Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
SALINAS, Ca, (AP) – Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the U.S.
Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the California-based company said in a statement Friday.
“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.
U.S. health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.
The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.
Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.
In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.
The CDC initially warned consumers to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
“Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” the company said in a statement Friday.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday announced its first troop deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war, with two killed and another missing in an attack on a base in Jordan after days of intensifying exchanges of fire.
Friday’s drone and missile attack sent four other service members to hospitals, the military said. The dead were not identified. Since the war began, 16 U.S. service members have been killed and over 430 wounded.
Minutes before the announcement, Iran’s supreme leader warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the U.S. keeps attacking the Islamic Republic.
The remarks read out on state TV and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, also called President Donald Trump’s signature “worthless and invalid.” An Iranian negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed about a month ago and aimed at permanently ending the fighting.
Tehran’s declarations snapped another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight. Now Khamenei warns of “lessons” not only from Iran but also its armed proxies in the region, calling them the “Axis of Resistance.” The U.S. issued a global travel alert over the rising tensions.
The battle has focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that previously carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. The widening strikes now threaten civilians and infrastructure, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again is on alert.
The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal and now Iran is “no longer implementing them,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.
There was no new word on mediation efforts.
US soldiers face growing risks
The previous recorded death of a U.S. service member was that of a helicopter pilot who crashed in the Arabian Sea earlier this month. Early in the war, an Iranian drone strike on a command center in Kuwait killed six soldiers. One soldier died after an attack on a base in Saudi Arabia. Six were killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
On Saturday, the most significant damage from Iranian strikes occurred in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations.
It was the second attack against a desalination plant in two days in the tiny desert nation that depends on desalination for 90% of its drinking water. The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire at the desalination plant, forcing several power generation units offline.
Several firefighters and a worker were injured while battling two other blazes sparked by Iranian strikes, according to the Kuwait Fire Force. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace due to missile threats, and Kuwait Airways said it was rescheduling most flights to and from the capital.
Meanwhile, Iraq said it shot down attack drones over the city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles, while air sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain throughout the day and in Saudi Arabia in the morning, according to their governments.
The secretary general of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, accused Iran of war crimes for strikes on infrastructure and civilian facilities.
US strikes hit infrastructure in Iran
The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.”
U.S. airstrikes hit an electricity and desalination plant in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Iranian state TV reported. State-run news agency IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.
Overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge, disrupting a main highway toward Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port that sits near the narrowest part of the strait, according to IRNA. It said three bridges were hit Saturday, including one on a route to Bandar Abbas.
Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrikes for the first time Friday when its Energy Ministry urged people to use less power in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” It did not specify what was hit.
Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.
Iran and US vie for Strait of Hormuz
Iran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. That has given Tehran significant leverage in negotiations.
Iran has said the strait must be under its sole control and that vessels should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. Iran fired on ships on recent days and transits fell to a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker.
Trump has resumed threats to target Iran’s power stations and bridges to try to compel Tehran to loosen its hold. The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil, and the military on Saturday said it had redirected five ships and disabled one since then.
Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to end the war and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say.
Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily and thunder boomed. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. Volunteers and staff dashed inside for cover as ponchos were handed out. The sky was the same thick, soupy gray it has been for days.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned residents Saturday about the potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail, and flooding caused scattered street closures in New York. Spain’s training session ahead of the final against Argentina was suspended at a field near the stadium because of the storms and lighting in the area. And FIFA said it was in close contact with local authorities as it continues to monitor the impacts from the wildfire smoke and the storms on the conditions on field at MetLife Stadium.
President Donald Trump faulted Canada for the smoke crossing the border and threatened tariffs in response. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said threats from the United States were unacceptable and shortsighted.
Storms will help clear the air
This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina, said Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. MetLife Stadium, which has been renamed the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the matches, is an open-air stadium.
“There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but very faint,” Roys said. “In terms of the thickest smoke, the smoke that has really been eye-popping and leads to poor air quality, that is not expected across New York City or much of the Northeast.”
Meteorologist says the air quality for the game ‘won’t be dangerous’
WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli, in Tampa, Florida, echoed that, saying the storm front would “sweep the atmosphere clean,” leaving only a thin smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air.
The air quality index shows an improvement from unhealthy air for sensitive groups on Saturday to “moderate” air quality Sunday in East Rutherford, which means little to no health risk for the general public.
“It won’t be dangerous anymore,” Berardelli said. “It’s going to be dramatically better.”
The smoke could still cause issues for people who are sensitive to particulate matter, and they should check the air quality index particularly in the morning, said Rob Shackelford, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel app and weather.com.
Air quality at the field is measured every 10 minutes, said David Lu, CEO and co-founder of Clarity Movement, an environmental technology company providing air quality monitoring services. In the past two days, the readings have swung between the level where the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups and the level where it’s very unhealthy, Lu said. He said Saturday afternoon he expects to see improvement in the readings within hours because of the rain.
Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), with light breezes and low humidity for the start of the final.
“You couldn’t have asked for much better weather for the World Cup,” Berardelli added.
Both Roys and Berardelli expect the heavier smoke Sunday to be concentrated closer to the fires, hanging over parts of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region.
Trump talks of new tariffs on Canada
The president made no mention of the World Cup final but said on his social media platform, “We are holding Canada responsible.” He added that the U.S. “is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the topic of U.S. officials complaining about smoke from during a news conference Thursday. Carney said climate change is the responsibility of everyone, including the United States.
Ford said Canada has contributed to fighting fires in the U.S. and offered assistance when Georgia was hit by a hurricane in 2024 because “that’s what neighbors do.” Ford called the rhetoric “absolutely unacceptable” when Canada is “trying to get through this.”
