RFK Jr. tells staff he will ‘investigate’ childhood vaccine schedule, anti-depression drugs

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(WASHINGTON) -- Freshly confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a room packed with federal health workers on Tuesday that he plans to "investigate" whether the timing of childhood vaccinations and anti-depression medications are among several "possible factors" in the nation's problem with chronic diseases.

"Nothing is going to be off limits," Kennedy told the large crowd Tuesday.

The campaign-style speech at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters was intended for staff only, although a livestream link was circulated. Staff was invited to meet him afterward, and an emailed invitation sent earlier to HHS workers noted "selfies are welcome!"

Kennedy's offer of selfies with staff came amid widespread firings and resignations across the federal government were underway, including at HHS. Agency officials have not provided details on the firings, including what the impact there could be.

According to people familiar with the effort, some 700 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were fired late last week.

Kennedy urged staff to keep an "open mind" on Tuesday as he planned to turn the agency's vast resources to revisit matters considered as settled science.

"We will convene representatives of all viewpoints to study the causes for the drastic rise in chronic disease," Kennedy said. "Some of the possible factors we will investigate were formally taboo or insufficiently scrutinized."

He then gave a list of these "possible factors" to investigate including the childhood vaccine schedule and "SSRI and other psychiatric drugs," referring to federally approved drugs that help treat such conditions as depression and anxiety.

Studies do not suggest vaccines or SSRIs are to blame for chronic illnesses, such as autism or obesity. Critics argue Kennedy's rhetoric could create more doubt and public mistrust of these medicines.

Also on his list was electromagnetic radiation, herbicides and pesticides, ultra-processed foods, artificial food, allergies, microplastics and long-lasting chemicals used in the production of non-stick pans. Scientists are actively exploring the possible health impacts of environmental toxins, with some studies suggesting they could play a role in chronic illnesses.

Kennedy's willingness to revisit the childhood vaccine schedule appears to be at odds with his Senate testimony in January in which he told skeptical lawmakers that he specifically supported federal recommendations.

"I support vaccines. I support the vaccine schedule. I support good science," Kennedy testified last month.

Vaccinating infants and young children is widely recommended as a way to prevent kids from being exposed to life-threatening diseases like measles and to protect other children in school.

Kennedy has previously pushed a debunked claim that vaccines cause autism, despite numerous large-scale studies finding no connection. He appeared to walk back that claim in his Senate testimony last month, and told lawmakers he wouldn't try to change the vaccine schedule for children.

ABC's Soo Youn and Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.

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Judge poised to block limitations on transgender service members

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(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge appears poised to block the Trump administration if the Department of Defense attempts to place limitations on or ban transgender service members.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes is still hearing arguments Tuesday in the case but signaled deep skepticism with the claim that transgender service members lessen the military’s lethality or readiness.

“You and I both agree that the greatest fighting force that world history has ever seen is not going to be impacted in any way by less than 1% of the soldiers using a different pronoun than others might want to call them. Would you agree with that?” Judge Reyes asked during a hearing this morning.

“No, Your Honor, I'm not. I can't agree with that,” a lawyer for the Department of Justice responded.

At issue is Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order that directed the DOD to update its guidance "regarding trans-identifying medical standards for military service and to rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness." While the Department of Defense has not issued final guidance on transgender service members, the order led to a pause in gender affirming care for service members and is expected to lead to a significant curtailment of transgender service members based on “readiness and lethality."

With the DOD policy expected to be finalized over the coming week, Reyes said she would hold off on issuing an order but had largely made up her mind about the legality of the order, at one point remarking that “smarter people on the D.C. Circuit would have to tell me I’m wrong” about the policy. She added that the central premise of the executive order -- that only two genders exist -- is “not biologically correct.”

Reyes also raised concerns about the wording of the executive order, which she criticized for being intentionally imprecise and a pretext for a ban on transgender soldiers.

“If we had President Trump here right now, and I said to him, 'Is this a transgender ban?' What do you think he would say?” Reyes asked.

