(WASHINGTON) — After the worst year in history for unruly airline passengers, Delta’s CEO is asking the Department of Justice to help create a national “no-fly” list for anyone convicted of federal offenses related to an on-board disruption.
CEO Ed Bastian wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday asking for his support in banning unruly passengers from all commercial carriers.
Bastian believes banning unruly passengers from all commercial flights will send a strong signal to the flying public that not following crew member instructions comes with severe consequences.
“This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” he wrote.
Unruly passenger incidents onboard Delta planes have increased nearly 100% since 2019, according to Bastian.
To date the airline has placed almost 2,000 people on Delta’s internal no-fly list for refusing to wear a mask and has submitted around 1,000 banned names to the Transportation Security Administration to pursue civil penalties.
Delta has previously asked other U.S. airlines to share their internal no-fly lists so that people who endangered their crew can’t do so on another airline.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has seen a troubling spike in unruly passenger incidents with airlines reporting a staggering 6,304 reports of misconduct since January 2021. The agency is still enforcing its zero-tolerance policy for in-flight disruptions which could lead to fines as high as $52,500 and up to 20 years in prison.
In November, the FAA revealed some unruly passengers could start to face criminal prosecution after establishing an information-sharing protocol with the Department of Justice.
Last month, federal charges were brought against three passengers who allegedly “viciously assaulted” a Delta security officer at John F. Kennedy Airport by “beating him to the floor with his radio and then kicking and punching him in the face and body while he was down,” according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
All three pleaded not guilty, and were released on $25,000 bond.
“This is one of four incidents that have resulted in federal charges against abusive customers in the last 30 days,” Bastian said.
The Department of Justice declined to comment.
ABC News’ Luke Barr and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has obtained White House records showing then-President Donald Trump spoke with Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio that morning, a source confirmed to ABC News Friday.
The source said call logs records, part of the documents the National Archives handed over to the committee, found that Trump called Jordan from the White House residence and they spoke for 10 minutes, and while Jordan has said he did speak to Trump that day, it was not previously known they spoke that morning, before the attack and the counting of electoral votes.
One entry shows a request from Trump to get Jordan on the phone. A second entry detailed the length of the call.
The records also show Trump did not leave the White House until 11:40 a.m. on Jan. 6 to speak to his supporters on the Ellipse.
ABC News asked Jordan earlier Friday as he was racing out of the Capitol with suitcases in hand, “If you say you have nothing to hide, why not cooperate with investigators?”
“We laid everything out in the letter you guys can read our letter and the biggest point we made in the letter was when you already have a committee that has proven they will alter evidence and then lie to the American people about it that’s a big concern but we lay that out and other concerns in the letter,” Jordan replied.
He also refused to answer whether he would comply with a subpoena from the committee.
“We’ll see what happens we’ll see what the committee does. I’ve got to get to the airport,” he said.
The House select committee sent a letter to Jordan in December requesting he appear for an interview with the panel about his communications with Trump on and before Jan. 6.
Jordan, who has attacked the committee’s integrity, was among the House Republicans nominated to serve on the select committee by House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., blocked him from being seated on the panel given his past false statements about the election results — which led McCarthy to withdraw all his selections to the committee.
Jordan is also one of 147 House Republicans who voted against certifying the election for President Joe Biden and has refused to cooperate with the House investigation into Jan. 6.
He has previously acknowledged that he spoke with the president the day of the riot but Friday’s development that the committee has record of a 10-minute call with Trump provides more insight into the records the committee has obtained.
The Ohio congressman admitted last July that he — like McCarthy — spoke to Trump on the phone on Jan. 6.
Asked in an interview with Ohio Spectrum News reporter Taylor Popielarz if he spoke to Trump before during or after the attack, Jordan said he didn’t remember.
“I spoke with him that day. After? I think after. I don’t know if I spoke with him in the morning or not. I just don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know when those conversations.”
Fox News host Brett Baier also pressed Jordan around the same time on whether he spoke to Trump that day, and Jordan repeatedly deflected, saying he’s “talked to the former president umpteen times — thousands, countless times.”
Baier followed up, “But I mean on January 6, congressman.”
“Yes,” Jordan said. “I mean, I’ve talked to the president so many — I can’t remember all the days I’ve talked to him, but I’ve certainly talked to the president.”
Conversations in Trump’s orbit, such as the call with Jordan, are key to what the committee is seeking to investigate.
Jordan, a leader and founding member of the Trump-aligned House Freedom Caucus, was among the GOP lawmakers who planned to challenge the election results on the House floor. He has said he had “nothing to do with” the attack on the Capitol.
