Stock image of police tape. (halbergman/Getty Images)
(CHESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J.) -- More than one month after a New Jersey mom was killed in her suburban home, prosecutors say no arrests have been made.
Brooke Hanlon, 35, was found dead in her house in Chester Township after officers responded to a 911 call in the late afternoon of June 6, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.
Her death was ruled a homicide from "multiple sharp force injuries," prosecutors said.
Hanlon's sister, Paige Haggerty, told Fox News Digital that "Brooke was the sweetest, purest person that I have ever known in my entire life," and she called Hanlon's baby "the only saving grace."
The 35-year-old worked as a therapist in Bernardsville, New Jersey, according to LifeStance.
"We are deeply saddened at the passing of our teammate Brooke Hanlon," a LifeStance spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. "Brooke was a beloved member of our Bernardsville team and an exceptional therapist who was highly dedicated to her clients. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Brooke's family and friends during this difficult time."
Prosecutors said the case is active and ongoing.
Officials urge anyone with information to call the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-2900, Chester Police at 908-879-5100 or CrimeStoppers at 973-267-2255. A reward up to $1,000 is available, Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers said.
A display indicates the temperature of 41 degrees Celsius during a sweltering summer day on June 27, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Maryam Majd/Getty Images)
(LONDON) -- One of the most brutal heat waves to impact Europe in the last 50 years broke temperature records in multiple countries, according to Copernicus, Europe's climate change service.
Western Europe, the region most affected by the heat wave during the second half of June, experienced its warmest June on record, the agency said.
The average land temperature in Europe in June 2026 was the second-highest on record, at 19.14 degrees Celsius, or 66.45 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Copernicus. This marks 1.78 degrees Celsius, or 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1991 to 2020 average for the month.
Rising atmospheric and ocean temperatures "reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat" -- resulting in increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean and growing risks for people and ecosystems, Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said in a statement.
"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," Burgess said. "Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean."
Many June and some all-time records for daily maximum temperature were broken in several countries, according to Copernicus.
Weather officials in the United Kingdom said temperatures on June 24 rose in some areas to 35.7 degrees Celsius, or about 96.2 degrees Fahrenheit, topping a June 1976 record of 35.6 C.
In France, the country's national heat index -- a daily average -- hit 30 degrees Celsius, or about 86 degrees Fahrenheit, on June 24 -- the highest-ever temperature recorded, according to weather officials at Meteo-France, the national weather service. High temperatures in Paris were in the triple digits in the days after.
The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower closed early several days in a row as a result of the high temperatures.
The high temperatures also impacted cities like Madrid and Rome, which hit the high 90s during the last week of June.
Reuters reported there were more than 5,000 excess deaths in Germany alone -- mostly residents 75 and older -- and another 4,700 deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands between June 20 and 28.
"Heat stress is often called the 'silent killer' – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an X post.
Overall, the planet experienced its second-warmest June globally, according to Copernicus.
In addition, much of Western Europe, including Italy, large parts of central and eastern Europe and the southern U.K., experienced drier-than-average conditions, associated with persistent high-pressure and heatwave conditions, according to Copernicus.
River flow was also below average across Europe, consistent with the widespread dry conditions, according to Copernicus. Large parts of France, much of central and eastern Europe and parts of northeastern Europe were especially impacted.
Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius, about 61.8 degrees Fahrenheit -- about .56 degrees Celsius, or about 1 degree Fahrenheit -- above the June average for 1991 to 2020.
Sea surface temperature at extrapolar oceans, or oceans outside the Arctic and Antarctic, was the highest on record for June at 20.86 degrees Celsius, or 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Copernicus.
Surface sea temperatures also remain "exceptionally high" across a large portion of the tropical Pacific, where El Nino conditions are present and forecast to strengthen in the coming months, the agency said.
(NEW YORK) -- El Nino conditions continue to intensify and are likely to be a strong event in the coming months, significantly influencing our weather, the hurricane season and global temperatures, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
There is very high confidence that El Nino will continue through early spring 2027.
NOAA's latest forecast calls for a strong El Nino to develop by the fall, with an 81% chance of a very strong El Nino between October and December, which could also end up being one of the strongest events on record. Historical records go back to 1950.
Stronger El Nino events only make certain impacts more likely and do not always guarantee strong impacts, NOAA noted.
El Nino refers to the warmer-than-average phase of the El Nino--Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural cycle where sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean rise and fall. The cooler-than-average phase is called La Nina, while near-average conditions are known as ENSO-neutral.
NOAA ranks the strength of El Nino events by measuring the sea surface temperature departure from average (anomaly) across this region, classifying events as weak, moderate, strong or very strong.
"El Nino conditions are already underway and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement. "This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions of the world."
While adjectives such as "super" and "extreme" are popular ways of describing the strength of an El Nino event on social media, NOAA and the WMO classify by strength. The WMO noted in a recent statement that "the term [[super]] is not part of standardized operational classifications."
Typical El Nino impacts across the United States
Impacts from El Nino, similar to La Nina, tend to be most consistent and pronounced from late autumn through early spring following the event's onset, NOAA says. There is usually a delay between the onset of the event and many of the associated effects.
"The more consistent impacts on precipitation and temperature don't occur until the winter months -- so for 2026-27," Michelle L'Heureux, physical scientist at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, said.
Experts caution that the impacts on weather patterns are nuanced. Each season is different, and typical El Nino conditions don't always materialize.
"Every El Nino is different in terms of timing, magnitude, and geographic extent, and such differences lead to variability in the impacts -- on temperatures and rainfall, for example -- on a global scale," Andrew Kruczkiewicz, senior staff researcher at Columbia Climate School, said.
Northeast: Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored across the northern half of the U.S. during meteorological winter (December to February), however its influence is less pronounced in the Northeast, compared to the Upper Midwest and Northwest.
El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the mid-Atlantic and coastal areas of the Northeast as storms often move up the coast. Farther inland, drier-than-average conditions and less snow are more likely.
South: During the winter months, near- to below-average temperatures are favored along the southern tier of the U.S., especially from Texas to the Southeast.
For precipitation, wetter-than-average conditions are typically observed across Texas, the Gulf Coast and Southeast. Below-average precipitation is frequently observed across parts of the south-central Mississippi Valley.
Midwest: Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored from the northern Plains into the Great Lakes in the winter. Drier-than-average conditions are frequently observed across parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions.
El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the south-central Plains with below-average snowfall favored in northern Plains and Great Lakes regions.
West: During the winter months, warmer-than-average temperatures are likely across much of the Northwest. For precipitation, wetter-than-average conditions are typically observed across southern California and much of the Southwest, with below-average precipitation frequently observed across parts of the northern Rockies.
El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the southern Rockies, with below-average snowfall favored in the northern Rockies.
Meanwhile, above-average tropical activity in the eastern Pacific increases the likelihood of indirect impacts to the southwestern U.S., such as sending more rain to the region and more frequent flash flood concerns.
Alaska: El Nino impacts in Alaska tend to be more pronounced than across much of the contiguous U.S., with the strongest effects typically occurring during the winter and spring months. During winter, warmer- and drier-than-average conditions are more likely, with less snowfall and reduced snowpack.
