National Headlines
ICE officers soon will help with airport security unless Democrats end shutdown, Trump says
[caption id="attachment_1490094" align="alignnone" width="1024"] President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, March 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)[/caption]WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he will order federal immigration officers to take a role in airport security starting Monday unless Democrats agree on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In a pair of social media posts, Trump first threatened and then said he had made plans to put officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in airports if the congressional standoff continues. He made the announcement as a partial shutdown contributes to long lines to pass through screening at ... Read More
Hawaii suffers its worst flooding in 20 years and forecasters warn more rain is coming
[caption id="attachment_1490073" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Fooding covers a residential neighborhood in Waialua, Hawaii, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)[/caption]HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said Friday while warning that still more rain was expected during the weekend. Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, ... Read More
Dangerous flooding on Hawaii’s Oahu island prompts evacuations, warning of possible dam collapse
The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a flash flood warning after dam failure on the Kaukonahua Stream below Wahiawa Dam on Oahu, Hawaii, March 20, 2026. (City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management)(OAHU, Hawaii) -- Dangerous flooding is impacting Hawaii's Oahu island, prompting evacuations and a warning from local officials of a possible dam collapse, as major rains pummel the area for the second significant rain event in a week.An evacuation order was issued early Friday morning local time for Haleiwa and Waialua, including areas near the Wahiawa Dam, according to Oahu Emergency Management, which warned that the dam "may collapse or breach at any time."The dam "has not failed but is at imminent risk of ... Read More
Feds move to dismiss charges against officers accused of falsifying warrant in Breonna Taylor raid
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to dismiss the charges against two Louisville officers accused of falsifying the warrant that led police to raid Breonna Taylor’s apartment the night she was killed six years ago. Prosecutors said in a court filing Friday that their review of the case showed the charges against former Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany should be “dismissed in the interest of justice.” Lawyers for the two didn’t immediately respond to Friday requests for comment. Judges have twice taken a felony charge against each officer and reduced it to a misdemeanor, saying there wasn’t a direct link between the false information and Taylor’s death. Prosecutors said after the second ruling ... Read More
Man who allegedly tried to break Luigi Mangione out of jail is considering a plea, attorney says
Mark Anderson, 36, showed up at MDC-Brooklyn with a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter and, when jail guards asked for credentials, threw papers at them, prosecutors said. (United States District Court Eastern District of New York)(NEW YORK) -- The man who allegedly claimed to be an FBI agent and demanded Luigi Mangione’s release from federal jail is considering whether to plead guilty, his attorney said at a hearing Friday.Mark Anderson, a 36-year-old from Minnesota, allegedly showed up to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in January with a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter and, when jail guards asked for credentials, threw papers at them, according to prosecutors.Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Davis told the judge that prosecutors extended ... Read More
Friend speaks out after Kouri Richins found guilty of fatally poisoning husband with fentanyl: Exclusive
Ali Staking talks about how she and her family reacted to Eric Richins' sudden death and Kouri Richins' subsequent murder trial. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.In an exclusive interview with "20/20," Ali Staking said she and her children were "devastated" about the sudden 2022 death of 39-year-old Eric Richins."I said, along the way, 'Sometimes it looks like Kouri might have done it,'" Staking recalled saying to her children. "Then my kids would say, 'Well, did she?' And I'd say 'I don't think so. But, you know, it sometimes looks like it.'"A Summit County jury ultimately found ... Read More
18-year-old Loyola University student shot, killed while walking with friends in Chicago: Police
Police crime scene tape (mbbirdy/Getty Images)(CHICAGO) -- The family of an 18-year-old student at Loyola University Chicago is demanding answers after the teen was shot and killed while walking with her friends near campus.The group was walking near Tobey Prinz Beach Park, less than 1 mile from the university's Lake Shore campus, when an unknown male walked up to them at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Chicago police said.The male showed a gun and opened fire toward the friends, police said.The victim was shot in the head and died at the scene, police said, adding that no one else was injured.The slain student was identified by her family as Sheridan Gorman."Sheridan was the light of our lives," her family said in ... Read More
Heat records shattered across Southwest as climate change impacts intensify
[caption id="attachment_1489756" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Baseball fans watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game with the heat forcing the game to end early, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)[/caption]WASHINGTON (AP) — The dangerous heat wave shattering March records all over the U.S. Southwest is more than just another extreme weather blip. It’s the latest next-level weather wildness that is occurring ever more frequently as Earth’s warming builds. Experts said unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in danger. For example, the Southwest is used to coping with deadly heat, but not months ... Read More