There are hundreds of active fires in Canada
Wildfires have been igniting across Canada and northern Minnesota this month. Berardelli said they are burning longer and faster because of climate change. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System showed hundreds of active fires Saturday. Environment Canada issued air quality warnings across the country and into the Northwest Territories.
The fires prompted evacuations, including in Nova Scotia where there’s a large fire that local and provincial crews have been fighting since Wednesday, and in northwestern Ontario, where some of the most intense fires are burning.
In Ontario, nearly 200 wildfires have already scorched more land than all of last year’s fires. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fire Chief Dave Tarini said this fire season is unprecedented in his more than 35 years as a firefighter.
In British Columbia, about 100 fires are burning, a huge jump from the 20 firefighters were facing Wednesday. The BC Wildfire Service says the fires are largely the result of 4,000 lightning strikes that hit the province Friday.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for a full term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate.
He wrote on social media that she “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added.
The president said he had discussed a potential campaign with Darline Graham at the White House. Four people familiar with the deliberations, none of whom were authorized to speak publicly, had previously said that she privately expressed interest in running.
Trump’s endorsement dramatically reshapes the scramble to fill Lindsey Graham’s seat after he died last weekend. The president had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry. Several other noteworthy politicians — including Fry, Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette — have been eyeing a run.
The filing period for a special primary runs from July 21 to July 28, and the primary is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Plans for Lindsey Graham’s funeral were also announced Friday. There will be a service in Washington on July 28 and more in South Carolina on July 29.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, which ends in January.
“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him,” she said.
Lindsey Graham died Saturday at age 71. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a tear in his aorta.
He never married or had a family of his own, but his sister was often by his side for the political touch points of his career, speaking at events and appearing in some of his campaign ads. After both of their parents died when Darline Graham was only 13, her older brother became her legal guardian and later adopted her, to ensure his military benefits would flow to her.
In forging a relationship with Darline Graham — who is new to politics but was a constant in her brother’s political career — Trump could be angling to develop another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.
Although they had at times a tumultuous relationship, Lindsey Graham had been one of Trump’s top Senate confidants, and the day after his death, the president said he was “like a member of the family.”
In his announcement Monday, McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment.
However, a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting Darline Graham, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.
Sen. Tim Scott, another South Carolina Republican, said he would not endorse any candidate in the primary because he also serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
But, he said, “as Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point.”
“I think the truth of the matter is that Darline has so far been off to a remarkable start,” Scott told reporters, asking about her as a possible special primary contender. “‘Why not her?’ would be my question.”
When he died, Lindsey Graham had millions in his campaign account and was expected to raise much more heading into the general election. But those aren’t funds that Darline Graham could directly access, if she were to run, according to Bradley A. Smith, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Under federal rules, Lindsey Graham’s campaign would be limited to transferring just $2,000 to a potential Darline Graham candidacy. However, Smith said there is no limit on how much it could transfer to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which could — thanks to a Supreme Court decision last month — “spend an unlimited amount in coordination with Darline’s campaign.”
“It can’t be earmarked for Darline’s campaign, but in those circumstances I’m sure that the party will make sure she’s not short of cash,” said Smith, now serving as a professor at Capital University Law School in Ohio.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday as an Iranian negotiator said Tehran had suspended its commitments under the interim deal with the U.S. — snapping another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight.
The battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the essential waterway that previously carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. The widening strikes threatened civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again was on alert.
The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.”
The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is “no longer implementing them,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.
There was no new word on mediation efforts.
Kuwait sees the most striking damage
The most significant damage from Iranian strikes on Saturday occurred in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations.
The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire at the desalination plant, forcing several power generation units offline. It was the second attack against a desalination plant in two days in the tiny desert nation that depends on desalination for 90% of its drinking water.
Several firefighters and a worker were injured while battling two other blazes sparked by Iranian strikes, according to the Kuwait Fire Force. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace due to missile threats, and Kuwait Airways said it was rescheduling most flights to and from the capital.
Meanwhile, Iraq said it shot down attack drones over the city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles, while air sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain throughout the day and in Saudi Arabia in the morning, according to their governments.
US strikes hit infrastructure in Iran
U.S. airstrikes hit an electricity and desalination plant in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Iranian state TV reported. IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and that a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.
Overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge, disrupting one of the main highways toward Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port that sits near the narrowest part of the strait, according to Iran’s state-run news agency. IRNA said three bridges were hit Saturday, including one on a route to Bandar Abbas.
Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrikes for the first time Friday when its Energy Ministry issued a call for people to use less power in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” It did not specify what was hit.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stepped up its warning that countries hosting U.S. forces should be “prepared to receive a corresponding response,” according to Iran’s state TV.
Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.
U.S. officials acknowledged 13 additional U.S. service members — 10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors — had been injured since Monday, but offered no details. Since the war began, 14 U.S. service members have been killed and 427 wounded.
Iran and US vie for Strait of Hormuz
Iran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. That sent the price of oil soaring and has given Tehran significant leverage in negotiations.
Iran has said the strait must be under its sole control and that vessels should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. It fired on ships on recent days. Crossings through the strait fell to a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker.
Trump has resumed threats to target power stations and bridges to try to compel Iran to loosen its hold. The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil.
A growing amount of the region’s energy is being shipped through pipelines, but not nearly enough to offset the decline in shipping.
Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to end the war and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.
(NEW YORK) -- A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., handed the Trump administration a temporary win on Friday in its attempt to increase federal oversight of elections.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold a lower court ruling, which had blocked the U.S. Postal Service from attempting to restrict mail-in voting.
