(NEW YORK) — More than 300 damaging storm reports came from Maine to Arkansas, as severe storms moved through.
More than 100,000 people in Virginia and Maryland were left without power on Tuesday night, as storm damage left its mark on homes, power lines and cars. Particularly, fallen trees were captured smashing into cars and parts of homes.
Heavy rains, up to 4 inches in some areas, caused flooding into Wednesday morning in the Dollywood theme park area in Tennessee.
Officials reported that over a dozen people were rescued Tuesday night after flash flooding in Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The Gatlinburg Fire Department responded to a call just before 11 p.m. that 14 people were trapped at the campground due to flooding, officials said.
Throughout the night, the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency continued to monitor the situation, first posting at 11:10 p.m. that anyone in the Greenbrier Island area and anyone downstream of Pigeon River should seek high ground, due to rapidly rising water with recent heavy thunderstorms.
As reports emerged of displaced people in the area, a temporary evacuation shelter was opened at Pittman Center Elementary School around midnight, SCEMA said.
At 2 a.m., SCEMA said that the water was continuing to recede, but that roads and low-lying areas were expected to remain submerged for the next several hours.
Farther south and out West, this summer’s extreme weather continues to manifest in dry, scorching heat.
Texas cities including Austin, San Antonio and Tyler, saw record-high temperatures on Tuesday, coming in at 109, 105 and 106 degrees, respectively.
For Wednesday, Austin is set for a heat index of 110 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, the heat isn’t going anywhere, and will likely spread to the Midwest, the Great Lakes and parts of the East by next week.
For Phoenix, the heat will also stay steady through the end of the week, forecasted at 112 and 113 degrees for the end of the week.
Heat alerts have been issued for Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Montana.
Heat advisories have been issued for much of Texas, as well as in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Colorado and parts of Montana.
An excessive heat warning has been enacted in the Salt Lake City area.
Out West, the extreme heat coupled with dry weather, maintains the region’s fire risk.
The Washburn Fire continues to burn in southern Yosemite National Park as it reaches 3,516 acres burned and is 17% contained.
Hot and dry weather will continue in the area.
Red flag warnings have been issued for dry lightning and gusty winds, making the perfect circumstances for fire, from northern California to Nevada, including parts of southern Colorado.
To add to the eastern floods, southern heat and western fire, the Gulf Coast may be hit with tropical moisture and heavy rain.
Flash flooding from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, may come as rains could reach half a foot in a short period of time on Wednesday.
As the weather across the U.S. remains extreme, remember to stay safe in life-threatening situations such as high temperatures. Learn more about hot weather safety here.
(NEW YORK) — Five men were killed in separate shootings that erupted on the streets of New York City during a violent four-hour streak, police said.
The slayings occurred between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday, including three in the city’s Brooklyn borough and two in the Bronx, according to the New York Police Department.
No arrests have been announced in any of the homicides.
The latest killing occurred just after 1 a.m. Wednesday in the Fordham Heights neighborhood of the Bronx when police said two gunmen on dirt bikes opened fire on a 34-year-old man standing in front of his apartment building, police said.
Officers called to the scene found the man shot in the torso and unconscious, according to the NYPD. The victim, identified as Melquan Cooper, was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
About a half-hour earlier, a 24-year-old man was found shot in the torso outside a home in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, police said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, police said. No further details were released on the homicide.
The string of fatal shootings started around 9:13 p.m. Tuesday, when police officers were called to investigate a report of shots fired in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn and found a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest outside a New York City Housing Authority complex, according to the NYPD. The man was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he died, police said.
The man’s name was not immediately released and homicide investigators were working Wednesday to identify suspects.
More gunfire rang out at 10:46 p.m. Tuesday outside an apartment building in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx, police said. Officers, who responded to a 911 call of a person shot, discovered a 31-year-old man unconscious and with a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the NYPD. The victim was pronounced dead at Saint Barnabas Hospital, police said.
The victim’s name was not immediately released, pending notification of his relatives.
Another fatal shooting happened about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday outside an apartment building in the Ocean Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, police said. Officers discovered a 29-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.
The victim, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
The latest NYPD crime statistics show that as of Sunday, 222 homicides have occurred across New York City this year, a nearly 8% decrease from the same period as last year.
(AKRON, Ohio) — Jayland Walker’s funeral took place Wednesday, as Akron, Ohio, recognizes an official citywide day of mourning for the police shooting victim declared by city officials days earlier.
Services began midday Wednesday with musical performances. Singers and speakers were flanked by photos of Walker in the Akron Civic Theatre.
