'Avatar: The Way of Water’ hits $1B at the box office
The highly anticipated Avatar sequel blasted past the competition and reached the $1 billion mark in ticket sales within just two weeks of its release.
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Good Morning AmericaHearing in Trump hush money case will determine if Trump is held in contempt
Lawyers for the Manhattan district attorney, in a hearing Tuesday morning, will attempt to convince the judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money case to hold the former president in contempt for repeatedly violating the limited gag order in the case. Prosecutors have argued that Trump violated the limited gag order -- which prohibits statements about witnesses, jurors, and lawyers in the case other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg -- on at least ten separate occasions this month.
- Good Morning America
Senate returns to take up $95B foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
The Senate will return Tuesday to begin consideration of a package to deliver $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The legislation, which includes four bills, passed the House over the weekend with bipartisan support. President Joe Biden urged the Senate to quickly advance the measures to his desk.
- Good Morning America
Abortion could dominate the 2024 election in Florida. Will that help Democrats flip the state?
For decades, with only a few exceptions, Florida has been one of the most closely fought states in presidential elections -- famously helping George W. Bush beat Al Gore in 2000 by just 537 votes. "Our agenda, our coalition, and the unique dynamics this election presents make it clear: President Biden is in a stronger position to win Florida this cycle than he was in 2020," Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, wrote in a memo in early April, underscoring the cautious optimism among some in her party.
- Good Morning America
Luxury handbag designer jailed for wildlife smuggling, making merchandise out of protected species
A luxury handbag designer has been jailed after pleading guilty to smuggling purses made of the skins of protected reptiles, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, found of the luxury handbag company Gzuniga, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday for illegally importing merchandise from Colombia to the United States that was made from protected wildlife, authorities said. Mauricio Giraldo, an associate of Gonzalez, was also sentenced to prison, according to the Department of Justice.
- Good Morning America
Prince Louis, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, celebrates 6th birthday
Prince Louis, the youngest child of Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, and younger sibling of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is 6. Six years ago, on April 23, 2018, the prince, whose full name is Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Wales, was born at 11:01 a.m., local time. The young prince, a grandson of King Charles III, made his first public appearance just seven hours after his birth, when William and Kate brought him outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
- Good Morning America
How ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee explains climate change to her kids
On air, ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee travels the country forecasting and reporting on the nation's weather and the latest issues in the climate crisis. At home, Zee is a mom of two who, like parents everywhere, has the task of explaining topics as big as global warming and the climate crisis to her two young sons. Zee told Mitchell and Kohlberg that she starts by letting her sons know that neither she nor anyone has all the answers about the Earth and its changing climate.
- Good Morning America
Karen, the 'vibrant and beloved' ostrich at Topeka Zoo, dies after swallowing zoo staffer's keys
Karen, a “vibrant and beloved” ostrich who made her home at the Topeka Zoo, has died after swallowing a zoo staffer’s set of keys, zoo officials said. The untimely passing was announced by the Topeka Zoo on Friday after Karen “tragically succumbed to complications arising from consuming a foreign object.” “The Topeka Zoo remains committed to ensuring the well-being of all our animals, implementing rigorous protocols to safeguard against such incidents in the future,” officials said.
- ABC News
Police searching for 'armed' suspect after woman found dead outside Washington state elementary school
West Richland police in Washington state are asking for the public's help in locating a murder suspect they say is "armed" and "dangerous," after a woman was pronounced deceased outside a local school on Monday. Authorities have identified the suspect as 40-year-old Elias Huizar. Police are also searching for a silver, 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington plates CBZ4745.
- ABC News
City of Baltimore claims in court filing ship that hit bridge was 'unseaworthy' when it left port
The Dali, the container ship that left the Port of Baltimore in the early hours of March 26, before crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, toppling a portion of it, set sail despite its "unseaworthy" conditions, according to a Monday court filing from the City of Baltimore. In the court document, the city argues that the ship's parent company, Grace Ocean Private Ltd., should be held liable for crashing into the Key Bridge. The filing was in response to Grace Ocean Private Ltd.'s request to limit their liability in damages they have to pay.
- Good Morning America
Mom suffers near-fatal stroke just hours after giving birth
Christina Aleksanian, 36, of Granada Hills, was recovering in the hospital after giving birth to her third child, a daughter named Stephanie, when she said she felt her hand start to go numb. Aleksanian said she thought she was getting a migraine, but as she was talking to her daughter's pediatrician, who happened to be in the room at the moment, she became unresponsive. Aleksanian's husband, Gary Galfayan, told "GMA" that just hours after he watched his wife deliver their healthy child on May 23, 2023, he saw her being rushed away for lifesaving treatment.