However, the Trump administration does not yet have a green light to move forward with the proposed rule. A separate judge in Massachusetts blocked the policy last month, and that injunction still stands.
The cases center on a proposed rule from the U.S. Postal Service that sought to compel states to create lists of approved voters, as well as impose stricter regulations on mail-in ballots.
Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that under the proposed rule, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver mail-in ballots in states that do not turn over their voter lists.
"Yes or no -- if a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposed rule?" asked Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.
"Under our proposed regulation, no. We would tell the state that we need the manifest," Steiner said.
The NAACP, which brought the lawsuit, had previously sued the Postal Service in 2020, seeking to challenge delays in delivering mail-in ballots heading into that year's presidential election. The two sides settled in 2021, with the Postal Service agreeing to "prioritiz[e] . . . the timely delivery of Election Mail" for every national election through 2028.
In Friday's ruling, the appeals court said the Trump administration is likely to succeed because the lawsuit is premature -- since the rule itself is not yet finalized -- and not covered by a 2021 settlement between the NAACP and Postal Service.
The appeals court also said the Trump administration demonstrated they would be irreparably harmed if the Postal Service can't finalize and implement the rule in time for the midterms.
"In this context, 'there can be no do over' once the election occurs," the ruling said.
While the Trump administration cannot yet move forward with the new rule, the D.C. Circuit's ruling signals that the Trump administration may be able convince other appeals courts to let them implement the policy while the lawsuits move through the courts -- potentially past the November elections.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(WASHINGTON) -- The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will be honored later this month with separate services in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, after the Republican died unexpectedly on July 11.
Graham's office announced Friday that the senator’s life and legacy will be celebrated Tuesday, July 28 in Washington before separate services Wednesday, July 29 in South Carolina: Columbia, the state's capital, and Pickens County, where Graham grew up and part of the district Graham represented.
While Graham’s office did not announce a location for the service in Washington, congressional sources told ABC News that the event is being held at the Washington National Cathedral. Graham's office said that additional details regarding the services are forthcoming.
It's not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will attend or have a role in the services.
Graham, a Trump ally who died serving in his fifth term in the Senate, was born in Central, South Carolina, in 1955. He graduated from Daniel High School in Central in 1973, according to his congressional biography.
Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said Graham died from an "aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease."
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday after she was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster just days after her brother's death. Trump supported her appointment, calling it a “fabulous tribute" to Lindsey Graham, who at a young age became Darline Graham's legal guardian after the deaths of their parents.
On Friday, Trump called on Darline Graham to run in the upcoming special primary election for Senate in South Carolina, which would set her up to potentially fill the seat of her late brother in a more permanent way.
Darline Graham has not yet announced whether she intends to run for the seat for the full term. A source involved with South Carolina politics told ABC News on Friday that she has been having conversations about running in the special election.
ABC News has reached out to Darline Graham's office, but did not immediately hear back.
Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
She also previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the governor's office said.
A special-election primary is scheduled for Aug. 11 to determine a Republican candidate for the Nov. 3 general election ballot -- though a runoff could occur two weeks later if no candidate secures an absolute majority of votes.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(WASHINGTON) -- Democrats raised more money than their Republican opponents in key Senate races across the country in the second quarter, according to campaign finance filings made this week to the Federal Election Commission.
In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff raised almost ten times what Republican Rep. Mike Collins did. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown outraised Republican Sen. Jon Husted by roughly $10 million. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico outraised Republican Ken Paxton by over $26 million.
Talarico's haul marks a new record for second quarter fundraising, far surpassing other Democrats who previously pursued Senate seats in Texas.
At this point in Beto O'Rourke's 2018 campaign, O'Rourke had raised a grand total of just under $24 million since the start of the election cycle. MJ Hegar had raised $6.6 million in 2020, and Colin Allred had raised over $38 million in 2024. All three of those Democratic candidates ultimately lost their general election fights.
Talarico has raised nearly $69 million this cycle, and the candidate still has over $21 million to spend. Lone Star Rising, a super PAC that supports Talarico, raised $12.7 million in the second quarter, most of it from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
Talarico's opponent, Paxton, who is currently serving as the state's attorney general, raised $2.2 million in the second quarter and has around $1.8 million in the bank, according to filings.
Lone Star Liberty, a super PAC that supports Paxton, raised about $4.3 million. They have about $35,000 cash on hand.
Republican PACs remain well-stocked, and Elon Musk contributions grow
Still, there are reasons for Republicans to be optimistic as the general election approaches.
In some cases, Republicans still have more money saved. Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola outraised her opponent, Republican Dan Sullivan, by nearly $5 million. But Sullivan spent little (under $1 million) in the second quarter, and still has more than $8 million on hand, according to FEC filings. That puts him $1 million ahead of Peltola.
Republican super PACs and party committees are also well-resourced. The Senate Leadership Fund, a flagship Republican super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, outraised its Democratic equivalent, the Senate Majority PAC, by nearly $20 million.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) reported having a cash on hand lead of over $10 million on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) when those groups filed their most recent monthly reports. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has over $125 million in the bank, while the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is in debt.
MAGA Inc., a Donald Trump-affiliated super PAC, had over $382 million on hand when its most recent monthly report was filed.
Among MAGA Inc.'s donors is Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of the Republican party's top supporters this midterm cycle despite past spats with Trump. He has invested at least $90 million dollars, including a recent $5 million donation, to Vivek Ramaswamy's super PAC, V-PAC. Ramaswamy is running for Ohio governor against Amy Acton. Musk also endorsed Ramaswamy, which comes after notable tension between the two when co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk's own super PAC, America PAC, has kept a relatively low profile since last year, when Brad Schimel, Musk's preferred candidate in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, lost in a 10-point blowout. America PAC and other Musk-affiliated groups spent millions supporting Schimel.
