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Good Morning AmericaAt least 4 dead in Houston after 'exceptionally' strong storm hits Texas: Mayor
At least four people have died Thursday after an "exceptionally" strong storm hit Texas, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire. Preliminary investigations indicate falling trees caused two deaths and a fallen crane caused one, according to Houston Police Chief Samuel Pena. Urging Houston, Texas, residents to stay home, Whitmire said the city was in "recovery mode" and schools will be closed in the Houston area on Friday.
- Good Morning America
Biden asserts executive privilege over audio of interview with special counsel Hur
The Justice Department on Thursday informed House Republicans that President Joe Biden has formally asserted executive privilege over the audio of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents. It's a move that the department said effectively shields Attorney General Merrick Garland from any criminal exposure, though Republican lawmakers moved ahead anyway toward trying to hold him in contempt of Congress. The GOP-led House Oversight Committee voted 24-20 late Thursday to approve a report recommending a contempt of Congress resolution against Garland for his failure to turn over audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur's interview with Biden.
- ABC News
Girlfriend of US Airman killed by Florida deputy speaks out
The girlfriend of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, who was on a video call with him when he was killed by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy, is speaking out about the May 3 incident. Fortson's girlfriend, who asked not to be identified over fears for her safety, spoke exclusively to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV telling the station the couple was having a conversation about weekend plans when the incident unfolded. "We started talking about our plans for the weekend because it was the weekend of Cinco De Mayo," Fortson's girlfriend said.
- ABC News
Trump hush money trial turns fiery as defense accuses Michael Cohen of lying
Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial turned heated Thursday when the defense accused Michael Cohen of lying about a phone call he said he had about the alleged deal with adult film star Stormy Daniels. Cohen previously testified he called Trump's bodyguard Keith Schiller, on Oct. 24, 2016, in order to speak with Trump and let him know he had come to an agreement with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. In the days leading up to Oct. 24, Blanche said, Cohen complained about repeated prank calls from an unidentified teenager.
- ABC News
American doctors uncertain how they will leave Gaza: A day in their life
As the Israeli military intensifies its fight against the militant group Hamas in and around the southern Gaza city of Rafah, thousands are being forced to evacuate and several U.S. citizens are caught up in the confusion after the Israeli military took over the Rafah Crossing on May 7. Among those uncertain how they will get out of Gaza are a group of medics, who were volunteering with the Palestinian American Medical Association, working at the European Hospital in Khan Younis. "The U.N. have been working to try to secure a safe passage," Monica Johnston, a burns nurse from Portland, told ABC News in an interview.
- ABC News
Father, 2 siblings set to graduate from college killed after small plane crashes in Tennessee
Three people have died after a small plane appears to have broken up in-flight before crashing in Tennessee, authorities said. The aircraft -- a 1966 Beech V35 -- crashed near Franklin around noon Wednesday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident. Witnesses reported seeing both wings go backward and the plane "going violently out of control" before the crash, NTSB aviation accident investigator Aaron McCarter told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday.
- ABC News
47 people arrested at UC Irvine after police, sheriff called in over protest
Tensions at the University of California, Irvine campus escalated Wednesday as a group of several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters entered a lecture hall and surrounded the building, according to school officials. The Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department were called to the scene after the university called for mutual aid from local law enforcement agencies, UC Irvine said in an emergency update. Authorities were seen putting protesters in zip-ties and escorting them away from the main protest area.
- ABC News
Demonstrator to stand trial in the death of Jewish man at November Israel-Hamas war-related protest
A judge in California ruled that a pro-Palestinian demonstrator will stand trial in the death of a Jewish man who was counter-protesting on a street in Thousand Oaks last year. Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, died from blunt-force head trauma following a confrontation with a counterprotester, amid simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations last November, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office previously said. Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji is accused of striking Paul Kessler with a megaphone, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement.
- ABC News
Southern California traffic brought to standstill after bear wanders onto freeway
Commuters on a Southern California freeway experienced an unexpected delay earlier this week when a bear wandered onto the road, bringing traffic to a halt. The bear incident happened Tuesday on the 14 freeway near Newhall Avenue. In footage from the scene, the bear can be seen leisurely strolling in front of the vehicles on the freeway before eventually retreating towards the nearby hills.
- ABC News
Whistleblower claims EPA wasted critical time after devastating Ohio train derailment
An Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower told ABC News the United States EPA wasted critical time gathering data in the days immediately following the catastrophic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, last year. Senior research scientist Robert Kroutil alleged the EPA delayed days in deploying one of its most effective tools in assessing chemical incidents: The Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) plane. Kroutil helped develop the EPA's ASPECT plane – a one-of-one specialized aircraft equipped with radiological and infrared sensors.