“I have no idea, Your Honor,” said DOJ attorney Jason Lynch.

“I do. He would say, 'Of course it is.' Because he calls it a transgender ban, because all the language in it is indicative,” Reyes said.

The judge -- who began the hearing by noting that every service member regardless of their gender ideology “deserves our gratitude” -- also spent a portion of the hearing questioning Lynch about the group of transgender soldiers who filed the lawsuit.

“If you were in a foxhole, you wouldn't care about these individuals' gender ideology, right? You would just be happy that someone with that experience and that bravery and that honorable service to the country was sitting right next to you. Right?” Reyes asked.

“Don't want to testify as a witness, Your Honor, or offer my personal views of hypothetical,” Lynch responded before conceding, “If I were in a foxhole, I doubt that the gender identity would be a primary concern.”

Reyes also pushed the lawyer for the Department of Justice -- who she later commended for arguing his case well -- to admit that the transgender soldiers made the country “safer.”

“Are they honorable, truthful, and disciplined?" Reyes asked. "As far as I know, among them, they have over 60 years of military service.”

“That's correct,” Lynch said.

“And you would agree that together, the plaintiffs have made America safer?” Reyes asked.

“I would agree, yes,” Lynch said.

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Lady Gaga to host & perform on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in March

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Lady Gaga performed on the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary concert on Peacock Friday, but on March 8 she'll be on NBC, hosting and performing on an episode of the show.

The first time Gaga pulled double duty on an SNL episode was back in 2013, when she hosted and performed while promoting her album Artpop. In addition to that episode, she's been a musical guest three times. Her appearance on March 8 will come a day after her new album, Mayhem, is released.

Meanwhile, comedian Shane Gillis will host the March 1 episode of the show, with musical guest Tate McRae. Gillis was actually announced as a new SNL cast member in 2019, but was fired days later after controversial comments he'd made on a podcast in 2018 came to light. However, he returned to host an episode of the show in 2024 to mixed reviews. 

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Top criminal prosecutor in DC US Attorney’s office abruptly resigns amid pressure from Trump officials

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(WASHINGTON) -- The chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney's Office for Washington, D.C. abruptly resigned Tuesday amid pressure from top Trump Justice Department appointees to freeze assets stemming from a Biden administration-era environmental initiative, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

A resignation letter sent to the office's employees by prosecutor Denise Cheung did not detail specific reasons for her sudden departure from the office, but encouraged prosecutors to continue adhering to the Constitution.

"Please continue to support one another, to fulfill your commitment to pursuing justice without fear or prejudice, and to be kind to, and take care of, yourselves," Cheung said. "You are the resource our nation has."

Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Cheung was under pressure from Department of Justice (DOJ) leadership, including acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, to launch a formal criminal investigation into an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding initiative pursued under the Biden administration, a request Cheung believed lacked the proper predication to initiate a grand jury investigation.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has previously addressed with DOJ their effort to rescind contracts tied to the so-called Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. DOJ's intervention in the process can only come when prosecutors can credibly allege that the funds are tied to a crime.

Cheung's resignation letter comes just one day after President Trump announced Martin as his nominee for U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. amid a wave of controversial actions and statements by Martin in his weeks leading the office, actions that have led to growing consternation among career prosecutors.

As ABC News has previously reported, Martin has represented defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and was on Capitol grounds himself on that day, though it's unclear whether he ever entered areas officially designated as restricted.

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment.

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Longview man gets ten years probation for 2022 fatal crash

Longview man gets ten years probation for 2022 fatal crashSMITH COUNTY – A man has been sentenced to ten years of probation in connection to a 2022 fatal crash.

Guillermo Zuniga Jr., 25 of Longview, was facing a charge of criminally negligent homicide after he and Carlos Tello Parrà, 33 of Longview, got in a crash on County Road 384 north of Tyler, on Dec. 14, 2022.The 2015 GMC Sierra they were riding in was heading north when the vehicle left the road and hit a tree, authorities told KETK in 2022. Parrà was pronounced dead at the scene.