Democrats face internal struggles in Michigan and Maine
Democrats also face challenges internally. In Michigan, two Democratic Senate candidates are still locked in a hard-fought primary, vying for the opportunity to challenge Republican Mike Rogers. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, raised $4.6 million, while Rogers raised under $3 million. Rep. Haley Stevens raised about $2.1 million, according to FEC filings. Rogers has more cash on hand, $5.7 million, than either of his potential Democratic opponents.
In Maine, Democrat Graham Platner's campaign raised over $9 million, while Republican Sen. Susan Collins' campaign raised around $5.7 million. Collins has far more cash on hand however, $11 million compared to the Platner campaign's $1.8 million.
Given that Platner dropped out of the race earlier this month in the wake of a sexual assault allegation, which he's denied, it is still unknown if and how Democrats will access the Platner campaign's war chest to benefit whoever his replacement turns out to be. Candidate-to-candidate transfers are limited to $2,000.
ABC's Gina Montagna contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(WASHINGTON) -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened on Friday to strip states of federal election-related aid, and to possibly seek criminal penalties against election officials, if they don't comply with the administration's voting roll probe ahead of the midterms.
Mullin told reporters that if states want to continue to receive federal reimbursement "to run federal elections," they must now cooperate with DHS's efforts to "scrub" their voter rolls and update the security of their election systems.
"We're saying that the machines had to be secure, and that your voter registration list needs to be scrubbed," Mullin said in a news conference.
It was not immediately clear what grants or funding could be in jeopardy for non-compliant states. DHS has previously threatened to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency counterterrorism grants unless states complied with election security mandates.
"If states want the grant funding, to recap, they must secure the election," Mullin said.
Mullin's news conference came one day after President Donald Trump's primetime speech on elections, in which he announced he was declassifying a slew of documents he claims reveal vulnerabilities in America's elections systems and foreign interference, particularly by China.
Mullin, who was sworn in as DHS secretary on March 24, claimed America's adversaries have the "key to the back" of American voting machines, alleging that bad actors could change the registration of voters -- and even manipulate votes that have already been cast.
But Mullin offered no evidence that foreign vote manipulation has occurred, nor did he elaborate on how it is possible.
Mullin also argued, as Trump did on Thursday night, that America's elections are also vulnerable because of noncitizen voters being on the voter rolls.
A DHS report released overnight alleged more than 250,000 noncitizens are on voter rolls in four states.
Mullin did not provide more information on how DHS arrived at the claim that 250,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada, saying only it was pulled from public voter records.
The Department of Justice attempted to compel states to turn over their voter files, and sued more than two dozen that refused to do so. But courts have thrown out those lawsuits across the board, saying the DOJ lacks a compelling reason for the data.
Mullin said it would be a "little bit tougher" to obtain data from those states.
He said DHS will continue to comb through voter rolls in search of noncitizens and others ineligible to vote, and threatened them with jail time and or financial penalties.
"We will scrub all election records, looking for illegal aliens and those who are ineligible to vote, including those that somehow voted, yet they were deceased," Mullin said.
"If you're illegal and attempted to vote, or you tried to vote illegally for someone else, we will find you, and we will charge you," Mullin continued. "Illegal voter restoration and illegal voting both carry penalties up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. We will pursue maximum pressure on this."
The secretary said election officials would be held "accountable" if they don't comply and that the penalties would be extended to them.
"If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections, and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even depending on how far it goes, prison time," he said.
Mullin said DHS will look into the integrity of both early voting and post-Election Day votes during this November's midterm elections.
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(NEW YORK) -- Dangerous smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires has seeped down to the U.S., impacting over 100 million Americans across more than a dozen states.
Air quality alerts on Friday stretch from the Midwest to the Great Lakes to the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic, impacting major cities including Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
Canada has nearly 900 wildfires burning, with over 100 categorized as out of control. Almost 200 of the fires are in Ontario.
Heavy rain by the Minnesota/Canada border on Friday may help with some fires, but the storms could also bring strong winds and lightning, which can spark new fires and create more erratic fire activity.
Passing showers and thunderstorms are also possible in Ontario Friday, but that rain won't be enough to put the wildfires out, and the winds may make conditions worse and lightning could spark new wildfires. There are more chances for rain over Ontario on Saturday and again on Tuesday.
In the U.S., the smoke Friday spans from Duluth, Minnesota, to Richmond, Virginia, impacting states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
Philadelphia issued a "Code Purple Air Quality Emergency Day" Friday.
"Everyone may experience negative health effects from particulate matter in the air," Philadelphia officials warned. "Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects."
The worst air quality Friday afternoon is in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee, where the air is in the hazardous category, the Milwaukee Brewers are allowing ticket holders to exchange tickets for Friday night's game for another regular season home game.
The air is expected to improve on Saturday in the Ohio Valley, Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic, when rain moves in. But parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes will continue to see dangerous air quality.
Smoke is probable over New York City on Sunday when Spain plays Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, though it is still too early to know exactly where the smoke will be. Sources familiar with the situation told ABC News that "all involved authorities are monitoring."
Smoke contains fine particles that can travel deep into the lungs. For those who need to work outdoors, are more sensitive to smoke or are in a high-risk group, Kai Chen, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, told ABC News that the best type of mask to wear is an N95, which is designed to filter at least 95% of airborne particles.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said free KN95 masks are available at hundreds of locations.