- ABC News
Pentagon's temporary pier off Gaza is ready to begin delivering aid
The Pentagon's temporary floating pier system was anchored onto a beach in Gaza on Thursday amid the Israel-Hamas war, and U.S. officials say humanitarian aid will begin flowing "in the coming days." Officials did, however, stress that while the pier -- formally called the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, capability -- will help bring aid to the strip, the real long-term solution in Gaza is to fully open the land routes so more aid can flow in. Pentagon officials said aid will begin flowing quickly, though initially it will be at a slow pace to ensure the system is working properly before operations are scaled up.
- Good Morning America
House passes GOP bill to force Biden to continue weapons transfers to Israel
The House on Thursday passed a Republican-led bill to condemn President Joe Biden's approach to Israel and force him to send arms shipments to the U.S. ally. The measure is a culmination of the political fallout from Biden's recent pause of a bomb shipment to Israel and his pointed warning the U.S. won't supply weapons that could be used in an invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million civilians have sought shelter.
- Good Morning America
Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 40,000 for the 1st time
The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 40,000 for the first time in history on Thursday. This is a significant and symbolic milestone for the index that tracks 30 of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the U.S. The Dow is now up about 6% so far this year.
- ABC News
Morehouse faculty votes to award Biden honorary degree amid commencement controversy over handling of war in Gaza
Despite frustration among some Morehouse College faculty, staff and students over President Joe Biden delivering the Atlanta school's commencement address on Sunday, the faculty voted on Thursday to award the president an honorary degree -- an act some said they opposed in protest of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. On a call Thursday morning, 50 of the 88 faculty members present voted to award Biden an honorary degree.
- ABC News
Source of oil leak into Galveston Bay following barge collision has been contained, say officials
Officials are monitoring an oil spill in Texas waterways after the partial collapse of a bridge that was struck by a barge, but the source of the spill itself has been contained, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 321-foot barge, named MMLP 321, struck a pillar on the railroad portion of the Pelican Island Causeway on Wednesday morning, causing oil aboard the vessel to leak into Galveston Bay, according to officials.
- Good Morning America
California bill would ban anti-aging skin care products for kids under 13
California lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would ban anti-aging skin care products from being sold to young children. Assembly Bill 2491, championed by Assemblymember Alex Lee of San Jose, aims to prohibit the sale of anti-aging skin care products to children under the age of 13. The bill passed the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee last month and will head to an appropriations hearing on May 16.
- Good Morning America
Mexico City taco stand makes history as 1st to earn Michelin star
Taquerías are a quintessential part of Mexico's street food scene and culture. Chef Arturo Rivera Martínez has helmed the ripping hot flat top at Taquería El Califa de León for 20 years -- searing off fresh meat to fill tortillas topped with red or green sauce -- and on Tuesday, it became the first taco shop to obtain one of the French dining guide's prestigious honors.
- ABC News
What to know about self-swabbing for HPV after FDA approves new kits
For the first time, women in the United States have the ability to self-collect a sample to screen for human papillomavirus (HPV). This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two self-swab tests from global medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG for "clinical" use, meaning in a private room inside a doctor's office, mobile clinic or another health care setting. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and can lead to several potentially deadly cancers, including cervical cancer.
- Good Morning America
Artist behind King Charles III's controversial portrait shares why he used the color red
The artist behind the new portrait of King Charles III is sharing insight into some of his more controversial artistic choices, like the use of the color red. Jonathan Yeo, a U.K.-based artist, painted the portrait of Charles -- unveiled Tuesday at Buckingham Palace -- over the course of three years. The portrait, which stands over 6 feet tall, features a striking red background and shows Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975, according to the palace.
- ABC News
3 North Koreans infiltrated US companies in 'staggering' alleged telework fraud: DOJ
The Justice Department on Thursday unsealed an indictment charging three North Korean workers and a United States citizen with allegedly engaging in "staggering fraud" through a complex scheme where they secured illicit work with a number of U.S. companies and government agencies. The indictment against the North Korean IT workers -- using the aliases Jiho Han, Chunji Jin and Haoran Xu -- alleges the group used fraudulent identities belonging to 60 real Americans to secure telework positions between October 2020 and 2023 that ultimately generated nearly $7 million in profits for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Prosecutors further allege the group was assisted by U.S. national Christina Chapman in their efforts to obtain remote work positions, who they accuse of stationing laptops belonging to U.S. companies at various residences that the North Koreans were then able to access.