Zuninga had incapacitating injuries in the crash and had to be treated at a local hospital. He was given deferred adjudication by 241st Judicial District Court Judge Debby Gunter on Thursday meaning he’ll avoid a guilty verdict if he completes ten years of probation.

24 Texas Dairy Queen restaurants to close

24 Texas Dairy Queen restaurants to closeNACOGDOCHES — With 24 Dairy Queen locations set to close across Texas, people can now purchase a variety of restaurant items and equipment as part of an ongoing auction.

The “complete contents” of various Dairy Queen restaurants will be auctioned on Local Auctions until Thursday afternoon. Buyers will be responsible for disassembling all purchased items.
“Multiple Dairy Queen locations are closing their doors and must liquidate the assets. Bid on a large variety of restaurant assets and related items that need to be removed from the location,” the auction website said.

To see the full list of closing locations posted by our news partner, KETK, click here.

Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet featured alongside her in launch of new brand

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Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is sharing new details about her lifestyle brand, including a new name, and debuting it alongside a photo with her daughter, Lilibet.

Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, shared in an Instagram video Monday that her still-to-be-launched brand is now named As Ever, a change from the brand's previous name of American Riviera Orchard.

"‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’. If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me," Meghan wrote on Instagram, referring to the blog she ran before marrying Harry in 2018. "This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday."

Meghan has not yet revealed when products from her As Ever brand will be available for sale.

A new website for the brand invites people to subscribe by email, saying, "Save your seat at the table."

The only image on the website so far is a photo of Meghan running in an open field alongside her daughter, Lilibet, who will turn 4 in June.

Harry and Meghan are also the parents of a 5-year-old son, Archie.

Harry appears to make an offscreen appearance in Meghan's Instagram video, handing her the phone as he tells her, "It's recording."

From there, Meghan says with a smile about her new project, "The cat's out of the bag."

Describing her decision to rename her brand As Ever, Meghan said she felt the name American Riviera Orchard — a nickname for the area of Santa Barbara, California, where she and Harry and their two children live — "limited" what she could do with the brand.

"It limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area," Meghan said of the name, which she previously launched with its own Instagram account last March.

Along with announcing the new name As Ever, Meghan also revealed Monday that Netflix — the home of her upcoming lifestyle show — will partner with her on the brand.

"Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business. which was huge," she said. "So I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022, and this is the moment, and it’s called As Ever."

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Judge to consider temporarily blocking Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs

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(WASHINGTON) -- A judge on Tuesday will consider whether to temporarily block the Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs across the federal government, in one of several lawsuits challenging Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's large-scale effort to slash the federal workforce.

The lawsuit, filed last week by a coalition of five federal workers' unions, alleges that the Trump administration's ongoing effort to fire massive numbers of federal employees across multiple agencies -- including its recent deferred resignation offer to more than 2 million federal employees -- violates Congress' power to establish a federal workforce, as well as federal procedures that dictate how the workforce should be reduced.

"The Executive Branch acting as the 'woodchipper for bureaucracy' conflicts with Congress's role as the creator, funder, and mission setter for the executive branch agencies," the lawsuit said.

The unions, which represent hundreds of thousands of employees across dozens of federal agencies and departments, are seeking a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration, claiming that the mass reduction of the federal work force will lead to a "critical" loss of revenues for unions as well as their influence at the bargaining table.

The National Treasury Employees Union, the unions claimed, stands to lose "as much as half of its dues revenue and around half of the workers that it represents."

Lawyers with the Department of Justice have pushed back against the allegations, arguing that an order blocking the changes would "interfere with the President's ability to manage, shape, and streamline the federal workforce to more closely reflect policy preferences and the needs of the American public."

"[T]he President is charged with directing the Executive Branch workforce, and he has determined that the politically accountable heads of his agencies should take steps to streamline and modernize the workforce through measures including voluntary deferred resignations, removal of certain probationary employees, and RIFs [reductions in force]," the Justice Department wrote in a court filing.

The government also claimed that President Donald Trump's executive action ordering the reductions is "consistent with applicable law," and dismissed the unions' concerns over their potential loss of revenues and bargaining power as "speculative."