“Jayland was a kind and gentle soul who loved to make others laugh,” said Pastor Marlon Walker. “A true family man, Jayland cheers the time he spent with his mother, sister and grandmother. He had a zeal for life and love, traveling with his beloved fiancee. He loved underground music and basketball. He was just beginning to live his life, saving money to become a successful entrepreneur with aspirations of starting a business.”
Speakers took to the stage to not only honor Walker’s life, but also call for accountability in his death.
“One of the things that we cannot do, we must not do, is — we must not normalize this,” said Bishop Timothy Clarke. “We cannot make the deaths of our sons and daughters at such an early age the normal thing. … We should not be here and Jayland should not be in that box.”
The ceremony will be followed by a press conference with representatives of the family, who plan to discuss Walker’s death.
Walker’s sister previously told Good Morning America about how she remembers her brother as a funny, kind brother who looked out for his family and had big goals for his future.
“It’s hard to just talk about somebody who you expect to live your life out with,” Jada Walker said.
The 25-year-old unarmed Black man was fatally shot by officers of the Akron Police Department on June 27.
Officials said they attempted to pull over Walker for a traffic violation and an equipment violation with his car. He allegedly refused to stop, which set off a chase that ended in his death.
Officials said a flash of light seen in body camera footage appeared to be the muzzle flash of a gun coming from the driver’s side of Walker’s car.
In a second body camera video, officers are heard radioing that they heard a shot being fired from Walker’s car. The footage shows the officer following Walker’s Buick off Route 8 and continuing the pursuit on side streets.
At one point, Walker slowed down and jumped out of the passenger side door before it came to a full stop. As Walker ran away from police, several officers simultaneously fired several bullets, fatally shooting him.
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation being led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, officials said.
His death has prompted weeks of protests across the city.
“Tomorrow, Jayland Walker, a beloved son, brother, nephew, and friend will be laid to rest,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan on Tuesday. “I want to thank Akron City Council for passing this resolution declaring tomorrow a day of mourning, in support of Jayland’s family and friends and to respect them in their time of grief. I know our entire city is also grieving. I offer my sincerest condolences to Jayland’s mom, sister, family, and friends during this difficult time.”
The citywide day of mourning aims to address ongoing unrest concerning Walker’s death.
“The City encourages robust discussions about difficult topics and supports advocacy to change unjust laws, and supports those who press for meaningful change, by engaging their local, state, and federal legislatures,” the resolution to enact the honorary day reads.
In it, officials also call for peaceful protesting and healing throughout the community: “The City urges that the friends and family of Jayland Walker, and the entire Akron community, be surrounded with love and peace, and that the City would begin to heal.”
(NEW YORK) — A Manhattan bar agreed Wednesday to pay $500,000 to current and former employees who said managers called them “cows,” remarked on their underwear and used racial slurs to refer to colleagues of certain origin, according to the New York Attorney General’s Office.
The bar, Sweet and Vicious in the Nolita neighborhood, maintained what the attorney general’s office called “a hostile and discriminatory workplace” that subjected employees to sex discrimination, sexual and gender-based harassment and race and national origin discrimination.
The bar’s owner, Hakan Karamahmutoglu, was accused of making inappropriate comments regarding employees’ race, sexuality, bodies and appearances. Employees suffered unwelcomed sexual advances from managers and customers, according to the attorney general’s office.
“This settlement is a reminder that no matter the perpetrator, we will not tolerate sexual harassment, discrimination, or wage theft of any form in the workplace,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “For far too long, workers in the hospitality industry have been forced to weather a pervasive culture of sexual harassment and discrimination that has gone unreported.”
The agreement is the culmination of a 16-month investigation into allegations against Karamahmutoglu and Sweet and Vicious. Documents, records and interviews with current and former employees revealed a pervasive culture of discrimination and repeated pattern of harassment, the attorney general’s office said.
According to investigators, Karamahmutoglu routinely insulted female employees, calling them “b——” and “cows” and scrutinized their appearance, commenting on their bodies and clothing. Multiple female employees were sexually harassed by male managers who made unwanted sexual advances, including an instance of an employee announcing the color of a female bartender’s underwear and saying he wanted to engage her in a sexual manner as well as a manager repeatedly finding opportunities to rub himself up against a female employee.
Several female bartenders said they experienced frequent harassment by violent customers who would threaten to stab, rape and beat them.
“I wish I could say this was the first time I was harassed by my employer in the service industry, or even the first time I’ve received a settlement for nonpayment of wages. This case is emblematic of intersecting national problems: the subjugation of workers, and sexual harassment of women in the workplace,” said Veronica Leventhal, a former Sweet and Vicious employee. “Sweet and Vicious is not an anomaly — it is a prime example of how men with unchecked power take advantage of their employees.”