Above average temperatures often persist into spring, while precipitation trends closer to average. However, warmer conditions typically mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, prolonging snow deficits.
Hawaii: Rainfall is typically above average across Hawaii the year an El Nino event develops before conditions become drier during the winter months and remain dry well into the following year. The shift toward drier weather can increase the likelihood of drought and elevate the risk of wildfires.
Meanwhile, above-average tropical activity in the eastern Pacific increases the risk of impacts from tropical systems across the Hawaiian Islands.
El Nino's influence on hurricane season activity
While El Nino is only one of several key factors that influence tropical activity, forecasts now indicate it will be a strong event during the peak of the hurricane season, making it the primary driver of activity in both the Atlantic and eastern Pacific in the coming months.
El Nino conditions often suppress tropical activity during the Atlantic hurricane season by producing unfavorable atmospheric winds. In the Eastern Pacific, the opposite occurs, with favorable conditions supporting above-average hurricane season activity.
As a result, NOAA's May 21 hurricane outlook is predicting below average tropical activity for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with above average activity likely in the eastern Pacific.
"El Nino increases convection (thunderstorms) across the eastern and central Pacific, which causes downstream wind shear over the Atlantic from strong upper-level winds," Andy Hazelton, an associate scientist at the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, said.
Vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is often a primary factor in below-average hurricane season activity. Strong vertical wind shear can tear a developing tropical system apart or even prevent it from forming, NOAA says.
"The rising motion over the Pacific also leads to increased subsidence (sinking air) over the Atlantic, which suppresses thunderstorms and tropical cyclone development," Hazelton added.
Other factors, such as sea surface temperatures, also play an important role in tropical cyclone development and strength. Unseasonably warm ocean waters can partially offset the effects of unfavorable atmospheric winds, according to forecasters.
Ariana Grande attends the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 11, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California. (Frazer Harrison/WireImage via Getty Images)
The release date for American Horror Story season 13 has been revealed.
FX has announced that the season will premiere to Hulu on Sept. 24.
Ryan Murphy's horror series has a star-studded cast set for this go-round. Ariana Grande stars in the new season of the anthology series, marking her reunion with Murphy after appearing in his comedy series Scream Queens over a decade ago.
The lucky number 13th season of the show will also feature franchise regulars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe and Leslie Grossman. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette star Paul Anthony Kelly is also part of the cast.
This season marks a Scream Queens reunion, as both Roberts and Lourd acted alongside Grande in the comedy show.
Murphy first announced the main cast through a video shared to his Instagram on Oct. 31, 2025. The video featured a black screen with the cast's names appearing in the signature American Horror Story font.
After all of the names were announced, the video referenced one of the most quoted lines of dialogue from the series, spoken by Roberts' character Madison Montgomery in American Horror Story: Coven.
"Surprise, b****. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me," the video reads.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
Stock image of Molotov cocktail. (Sinenkiy/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- A man was arrested after he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at two different houses of worship and another building in Queens Wednesday night, the New York City Police Department said.
Officers responded to a 911 call at Iglesia Bautista El Mesias Church in Ozone Park around 11:35 p.m. about a man allegedly throwing the incendiary device, according to the NYPD.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect lighting the Molotov cocktail and then throwing it at the church before walking away after it exploded on the ground, police said.
The New York City Fire Department put out the fire. No one was hurt and there was no significant damage to the building, according to the police.
Alex Garcia, the pastor of the church, told ABC News' New York City affiliate WABC that the house of worship has been around for 20 years.
"We have no enemies, so I don't know where this is coming from," he told the station.
The suspect, who police only identified as a 36-year-old man, then allegedly traveled a mile north to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and allegedly lit and threw another Molotov cocktail at the house of worship, according to investigators.
There were no reported damage or injuries at that location, police said.
The suspect was arrested by police later in the night, according to the NYPD.
Investigators discovered that he allegedly threw another Molotov cocktail at a third location in the area, according to the NYPD. That building also sustained no damage, and there were no injuries, investigators said.
Police alleged that the suspect had a bag with two other Molotov cocktails inside at the time of his arrest.
The suspect's charges and arraignment were pending as of Thursday morning, police said. The investigation is ongoing.
Scheduled to open in 2031, 2 World Trade Center will be the global headquarters of American Express as seen in this rendering of the building. (Foster + Partners/WTC)
(NEW YORK) -- Twenty-five years after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left a gaping void in Lower Manhattan, American Express broke ground Thursday on its new headquarters, a tiered glass and steel tower at 2 World Trade Center.
The 55-story, 2 million square foot building with more than an acre of outdoor terraces and gardens is the last commercial development in the footprint of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.
The skyscraper is scheduled to be completed in 2031 and rise 1,226 feet.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the project will create 3,200 jobs and inject $6 billion into the city's economy.
"We are standing today on hallowed ground," Mamdani said.
"This has been a long journey," said Lisa Silverstein of Silverstein Properties, the developer of the site since 2001. "This is the capstone for the World Trade Center."
The incident occurred in Pikesville, located northwest of Baltimore, just outside the city limits. (Baltimore County Fire Department)
(PIKESVILLE, Md.) -- Over 30 people were injured after a public transit bus struck multiple vehicles before crashing into a building in Maryland on Wednesday, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. ET in Pikesville, located northwest of Baltimore, just outside the city limits.
A Maryland Transit Administration bus "struck several vehicles before losing control and striking a building," the Baltimore County Police Department said.
The bus driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. Additionally, 36 people were transported to area hospitals, police said.
Twelve vehicles were involved in the incident, including one that rolled over, according to authorities.
"The circumstances leading up to this crash remain under investigation," police said Thursday.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he is monitoring the situation.
"We are deeply grateful for our first responders who acted with speed and skill to ensure the safety of our neighbors," he said in a post on social media. "We've been in close coordination with local officials to provide any support needed on the ground."
Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza in 'MobLand' season 2. (Luke Varley/Paramount+)
MobLand is coming back for more.
Paramount+ has released the teaser trailer for season 2 of the action-crime series. The show's second season is set to premiere on Sept. 18.
Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren star in the series about two mob families who find themselves in a war that threatens to ruin their empires and lives.
"The Harrigans, heads of North London’s largest criminal empire, are on the brink of civil war, and their rivals are starting to notice. As tensions within the Harrigan family intensify, their ‘fixer’ Harry Da Souza is the only one that can keep them from falling apart," according to an official description of season 2.
The trailer finds Hardy's Harry Da Souza speaking to a man he's captured in the back of his van.
"This hasn't exactly been a wonderful 24 hours for me, yeah? I'm under a lot of pressure," Harry says. "The people that I work for, the Harrigans, they run North London."
Ronan Bennett created and co-wrote the series, which was executive produced by David C. Glasser and co-written by Jez Butterworth. The show was renewed for season 2 back in June 2025.