After the election, the Ohio Republican focused most of his efforts challenging the legality of the pandemic-era voting changes in many states rather than some of the more outlandish and unproven theories of election fraud pushed by some Trump supporters.
ABC News’ Libby Cathey contributed to this report.
One of Jim Brickman‘s biggest hits was his 1997 single “Valentine,” featuring country star Martina McBride. Now, to mark the song’s 25th anniversary, the veteran pop songwriter/pianist has released a remix with another acclaimed female vocalist: Olivia Newton-John.
Brickman recruited Olivia for the remake because they’ve been friends for a long time and have toured and written songs together. The two also sang “Valentine” together on Jim’s 2000 PBS TV special My Romance.
“I was honored to collaborate with Jim Brickman by recording ‘Valentine’ and releasing this special remix single for the song’s 25th anniversary,” says Olivia in a statement. “His music is so romantic and this song in particular is perfect for couples to celebrate the most romantic day of the year.”
Jim adds, “When I wrote the song with Jack Kugell, I had been thinking about the fact that there was no song that truly represented the romance of Valentine’s Day. It was truly a pivotal moment in my music career to have created a classic song that has been celebrated for 25 years.”
(PIERRE, S.D.) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an anti-transgender sports bill into law Thursday, restricting transgender women and girls from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity in public schools and post-secondary institutions.
“Thankful to see this bill get support from the legislators and make it to my desk, and that now we will ensure that we have fairness and a level playing field for female athletes here in the state of South Dakota,” said Noem in a press conference after the signing.
Senate Bill 46 was introduced less than two months before getting to Noem’s desk. According to the legislation, if a student suffers “direct or indirect harm” due to a transgender student playing in a sport that matches their gender identity, they can pursue legal action against the school, organization or educational agency that caused said harm.
For lawsuits brought against schools, organizations and agencies that abide by the new law will be represented by the state’s attorney general.
It’s the first anti-transgender bill of the year, according to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.
2021 was a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation; more than 250 of these bills were introduced and at least 17 were enacted into law, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
The decision was denounced by LGBTQ advocacy groups nationwide.
“At a time when young people are facing an unprecedented need for support, it is devastating to see politicians instead invent new ways to exclude them,” said Sam Ames, the director of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project.
The Trevor Project highlighted concerns about the mental and physical well-being of trans youth amid discriminatory politics.
Almost half of trans youth featured in a study by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center say they have strongly considered ending their lives.
Trans youth often report feeling isolated and excluded in academic environments and that discrimination puts them at increased risk for poor mental health, suicide, substance abuse, violence and other health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ames added, “We want to remind every young trans person watching tonight that there are more people fighting for you than against you. We have your back, and we will continue working with our partners and advocates on the ground to challenge these laws and ensure that all youth have the support they need to survive and thrive.”
Noem’s statements on the bill mirror arguments from groups against the participation of trans women in sports who say that trans women have a “biological” advantage over women assigned female at birth.
“It’s about allowing biological females in their sex to compete fairly in a level playing field that gives them opportunities for success,” Noem said.
There is no evidence that trans athletes are disproportionately dominating sports that correlate with their gender identity or that they have an advantage in their sport, experts say.
Dr. Eric Vilain, a geneticist who studies sex differences in athletes, told NPR in March 2021 that testosterone affects performance in only a very small number of athletic disciplines and doesn’t provide any advantage. The Texas bill that was under consideration does not cite any evidence of this either.
National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Olympics and the governing bodies for U.S. national sports leagues currently allow transgender athletes to compete in the sport matching their gender identity.
Opponents of the new law, including The Trevor Project and the ACLU of South Dakota, vow to continue to advocate against these bills.
“Senate Bill 46 simply perpetuates harmful myths about transgender people and reduces trans students to political pawns,” the ACLU of South Dakota said in a Tweet.
(HOUSTON) — The winter storm that’s hitting the country with frigid temperatures and icy precipitation caused two major highway crashes in Texas Thursday night.
Ten cars were involved in the pileup at Westpark Toll Road, just outside of Houston, the police said. The cars hit a patch of ice on the westbound lanes, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s office.
There were no major injuries reported in this crash, and the scene was cleared by the morning rush hour, police said.
Around the same time, a 14-car pile-up took place on I-35 near Austin.
Icy conditions were also behind this crash, investigators said.
One motorist suffered minor injuries and refused to be transported for treatment, Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted later in the night.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has warned residents to stay off the roads as the storm has caused damage to roads, power lines and other services.
(RICHFIELD, Minn) — Police released more details about the shooting outside a Minnesota school Tuesday that left a student dead and another critically injured.