Since Trump returned to the White House, Musk, named by Trump as the head of DOGE, has been spearheading efforts to reduce the size of government, slash thousands of federal contracts, cut programs deemed to be wasteful, and root out fraud.

After ending its deferred resignation offer last week amid court battles challenging the program, the Trump administration has begun layoffs by targeting mostly probationary employees -- recent hires who joined the federal workforce within the last one to two years, depending on the agency, and have fewer protections.

This initial round of layoffs could impact more than 200,000 workers hired by the federal government within the last two years, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management.

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Dramatic video shows moment Delta plane flipped after landing in Toronto

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(TORONTO) -- New, dramatic video shows the moment Delta Flight 4819 caught fire and rolled over upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport Monday afternoon.

This video -- which was given to investigators, who are now reviewing it -- shows the plane reach the ground, erupt in flames, bounce on the runway and then overturn.

The aircraft came to a stop upside-down on the snow covered Toronto runway.

The 76 passengers and four crew evacuated the plane, which originated in Minneapolis.

Everyone survived, but at least 21 people were taken to hospitals. As of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released, according to Delta.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation. Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are assisting.

The CRJ 900 aircraft was operated by Endeavor Air.

"Our most pressing priority remains taking care of all customers and Endeavor crew members who were involved," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. "We’ll do everything we can to support them and their families in the days ahead, and I know the hearts, thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta community are with them. We are grateful for all the first responders and medical teams who have been caring for them."

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Hamas to release 6 more hostages, bodies of 4 others

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(LONDON) -- Hamas will release six more hostages on Saturday and the bodies of four deceased hostages on Thursday, Hamas and Israel confirmed.

Four more dead hostages are expected to be released next week in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, according to Israeli officials.

The hostages who will be released on Saturday have been identified as Eliya Cohen, 27; Tal Shoham, 40; Omer Shem Tov, 22; Omer Wenkrat, 23; Hisham Al-Sayed, 36; and Avera Mengistu, 39, according to Israeli officials and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum

Hamas accused Israel of procrastinating and evading engaging in the negotiations of the second phase and said it is ready to engage in negotiations to implement the terms of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Last week, Hamas threatened to not release hostages over the weekend, saying Israel was not holding up its end of the ceasefire by delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, targeting them with gunfire and slowing down aid and said the hostage-prisoner exchange would be postponed.

Hamas later said the exchange will take place as planned and released three hostages on Saturday. The three hostages freed from captivity were U.S. national Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horn and Sasha Troufanov.

In exchange for Hamas releasing three more Israeli hostages, Israel freed another 369 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, most of whom were arrested in the Gaza Strip after the terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

President Donald Trump had issued a deadline last week, telling Hamas to release all remaining hostages by Saturday or he would leave it up to Israel to decide whether to violate the ceasefire and continue fighting.

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East Texas school districts announce delays for Wednesday

East Texas school districts announce delays for WednesdaySULPHUR SPRINGS — As East Texans prepare for below-freezing temperatures, school districts have announced class delays to ensure students and staff remain safe while on the road.

Tonight, rain will come to an end and temperatures will plummet into the 20s by Wednesday morning. There could be a brief period of wintry mix, especially closer to I-30, before the precipitation ends. Impacts are expected to be minimal, but there could be a few slick spots on area roadways.

Our news partner, KETK, has an updated list of the delays. You can view the list by clicking here.

States with abortion bans see more births but also more infant deaths, studies show

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(WASHINGTON) -- New research shows the far-reaching effects of the abortion bans that have proliferated the United States since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Three new studies have provided some of the first nationwide data on the effects of those bans in the states where they are currently active -- revealing more births but also a rise in infant deaths.

The impact of those bans have even spread to states where abortion is still legal, the studies showed.

In the first study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that birth rates rose 1.7% in states with abortion bans. It showed that the bans primarily affect racial minorities, younger individuals and those with lower income or education, especially in the South.