“With over 26 million viewers and climbing, MobLand has become a resounding triumph driven by the creative brilliance of Guy, Jez, Ronan and David C. Glasser, and brought to life by the powerhouse performances by Tom, Pierce, and Helen,” Chris McCarthy, the co-CEO of Paramount and president of SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment, said at the time it was renewed. “We are elated to greenlight a second season of this global phenomenon, which has dominated both domestic and international charts and soared to #1 in the United Kingdom."
Illustration of Legionella pneumophila bacteria, the cause of Legionnaires' disease. ( ROGER HARRIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- A Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City is growing, with 36 cases now confirmed, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday, there have been at least 22 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the New York City Department of Health (NYC Health).
The cluster has affected the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, the department said.
In an earlier notice to the two neighborhoods, NYC Health said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria. All area cooling towers were being tested for the bacteria, NYC Health said then.
There is no issue with any building's plumbing system and residents in the affected areas can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners, NYC Health further said in the notice.
On Tuesday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration was implementing measures to publicly identify the specific buildings suspected as being sources of Legionella bacteria and require owners to clean cooling towers quickly.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or by contaminated water otherwise entering the lungs.
The bacteria are found naturally in fresh water but in amounts that generally don't lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The disease does not generally spread from person to person but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building's water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.
Legionnaires' disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak in the U.S. of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases declined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.
Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients – including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases – can develop complications that can be fatal.
About one out of every 10 people who develop Legionnaires' disease will die due to complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires' disease at a healthcare facility, about one of every four people will die, the CDC says.
The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool along the National Mall on Tuesday, July 3, 2026 in Washington, D.C.Rushed work continues at the White House and across the nation's capital in preparation for the country's 250 anniversary on July 4. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn appeared in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty through his attorney to the felony charge he faces for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn was seated between his attorneys, Steven Levin and Mary Dohrmann, with another attorney, Norm Eisen, seated behind them in a packed courtroom.
A sizable crowd gathered outside the courtroom and Eisen said that Hearn was being used as a "scapegoat" for the administration's "failures" on one of Donald Trump's pet Washington beautification projects.
The Reflecting Pool turned green and pieces of the liner started bubbling up to the surface after it was painted last month. It was plagued with algae and peeling paint since the Trump administration completed the $16 million renovation of the landmark.
President Donald Trump shifted the blame to vandals, without providing evidence. Hearn was among those arrested and Trump threatened 10-year prison terms.
Dohrmann, a former federal prosecutor who previously served on Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigative team, entered the not guilty plea on Hearn's behalf. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Reddington was the lone prosecutor from the Justice Department present at the hearing, which concluded after only 13 minutes.
Judge Carmen McLean ordered Hearn released on his own recognizance and set the next status hearing in the case for Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Hearn was indicted on July 2 for allegedly "maliciously" destroying part of the lining of the Reflecting Pool. The single count of destruction of property -- for a 2 square foot section of the massive pool -- carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Eisen, an attorney for Hearn, briefly addressed reporters outside of court, drawing cheers from the crowd as he maintained his client's innocence while declining to discuss substantive details about the case.
"Today, Davey Hearn pled not guilty because he is not guilty," Eisen said. "If Mr. Hearn can be charged with a felony for touching the Reflecting Pool, every American is at risk and every American should be alarmed about this prosecution. This indictment reflects the administration's effort to scapegoat Davey and to shift blame for their own failures."
Eisen previewed an aggressive legal strategy to challenge the legality of the indictment similar to other foes of Trump who have accused the administration of weaponizing the Justice Department against them.
"We anticipate receiving substantial discovery," Eisen said. "The evidence will establish, as we have stated today, Mr. Hearn is innocent. We will reserve questions about exactly what happened for the trial. That is what the justice system is for."
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the indictment in a press conference, alleging that Hearn was "forcefully and violently" pulling up the liner and "damaged approximately 2 square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool."
Hearn previously told ABC News that police arrested him after he touched a piece of blue coating that was partially detached from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool. He said he went for a bike ride on June 19 and stopped by the pool as a "curious, concerned citizen."
"I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool," Hearn told ABC News.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is now being drained after the issues, which Trump blamed on vandals, including one he said used a boxcutter or knife to make a 350-foot gash in the pool. When asked by ABC News last Thursday about the president's claim, Pirro said, "Someone intentionally did a tremendous amount of damage to the pool, and you can actually see where all the cutting is."
FLINT — A multi-vehicle crash on Highway 155 has left four dead and one transported with major injuries early Thursday morning, according to Smith County ESD 2 and our news partner KETK. The Texas Department of Public Safety said a Toyota Highlander was driving in the wrong lane, which caused a head-on collision with a Cadillac.
DPS said three people in the Cadillac died and were not wearing a seat-belt at the time of the crash. The toddler was allegedly not in a child’s car seat. The toddler was taken to a children’s hospital in Dallas and remains in critical condition.
The driver of the Toyota Highlander also died in the crash. The victims have not been publicly identified at this time.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street and oil prices are holding steadier following their sharp swings the day before in the wait to see what will come next after President Donald Trump raised doubts about the temporary truce in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% early Thursday, even though the United States launched new airstrikes against Iran, which responded by targeting U.S. allies in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 33 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. The price of Brent crude slipped 0.3% after rising sharply a day earlier. Indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.
E. Jean Carroll attends "Ask E. Jean" New York screening at IFC Center on May 21, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- While President Donald Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, a federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered him to pay what he owes E. Jean Carroll after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered disbursement of the $5 million judgment plus almost $800,000 in interest.
"In the last analysis, defendant has been stalling this case for years. A jury unanimously concluded that he sexually abused and defamed plaintiff and awarded her damages accordingly. The judgment on that verdict has been upheld on appeal. En banc rehearing has been denied. The Supreme Court has denied certiorari without dissent," Kaplan wrote in an order late Wednesday. "It is time for him to 'do equity' and pay the judgment.”
A New York jury in 2023 held Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s and defaming her in 2022 when he denied her claim, and decided she is entitled to $5 million in damages.
A jury in a separate but related case determined Trump owes Carroll an additional $83 million in damages, but that is still going through the appeals process.
The decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last month, with no dissents, declined to hear Trump's appeal of the verdict and judgment.
Trump's attorneys launched a long-shot bid to delay the payment and sought an administrative stay from United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, however, in a one-page order on Wednesday evening, the appeals court rejected his request for a delay, clearing the way for the money to go to Carroll.
The same court had already denied Trump's initial attempts to appeal the case, in addition to the Supreme Court's ruling.
Three years ago, Trump deposited $5.55 million in the federal government's Court Registry Investment System -- which effectively held the money in escrow during his appeal.
Judge Kaplan on Wednesday ordered the clerk to move the money into an account belonging to Carroll's lawyers. The transfer of funds may have already taken place, though the court docket does not indicate either way.
After the Supreme Court decision, attorneys for Carroll asked a federal judge to order Trump to pay the money, saying Trump's lawyers told them the president may ask the Supreme Court to reconsider.
"[A]fter four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end," Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan wrote in a court filing. "And under the Court's Stipulation and Order, Carroll is now entitled to obtain payment of the money due under the judgment."
In a post on his social media platform after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, Trump vowed to continue to fight the case.