Click here to read more on how to stay safe.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday released a rendering of a commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump, saying that the U.S. Mint will begin striking the $1 piece to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
"As America commemorates 250 years of independence, the [U.S. Mint] will begin striking this new $1 gold coin to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism," Bessent wrote in a social media post. "Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all."
The coins -- which are not real gold but will feature a gold-like finish -- will be available in the fall, a Treasury Department spokesperson said.
The last and only time a living president was featured on hard currency struck by the U.S. Mint was a century ago for the U.S. Sesquicentennial. The half-dollar coin featured then-President Calvin Coolidge silhouetted behind the bust of President George Washington. At the time, the Mint produced a million of the coins with 860,000 of them ultimately returned and melted due to low demand.
While living presidents are generally barred from appearing on U.S. currency, the Trump administration has argued that the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 permits the design because it authorizes the Treasury secretary to oversee the minting of special commemorative coins for the nation's Semiquincentennial. And while the same law bars any person from appearing on the tail side of a commemorative coin, the restriction doesn't apply to its face.
Federal law also stipulates that coin designs be selected by the Treasury secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts, which approved the design last March, and review from the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, an 11-person body established by Congress in 2003 to advise on designs of hard currency.
But the Treasury Department appears to have skipped the latter committee, raising questions about the legality of the coin's production.
Donald Scarinci, a numismatist and Democrat who's spent over two decades on the committee, said aside from a last-minute attempt by the Mint to present the proposed coin to the committee in December, the body never had a chance to review the design as required by law.
"We've never seen any design with the portrait of Donald Trump on it," Scarinci told ABC News on Wednesday.
Scarinci said the proposed December meeting ultimately didn't occur because it was impossible to reach a quorum of members on such short notice.
During the committee's February meeting, another member of the board, Kellen Hoard, a coin collector who represents the general public, also said that the board received no opportunity to weigh in on the coin, nor did they review the designs ultimately selected for the Semiquincentennial series of quarters.
"I have never reviewed the Semiquincentennial $1 coin portfolio, much less been given an opportunity to review it. Is it legal now for the Mint to move forward with creating the Semiquincentennial $1 coin despite me never having the opportunity to review the piece?" Hoard asked acting Mint Chief Counsel Greg Weinman at the meeting.
Weinman replied that he did not agree with Hoard's characterization and said that the Mint's position is the board made the decision to not review the design.
"I think the Mint made a significant effort to request the CCAC to review the portfolio. There was clearly a conscious decision not to do so. The Mint has moved forward accordingly. I am not prepared to discuss more than that at this meeting," Weinman said.
"I believe the CCAC was given -- at least the chair of the CCAC was given a full opportunity to review this portfolio," Weinman added later. "The Mint, in my opinion, attempted multiple times to find an opportunity for the CCAC to review the portfolio. The CCAC made a decision not to. At least the chair of the CCAC made the decision not to."
"The concept that the secretary of the Treasury can create his own coin -- it's illegal," Scarinci said of the move, adding that Congress would have the authority to confiscate and demonetize the coins and that concern about the coin crosses partisan boundaries on the committee.
"This is not a Democrat-Republican issue as far as the coin is concerned," he said.
A Treasury spokesperson told ABC News, "During the January meeting, Megan Sullivan, the acting chief of the U.S. Mint’s office of design management, assured board members that 'legal research from both the Mint and the Department of the Treasury determined that the proposed coin would not violate any laws and is legal under the law authorizing the minting of coins for the Sesquicentennial.'"
The coin is not the only piece of currency that the Treasury Department is putting Trump's imprint on. Paper currency printed this year will also feature Trump's signature above that of Bessent's -- a first for an American president. Bessent told Fox News earlier this week that, too, would go into circulation this fall.
In May, Trump administration officials pushed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to move forward with designing a commemorative $250 bill with Trump's portrait and signature, should legislation to create the new currency pass, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.
That bill has been stuck in the House Financial Services Committee for more than a year.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump's pick to serve as director of national intelligence, faced repeated questions from Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday about whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election -- with Clayton saying Biden was certified as president, but stopped short of saying he won legitimately.
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, asked whether Clayton denied that Biden won the 2020 election.
"I'm not an election denier," Clayton said. "Joe Biden was certified as the president of the United States.
Independent Sen. Angus King later asked Clayton pointedly: "Who won the 2020 election?"
Clayton danced around the answer multiple times -- refusing to say outright that Biden won, while reiterating that he believes Biden was certified.
"He went through our processes, and Joe Biden became the president of the United States," Clayton said.
King responded that "saying Joe Biden was certified is not an answer."
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff later said Clayton wasn't being "honest or forthright" in his responses about Biden's 2020 election victory.
"You refuse to answer a basic question about who won a presidential election. But you ask to lead America's intelligence community," Ossoff said. "Isn't it humiliating to be unable to answer this question? To have to indulge the president's delusions? We know, you know, everybody in this room knows the truthful answer to the question. Why can you not give it?"
Both Republicans and Democrats asked Clayton if he were involved in any way with Trump's primetime address on Thursday that the president said will be a "very big announcement" that will touch on "free and fair elections." The announcement is based on information he recently received from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence related to the 2020 election, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Clayton said he is "not involved in that," affirming that doing so would violate that understanding that he would take no actions that would presume his confirmation as DNI.
Clayton did say that he thought there was room to improve elections and that he would like to work with the committee to do that.
Questions about subpoenas to journalists
Clayton also faced questions about the subpoenas he issued to several journalists at the New York Times last week after the news outlet reported on security concerns involving Trump's new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden questioned Clayton about the subpoenas he issued -- as U.S. attorney in Manhattan -- to the journalists, asking when he was directed to issue the subpoenas and who asked him to do so.
