Wildfire smoke causes concerns for air travel
The FAA has warned that it may issue ground stops and delays in the New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., areas due to low visibility from the smoke.
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ABC NewsAriz. governor signs repeal of 1864 abortion ban, but law may still temporarily take effect
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday signed repeal legislation of a long dormant, near-total abortion ban that was recently revived by the state Supreme Court, stirring widespread controversy and debate. "While I'm proud to sign this bill and provide a moment of relief for Arizonans, we still have work to do," she said at a ceremony, flanked by state legislators and abortion access advocates. Hobbs' signature will reverse the pending reactivation of the restrictive abortion law that dates to 1864 -- but it won't do so immediately.
- ABC News
Authorities arrest suspect in killing of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca
The Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force took Xavier L. Tate Jr. into custody on suspicion of the murder of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca. Tate Jr. was found Wednesday night in the Chicago suburb of Glendale Heights, Illinois, police said. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Huesca's death was the result of "an act of unconscionable gun violence in our city."
- ABC News
4 big takeaways from Day 10 of Trump's hush money trial
Attorneys for Donald Trump in his criminal hush money trial on Thursday attempted to frame Keith Davidson, a Los Angeles-based attorney who represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, as an unsavory figure who made a career of extorting wealthy celebrities for shady clients. Jurors also heard the voice of a man whose name has come up repeatedly in these proceedings: Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen. Both parties played audio recordings of phone conversations he surreptitiously recorded, including one in which Cohen said Donald Trump told him: "I hate the fact that we did it," referring to the nondisclosure deal with Stormy Daniels.
- ABC News
Captain sentenced to 4 years in prison for deadly boat fire
The captain of a scuba dive boat that caught fire off the California coast in 2019, killing 34 people, was sentenced to four years in federal prison on Thursday, the Department of Justice said. A federal jury found Jerry Boylan, 70, of Santa Barbara, guilty of seaman's manslaughter in November 2023 in connection with the deadly boat fire. Boylan was the captain of the Conception, a 75-foot boat that caught fire while it was docked at Platt's Harbor near Santa Cruz Island during a scuba diving excursion in the early morning hours on Sept. 2, 2019, while passengers and crew members were sleeping.
- ABC News
Hawaii counties get more say over short-term rentals amid housing crisis in aftermath of Maui wildfires
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed a bill into law to give counties more authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals amid the ongoing state housing crisis and aftermath of the Maui wildfires. Now, a day after the bill signing, local advocates from Lāhainā Strong are joining County Maui Mayor Richard Bissen to announce a new policy aimed at regulating and phasing out "thousands of transient vacation rentals that have not gone through the traditional permitting process." The Maui wildfires in August 2023 exacerbated the island's housing crisis, burning thousands of structures and displacing thousands of residents.
- ABC News
Poultry enterprise in California to pay $4.8M after employing children to work with sharp knives
The owners and operators of a network of California poultry processors and distributors were ordered to pay $4.8 million in back wages and damages and to give up $1 million in profits after a Department of Labor investigation found the owners illegally employed children as young as 14 to work dangerous jobs. The wage settlement is one of the largest ever reached for U.S. poultry workers, the DOL said in a statement. The investigation by the department's Wage and House Division involving A1 Meat Solutions, JRC Culinary Group, Moon Poultry and five other businesses alleged that the enterprise employed children in dangerous conditions, including using sharp knives to debone poultry.
- Good Morning America
Woman wins $1 million lottery prize for 2nd time in 10 weeks
Christine Wilson of Attleborough won a $1 million jackpot, the Massachusetts State Lottery announced this week, marking her second time winning the prize in 10 weeks. Wilson claimed her first $1 million prize on Feb. 23 on the "Lifetime Millions" $50 instant ticket game that she bought at Dubs's Discount Liquors, in Mansfield.
- ABC News
Trump trial: Possibility of contempt again hangs over Trump
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, former President Trump signaled that he might not be taking the stand in the trial in response to a question about what he thought of Keith Davidson's testimony.
- ABC News
Biden campaign slams Trump's latest unwillingness to accept results of 2024 election
President Joe Biden's campaign on Thursday attacked former President Donald Trump after Trump doubled down on saying that he wouldn't commit to accepting the results of the upcoming presidential election. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, did go on to say he anticipates the 2024 election will be "honest." In response to Trump's comments, the Biden campaign released a statement accusing Trump of being a "danger to the Constitution and a threat to our democracy."
- Good Morning America
Halle Berry shouts 'I'm in menopause' on Capitol Hill as she fights for funding to improve women's care
Actress Halle Berry was joined by a group of bipartisan senators on Capitol Hill Thursday to push for legislation that would put $275 million towards research and education around menopause. The legislation calls for the federal government to spend more on clinical trials on menopause as well as the hormone therapy that is used to treat hot flashes and other symptoms. "I'm in menopause, OK?" Berry yelled, to laughs from the crowd.