"I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength," Trump said in the post.
AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) – Texans lost more than $1 billion to scams involving cryptocurrency in 2025, according to the FBI, second only to California in the amount siphoned away by fraudsters.
Scams using crypto often involve fraudulent investment opportunities, but criminals are increasingly turning to the digital currency as a fast payoff that is difficult for law enforcement to track.
With cryptocurrency scams on the rise, here’s what to look for and what to do if targeted by scammers.
What are the most common cryptocurrency scams in Texas?
Scams generally fall into two categories, said Michael Levine, chief felony prosecutor for the Cyber and Financial Crimes Division of the Harris County district attorney’s office.
The most common are investment schemes where victims buy fraudulent cryptocurrencies or use crypto to invest in fake businesses.
Even legitimate-looking websites can be a front for a fraudulent operation, Levine said, which is why it’s important to vet sites by seeing if the company has been written about in reputable publications or approved by certain banks.
“The software in these things is wonderful, it looks just like an Ameritrade or E-Trade,” Levine said. “It looks just like a legitimate trading platform to the victim, and because it’s all fake, it looks like they’re making a lot of money.”
The best way to ensure your money is safely invested in cryptocurrency is to use verified, known exchanges. Be sure to do research beforehand or ask your banking institution for guidance.
Another common technique — known as romance scams or “pig butchering,” playing on the image of fattening a hog for slaughter — entices would-be victims through flattery and kindness. Once a relationship is established, the victim is directed to invest through a website or app, or directly asked for money through cryptocurrency.
Scammers are also impersonating law enforcement or state agencies, sometimes providing names of real people who work at the departments they are impersonating. Common tactics include telling victims they missed jury duty and now owe fines, or that someone falsified their signature on a legal document.
To bolster the illusion, scammers can “spoof” phone numbers, allowing them to call victims from numbers of reputable sources like a sheriff’s department or city clerk. The easiest way to determine whether you’re speaking to someone from the agency is to simply hang up and call back, or visit in person.
Texas has also seen a spike in cryptocurrency kiosk scams, ATM-like machines that convert cash to digital currency. Scammers impersonating bank employees or law enforcement direct people to pay bail money or transfer “vulnerable” account funds into these machines, which then send crypto directly to the scammer.
No bank or government agency, including a court, police department or licensing board, will ask for cryptocurrency or request payment through a crypto kiosk. If asked to do so, contact your local authorities.
How can I tell if I’m being scammed?
Whether receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be with law enforcement or a text message about a quick investment opportunity, watch out for:
• Strangers offering business opportunities over social media or text.
• Phone numbers that don’t match the official contact info of an agency or business.
• Conversations directed to a third-party app like WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Being discouraged from sharing your situation or the conversation with others, sometimes under threat of financial or legal consequences.
• Being sent official looking legal documents by text message.
• Being provided a callback number that doesn’t match the original caller’s number.
What if I’m scammed or know someone who was swindled?
After ensuring those involved in a scam are safe, immediately contact your banking institution and local law enforcement to file a police report. Be sure to keep all records, documents and messages involved in the scam.
You should also submit complaints and reports to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3, and the Texas attorney general’s office. IC3 gathers data and complaints to help track scammers, and the attorney general can take action against businesses that falsely advertise services.
Because cryptocurrency is able to move so quickly once deposited into a digital wallet, most law enforcement agencies have roughly 36 to 48 hours to secure stolen funds. Most victims do not recover stolen money — but officials stress that reporting the scam is still important.
Scamming victims often feel shame or guilt about being tricked — a side effect that can deter reporting and hurt victims long after the fraud. Yet being victimized by fraud is not uncommon: one in four U.S. adults have been scammed in their lifetime, according to a 2025 Gallup poll, and one in 10 report being scammed more than once.
“There’s a saying in the [scam] world that no one is unscammable, you just haven’t tried the right script yet,” Levine said. “Please don’t feel like you must be a fool if you fall for one of these scams.”
Who is most at risk for cryptocurrency scams?
Those 60 or older are the most frequently targeted for cryptocurrency scams and who lose the most money, according to FBI data, but anyone is susceptible to scams. Those over 60 lost more than $396 million in 2025 in Texas.
For those with family members who are older or less technologically savvy, it can be helpful to walk them through how to identify spam texts or calls and ask them to inform you whenever strangers ask for money.
How is Texas responding to crypto scams?
Texas has a Financial Crimes Intelligence Center based in Smith County that helps law enforcement statewide investigate financial crimes, including cryptocurrency scams. The Texas State Securities Board also investigates fraudulent cryptocurrency activity.
Before the start of the next legislative session in January, state lawmakers are holding committee hearings on a list of issues designated by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the Senate and House Speaker Dustin Burrows. Those topics include reducing elder fraud and regulating cryptocurrency and associated technologies, including crypto kiosks.
LUBBOCK (The Texas Tribune) – Faculty groups sued Texas Tech Chancellor Brandon Creighton and the university system’s regents Wednesday, asking a federal judge in El Paso to block classroom restrictions they say have censored professors who teach about race, gender identity and sexual orientation and intentionally discriminated against Black faculty.
The lawsuit, brought by the Texas American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers and the national American Association of University Professors, challenges two memos Creighton issued after becoming chancellor last year.
The groups argue the restrictions outlined in the memos violate the First Amendment by allowing Texas Tech officials to suppress viewpoints they dislike, violate the Fourteenth Amendment by leaving professors unsure what they can teach without being disciplined and discriminate against Black faculty by singling out instruction about Black history, racial inequality and efforts to remedy it.
Creighton’s first memo, issued Dec. 1, told faculty they could face discipline if they did not comply with new limits on course content involving race, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. It required faculty to submit course material related to those topics for regents to review and approve.
A second memo, issued April 9, went further, ordering the phase-out of academic programs centered on sexual orientation and gender identity and requiring professors in core and lower-level undergraduate courses to use alternate materials if readings, assignments or lectures included those topics.
The memo said some material could still be taught if needed for patient care, professional credentials or advanced coursework, but the lawsuit argues those exceptions were applied inconsistently.
The policies apply across the five-institution system, which includes Texas Tech University, two health sciences centers, Angelo State University and Midwestern State University.
The complaint includes new accounts of how the restrictions have been applied. It alleges a Texas Tech Health Sciences Center professor in Lubbock was told medical students could not participate in or observe care for transgender patients, even when those patients sought treatment for unrelated conditions such as hypertension, migraines or cancer. It also says a professor was told a Holocaust course would have to leave the core curriculum if it included instruction on gay and bisexual victims of the Nazis, and that regents barred professors from teaching Plato’s Republic and Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ National Book Award-winning book about racism in America.
The complaint also alleges an instructor at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso was told to not use the word “disparity” in class, affecting their ability to adequately teach students because El Paso County residents have a higher prevalence of diabetes. In addition, women along the Texas-Mexico border have a higher rate of cervical cancer mortality, children are hospitalized more for asthma in border counties, and the pregnancy-related mortality rate among Black women in Texas is 2.5 times higher than that of white women, according to the complaint.