"Those experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in the states amongst the worst in maternal and child health outcomes experience the greatest impact of these abortion bans on the number of live births,” Suzanne Bell, PhD, MPH, the paper’s lead author and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told ABC News.

“Many of these occurred in states with among the weakest social services and worst outcomes, potentially deepening existing disparities and placing additional burdens on already strained resources,” she said.

At the same time, infant deaths rose in states with abortion bans, according to another Johns Hopkins study. Analyzing birth and death records from 2012 to 2023, Bell’s team noted 478 more infant deaths than expected in 14 states with the bans. The highest increases were seen in Black infants (about an 11% higher death rate), infants in Southern states and infants born with severe medical conditions.

“When you look at Texas' contribution to the overall findings, we see that Texas is responsible for 73% of the additional births and 80% of the excess infant deaths,” Bell said.

But states without bans have also felt the effects.

Abortion also rose in Colorado, a state that maintained access to abortion with no gestational limits, according to a research letter recently published in JAMA Network Open.

Colorado State University researchers found that abortions for out-of-state residents in Colorado rose from 13% in 2020 to 30% in 2023. Abortions among Colorado residents also peaked six months after Texas’ abortion ban, with an 11% increase in first-trimester abortions and an 83% increase in second-trimester abortions compared to before the ban.

The surge in demand led to delays, possibly raising costs, emotional toll and procedure complexity, the authors said. However, second-trimester abortions have since stabilized, possibly due to expanded telehealth, self-managed abortions and access in other states, they added.

Currently, abortion is illegal in 12 states, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and 29 states have some sort of abortion limitation based on gestational age. Nine states have no restriction on abortion.

“The literature we have demonstrates that not being able to obtain an abortion has negative physical, mental and economic implications for birthing persons, their children and their families -- and undermines achieving health equity,” Bell said. “These bans are deepening or worsening some of these existing population health disparities that exist.”

Jessica Yang, DO, is a family medicine resident at Main Line Health Bryn Mawr Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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Despite Trump’s comments on Gaza, some Arab Americans still support him

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(WASHINGTON) -- While President Donald Trump's comments about wanting to "clean out" Gaza and forcibly displace its nearly 2 million Palestinians have stirred outrage and accusations of ethnic cleansing among U.S. allies and international law experts, some members of the Arab American community still believe he was a better choice than Vice President Kamala Harris.

"I don't regret having supported the president. He promised us an end to the war, and he was able to get a ceasefire for us in Gaza, and for that we are grateful. Imagine how many hundreds of Palestinians we've been able to save because of the ceasefire," Bishara Bahbah, the chairman for Arab Americans for Peace told ABC News.

Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire-hostage exchange deal five days before Trump was sworn into office. Both President Joe Biden and Trump have taken credit for the ceasefire deal.

The Biden-Harris administration faced criticism from the Arab American community due to its perceived unconditional support for Israel in its war on Gaza. More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people and hundreds more were taken captive.

"President Biden was asleep at the wheel, ignoring our our pleas with him. So we decided to tell President Biden that because you have ignored us, we are going to punish you at the polls, and that's one of the major reasons why we decided to establish Arab Americans for Trump," Bahbah said.

Many prominent Arab-American advocacy groups and community leaders threw their support behind Trump or Green Party candidate Jill Stein due to the Biden administration's stance on Gaza.

"For many people, this was very painful. This was not an easy choice, because they were looking at what was going on in Gaza, it was very hard for them to support President Biden," and later Vice President Harris, James Zoghby, the cofounder of the Arab American Institute, a political and policy organization that did not support Trump, told ABC News.

Now, with Trump proposing the forcible displacement of Palestinians, and attempting to pressure Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza -- by threatening to cut billions in aid -- some groups have maintained their support of Trump and are waiting to see what actions he takes and are maintaining their opposition to Harris and Biden.