Clayton responded that the subpoenas are in connection with an "ongoing national security investigation" and reiterated that he respects the First Amendment and the role of the press. But he did not directly answer Wyden's question.
"Those subpoenas are in connection with an ongoing national security investigation. I'm happy to talk to you and this committee about our approach to the First Amendment and our efforts in all cases to limit to the greatest extent possible, any intrusion into the operation of the free press," Clayton said.
Clayton later added that he consulted with career prosecutors in his office before making the decision to issue the subpoeanas. He added that he is confident that the procedures in place to protect the First Amendment and journalists were followed.
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said the committee was "deeply concerned" with how the process played out, that it "doesn't sound like the proper independent legal process that we would normally expect for issuance of a subpoena."
Clayton said that while he understood her concerns, "I want to tell you, I am comfortable with where we are, and I'm comfortable with how we are proceeding from here."
In a statement on Saturday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said that "reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are."
Clayton, prior to his role as the U.S. attorney, was also the former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Apart from the national security cases he oversaw while serving as U.S. attorney, Clayton also lacks experience in intelligence-gathering and national security matters.
Clayton spent the bulk of his career as a corporate attorney, and prior to his appointment as U.S. attorney last year, lacked meaningful experience in criminal matters.
Clayton will replace the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Trump loyalist Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Clayton's hearing came weeks after the president abruptly canceled his previously scheduled confirmation hearing.
Asked about why his hearing was postponed, Clayton said he was "not going to get into private conversations."
Pulte has been serving as the acting director since June 19. The former DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, announced her intention to resign from the role in May, citing a desire to step away from public service to support her husband following his cancer diagnosis. Gabbard ultimately left the role on June 18, days earlier than planned.
The committee is expected to vote on Clayton's nomination to be the next DNI some time next week.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday as he seeks confirmation to secure his role on a permanent basis.
Blanche is facing questions over a series of controversies from his time with the Justice Department, including the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and what he says is the now-defunct "Anti-Weaponization Fund" part of a settlement after President Donald Trump sued the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion.
Formerly Trump's defense attorney, Blanche faced a relatively smooth glide path to confirmation with unanimous Republican support last year when he was nominated to serve as the department's No. 2 official.
Since Trump's ouster of Pam Bondi as attorney general in April, Blanche has served in the position in an acting role and Trump formally nominated him in June.
"We are here today with the awesome responsibility of choosing the next attorney general of the United States of America. We're here because there is a vacancy in the office. The president decided to fire the predecessor of Mr. Blanche after just 14 months on the job after courts and grand juries blocked her from prosecuting the president's political opponents," Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said in his opening statement. "Seemingly, President Trump believes you, Mr. Blanche, will be more successful."
Blanche's road to confirmation is further complicated by the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a veteran of the Judiciary Committee who was expected to be a strong advocate for Blanche with his GOP colleagues. Blanche will likely need the support of every Republican on the committee in order for his nomination to advance to the Senate floor, as all Democrats are expected to oppose him.
It's not immediately clear when the full Senate would move for a vote on Blanche's nomination if passed by the committee, though administration officials have said their goal would be for him to be confirmed before the August recess.
Blanche argued Wednesday that his leadership has restored trust that was lost under the previous administration when the Department of Justice prosecuted Trump and many of his supporters.
"In recent years, Americans watched the Justice Department turned against many of you and a former president, and it damaged the public's faith in justice," Blanche said. "We are fixing that. Members of this committee -- on both sides -- have fair questions about the hard debates of this past year, and I welcome them."
Blanche defends handling of Epstein files
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the committee, asked Blanche to give his response to allegations that he and other department officials deliberately mishandled the release of millions of files from the Justice Department's past investigations of Epstein.
As he has in previous congressional testimony, Blanche acknowledged "mistakes" made in the process regarding failures to properly redact certain names of victims, which he said the department immediately sought to fix once they were notified.
"Whenever we learned that any victim's name had been improperly non-redacted, we immediately took the document down and fixed it as soon as we could," Blanche said. "That doesn't excuse the mistakes of which I take full responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them."
Blanche also used his time to directly address victims of Epstein -- several of whom were in the audience -- telling them that the department would gladly meet with them and open new investigations of potential co-conspirators of Epstein if they came forth with evidence that would warrant it.
"If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month, that there's an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will," Blanche said.
Asked if he would notify the committee once such a meeting takes place with a victim of Epstein or their counsel, Blanche demurred -- drawing a rebuke from Durbin.
"Well, you're dancing on the head of a pin here," Durbin said.
"I'm not dancing on any pin," Blanche replied.
Blanche confirms "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is "dead"
For the first time under oath, Blanche confirmed in an exchange with Republican Sen. John Cornyn that the so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is "dead."
Cornyn, one of the key Republican votes that Blanche will need to make it out of committee, repeatedly pushed him with specific and detailed questions regarding both the fund and the immunity agreement that would exempt President Trump and his family from IRS audits of their past taxes -- which Cornyn described as "unusual."
Cornyn repeatedly noted that the original settlement that first established the fund has still yet to be formally rescinded.
While Blanche acknowledged that, he also said the Department of Justice would be fine with codifying in some way to assure senators the fund would not move forward.
"It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund," Blanche told lawmakers.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida issued an extraordinary order that lambasted Trump and the Justice Department for misusing her court to legitimize a "settlement" that she says would never have survived judicial review.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who had previously been assigned to oversee Trump's IRS lawsuit, referred Trump's attorneys for potential sanctions and separately sent her ruling to the State Bar of New York for consideration in potential disciplinary proceedings for Blanche -- who Williams said had potentially given "misleading" testimony to Congress about how the settlement was executed.