One of the medical-training allegations underscores the lawsuit’s claim that Texas Tech’s stated exceptions were confusing and inconsistently applied. Creighton’s memos said some material could still be taught when needed for patient care or professional credentials. But the complaint says the Lubbock professor was initially required to remove material about transgender and intersex patients from a medical school course, even though the professor considered it vital to the course and necessary for medical certification exams. The professor was later told medical students could treat transgender patients during third- and fourth-year clinical rotations, according to the complaint, but only after some students’ rotations had already passed.
The groups are asking a judge to declare Creighton’s memos unconstitutional and block the system from enforcing them or any similar policy. The lawsuit, saying faculty members have already had to certify compliance for summer and fall courses, argues the restrictions will continue to harm them as well as deprive students of instruction they would otherwise receive.
A Texas Tech System spokeswoman rejected the lawsuit’s allegations.
“Our commitment to academic integrity and the First Amendment rights of our students will not be distracted by lawsuits as we continue to deliver rigorous academic programs, relevant coursework and groundbreaking research,” spokeswoman Erin Wilson said in a statement.
Wilson also pushed back on several allegations in the complaint. Teaching about civil rights and historical events, including Nazi crimes, is permitted and instructors are not required to redact or remove works when sexual orientation or gender identity appears in adopted, industry-standard text or as an incidental reference, she said.
The board of regents also has not altered or rejected any course at Texas Tech’s health sciences centers, she said.
Creighton has previously defended the restrictions as necessary to comply with state and federal law and ensure students are provided with “degrees of value.”
In a December interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education cited in the complaint, Creighton said Texas Tech works to send a message that its “door is open to every walk of life” and said the restrictions were meant to foster “diversity of viewpoint.” Asked whether restricting teaching on gender identity, sexuality and race helped achieve that, Creighton said yes and described the guidance as a “continuum of common sense.”
Creighton, a former Republican state senator, became chancellor in November. In the Senate, he chaired the Higher Education Committee and authored Senate Bill 37, a 2025 law that gave governor-appointed regents more authority over curriculum. Creighton’s Dec. 1 memo described Texas Tech’s course review as the “first step” in implementing that law.
The lawsuit argues Creighton’s memos go beyond what lawmakers ultimately passed. An earlier version of SB 37 would have required regents to eliminate curriculum that taught “identity politics” or was based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression or privilege are inherent in the U.S. or Texas institutions. That language did not become part of the law, but the faculty groups argue Creighton later imposed those restrictions after becoming chancellor.
The complaint points to his broader record as a lawmaker to support its claim that the memos were motivated, at least in part, by racial discrimination. It says that after the George Floyd protests, Creighton opposed efforts to remove Confederate monuments and symbols, backed unsuccessful restrictions on teaching called critical race theory at public universities and colleges and authored Senate Bill 17, the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs in higher education.
“Chancellor Creighton is trying to do through fiat what he couldn’t accomplish in the Texas legislature: erase the history, identities and lived experiences of LGBTQ people and people of color from the classroom,” said Nicholas Hite, senior attorney at Lambda Legal.
The faculty groups are represented by Lambda Legal, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.
Texas Tech is not the only Texas university system to restrict course content involving race, gender identity or sexual orientation. Texas A&M University System regents approved a similar policy in November, after a viral recording showed a student confronting a Texas A&M professor over gender identity content in a children’s literature class. That controversy led to the professor’s firing, the removal of two college leaders from their administrative roles and the resignation of the university president as well as a systemwide course audit.
The A&M policy, which was approved before Creighton’s memos, says no system academic course may advocate “race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity” unless the course and relevant materials are approved in advance by the university president. It also says faculty may not teach material inconsistent with a course’s approved syllabus.
Asked why the groups sued Texas Tech and not Texas A&M, Texas AAUP-AFT President Teresa Klein said the organizations are focused on Texas Tech for now but “will be exploring everything.”
Antonio Ingram II, senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said Texas Tech represents “one of the most egregious forms of censorship we’ve seen nationwide,” pointing to restrictions on graduate student research and the closure of entire departments. A favorable ruling could affect other systems, including Texas A&M and the University of Texas System, though additional lawsuits might still be needed, he said.
The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
Disclosure: Chronicle of Higher Education, Open Campus, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) – State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, raised a staggering $30 million from April through June, his campaign announced Wednesday — more than triple the amount brought in by his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The haul is a record total for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year, Talarico’s campaign said, noting he has now raised more than $70 million from over 1.5 million donations, including 780,000 individual contributors, since launching his bid in September.
“I’m honored to stand alongside more than 780,000 neighbors who are tired of being divided into teams — red versus blue, left versus right, rural versus urban,” Talarico, D-Austin, said in a statement. “We are uniting Texans onto one team to change this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for working families.”
Earlier Wednesday, Paxton’s campaign said he had raised over $9 million in the second quarter of the year — a personal best and the largest amount announced by any non-incumbent Senate GOP candidate this cycle, per his campaign. Both campaigns had yet to file their second-quarter reports, due July 15 to the Federal Election Commission, identifying their donors and how much cash they have on hand.
Talarico’s mammoth fundraising has boosted Democratic hopes that he could become the first Democrat to turn a Senate seat blue since 1988, particularly against Paxton, the Republican nominee who has historically posted relatively weak fundraising totals. Some of Talarico’s fundraising edge could be neutralized, however, by a recent Supreme Court ruling that empowers Paxton to tap into the national GOP’s deep coffers.
Recent public polling has found the race essentially tied.
Talarico’s second-quarter haul easily outpaced those of Texas’ recent Democratic Senate nominees, including the $10.4 million raised by former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the same period in 2018. Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred raised $7.9 million from April through June 2024 on his way to besting O’Rourke’s then-record fundraising.
Talarico broke records in the first three months of this year, too, when he took in a whopping $27 million — more than any other federal candidate in the country over that stretch.
“Running a truly competitive campaign in a state with nearly three times the population of any other battleground state will take unprecedented resources,” Talarico campaign manager Seth Krasne said in a statement. “While the Supreme Court creates new loopholes for billionaires and special interests to prop up their puppets, we’re going to continue building a movement to take back power for working people. Because Big Money is nothing compared to People Power.”
Talarico has sworn off corporate PAC donations, and his campaign said 97% of donations to his bid were $100 or less. The most common profession among his contributors, his campaign added, was teachers.
Texas did not land on national Democrats’ initial list of top Senate targets this cycle, with Alaska, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio seen as the party’s prime pickup opportunities. But turmoil surrounding Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee in Maine, this week has sharpened the importance of Talarico’s campaign to Democrats’ quest to retake the Senate.
Platner ended his bid Wednesday after a woman who dated him told Politico he raped her nearly five years ago and numerous Democrats called on him to drop out of the race. He has denied the allegation.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — An 18-year-old recent New Summerfield ISD graduate has died following a Saturday crash in Cherokee County, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced. A preliminary investigation revealed that the crash occurred on July 4 at around 11 p.m. on FM 2064 near State Highway 135 involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee. DPS confirmed the identity of the driver as 18-year-old Guadalupe Moreira.