Karamahmutoglu allegedly called Black employees “gangsters” and referred to a Puerto Rican manager as a “terrorist” and “Puerto Rican trash.” The owner and managers also frequently used anti-gay slurs.
In addition to paying $500,000 to the workers, the agreement requires the revision of anti-discrimination and harassment training materials and the display and distribution of notices regarding anti-discrimination and harassment rights and responsibilities. Sweet and Vicious will also be subject to periodic monitoring and oversight, including the submission of reports to the attorney general’s office to certify compliance.
“The time that I spent working at Sweet and Vicious has reinforced traumas that I will undoubtedly spend years trying to overcome in therapy. It was, without a doubt, the most abusive company that I have ever had the misfortune of working for,” said a former Sweet and Vicious employee identified only as former employee No. 2. “The racial, sexual and gendered humiliation and degradation that myself and my coworkers silently endured is more than anyone should ever have to experience while trying to earn a livable wage.”
(NEW YORK) — Treyvon Murphy, a 40-year-old homeless man, was arrested Wednesday in connection with a series of stabbings targeting homeless people in Manhattan, according to the New York City Police Department.
Murphy was spotted by a passerby sitting at a bus stop on 125th Street in Harlem, near St. Nicholas Park, early Wednesday. As police approached him, he started to amble away, but officers caught up with him and he was taken into custody without incident, according to police.
When he was apprehended, the suspect was dressed in the same neon sneakers and gray backpack worn during all three stabbing incidents. He was also wearing a black hoodie with “Innocence Project” written on it, which footage shows he was wearing during two of the three stabbings, police said during a press conference.
Murphy was also in possession of a knife when he was taken into custody and identified himself to investigators in still images related to the attacks, according to police.
“I want to thank the commissioner and her team for apprehending a dangerous person that assaulted our vulnerable New Yorkers. It really highlights how imperative it is to move people into safe spaces, into shelters and eventually into permanent housing,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference Wednesday.
As detectives had suspected, Murphy appeared to be homeless. He provided a last known address of a hotel in Queens that is housing the homeless, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
The suspect has a prior drug conviction in Tennessee, for which he was on probation. Officials said he violated that probation and is wanted on an outstanding warrant for that violation. Tennessee will be extraditing the suspect for the active warrant, police said.
Murphy was also released on his own recognizance after stabbing his roommate in Queens in April and was due back in court on July 22, according to Sewell.
“This man was praying on the vulnerable and we are thankful for the combined effort to apprehend this subject quickly and safely,” Sewell said during the press conference.
Police said the investigation is still ongoing and the suspect is being questioned by police. Police have not yet worked out a motive for the attacks and charges have yet to be filed against the man.
The suspect was wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 34-year-old homeless man on July 5 and for the stabbing of two other men experiencing homelessness in the last few days, police said.
A 59-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach in midtown Manhattan on Friday; on Monday, a 28-year-old man was also stabbed in the stomach at a park in the city’s Upper East Side neighborhood. Both men were taken to area hospitals and are in stable condition, police said.
All three men were asleep at the time of the attacks. The NYPD said they have video and photos of the suspected stabber at all three locations near the times of the stabbings, WABC reported.
The 28-year-old victim told authorities that he recognized the suspect, referring to the person as “Delly,” WABC reported.
It’s not yet clear how much the pandemic has impacted the number of unhoused people in the U.S.
ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Mexico on Tuesday agreed to contribute $1.5 billion to a joint initiative with the U.S. to improve infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a person familiar with the commitment.
The agreement came on the same day President Joe Biden hosted his Mexican counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for a meeting in the Oval Office.
Part of their discussions were expected to include a commitment from the two countries to carry out “a multi-year, joint, U.S.-Mexico border infrastructure modernization effort for projects along the 2,000 mile border,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Monday ahead of the meeting.
The infrastructure project is intended to improve processing and security along the border, the person familiar with the agreement said.
Biden alluded to Mexico’s investment in remarks alongside López Obrador before their meeting, saying, “We’re also making historic investments in infrastructure modernization across our 2,000-mile border with Mexico.”
He noted the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law he championed last year was “delivering $3.4 billion to major construction projects at the ports of entry between our two countries to make our border safer and more efficient for people, trade and commerce.”
“And the American people should know, Mr. President,” Biden told López Obrador, “that you’re also making a significant investment on your side of the border to improve infrastructure to meet the needs of our times and the future.”
The collaboration signifies something of a reset between Mexico and the U.S., as Biden tries to distance himself from the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with Mexico.
