlit at Disney Channel and Disney+. Raven-Symoné will reprise her role as Galleria “Bubbles” Garibaldi and produce the new film. Also returning are Adrienne Bailon, who will once again play Chanel “Chuchie” Simmons, and Sabrina Bryan, who will make a special appearance as Dorinda “Do” Thomas. The movie will follow a new group of teens who want to take the stage as the new Cheetah Girls ... Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
The upcoming Rent revival on the West End has revealed who will star alongside Gaten Matarazzo's Mark. Travis Ross is set to play Roger, Bella Brown will be Mimi, Billy Nevers is set for Collins, Lazy Violet will play Maureen, Danielle Fiamanya will take on the role of Joanne, Jeevan Braich is set for Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes is going to play Benny. The production has been extended to March 27, 2027, with previews staring on Sept. 26 and an opening night of Oct. 8 ...
A spinoff to the film M3GAN will soon be headed to homes everywhere. The film, titled SOULM8TE, is an erotic thriller following an AI robot. Universal Pictures removed it from its theatrical calendar in late 2025 and is now moving forward with a straight-to-digital release for the film. A trailer for the movie is now available to watch. Audiences can rent the movie starting Aug. 1 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment ...
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Zoey Deutch, David Wain on their new comedy film ‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’
While Wet Hot American Summer celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer, its director David Wain has a brand-new comedy headed to theaters.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass opens wide in theaters on Friday. It stars Zoey Deutch as the titular hairdresser who travels to LA in hopes of sleeping with her celebrity crush, Jon Hamm, after her fiancé breaks her heart by hooking up with Jennifer Aniston.
Starring in a film directed by Wain and written by him and Ken Marino was "definitely a dream come true" for Deutch, she told ABC Audio.
"I love their sense of humor. I love their world that they've created and how specific it is to them," Deutch said. "It's always impressive to me when an artist carves out their own space in the world and then sticks to it with such integrity. It's really cool and I think comedy is the hardest of all genres and they do it with such brilliance."
Wain said casting the role of Gail Daughtry was "very tough ruby red shoes to fill."
"We wrote such a crazy dumb script and we knew it wouldn't work as a movie unless we had someone at the center of it that could really bring heart and grounding to it," Wain said. He needed someone who knew "how to deliver on the humor and also just have the general charisma to pull off this trick."
Deutch was "the only one we could think of that could actually do it," Wain said.
The actress has had a busy summer. Not only is she the star of this film, she also leads the Netflix hit Voicemails for Isabelle and lends her voice to Minions & Monsters.
"I feel really grateful that people are seeing them and that they're coming out into the world. I make a lot of movies that don't get as seen, and so I just feel really grateful," Deutch said.
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