Officials believe Moreira veered off the roadway and struck a tree, causing the car to catch fire. DPS said Moreira was pronounced dead on the scene, and an investigation remains ongoing with no further information available at this time.
Following her death, a GoFundMe has been created to help her family with the expenses of her upcoming funeral.
SMITH COUNTY – A man who was arrested in 2025 was recently indicted by a grand jury after being charged with financial abuse of the elderly. According to an arrest affidavit and our news partner KETK, 36-year-old Robert Lee, who worked as a contractor, convinced a person over the age of 65 to pay $64,000 to have their roof repaired after he and his partner convinced the homeowner that their roof was in danger of collapsing. After Lee and his partner had finished their alleged roof repairs, the homeowner had a new contractor come to the home to reevaluate the roof. The contractor informed the victim that Lee had lied to her and that the roof was in no danger of collapsing, according to authorities.
A detective from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office later arrived at the victim’s house and observed that Lee and his partner’s work appeared to have been damaged and covered with roofing tiles.
East Texas breeder who sold sick, aggressive dogs pleads guilty, faces up to 20 years
The detective later went into the victim’s attic to better observe the work Lee had done to the roof and allegedly discovered only one new piece of plywood placed over the hole that Lee had created in the roof. Continue reading Contractor indicted for elderly abuse
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK)– Stephen F. Austin State University announced earlier this week that it has approved a plan to phase out its Early Childhood Laboratory (ECHL) over the next five years.
According to the university, under the new plan, the ECHL will no longer allow infants to enroll in the program starting at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. Additionally, children already enrolled in the program will be able to remain through completion.
A part of the university’s decision to phase out the ECHL, which once provided valuable learning opportunities, was due to fewer SFA students completing observations and clinical experiences there. The university said the decline was due to changes in the academic program landscape.
Financial concerns moving forward also forced the university to phase out the ECHL, after it claimed it had put $750,000 into the program over the past five years without receiving any revenue in return.
“This decision reflects the university’s responsibility to balance rising operating costs with available resources while continuing to invest in its academic mission,” the university said. “It is not a reflection of the quality of the ECHL or the dedication of its faculty and staff.”
HENDERSON COUNTY — A Dallas-area company, attempting to install dozens of high capacity water wells, is suing a groundwater conservation district to stop the company from drilling, according to our news partner, KETK. The lawsuit was filed against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, alleging a ‘deliberate scheme’ to stop Ranch Holding, LLC, and Pine Bliss from drilling.
It was filed in federal court on Tuesday. This stems from a longtime dispute, as they attempt to obtain permits to drill 43 water wells on their properties in Anderson and Henderson counties. Since then, the plaintiffs have faced several obstacles after the district suspended their permits and allegedly blocked them from filing new applications under a new moratorium that was adopted in May. Continue reading Water district sued over wells
TYLER – A Brownsboro man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in east Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
36-year-old Bradley Korral Gould, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison on July 6.
According to information presented in court, on October 4, 2024, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a shooting in Brownsboro, where they found Gould inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his upper thigh. While investigating the shooting, deputies located an abandoned backpack on the roadside between Gould’s vehicle and the location of the reported shooting. Continue reading Trafficker gets prison time
General view of a demolished building at Caraballeda after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Venezuela and other regions in the Caribbean on June 27, 2026, in La Guaira, Venezuela.(Photo by Edilzon Gamez/Getty Images)
(VENEZUELA) -- The death toll in Venezuela has climbed to at least 3,685 in the wake of the two powerful earthquakes that devastated the country, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said.
The pair of earthquakes struck on June 24, knocking down buildings, sending residents fleeing for safety and trapping some survivors under the rubble for days. Thousands were injured and more than 26,000 people were impacted, including those who lost homes or saw serious damage to their homes, officials said.
Nine Americans are among the dead, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Fox News on Tuesday.
John Barrett, Chargé d'Affaires of the American embassy in Caracas, said Tuesday that the U.S. was "assisting the Venezuelans in terms of storing and caring for the deceased remains that are being pulled out of the rubble."
"The government reports that they have accounted and identified the vast majority of bodies received, but they're continuing to go through that process, and as I understand it, are collecting DNA fingerprints, dental records from those bodies that they're in the process of still waiting to identify in coordination with family members," he said.
Barrett said the four U.S. urban search and rescue teams sent to Venezuela have "completed their mission and returned home."
"We are deeply grateful for their service. These highly skilled men and women helped save six lives and brought hope to countless families during Venezuela's darkest hours," he said. "The Department of State Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) remains on the ground, working alongside partners to deliver food, water, medical care, shelter, and other critical assistance to affected communities."
Click here for information on how to help the victims.
ABC News' Will Gretsky and Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in 'Dune: Part Three.' (Warner Bros. Pictures)
It's time to go back to Arrakis.
Warner Bros. Pictures has released the official trailer for Dune: Part Three, starring Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides.
Denis Villeneuve directed and wrote the script alongside Brian K. Vaughan for the third and final film in his Dune trilogy, based on Frank Herbert's novel Dune Messiah.
The new movie is set almost two decades after Paul Arteries took control of the Imperium.
"Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul must face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge, and betrayal lurks in every shadow. Haunted by visions of Imperial collapse and the reappearance of his long-lost love, Paul is drawn into a sweeping conspiracy, with Chani at the heart of its unfolding mystery," according to the film's official description. "As rebellion brews and enemies close in, Paul must confront the true cost of power and the fate of those he loves the most."
The trailer begins with Zendaya's Chani yelling at Chalamet's Paul.
"I trusted you! You promised me that you would never take power in your name. You convinced me that this was your home. That I was your home," she says.
We also see Jason Momoa's return to the Dune universe. Momoa previously portrayed Duncan Idaho in Dune: Part One. Now, his character is known as Hayt. He tells Paul that he is "way beyond redemption."
The trailer ends with Paul saying, "Forgive me for all I've done."
Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson and Isaach De Bankolé also star in the film, along with Charlotte Rampling, Anya Taylor-Joy and Javier Bardem. They're joined by newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke.
Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(BELLUVUE, Neb.) -- While Congress is out of session this week, a House Republican encountered a hostile crowd at a heated town hall meeting in Bellevue, Nebraska, Tuesday night – a sour reception that may preview the tenor other lawmakers could face heading into the midterm elections.
Rep. Mike Flood faced repeated boos and shouts from audience members as they pressed him on the SAVE America Act, Israel, NATO, the bipartisan housing bill, the Trump administration’s policies and more, as seen on video of the town hall recorded by ABC affiliate KETV in Omaha.
While it's uncertain how many in the audience were constituents, Tuesday's contentious event wasn't the first time Flood has found himself before angry crowds at town halls. Flood was shouted down and booed in Seward, Nebraska, where hundreds of people attended his town hall May 28 of last year, while defending the then-proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“F------ liar!” one attendee shouted at Flood Tuesday while he was discussing violent crime rates declining and the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation efforts.
“Listen, violent crime is down – ask the people of Washington, D.C., how much safer Washington is today compared to a year ago,” Flood said as the audience jeered.