Jay Henthorne, the chief of Richfield Police, told reporters Wednesday that the incident outside the South Education Center started as a fight among five students.
During the scuffle, a gun was produced and fired, according to Henthorne. An unidentified15-year-old was shot and killed and an unidentified 17-year-old was shot and was listed in critical condition.
A third victim, an unidentified 19-year-old, suffered minor injuries, the police said.
Henthorne said the two suspects, Fernando Valdez-Alvarez, 18, and Alfredo Rosario Solis, 19, allegedly fled the scene, but they were apprehended later in the day at two separate addresses. A gun was recovered from one of the locations, Henthorne said.
Valdez-Alvarez and Solis were arraigned Friday on several counts of second-degree murder, according to court documents.
The investigation is ongoing and the FBI and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting, according to police.
Henthorne said there are no other threats against the school.
A makeshift memorial for the slain students has been constructed outside the school.
“Their lives were just beginning,” Sandy Lewandowski, the superintendent for School District 278, said of the victims. “I am devastated. We are all devastated.”
(SALT LAKE CITY) — The Republican National Committee voted Friday to censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, in part for their roles on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“Whereas, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes, therefore, be it resolved, That the Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the Conference,” according to resolution text obtained by ABC News and passed by voice vote at the RNC’s annual winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line. They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol. That’s why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement after the vote.
Her statement notably attempted to clarify the resolution’s “legitimate political discourse” language, adding the words, “that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol.”
In response to the RNC resolution language about Jan. 6 and the “legitimate political discourse” it said took place, Cheney tweeted out a New York Times video depicting the violent reality of that day.
“This was January 6th. This is not “legitimate political discourse,” she tweeted, with the video attached.
“Cheney and Kinzinger have engaged in actions in their positions as members of the January 6th Select Committee not befitting Republican members of Congress,” and “seem intent on advancing a political agenda to buoy the Democrat Party’s bleak prospects in the upcoming midterm elections,” the resolution also reads.
Both Cheney and Kinzinger have been vocal in their refusal to embrace former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, and were among the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach the former president for “incitement of an insurrection”– to the disdain of many others in the GOP, who have since been overtly critical of the two lawmakers.
Cheney faces an arduous primary challenge to maintain her Wyoming seat, while Kinzinger will not be running for reelection in Illinois.
“The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022,” the resolution reads.
The censure language that the 168-member body approved Friday is a diluted version of an original text pushed by Maryland committeeman David Bossie that initially called for the expulsion of the pair from the party.
The resolution is non-binding, given the RNC’s inability to forcibly remove a member from office, but is not without political consequence, and is patently illustrative of the ironclad grip Trump still has on the party, even without an address on Pennsylvania Avenue.
If the larger conference of Republicans decides to vote in favor of a censure, candidates are likely to be less vocal about their criticisms of the former president, and may even be willing to embrace unverified theories about election fraud to keep within Trump’s good graces and avoid consternation from the national party.
Both Cheney and Kinzinger struck back at the censure preemptively Thursday evening. Kinzinger tweeted, after the unanimous passage, that he is “now even more committed to fighting conspiracies and lies.”
“I’m a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what.”
On Friday morning, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., did not respond to reporter questions regarding the potential censure.
Yet, not all Republicans are on board with the RNC action.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, representing the winter meeting’s host state, tweeted his disappointment with the potential RNC decision Friday morning.
“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost,” Romney said.
(NEW YORK) — Southwest flight attendants are “outraged” after the airline announced on Thursday that it is planning to resume on-board alcohol sales in two weeks.
The airline had postponed the return of alcohol sales in late May citing the uptick in unruly passenger incidents.
The decision to pause alcohol sales came less than a week after a Southwest flight attendant got her two front teeth knocked out by an unruly passenger on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego.
“It tops the chart of the most egregious things I’ve ever heard of,” Lyn Montgomery, a spokesperson for the union that represents Southwest flight attendants, told ABC News at the time. “It’s unbelievable and really hard to understand the level of aggression that has been exhibited towards our flight crews.”
Montgomery said that many flight attendants felt “leery about beginning to sell alcohol onboard the aircraft again because alcohol always intensifies an event.”
The uinion says it still feels it is too soon to begin serving alcohol again eight months later.
“TWU Local 556 is outraged at Southwest Airlines’ resumption of alcohol sales, a move we consider to be both unsafe and irresponsible,” Montgomery said in a statement. “We have adamantly and unequivocally informed management that resuming sales of alcohol while the mask mandate is in place has the great potential to increase customer non-compliance and misconduct issues.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has seen a record spike in unruly behavior on board since the start of 2021. The agency’s investigations into the surge in aggressive behavior on-board has shown that alcohol is often a contributing factor.
