Rising interest rates slows building sales
Builders are offering new incentives to home buyers as sales slow down and mortgages rise.
Latest Stories
Good Morning AmericaWNBA star Brittney Griner opens up about harrowing Russian detention in exclusive '20/20' special
WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap in December 2022, shared her story for the first time and reflected on the hopelessness she experienced during her monthslong confinement in an exclusive interview that will air May 1 on a special edition of “20/20." “I was just so scared for everything because there's so much unknown,” Griner told “GMA” co-anchor Robin Roberts. Griner, 33, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a nine-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17, 2022, at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
- Good Morning America
Prince William, Kate Middleton share new photo of Prince Louis for his 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. The Wales family marked the young prince's birthday by sharing a new photo, taken by Kate. The photo, shared on William and Kate's social media accounts, shows a smiling Louis, dressed in a plaid collared shirt, posing outside on a blanket.
- Good Morning America
Superfakes: Copycat manufacturers are becoming increasingly skilled at producing knock-off designer handbags
Counterfeit luxury handbags have become a social media phenomenon. As high-end luxury brands including Hermes, Chanel, and Prada have boosted their prices in recent years, many consumers turned to deceivingly high-quality replicas for a fraction of the price. The precision and attention to detail put into making replica handbags have made it easier for them to pass off as genuine luxury products, with hardly any noticeable differences to the untrained eye.
- Good Morning America
Are lab-grown diamonds as sustainable as advertised?
The natural diamond industry has been fueled by a glittering marketing strategy for decades, but is the sustainability of modern, lab-grown diamonds as clear-cut as consumers believe? Since De Beers Group's 1940s "a diamond is forever" advertising campaign, dubbed by Advertising Age as the "slogan of the 20th century" in 1999, the natural diamond industry exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry and cemented itself into modern culture. "Diamonds are very ingrained in our culture," Paul Zimnisky, a leading diamond industry analyst, told ABC News.
- Good Morning America
Trump faces potential contempt of court if judge determines he violated gag order
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 10 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
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
Ship that hit Baltimore bridge was 'unseaworthy' when it left port, city claims
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.