“Violent crime is down in American cities. Violent crime is down in New York City. A lot of people that came here that were committing crimes have either been incarcerated or deported. The numbers speak for themselves,” Flood said.
Flood also was drowned out by the audience as he voiced his support for the proposed SAVE America Act and voter ID laws – key issues that are part of President Donald Trump's policy agenda.
“What I can't stand is what is so objectionable about having to show a driver's license, a passport, or a birth certificate at your place where you vote,” Flood said, as the attendees booed.
The congressman further said that while Nebraska in his "opinion" deals with “little” election fraud, he added, “when people believe that our elections are secure, it breeds respect for the law, our democracy, our country, our election leaders. There are so many benefits.”
A man in the audience demanded the congressman explain the evidence he has to back up claims of election fraud, which Trump continues to promote without evidence to support his claims. Flood pushed back, saying he believes Joe Biden was duly elected president in the 2020 election.
”I have never argued that there was an inaccurate result, and I always recognized Joe Biden was our president, so I am not a congressman that has ever made that claim,” Flood responded.
Constituents further heckled Flood when the congressman said, “I want to be very clear: We have no greater ally in the Middle East than Israel,” prompting loud boos from the audience.
“What happened in Israel was horrific,” Flood said, referring to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. “If that had happened on our soil, we as Americans would rise up and eliminate that threat.”
As the conversation continued to scrutinize the Trump administration's foreign policy, Flood also appeared to defend the administration’s actions in Iran.
“We need to finish the job. We cannot put up with a regime that in the last 12 months has killed 45,000 of their own people. That is wrong. We have to have moral clarity here,” he said. “I support Israel.”
While Trump attends the NATO Summit in Turkey, Flood said he fully supports the alliance, declaring it "has contributed greatly to the security of the world. I think they're an important part of us.”
Flood received a more positive response regarding other topics, such as when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin "a thug" and voiced his support for Ukraine. He also earned some applause when he expressed confidence that the bipartisan housing bill currently on Trump's desk will become law.
“If [Trump] doesn't sign it, it becomes law, and the good news about this is next week it's likely to be a public law,” he said. “That's what I'm focusing on – bipartisan common-sense results."
However, when Flood brought up the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes massive cuts to government benefits such as Medicaid and SNAP food assistance, the audience loudly booed. Several constituents raised concerns about losing SNAP benefits under the new law.
“I want people that are food insecure to get resources. I also want people that are able-bodied and can work to work. If you don't work, you shouldn't expect free healthcare,” Flood said.
Flood's comments about Medicaid prompted one audience member to shout "tax the rich" in response.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Two New World screwworm cases in dogs are among more than 30 confirmed instances in Texas and New Mexico, prompting warnings Wednesday from veterinarians and humane societies that pet owners need to remain vigilant to protect their animals.
The parasite reappeared in cattle the U.S. in June, more than 50 years after it had been largely eradicated from the country. The pest is actually the larvae of the New World screwworm fly. It eats live flesh and fluids rather than dead material, as the larvae of most fly species do.
Here is what to know about the parasite, the threat it poses to pets and how to protect them:
Screwworm fly larvae can infest any mammal
The fly’s migration north from Panama starting in 2024, and through Mexico in 2025, has agriculture officials warning that it poses a threat to the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry, but the larvae can hatch and breed in any mammal, including wildlife, dogs, cats and occasionally humans.
The problem develops when a female fly lays its eggs in open wounds and mucous. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed for about a week before maturing, dropping to the ground and continuing to develop into an adult fly.
The American Veterinary Medical Association says newborn animals and animals with open wounds or who have undergone surgery or other medical procedures recently are especially vulnerable. Even a tick bite can host an infestation, Aaron Grady, executive director of the Houston Humane Society shelter, said during a webinar on the screwworm. Infestation signs include restlessness and bad smell
Animal health experts say pet owners in areas where the screwworm is present — southern and southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico so far — should watch their animals closely and examine them for wounds, cuts and bites regularly.
Pet owners should look for any maggots or movement in a wound. Other signs include a foul smell and restlessness or anxiety in an animal, or an animal “hyper-fixating on looking or chewing in a certain area of the body,” said Melissa Stansell, a veterinarian at the shelter Austin Pets Alive!
Any of those signs are reason to contact a veterinarian for possible treatment. The affected animal is likely in a great deal of pain, and that can cause death from shock. The larvae also can cause death if they move into vital organs or by causing infections that turn deadly.
Flea, tick medications can stop an infestation
Humane society officials and veterinarians said shelters across Texas are trying to prevent infestations in animals by giving them prescription flea and tick medications. They recommend that pet owners do the same.
“It will kill the larvae as they ingest the blood and tissue,” Stansell said. “The chemical compositions of those products are what kill the actual larval stages of these flies.”
Veterinarians also can treat infestations and animals can recover if pet owners contact them quickly. Stansell said the treatment could include antibiotics.
“It is only fatal if left untreated,” she said.
An effort to eradicate the fly again is underway
The New World screwworm fly is a tropical species and decades ago would disappear each year when colder weather arrived with the fall or winter.
But state and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials aren’t waiting for the weather to turn. They’ve returned to an eradication method that worked decades ago, breeding sterile male flies and releasing them into the wild. The female New World screwworm fly mates once in her monthslong life, and if her partner is sterile, her eggs won’t hatch — causing the population in an area to drop and then disappear.
For years, the only factory breeding sterile flies in the Western Hemisphere was in Panama, but the USDA invested $21 million to convert a site in southern Mexico from breeding fruit flies to recently start breeding screwworm flies. The agency also plans to spend $750 million on a new fly factory in Texas, set to open next year.
Authorities respond to a residence in Harris County, Texas, following a lightning strike, July 7, 2026. (Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office)
(HOUSTON, Texas) -- A child was injured after lightning struck his Texas home and the electrical current traveled through the home's wiring, shocking him while he used a computer, according to authorities.
The incident occurred Tuesday in Cypress, a Houston suburb. The electrical current caused a small fire in the home's attic, in addition to injuring the boy, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.
The 14-year-old was evaluated by emergency medical services personnel at the scene and was not transported to a hospital, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.
The Cypress Creek Fire Department also responded, authorities said.
The investigation remains ongoing, Herman said.
The forecast for the Houston area on Tuesday called for isolated thunderstorms and showers.
Herman issued a safety warning following the incident, saying in a statement, "During thunderstorms, avoid using corded electronics and stay away from electrical wiring and plumbing, as lightning can travel through a home's electrical system."
HOUSTON (AP) — A Mexican national fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston had no criminal convictions during his decades living in the U.S. and was driving a crew to a homebuilding site when he was killed, his family and a Texas congresswoman said Wednesday.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was working toward securing legal status in the U.S. and knew what to do if stopped by ICE, his son said.
Ronaldo Salgado said his father may have been scared that the people in unmarked vehicles were coming to steal the tools he used for 35 years to build homes, from sunrise to sunset, so he could send his three American sons to college.
“He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of Mexican man shot and killed by ICE. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream,” Salgado said during a news conference.