"These were grotesque comments. They're unacceptable comments, they're absolutely horrific comments. But you know, at the end of the day, when you put them on a scale, they're comments. It's rhetoric, and I don't feel it is appropriate, nor is it honest to sit here and conflate it with the actions of the Biden-Harris administration, or to try and use that rhetoric to use it as a 'gotcha' moment to people who voted against the Biden-Harris administration," Hudhayfah Ahmad, the head of media for the Abandon Harris campaign, told ABC News.

The Abandon Harris campaign, which started as the Abandon Biden campaign, gave both Democratic Party candidates an ultimatum, asking for them to call for an unconditional ceasefire or lose the group's support. Biden and Harris did not meet the deadline set by the group to call for a ceasefire, according to Ahmad.

The Trump campaign was able to garner support from the Muslim American community largely in the last four weeks before the election by making public calls for a ceasefire and vowing to make it happen, Ahmad said.

"There was never really any support before that," Ahmad said.

"A considerable chunk of people who had previously committed to voting third party, said that I'm going to vote the Trump-Vance ticket at the top of the ticket, and I'll vote Green Party down ballot. I heard this from multiple people in multiple swing states," Ahmad said.

But some community leaders felt that despite the actions of the Biden Administration in Gaza, Trump would be worse.

"I was very much opposed to the hucksters who were trying to sell Jill Stein and to the folks who supported Donald Trump. It was a really not just a bad call, it was a dangerous call. And I felt that despite the insult, despite the hurt, we had a responsibility to think big. [Biden and Harris] were at fault for making our job more difficult," Zoghby said.

"The pain that we knew would occur if Donald Trump got back into the White House was too great to too many people," Zoghby said. "Even though [Biden and Harris] didn't give us what we needed, we still had to recognize that letting Donald Trump back into the White House was was going to be a disaster."

Arab Americans for Peace -- an advocacy group formerly called Arab Americans for Trump -- changed its name this month after hearing some of Trump's rhetoric surrounding the displacement of Palestinians, but a leader told ABC News they have not yet withdrawn their support for Trump.

"Our objective from the very beginning for supporting Trump was peace. We were telling the Biden administration continuously to stop its aid to the Israelis because the Israelis are committing genocide with the arms that are provided by the United States and Western Europe," Bahbah said.

"The change of the name does not mean that we are withdrawing our support for President Trump. It just means that we are going back to the root cause of our very existence, which is the promotion of peace in the Middle East," Bahbah said.

Even community leaders who did not support Trump as a candidate argued that he secured a ceasefire.

"Trump did this ceasefire solely for his own self interest and self image and self benefit. Nothing humanitarian about it at all," Ahmad said.

"It's hard to say that anyone feels regret [for supporting Trump] when you take into consideration that we are no longer seeing a daily influx of videos and pictures of children, men, women, elderly, being butchered with U.S. weaponry. That has stopped completely," Ahmad said.

Despite some holding onto support for Trump, his comments on forcibly displacing Palestinians drew sharp criticism from Arab Americans.

"We are totally opposed to the idea of displacing Palestinians out of Gaza. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians, and it is not for anyone in the world to tell the Palestinians to leave that territory," Bahbah said.

"Like my father, Palestinians are prepared to die on their homeland. And will not immigrate or be forced out of their homeland," Bahbah said.

"There's time to wait and see how things will evolve before I can say 'I am really angry with the president, and I no longer supporting him.' That is not the case right now, because it's just the beginning of that process. But I also believe that the coming four years are going to be critical for the Israel-Arab conflict," Bahbah said.

He said Arab Americans for Peace decided to support Trump because he promised to end the war in Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.

He believes Trump's pressure on Netanyahu stopped the war in Gaza.

But Bahbah said he believes Trump's recent comments on Gaza are providing Israel cover to "destroy" the West Bank, drawing attention away from what is happening there.

Other leaders in the Arab community strongly disagreed with Trump's comments on Gaza, and are skeptical of the motivations behind Trump's comments on wanting to forcibly displace Palestinians.

"I think the purpose is to provide Netanyahu the cover to end this ceasefire after phase one and secure the hostages and go no further. Because I don't think Trump is interested at all in seeing this through on the terms that were negotiated -- which ultimately requires a full Israeli withdrawal and the reconstruction," Zoghby said.