- ABC News
Firefighting foam polluted water with PFAS. Decades later, Pentagon changes course
Foamy suds on the surface and along the shoreline are remnants of firefighting foam used at nearby Wurstmuth Air Force base, once the home to America's fleet of B-52 bombers during the Cold War. "It was used three or four or five times a week in training, and they would foam down the entire runway," said Tony Spaniola, an Oscoda resident who lives along the lake. The foam, developed by the military decades ago, contains per-and poly-fluroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- so-called "forever chemicals" because they never break down.
- Good Morning America
11 sets of twins set to graduate high school together
A senior class at a Pennsylvania high school has had "double the fun" the past four years. The graduating class of 2024 at Norwin High School in Irwin includes 11 sets of twins, according to the school's principal, Dr. Michael Choby.
- ABC News
Interest rates could be high for much longer. Here's what it means for your finances
For months, the Federal Reserve has forecasted interest rate cuts that would deliver much-needed relief for Americans burdened by high mortgage and credit card loans. At a press conference this week, however, Fed Chair Jerome Powell cast doubt on whether those rate cuts would arrive after all, saying the Fed needs to “gain greater confidence” that inflation is headed toward an acceptable level. The prospect of high interest rates for a longer period of time could exacerbate the financial pain already imposed by elevated borrowing costs, making loans expensive even as consumers still weather elevated prices, experts told ABC News.
- ABC News
'Violent protest is not protected,' Biden says of college campus unrest
President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke out from the White House on college protests happening across the nation in connection with the Israel-Hamas war. "We've all seen images, and they put to the test two fundamental American principles," Biden said from the Roosevelt Room. It marked the first time Biden directly addressed the issue since his brief comments to reporters on April 22, before the escalation of suspensions and arrests at several campuses.
- Good Morning America
Novo Nordisk announces $6B investment in Ozempic, Wegovy amid shortages
Novo Nordisk, the maker of popular drugs used for weight loss including Ozempic and Wegovy, says it is investing over $6 billion dollars to help meet the increased demand for the drugs amid ongoing shortages and high prices. Negelle Morris, senior vice president and head of U.S. cardiometabolic sales at Novo Nordisk Inc., warned though that even with the increased investment, there will still likely be a delay in getting the drugs to the market.
- Good Morning America
Student who is blind pursues her dreams with the help of her teachers
At St. Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City, New Jersey, Ana Centeno, 19, stands out not just for her notable achievements but also for her ability to navigate her challenges and cultivate distinct capabilities to enrich her life and inspire others. Blind since birth, Centeno has attended St. Joseph's School for the Blind for 16 years. Established in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, St. Joseph's School for the Blind provides programs for the visually impaired and students with disabilities from birth to adulthood, according to its website.
- ABC News
US military acknowledges errant drone strike last year killed a civilian, not an al-Qaeda leader
A targeted U.S. drone strike in northwest Syria one year ago Friday hit and killed a civilian, not the al-Qaeda leader it was looking for, the Pentagon said after an internal review. "U.S. Central Command acknowledges and regrets the civilian harm that resulted from the airstrike," the combatant command said in a statement after the year-long review. It confirmed the Syrian, Lufti Hasan Masto, "was struck and killed instead" of an intended senior al-Qaeda leader.
- Good Morning America
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari finalize divorce
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari have finalized their divorce, a source confirmed to "Good Morning America." The news comes just over eight months after Asghari filed the petition for dissolution of marriage in Los Angeles on August 16, 2023, after just 14 months of marriage. In the court filings, the Iranian-born fitness model and actor cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split and listed the date of separation as July 28, 2023.
- Good Morning America
Kentucky sheriff's office welcomes 15 babies in the last year
The Boone County Sheriff's Office in Burlington, Kentucky, is experiencing a baby boom, with 15 babies born to staffers in the last year. The Kentucky law enforcement agency shared a photo celebrating the new generation of families in a Facebook post April 30, which is quickly going viral with over 2,000 likes. Photographer Kyla Scudder with Kyla Mae Photography volunteered to take the photo of the deputies, sergeants and supervisors holding their babies as a thank you for their service.
- ABC News
Ahead of election, Lyft CEO details company's newest efforts to boost voter turnout
Ahead of the upcoming election in November, the popular ride-sharing service Lyft announced a partnership that its CEO said he hopes continues the company's mission to bring more people -- especially younger voters -- to the polls. Lyft CEO David Risher told ABC News in an interview that ahead of the upcoming election, he wanted to increase the company's footprint when it comes to increasing voter turnout. "One of the most important things you can do to keep the community active and engaged is to make sure they have easy access to the polls," Risher said in the company's Washington, D.C., office.