The shooting happened Tuesday in Magnolia Park, a neighborhood that has been a hub for Houston’s Mexican American community for a century. Federal officials say their vehicle was rammed but don’t provide evidence
Salgado Araujo was shot after he ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer who fired his weapon in self-defense, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday in a statement. ICE officers were targeting him because he was living in the country without legal permission, according to the department, which oversees ICE. The man’s car struck an ICE vehicle, the department added.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said Salgado Araujo had no criminal convictions.
Houston firefighters said he was shot in the abdomen. He died at a hospital.
Three other men appeared to be detained as Salgado Araujo lay moaning on the ground, according to his son, who said one of them was his uncle and that no one has heard from any of them since.
Federal officials have not released video or images of the shooting or the alleged damage to the vehicles. Salgado on Tuesday joined civil rights groups and Democratic officials in urging federal authorities to release all the footage and other information it has on the shooting.
In several other shootings involving federal officers, initial descriptions by immigration officials have sometimes been contradicted later by video evidence.
A video shot by bystander Juliet Martinez shows a black vehicle angled towards a white van, their doors wide open. A bleeding and handcuffed man groans loudly on the ground and his leg shakes. Other federal officers stand over at least three other handcuffed men. Civil rights groups say ICE can’t be trusted with the investigation
The federal crackdown has created a country where it is “open season on Latinos” by officers who think they can “shoot and explain later,” League of United Latin American Citizens President Roman Palomares said during the news conference.
The way ICE has handled previous investigations shows they have not earned the trust of taking their statements as facts without evidence like video to back it up, he said.
“Your pattern has been one of inaccuracies of prejudicial leaks before the facts are known, of twisting the narrative to fit your version of events,” Palomares said.
The league offered a $5,000 reward for information and videos from witnesses as it calls for an independent investigation. Other civil rights leaders begged anyone with videos to not turn them over to ICE, which they said could destroy them.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Salgado Araujo’s family and the community deserve the truth but federal authorities are exclusively handling the investigation at this time. There’s been an uptick in arrests in recent weeks
Representatives of ICE and DHS have not responded to repeated requests for comment Wednesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin took over the department in March with the aim of keeping it away from the controversies that had marked the tenure of his predecessor, Kristi Noem.
In the months after two fatal shootings in Minnesota sparked a fierce backlash, the number of immigration arrests across the country fell and ICE appeared to recalibrate its tactics. But in late June, arrests around the country surged to 10,000 over a five-day period, fueled in part by massive Congressional funding.
The shooting was at least the eighth death resulting from an encounter with federal immigration officers since the start of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Son says his father worked hard for decades
Ronaldo Salgado said his mother was told something bad had happened to his dad around 7 a.m. Tuesday. After frantically looking for him at his job site and finding his empty van, he saw a video.
“I recognized him, not from his appearance but from his voice crying for help as he lay on the street,” Salgado said.
Salgado Araujo met his wife as a teenager in Mexico. They came to America and built their own home in Houston with help from friends and family who worked on his crew. His wife made his lunch before he left for the day and had a hearty meal ready when he came home. He would listen to music and pet his dog on his porch, Salgado said.
“After nearly 35 years of working to give us the American dream, he made the choice to begin the process of obtaining his American dream through a work permit,” Salgado said. “We dotted every I, crossed every T, filled every document, attended every appointment. He was close to obtaining his legal status.”
Salgado Araujo had biometric scan and fingerprints done earlier this year, his son said, and had carefully studied what to do if ICE pulled him over. If he was speeding away, it was probably because he feared having his tools stolen, his son said.
“Had my father seen an emblem of ICE or an emblem that says anything about a law enforcement agency, my father would have complied,” his son said. Mexico’s president criticizes the latest killing
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is considering legal measures or may ask the United Nations to step in to stop the violence against Mexicans in the United States.
“There has been another tragic death of one of our compatriots in the United States due to detention issues, even though their only ‘offense’ is not yet having proper documentation,” Sheinbaum said.
Texas’ largest city has experienced heightened enforcement operations since the crackdown began last year, and not without public backlash. The Houston City Council voted to pass an ordinance limiting ICE cooperation but reversed course after Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, threatened to cut more than $100 million in state funding for public safety.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(MILWAUKEE) -- Hannah Dugan, a former Wisconsin judge who was found guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents, was spared prison time, according to ABC Milwaukee affiliate WISN, which was in the courtroom for the sentencing on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said prison was unnecessary and imposed a $5,000 fine, according to WISN.
Dugan, 67, faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Adelman described the former judge as a dedicated public servant who "made a bad decision in the moment."
"This is a person who has done a lot of good for our community,” Adelman said, according to WISN.
Dugan addressed the court prior to her sentencing, saying that during her nine years as judge, she "strived to do my best to uphold justice," according to WISN.
"I've been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who was just trying to do my job," she said, WISN reported.
The defense had asked for time served, arguing in a filing ahead of sentencing that the circumstances of the offense were "isolated and unique" and that Dugan has been a "exemplary member of this community."
"As a result of her conviction in this case, Hannah Dugan has lost the judicial job she loved and that was the culmination of a career spent serving others," her defense wrote. "Sentencing need not do worse to her."
The government had argued for a "meaningful sentence," stating in a filing prior to sentencing that this was a "serious offense, and it warrants a correspondingly serious sentence."
"The Court’s sentence should not only reflect the personal consequences to the defendant but also the broader institutional harm caused when a judge obstructs the lawful administration of justice," the federal prosecutors wrote.
Dugan was accused of obstructing official Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings and knowingly concealing an undocumented man from immigration authorities at a courthouse in April 2025 while serving as a Milwaukee County Circuit judge.
A jury found her guilty of obstructing federal agents and not guilty of concealing an undocumented immigrant from arrest during the courthouse incident following a weeklong trial in December 2025. She resigned the following month.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY – The maintenance director at Martin’s Mill ISD was taken into custody on Tuesday for an outstanding warrant from Dallas County charging him with indecency with a child.
According to our news partner KETK and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, Larry Plant was taken and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on Tuesday. The arrest was made after he was found by members of the Texas Attorney General’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit and deputies from the sheriff’s office.
The department said Martin’s Mill ISD was made aware of Plant’s arrest and fully cooperated throughout the process.
“This arrest is another example of the working relationships between law enforcement agencies and our local institutions,” Sheriff Kevin Bridger said. “By working together, we remain committed to protecting our community and ensuring those accused of serious crimes are taken into custody safely and professionally.”
FLINT — A multi-vehicle crash on Highway 155 has left four dead and one transported with major injuries early Thursday morning, according to Smith County ESD 2 and our news partner KETK. The Texas Department of Public Safety said a Toyota Highlander was driving in the wrong lane, which caused a head-on collision with a Cadillac.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — An 18-year-old recent New Summerfield ISD graduate has died following a Saturday crash in Cherokee County, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced. A preliminary investigation revealed that the crash occurred on July 4 at around 11 p.m. on FM 2064 near State Highway 135 involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee. DPS confirmed the identity of the driver as 18-year-old Guadalupe Moreira.
TYLER – A Brownsboro man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in east Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