- ABC News
Judge declares mistrial in case of Arizona rancher accused of killing unarmed migrant
A judge has declared a mistrial in the criminal case against 75-year-old Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, accused of fatally shooting a migrant on his property near the U.S.-Mexico border, the court confirmed Monday night. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the Jan. 30, 2023, fatal shooting of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, 48, a migrant who lived across the border in Nogales, Mexico. Law enforcement officials said Cuen-Buitimea was traveling with a group of migrants who ran when they saw border patrol agents in the area.
- ABC News
Idaho college murders: Bryan Kohberger community survey can proceed, judge rules
Lawyers for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of stabbing to death four Idaho college students in 2022, can continue their survey of prospective jurors in the state, the judge overseeing his case has ruled. Kohberger's lawyers had hired a consultant to conduct community phone polling ahead of his upcoming capital murder trial in order to gauge the attitude and potential bias of people who could one day decide his fate. "The defense may continue its surveys without modification to the survey questions," Judge John Judge, overseeing the case, said in his order filed Friday and posted to the docket Monday afternoon.
- ABC News
Supreme Court appears to favor Oregon city in dispute over homeless camping ban
A majority of Supreme Court justices on Monday appeared sympathetic to an Oregon city making it a crime for anyone without a permanent residence to sleep outside in an effort to crack down on homeless encampments across public properties. The case, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, carries enormous stakes nationwide as communities confront a growing tide of unhoused residents and increasingly turn to punitive measures to try to incentivize people to take advantage of social services and other shelter options. "These generally applicable laws prohibit specific conduct and are essential to public health and safety," argued the city's attorney Theane Evangelis during oral arguments, which stretched more than two and a half hours.
- ABC News
Man facing federal hate crime charges for allegedly breaking into Rutgers Islamic Center during Eid
Federal prosecutors charged a man with hate crimes Monday for allegedly breaking into and vandalizing the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University during Eid al-Fitr two weeks ago. Jacob Beacher, 24, was arrested after investigators said they determined he broke into the center on the New Brunswick, New Jersey, campus on April 10 and vandalized several items, including Turbah prayer stones and art pieces with Quranic verses. Beacher, who is not affiliated with the university, also allegedly stole a charity box and a Palestinian flag from the center, according to investigators.
- ABC News
Possible measles exposure at Indiana children's museum during total eclipse event, officials say
People who attended a total solar eclipse event at a children's museum in Indiana may have been exposed to measles, according to museum and health officials. Melissa McMasters, administrator of infectious disease and immunizations at the MCPHD, told ABC News the local county department was informed about the infected patient from the state Department of Health. "Measles is one of those reportable diseases that's required to be reported by law because of the public health significance of it," she said.
- ABC News
Officer's gun taken in fatal shooting in Chicago: Sources
A Chicago police officer who was gunned down Sunday outside his home after returning from his shift had his gun taken from him as well as his car in the attack, ABC station WLS reported Monday. The slain 30-year-old officer, Luis M. Huesca, was shot multiple times in the Gage Park neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago, police superintendent Larry Snelling said during a news conference Sunday. Huesca was still in his uniform when he was fatally shot, Snelling said.
- Good Morning America
Supreme Court to decide if ban on homeless encampments is 'cruel and unusual'
Just past the outfield fence of the local little league ballpark, homeless residents of this sleepy Oregon town erect tents to spend the night protected from cold and rain. “It’s public access, plain and simple,” said Brandon, 38, a Grants Pass native who says the death of his wife three years ago plunged him into a financial crisis that cost him a permanent home. A debate over homeless encampments familiar to many communities headed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, where the justices confronted a rising tide of unhoused Americans and punitive steps cities like Grants Pass are increasingly taking to address it.
- ABC News
Israel-Gaza live updates: Israeli intelligence chief resigns over Oct. 7
Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran on Friday, a senior U.S. official told ABC News. The strike followed Iran's April 13 attack, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. Iran's weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.
- ABC News
5 people, including at least 2 kids, mysteriously found dead at home in Oklahoma City: Police
Five people -- including at least two children -- have been mysteriously found dead at an Oklahoma home, according to authorities. Oklahoma City police said they were notified around 9:35 a.m. Monday and responding officers found the five bodies inside the house. "Very tragic, very sad situation," police said.
- ABC News
Congress seems poised to pass potential TikTok ban in US. How would it work?
A potential ban of TikTok in the United States sailed through the House of Representatives over the weekend as part of a $95 billion foreign aid package that garnered bipartisan support. The social media crackdown may stand poised to become law, since President Joe Biden has vowed to sign it if it passes the Senate and reaches his desk. The TikTok measure could still be removed from the foreign aid legislation in the Senate, but that would require the entire package to be sent back to the House for another vote -- at the same time that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have stressed urgency for acting on the additional money for Ukraine and Israel.