In July, the FAA urged airport bars and restaurants to stop serving alcoholic drinks to go.
American Airlines is now the only major U.S. airline that is still holding out on resuming alcohol sales.
“We haven’t established a specific date for the return of onboard alcohol in the main cabin of our aircrafts,” an American spokesperson told ABC News. “We will continue to evaluate the situation and work closely with the union that represents our flight attendants, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and medical experts on this process to determine when we will return to full service in the main cabin.”
In an effort to prevent more unruly passenger incidents, the FAA has established an information-sharing protocol with the Department of Justice.
A FAA spokesperson confirmed to ABC News in November that the agency had referred 37 of the “most egregious cases” to the FBI out of the 227 unruly passenger cases it had initiated enforcement action on.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian wants the U.S. government to go a step further and place convicted unruly passengers on a no-fly list that would bar them from flying on other airlines.
Bastian wrote a letter yesterday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for his support.
“This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” he wrote.
(NEW YORK) — A month into his tenure, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Friday sought to clarify some of his prosecutorial policies that fueled criticism he is soft on crime.
Bragg’s letter to his staff, obtained by ABC News, came the same week the NYPD finished burying two police officers shot in the line of duty.
The widow of officer Jason Rivera, Dominique Luzuriaga, received a standing ovation during her husband’s funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral when she called out Bragg and his approach to law enforcement.
“The system continues to fail us” she said. “We’re not safe anymore. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he’s watching you speak through me right now.”
Bragg’s “Day One” memorandum said the district attorney’s office would not prosecute fare beating, resisting arrest and other nonviolent crimes in an attempt to decriminalize poverty and mental illness and balance fairness and safety.
It also said prosecutors should treat armed robbery in commercial settings as misdemeanor petit larceny if there is no genuine risk of physical harm and disallowed bail conditions for pre-trial cases except for “very serious cases.” The policies, he wrote, “will make us safer.”
The memo prompted a scathing review from the city’s new police commissioner, Keechant Sewell, who feared Bragg’s policies “will invite violence against police officers and will have deleterious effects on our relationship with the communities we protect,” she said the day after the memo was issued.
Bragg conceded the “Day One” memo that outlined his approach “has been a source of confusion, rather than clarity,” according the letter to his staff sent Friday.
“Violence against police officers will not be tolerated. We will prosecute any person who harms or attempts to harm a police officer,” Bragg’s letter said.
Bragg backtracked on how the office will prosecute commercial robbery.
“A commercial robbery with a gun will be charged as a felony, whether or not the gun is operable, loaded, or a realistic imitation. A commercial robbery at knifepoint, or by other weapon that creates a risk of physical harm, will be charged as a felony,” the letter said. “In retail thefts that do not involve a risk of physical harm, the Office will continue to assess the charges based on all of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances presented.”
Bragg also sought to reassure assistant district attorneys they retained discretion in the way they handle cases after his initial memo required them to “obtain the approval” of a supervisor to deviate from his policies.
“You were hired for your keen judgment, and I want you to use that judgment – and experience – in every case,” Bragg said.
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson launched the celebration of Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History Month, now celebrated every February. Regina Hall paid tribute to the esteemed historian in an article forVariety.
“Woodson, known to many as the father of Black history, fervently believed that Black people should be proud of their heritage and that all Americans should recognize the largely disregarded achievements and contributions of Black people,” the Girls Trip star wrote.
“Woodson’s advocacy and devotion birthed Negro History Week. It was launched the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass,” the eight-time NAACP Image Award nominee continued.
“As we celebrate a people and a history tinged with tragedy and triumph, we should also pause to pay homage to the brilliance and perseverance of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who a century ago recognized the need for this scholarly intervention,” concluded Hall.
In other news, Zendaya will make her Super Bowl commercial debut on February 13 promoting the website-building company Squarespace. The commercial preview, titled “Everything to Shell… Sell Anything,” opens with a close-up of a blue seashell, then spirals out to reveal the Emmy winner spinning in a matching blue halter dress adorned with pearls, shells and starfish.
Finally, Robin Givens will appear in the February 8 episode of ABC’s Queens, starring Brandy, Eve, Naturi Naughton and Nadine Velazquez. In an Instagram clip from the set, the Boomerang star addressed fans of the series, saying, “I am so excited to be guest starring on Queens, your favorite show.” She also commented, “Sooooo Much fun getting to play with these fabulous women!!!”
Givens will portray of ex-wife of Eric Jones, the manager of the girls hip-hop group Nasty B*****s.