Netanyahu has faced criticism for not laying out a plan for what happens in Gaza after the war is over. The ceasefire agreement requires a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but remains unclear if the ceasefire will reach its final stages.

"I could get as indignant as everybody else about [Trump's comments] and it being illegal, but there's so much in that involves Israel's behavior toward Palestinians -- and the U.S.'s enablement of Israel doing it -- that is illegal, immoral," Zoghby said.

Now they are awaiting on Trump to deliver lasting peace, Bahbah said.

"We continue to insist and be a voice of reason, telling the president what we want as an Arab American community, and that is lasting peace in the Middle East based on a two state solution, keeping in mind that what brought us to this point is the Biden-Harris administration by allowing Israel to literally destroy the Gaza Strip," Bahbah said.

But support for Trump is conditional on what actions he takes, some activists say.

"We are not beholden to anybody or to any party. We will support whomever we think will end the wars and provide a permanent resolution to the Arab Israeli conflict and peace in the Middle East," Bahbah said.

The group Abandon Harris plans to throw its support behind third-party candidates in the future, Ahmad said.

"Our movement is solely structured behind morals, values, principles -- not parties, not individuals, not candidates," Ahmad said.

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‘Peaky Blinders’ creator teases story will continue beyond upcoming Netflix film

Netflix

Peaky Blinders fans may have even more reasons to celebrate. A Netflix movie version of the Cillian Murphy-led series is already in the works, but creator Steven Knight has now hinted there are plans to continue the story beyond that.

In an interview with BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Knight confirmed that production on the film concluded in December and based on early footage, fans won’t be disappointed.

“It’s a very fitting way to end this part of the Peaky story,” he said, putting emphasis on “this part.”

Knight teased, “I’m not allowed to announce it, but I’m just saying that the world of Peaky will continue.”

In the upcoming film, Murphy reprises his role as British gangster Tommy Shelby. Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth are among the new cast members.

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14 dead from storm in Kentucky as the region braces for another storm

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(NEW YORK) -- The death toll in Kentucky has risen to 14 from a devastating storm that battered the state this weekend as residents brace for up to 6 inches of snow from a new storm.

"This isn’t just a number -- these are Kentuckians who will be missed by their families and loved ones," Gov. Andy Beshear said on social media. "Please pray for our commonwealth and our neighbors who have lost people they love."

Over 1,000 people have been rescued across the state, the governor said. In Louisville, crews have conducted over 30 rescues in the flash flooding, Mayor Craig Greenberg said.

One storm-related death was also reported in Georgia.

The storm dumped over 8 inches of rain in Kentucky and Tennessee, and 5 inches of rain in Virginia.

Next storm
At least 25 states from Montana to Texas to Delaware are now under snow and ice alerts as a new storm moves east.

On Tuesday, heavy snow is falling in Kansas and Missouri while an ice and snow mix is falling as far south as Oklahoma and Texas.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, could get up to 2 inches of a sleet and snow mix while Little Rock, Arkansas, could get up to 3 inches of ice and snow.

A freezing drizzle might reach the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday night, the winter storm will spread to Kentucky and Tennessee, where residents are still recovering from this weekend’s devastating flooding.

Louisville could see up to 6 inches of snow while Memphis and Nashville could see 1 to 4 inches of snow.

By Wednesday morning, the storm will move into the Appalachians and the East Coast. Winter storm alerts were issued in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia, where 1 to 6 inches of snow and ice could fall on Wednesday.

The storm will spare the busy Interstate 95 corridor. Light snow is possible in D.C. on Wednesday but no major accumulation is expected.

Record cold
Dozens of record low temperatures are forecast this week from the Plains to the South.

Temperatures fell to the negative 30s Tuesday morning in the northern Plains.

The wind chill -- what temperature it feels like -- could plunge to as low as the minus 50s or 60s in the Heartland.

Later this week, the cold air will move south.

By Thursday morning, Dallas could reach a record low temperature of 15 degrees and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, could fall to 25 degrees.

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