2nd jobs, longer hours, pushed to the brink: TSA workers detail mounting stress as DHS shutdown continues
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents screen travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, US, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown is taking its toll on the thousands of Transportation Security Administration employees at airports who have been working without pay.Approximately 60,000 TSA officers who have gone over a month with partial pay began receiving their first $0 paychecks last week.Many say they are living in fear, with some taking on extra jobs or even leaving the agency altogether to make ends meet.And if there is no relief soon, veteran TSA leaders fear that the stress and uncertainty could impact operations for years"Who ... Read More
‘It was very hard to keep this’: Dolores Huerta speaks out about alleged abuse by Cesar Chavez
Dolores Huerta, the iconic civil rights leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, spoke to ABC News' John Quiñones. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- Dolores Huerta, the iconic civil rights leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, said she decided to speak out to support other women who have come forward after a New York Times report revealed accusations of sexual assault against the late labor leader Cesar Chávez."And to think that somebody that we looked at as our hero and our leader -- you know, it's pretty horrible," Huerta said in a network exclusive with John Quiñones.According to the Times, the late farmworker organizer, who became a national civil rights icon, used his position of power to exploit ... Read More
Alaska Airlines flight, FedEx cargo plane nearly collide at Newark airport: Radar data
A traffic tower is seen at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 14, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- An Alaska Airlines 737 and a FedEx 777 cargo plane nearly collided as they attempted to land on intersecting runways at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, according to radar data from FlightRadar24.The incident happened around 8:17 p.m. Tuesday as the Alaska flight arrived from Portland, Oregon, and the FedEx plane arrived from Memphis, Tennessee, according to the data.Air traffic control told the Alaska plane to go around seconds before it touched down while the plane was just 150 feet in the air, according to air traffic control audio and FlightRadar24 data. Meanwhile, the FedEx plane continued ... Read More
19-year-old Mexican immigrant dies in ICE custody this week, agency says
(MOORE HAVEN, Fla.) -- A 19-year-old Mexican immigrant died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this week, according to a notice sent to lawmakers.Royer Perez-Jimenez, 19, died March 16 at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, according to the notice from ICE that was reviewed by ABC News.Perez-Jimenez is the 44th person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump administration, according to lawmakers."He died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation," ICE stated.In the notice, ICE said the 19-year-old entered the United States from Mexico on Feb. 19, 2022, and was granted voluntary return. On an unknown date, according to ICE, he reentered the U.S.The notice said Perez-Jimenez was arrested ... Read More
Immigration judge denies Liam Conejo Ramos and his family’s asylum claim: Attorney
Liam Conejo Ramos, as he is detained, January 20, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Columbia Heights Public Schools)(MINNEAPOLIS) -- An immigration judge has denied Liam Conejo Ramos and his family’s asylum claim, their attorney confirmed.The 5-year-old boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were detained on Jan. 20 by immigration agents in Minneapolis and held in a Texas detention facility. A judge ordered them to be released and they flew back to Minnesota on Feb. 1.Attorney Danielle Molliver told ABC News on Thursday the family was unable to present any evidence in the case before the government filed a motion to terminate the case which a judge granted. Molliver said she has filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals. "We understand that ... Read More
Opening statements to begin in trial of doctor accused of trying to kill wife on Hawaii hiking trail
Stock image of gavel. (Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images)(HONOLULU) -- Opening statements are expected to begin Thursday in the trial of a doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a Hawaii hiking trail last year.Gerhardt Konig has been charged with second-degree attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty.The trial is set to get underway at 9 a.m. local time in Honolulu.The anesthesiologist is accused of beating his wife, Arielle Konig, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu on March 24, 2025.He allegedly pushed her and hit her in the head with a rock approximately 10 times while grabbing the back of her head and smashing her face into the ground, according to the probable cause statement for his arrest. He ... Read More
Dangerous, unprecedented heat wave hits the West
Heat in the west. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- A dangerous and unprecedented heat wave is hitting the West, with temperatures reaching 25-to-40 degrees above normal across the region, and the heat is now spreading east.Dozens of cities shattered their all-time high March temperatures on Thursday, including Palm Springs, California, at 107 degrees; Tucson, Arizona, at 101; Las Vegas at 95; Pueblo, Colorado, at 87; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 85.More all-time March records are expected on Friday, including in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Denver and Salt Lake City.Phoenix could break its all-time March temperature for the third day in a row, and the city could even see triple-digit temperatures for a week straight.The extreme temperatures in the West could continue through ... Read More