In 2019, then-President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican imports “until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory.”
When Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015, he promised: “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.”
It was a promise he repeated time and time again throughout his run and his presidency, ultimately building more than 450 miles of new wall with money that had originally been allocated to the Pentagon. But the project ended when Trump was voted out of office; Mexico never paid for any of it.
When asked to comment on the commitment, a White House official said, “Core to the prior administration’s immigration strategy was to build a wall, and they couldn’t even accomplish that in four years, let alone get Mexico to pay for it. By contrast, President Biden is taking unprecedented action to secure the border.”
Still, Biden has faced political roadblocks in implementing his immigration agenda.
Although the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing him to end “Remain in Mexico” — a Trump-era immigration policy that made more than 70,000 migrants wait in Mexico as their asylum claims were processed in the U.S. — another Trump policy, Title 42, has prevented hundreds of thousands of migrants from accessing the asylum system citing increased public health risk due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Two people, including a 7-year-old boy, died after a boat capsized on the Hudson River, the New York Police Department said.
Julian Vasquez, 7, and Lindelia Vasquez, 47, both became trapped underneath the boat, police said. The pair were unresponsive when first responders pulled them from the water and were pronounced dead, NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday evening.
The two were part of family from Colombia travelling together, who boarded the jet boat — named Stimulus Money — in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Eleven other family members, all from Colombia, were injured, including at least six women and three men, police said. The boat captain, who was licensed and is from Elizabeth, was also hurt, officials said.
Along with the two dead, four occupants of the boat went to Mount Sinai Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Two people are also hospitalized in critical condition, including the boat’s captain, authorities said.
The U.S. Coast Guard, New York Fire Department and NYPD responded shortly before 3 p.m. to reports of an overturned vessel near Pier 86, in front of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan.
The 27-foot boat was being chartered by family and friends, and the owner of the boat was trailing behind it on a Jet Ski, authorities said.
Authorities are investigating what caused the boat to capsize — including whether it was overloaded.
“There were 12 people on the boat, and when we bring the boat up, we’ll find out what was the capacity of the boat,” McCarthy said.
Investigators will also consider the conditions of the water.
“There’s a lot of commercial and recreational traffic during the day here,” Inspector Anthony Russo, commanding officer of NYPD’s Harbor Unit, told reporters. “We had the current, the wind. So you can have waves approaching from different directions.”
“It takes some skill to operate in the Hudson River, so it could have been a contributing factor,” he continued, though he noted it’s early in the investigation. “The Hudson River is always a dangerous place to operate.”
NY Waterway, which operates a ferry service between New York City and New Jersey, said two of its ferries responded to the scene and helped pull nine passengers from the private boat.
“We are so proud of the NY Waterway captains and crews that leapt into action today to rescue boaters following the maritime accident in the Hudson,” the company said on Twitter while sharing photos of the rescue. “Their training and professionalism saved lives, as they have countless times before.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams commended the rescue response while warning New Yorkers to be safe in the city’s waters this summer.
“Our hearts go out to a group of people who were just using the water in our city,” he said. “This is a devastating moment for them.”
ABC News’ Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
(AKRON, Ohio) — Jayland Walker’s funeral will take place Wednesday, as Akron, Ohio, recognizes an official citywide day of mourning for Walker declared by city officials days earlier.
“Tomorrow, Jayland Walker, a beloved son, brother, nephew, and friend will be laid to rest,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan on Tuesday. “I want to thank Akron City Council for passing this resolution declaring tomorrow a day of mourning, in support of Jayland’s family and friends and to respect them in their time of grief. I know our entire city is also grieving. I offer my sincerest condolences to Jayland’s mom, sister, family, and friends during this difficult time.”
Services for Walker will begin at 3 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre. It will be followed by a press conference with representatives of the family, who plan to discuss Walker’s death.
Walker’s sister previously told “Good Morning America” about how she remembers her brother as a funny, kind brother who looked out for his family and had big goals for his future.
“It’s hard to just talk about somebody who you expect to live your life out with,” Jada Walker said.
The 25-year-old unarmed Black man was fatally shot by officers of the Akron Police Department on June 27.
Officials said they attempted to pull over Walker for a traffic violation and an equipment violation with his car. He allegedly refused to stop, which set off a chase that ended in his death.
Officials said a flash of light seen in body camera footage appeared to be the muzzle flash of a gun coming from the driver’s side of Walker’s car.
In a second body-camera video, officers are heard radioing that they heard a shot being fired from Walker’s car. The footage shows the officer following the Buick off Route 8 and continuing the pursuit on side streets.