Blanche, when asked during Wednesday's hearing about Williams' order, said he rejected her "insinuations" and said she had never given the Department of Justice a chance to respond in the case before issuing her order. Judge Williams noted in her order that while the department had 109 days to enter an appearance in the case, it never did so.
"I very much disagree with -- with the judge's insinuations about me, and we're going to do what we can to make that right," Blanche said.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, was officially sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon to finish the remainder of her late brother's term.
Republican Chuck Grassley, the president pro tempore of the Senate, presided over the ceremony.
Darline Graham was escorted by fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, both Republicans, as she approached to dais to take the oath of office. The chamber, filled with a number of Democratic and Republican senators, applauded after she was sworn in.
Lindsey Graham, a four-term Republican senator, died over the weekend at the age of 71. Darline Graham will serve out the remaining months of his current term, which expires in January.
Darline Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday. President Donald Trump supported her appointment, calling it a fabulous tribute" to Lindsey Graham, who at a young age became Darline Graham's legal guardian after the deaths of their parents.
"Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be there for him," Darline Graham said on Monday.
Who is Darline Graham?
Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, according to a biography provided by Gov. McMaster's office on Monday. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
She also previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the governor's office said.
Darline Graham, a mother of two, earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Charleston, a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a certified public manager, according to the release.
After their parents died when Lindsey Graham was 22 years old, he took on a caretaker role for Darline Graham, then 13, and became her legal guardian. Talking to C-SPAN in 2015, Lindsey Graham said his sister's success was "the highlight" of his life "by far."
Their close relationship was evident throughout Lindsey Graham's political career. Darline Graham appeared with him several times on the campaign trail and in campaign videos.
"It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States," she said on Monday.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to host delegations from more than 70 countries this week for a gathering focused on addressing what the Trump administration describes as the overlooked threat posed by "the resurgence of transnational far-left terrorism," according to a State Department official and internal documents reviewed exclusively by ABC News.
"For too long this threat has remained a blind spot in the international community's counterterrorism focus, underestimated and under-resourced, despite the danger it poses," a note shared with foreign governments describing the concept of the meeting reads.
It goes on to assert that law enforcement and counterterrorism experts have revealed a "clear trend" of "globally networked, politically-motivated terrorists -- particularly far-left terrorists" increasingly turning to "organized, deadly violence to advance their political objectives."
The meeting, which will take place in Washington on Thursday, will lay the foundation for "coordinated action" to counter international organizations that are "seeking to implement an extreme political vision through intimidation and coordinated campaigns of terror," the document states.
Representatives from roughly 60 countries were initially expected to attend, but the State Department said in a post to X on Friday it would expand the ministerial due to "overwhelming interest" by inviting additional countries "working to combat the growing international threat of far-left violence."
A State Department official said more than 10 additional invitations had been extended.
Some critics of the Trump administration's counterterrorism approach have claimed its focus on threats from the far left is misguided.
Analysis conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 2025 found that while left-wing violence in the U.S. has increased over the past decade, "it has risen from very low levels and remains much lower than historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers."
The CSIS report concluded it was "important to resource all dimensions of the terrorism threat."
"Left-wing terrorism is a Trump administration priority, but jihadist terrorism also remains a concern even though it has declined," it states. "Right-wing terrorism could come roaring back, especially if in 2028 there are complaints of a 'stolen election' or similar incendiary claims."
The ACLU has also taken issue with multiple actions taken by the Trump administration's counterterrorism approach, accusing it of targeting politically opposed but peaceful activists and donors "under the guise of addressing political violence and domestic terrorism."
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(SOUTH CAROLINA) -- The suspensions of eight Apache pilots who flew low over the South Carolina coast on July Fourth were lifted Friday, according to the South Carolina National Guard, just hours after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly called for the reversal.
The Apache attack helicopters were flying in South Carolina's annual "Salute from the Shore" event -- which flies from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Beaufort, North Carolina, along the coast on the Fourth of July -- when video footage posted online appeared to show the pilots flying low over a crowded coastline. The pilots are members of the South Carolina National Guard’s Alpha 1-151 Attack Battalion.
The eight pilots involved were temporarily suspended shortly after the flight, Maj. Lisa Allen, a spokesperson for the South Carolina National Guard, confirmed on Thursday to ABC affiliate WPDE in Florence, South Carolina. What prompted the suspension is unclear.
The Guard clarified in a Thursday press release that the action was a "routine administrative measure whenever a flight profile is under review" and that the soldiers were still taking part in "regular daily duties in a non-flying capacity" -- emphasizing in a post on X that it was "not a disciplinary action." Allen confirmed on Friday that the review was now complete.
Low-altitude flying carries inherent risks, including the potential for debris to scatter on the ground and less time for pilots to respond to emergencies.
As the video of their flyover circulated on social media, reports of the suspension drew national scrutiny and prompted backlash from state and federal lawmakers.
Republican Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina called for the National Guard to "drop this review and restore these pilots immediately" in a Thursday morning post on X, saying the pilots "should be celebrated, not sanctioned." Fry also penned a letter to the South Carolina National Guard, where he decried the suspension as a "misguided decision and a misuse of resources."
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, also criticized the suspension.
"Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary," McMaster wrote on X.
Hegseth weighed in on Thursday evening, promising to "fix" the suspension in response to a video of the flyover posted on X.
"We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots," Hegseth wrote.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed Hegseth in his Friday announcement lifting the suspension, writing on X that "Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted. Carry on Patriots."