Luigi Mangione asks to delay federal trial
Luigi Mangione speaks to his attorney, Jacob Kaplan, during a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Criminal Court on December 18, 2025 in New York City. (Luiz C. Ribeiro-Pool/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Luigi Mangione asked a judge on Wednesday to postpone his federal trial from September 2026 to January 2027.Mangione argued he could not properly prepare for his federal trial -- which is set to begin with jury selection on Sept. 8 and opening statements on Oct. 13 -- while he is on trial in the state case, which begins June 8.The state trial would be ongoing while hundreds of potential jurors for the federal case begin filling out questionnaires on June ... Read More
‘Boom’ heard in Ohio may have been from meteor, National Weather Service says
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh released this image of an apparent meteor. (National Weather Service in Pittsburgh)(CLEVELAND) -- A "boom" heard in Ohio on Tuesday morning appears to have been from a meteor, the National Weather Service in Cleveland said.The NWS said imagery "does suggest that the boom was a result of a meteor."The NWS in Pittsburgh said residents in western Pennsylvania also reported the loud "boom" and fireball in the sky.The NWS said one of its employees filmed the apparent meteor shooting across the sky in the Pittsburgh area.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. ... Read More
Bank of America reaches proposed, non-binding settlement in suit alleging it aided Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes
Epstein and Maxwell in one of the images released by the US Department of State . (Photo by The US Justice Department / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Bank of America has reached a proposed, non-binding settlement in a lawsuit that alleged the bank helped facilitate Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking operation, according to court records.The proposed class-action complaint, filed in October 2025, alleged that Bank of America “knowingly provided the financial support and the veneer of institutional legitimacy” to Epstein and ignored suspicious transactions by the late disgraced financier.A notice on the case’s docket said that lawyers for the bank and the victims “reached a settlement in principle.” The terms of the settlement were not immediately disclosed and would need ... Read More
Jury finds Utah mom Kouri Richins guilty of fatally poisoning husband with fentanyl
Photo of Richins Family posted on Eric's Facebook account. (Eric Richins/Facebook)(NEW YORK) -- Kouri Richins, a Utah woman accused of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, who self-published a children's book on grieving following his death, has been found guilty of murder following a weekslong trial.The Summit County jury began deliberating late Monday afternoon before reaching a verdict after about three hours. She was found guilty on all five counts, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.Kouri Richins looked down and remained still while the judge read out each guilty verdict. Her sentencing has been scheduled for May 13.During closing arguments earlier Monday, prosecutors alleged that the mom of three was obsessed with appearing "privileged, affluent and successful" and killed ... Read More
Retired Air Force major general missing for weeks: What we know about his mysterious disappearance
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. William N. McCasland (U.S. Air Force)(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) -- The search is intensifying for a missing retired Air Force general weeks after he mysteriously disappeared in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Retired Maj. Gen. William N. "Neil" McCasland, 68, was last seen at his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.At 10 a.m. that day, a repairman was at McCasland's home and interacted with him, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said at a news conference on Monday. At 11:10 a.m., McCasland's wife left the house for a medical appointment, and when she returned home at 12:04 p.m., he wasn't there, the sheriff said. She reported him missing at 3:07 p.m., the sheriff said.McCasland "did ... Read More
Afghan who died in ICE custody worked with US forces in Afghanistan, advocacy group says
The entrance to a U.S. Immigration and Customs detention facility in Dallas, Texas (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)(DALLAS) -- An Afghan immigrant who died after being in immigration custody for one day worked alongside U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan, according to an immigrant advocacy group.Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died last week at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas, Texas. He is the 43rd person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump administration, according to lawmakers.According to ICE, 36 detainees have died in ICE custody since Jan. 23, 2025. By federal law, ICE makes public all reports regarding detainee deaths while in custody within 90 days, according to the agency.“For many years, Nazeer worked alongside American ... Read More
‘Radiant’ mother from Kentucky was among 6 US service members killed in air crash in Iraq
(AP) - A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a military refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq. Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday. “I’ll give you something brief: in a word, radiant,” he said in a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.” Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson. Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 ... Read More
It’s been 100 years since the 1st modern rocket launched. Humans are heading back to the moon
The first full Moon of the spring on March 3, 2026. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- It’s been 100 years since the 1st modern rocket launched. Humans are heading back to the moonThe experiment lasted only two and a half seconds, but it ignited a century of space exploration that sent humans to low Earth orbit and eventually to the moon.On March 16, 1926, Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket on a snowy farm in Massachusetts. Historians say that Goddard's 10-foot rocket would pave the way for the modern machines that do everything from putting satellites in orbit to sending humans to the International Space Station and beyond.“His unlocking of that ability to ... Read More
What to know as war with Iran enters 3rd week
President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One on March 13, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Trump is traveling to Florida to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Several developments came out of Washington, D.C., regarding the war with Iran over the weekend as strikes continue across the Middle East and economic impacts are beginning to be felt domestically. President Donald Trump and administration officials continued to comment on the timeline of the war, the possibility of a deal with Iran, securing the Strait of Hormuz and the release of oil reserves.The administration has maintained that the U.S. is decimating Iranian forces and degrading their capabilities, but Iran continues ... Read More
6 dead after US KC-135 refueling aircraft goes down in western Iraq
A Boeing C-135 Stratotanker / Stratolifter military aircraft known as KC-135 of the United States Air Force USAF configured as Air Tanker Transport for aerial refueling. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Six service members were killed when their refueling aircraft "went down" in friendly airspace in western Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command."All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury," CENTCOM said Friday.The KC-135 aircraft went down at approximately 2 p.m. ET on Thursday when two aircraft were involved in "an incident," CENTCOM said in a brief statement, confirming ... Read More
Suspect dead after ramming truck into Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan: Sheriff
(WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich.) -- A suspect is dead after a shooting and vehicle ramming incident at a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.The suspect, who is believed to have had a rifle, died after a shootout with security, according to a senior federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.Nobody inside the synagogue was hurt, Bouchard said, and the synagogue noted that all 140 students as well as staff, teachers and "heroic security personnel" are all accounted for.Eight first responders are being treated at hospitals, Henry Ford Health said.The sheriff noted that one synagogue security guard was hit by the suspect's truck and was “knocked unconscious” but is expected to be OK.Temple Israel in a ... Read More
FBI assisting in search for retired Air Force major general missing for two weeks
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. William N. McCasland. (U.S. Air Force)(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) -- The FBI is assisting a local sheriff's office in the search for a missing retired Air Force general who disappeared from his home in late February. Retired Maj. Gen. William N. "Neil" McCasland held a number of "space research, acquisition and operations roles within the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office" while enlisted, according to the Air Force. The roles included director-level positions at the Pentagon, as well as commanding the Phillips Research Site of Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to the Air Force.McCasland, 68, left his ... Read More
Giant lizard that can grow up to 6 feet is invading South Florida’s ecosystem
Nile Monitor lizard (1001slide/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)(FLORIDA) -- Another giant reptile is clawing its way toward disrupting the South Florida ecosystem as an invasive species.The Nile monitor -- a semi-aquatic lizard equipped with razor claws that can grow up to 6 feet -- has been establishing populations in the area since the 1980s, according to ecology experts.Endemic to the Nile river delta in Sub-Saharan Africa, the continent's largest lizards arrived in Florida via the pet trade, through both intentional and unintentional release, Frank Mazzotti, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, told ABC News."They're very wild, they're very active," Mazzotti said. "They don't make good pets at all. They don't calm down."The temperament of the giant lizards also ... Read More
New person of interest identified over 40 years after 8-year-old girl went missing
Christy Luna went missing in 1984 at the age of 8 in Greenacres, Florida. (Palm Bach County Sheriff's Office)(PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla.) -- Christy Luna disappeared without a trace over 40 years ago at the age of 8. Now, authorities in Florida say they have identified a new person of interest in the cold case.Christy went missing on May 27, 1984, while going to a general store less than two blocks from her home in Greenacres to buy cat food, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. No one knows what happened to her after she bought the food for her two cats, and a massive search at the time didn't turn up anything. The sheriff's office has followed multiple ... Read More
Trump keeps telling America he’s winning in Iran. He’s less clear in explaining how the war ends
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing jittery global markets and drooping poll numbers since launching a war with Iran, President Donald Trump has cycled from calls for “unconditional surrender” to sounding amenable to an end state in which Iran trades one hard-line ayatollah for another. Shifting comments from the Republican president and his top aides are adding to the precariousness of the 12-day-old conflict, which is impacting nearly every corner of the Middle East and causing economic tremors around the globe. With neither side budging, the war is now on an unpredictable path and a credible endgame is unclear. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday it was up to Trump “whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end” of the war. ... Read More
Top of page