Allen also announced in a press release that the suspension was lifted, adding that "The South Carolina National Guard appreciates the outpouring of concern and support from our community and state leaders."
It is not the first time that Hegseth has intervened on behalf of suspended Apache pilots. In late March, two Apache helicopters were flagged by the Army for flying low and hovering near Kid Rock's Nashville house. Their suspension was rolled back just hours after it was announced, and Hegseth quickly took credit.
“Pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots,” he posted on X at the time.
Apaches are the Army's primary attack helicopter, being fully integrated into the force in the 1980s and seeing their combat debut during the U.S. invasion of Panama. They continued to be heavily used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are currently deployed in the war with Iran.
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(LOS GALLARDOS, Spain) -- At least 12 people have died and 23 others are unaccounted for as firefighters in southern Spain battle a rapidly spreading wildfire, officials said.
Emergency services in Andalusia said the death toll rose overnight amid the devastating blaze.
Andalusian regional leader Juanma Moreno said in a post on X that eight people had also been injured, including four who were in serious condition.
In an interview Friday morning on Spanish radio, Moreno said four of those killed were believed to be British nationals who became trapped in a car while trying to escape the flames.
The majority of the victims were from outside Spain, particularly British and Belgian nationals, Moreno said later Friday, but added that authorities are still working to identify the deceased.
The wildfire, burning in the municipality of Los Gallardos in Spain's southeastern Almeria province, continued to spread rapidly, with Moreno warning that weather conditions remained unfavorable for firefighters.
"The consequences are devastating," Moreno said in his post on X.
Speaking to reporters Friday evening in Turre, a couple of miles from the wildfire in Los Gallardos, Moreno called the blaze a "major tragedy" and warned Spain is facing a challenging summer due to heavy winter rainfall that fueled a surge in spring undergrowth which has now dried out with the heatwaves.
Emergency crews on Friday were continuing search-and-rescue operations as they worked to locate the people still reported missing.
Moreno told reporters that firefighters were battling to control one of the fastest and most complex wildfires in the Andalusia region in years.
Spanish officials cautioned that the full scale of the disaster is still emerging as rescue efforts continue and officials work to identify victims.
Earlier Friday, a regional government official said in an interview that the fire was likely caused by an electric poll which had fallen.
The regional minister for emergencies in Andalusia, Antonio Sanz Cabello, said on Friday that last night was "a truly tragic night" with "terrible consequences."
He said fighting the fire has been made more complicated by the remote terrain and the lack of access for heavy machinery. Sixteen aircraft are being used to fight the wildfire.
Cabello urged people to take maximum care and said teams are still fighting the wildfire in Los Gallardos "with all their strength."
Andalusia's government has urged people to be careful and follow all evacuation instructions from officials.
ABC News' Claire Bower contributed to this report.
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(MONTREAL) -- An Air Canada plane exited the taxiway and slid into the grass beside the tarmac in Montreal on Thursday at approximately 4 p.m.
The plane, traveling from Los Angeles International Airport to Montréal Trudeau International Airport, landed normally on the runway before sustaining a “taxiway excursion” and stopping in the grass, according to an Air Canada statement.
No injuries were reported, the airline said.
The flight’s 156 passengers and six crew members deplaned and were transported to the terminal on buses, according to Air Canada.
The airport’s Emergency Coordination Centre was activated and the runway temporarily closed to facilitate the safe evacuation of passengers, the Montreal airport said in a statement.
Barbara Edelston Peterson, a passenger on the flight, said those aboard the flight are “lucky to be alive.”
“Suddenly, all the smoke, dirt and grass was flying outside,” Edelston Peterson said in an interview with ABC News. “It was amazingly scary."
Edelston Peterson said she was even more frightened by the plane’s wing nearly hitting a steel box on the grass beside the runway.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it is launching an investigation at the scene to determine the cause of the accident.
Air Canada also said it would undertake a detailed investigation of the incident. It said it towed the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX, to the hangar for a full inspection.
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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday morning that he "will not sign" the bipartisan housing reform package, which he abruptly placed into limbo last month after demanding that his unrelated signature election reform law be sent to his desk alongside it.
Trump said he won't sign the housing bill "in PROTEST" over the Senate's inability to pass the Save America Act.
The housing bill can still become law overnight without Trump's signature.
If a president doesn't sign a bill or veto it, it automatically becomes law after 10 days while Congress is in session, excluding Sundays. The housing bill was presented to Trump on June 29, and the 10-day clock began on June 30. If Trump issues a veto, Congress would need to attempt to override it by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act aims to address the country’s housing shortage by increasing the supply of homes and overall homeownership by loosening regulations to encourage housing construction and by limiting Wall Street investors from buying homes that could go to families instead.
New data from the National Association of Realtors shows the median home price increased 1.8% in June from a year ago, and is now $440,600 -- an all-time high.
The Senate voted 85-5 on passage of the housing measure on June 22 before the House approved the bill by a vote of 358-32 on June 23. Both totals represent sufficient support to overcome a potential presidential veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Even though the stage was set for the president to sign the bill in a rare ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the bipartisan breakthrough did not last long, as Trump quickly announced he would not sign the bill unless lawmakers approve the SAVE America Act.
The SAVE America Act would make significant election and voting reforms, including requiring photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship before a person could register to vote. The legislation has been flatly rejected by Democrats and would require 60 votes to prevail in the Senate.
Trump has pushed Republicans in the Senate to eliminate or modify the filibuster to get the bill through, though Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans don't have the votes to do so.
Trump wrote in his social media post Friday that if Democrats "do not allow a positive Vote on SAVE AMERICA, TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and pass this, and every other Bill that true Republicans have ever dreamt of."
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(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."
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