At one point, Walker slowed down and jumped out of the passenger side door before it came to a full stop. As Walker ran away from police, several officers simultaneously fired several bullets, fatally shooting him.
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation being led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, officials said.
His death has prompted weeks of protests across the city.
The citywide day of mourning aims to address ongoing unrest concerning Walker’s death.
“The City encourages robust discussions about difficult topics and supports advocacy to change unjust laws, and supports those who press for meaningful change, by engaging their local, state, and federal legislatures,” the resolution to enact the honorary day reads.
In it, officials also call for peaceful protesting and healing throughout the community: “The City urges that the friends and family of Jayland Walker, and the entire Akron community, be surrounded with love and peace, and that the City would begin to heal.”
(UVALDE, Texas) — Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin made his stance on the premature publication of the surveillance video at Robb Elementary School abundantly clear to community members in attendance at the city’s council meeting Tuesday, calling the way it was released “one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen.”
Two Texas news outlets published disturbing surveillance video Tuesday from inside Robb Elementary School during the May 24 mass shooting, as Uvalde officials and families debate the sensitive footage’s release.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE and the Austin American-Statesman both released an edited portion of the never-before-seen footage on Tuesday, ahead of the planned release of the video by state lawmakers.
The mayor spoke to a crowd of angry citizens, including elderly women who pounded their fists and family members of victims who shouted from the gallery.
The crowd was in agreement with the mayor, as was a fellow council member, Ernest W. “Chip” King III, who claimed the outlets’ “only reason” for releasing the video was for “ratings and money.”
The hallway footage captures the 77 minutes between when the shooter first entered Robb Elementary and when he was shot.
The edited surveillance footage shows dozens of law enforcement officers, including some with protective shields, waiting in the hallway of the school. Officers didn’t breach the classroom for more than 70 minutes, even as four additional shots were fired from the classrooms 45 minutes after police arrived on the scene, the footage released by the news organizations shows.
During the time he was inside, the gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
The Austin American-Statesman, which is part of the USA Today network, wrote a detailed opinion piece on why it chose to publish the video.
“That video was obtained by Austin American-Statesman and KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski,” KVUE said in its reporting. “Both media outlets have elected to release that footage Tuesday to provide transparency to the community, showing what happened as officials waited to enter that classroom.”
In addition, it wrote: “KVUE and our partners have kept the families in Uvalde at the forefront in our decision-making process. Several families were included in that process and were briefed on what can be heard and seen in the video. All but one agreed the video should be made public.”
During the city council meeting Tuesday, the motion to accept council member Pete Arredondo’s resignation was also carried. Arredondo, the embattled police chief for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was elected to the Uvalde City Council in early May and was sworn in days after the school shooting.
McLaughlin on Tuesday again expressed frustration toward the investigation, calling it “the most unprofessional” he’s “ever seen.”
“I have said from day one, that every agency that was in that hallway has to be accountable for their actions that day. Everyone. No one will be exempt. That includes local school, federal, state — everyone has to explain their actions that day. Everybody has to be accountable,” he said.
The meeting began on a positive note as a community member thanked the council and McLaughlin for attending the Unheard Voices March and Rally on Sunday in “105-degree” weather.
Another community member had questions for the council regarding who the police department reports to and how the city plans to handle security and safety as the school year approaches.
McLaughlin said “the chief of police answers to the city manager who answers to the city council.” He then said he had not spoken to the school district yet, but he has “requested to have extra law enforcement… on the first two weeks of school.”
Most people in attendance were critical as they spoke before the council members.
One woman became passionate and said she was “furious” as she described a lack of a memorial in the town to pay respects to the victims. Additional community members echoed this, questioning the city’s decision to have the flowers, crosses and other gifts removed from the original memorial area.
Confusion ensued, as the mayor admitted his understanding of the removal process might not have been correct. Another council member claimed that families were asked to clear their family member’s memorial plot, which they willingly did. The crowd at the meeting questioned the truth of this, citing mumblings in the community that contradicted the claim, including Tess Mata’s mother. The council calmed the crowd by apologizing and assuring that families would be asked of their wishes and a memorial would be recreated at a location of their choosing.
The issue of the legal purchasing age for an assault rifle was also brought up by Precinct 4 County Commissioner Ronnie Garza, who is “asking Gov. [Greg] Abbott to call a special session of the legislature to consider raising the minimum age of purchase from 18 to 21 for semi-automatic assembly.”
Garza asked the mayor if he would consider adding it to the agenda of the next council meeting, to which McLaughlin agreed. The mayor also said that while he won’t attend the next meeting on July 26, the county commissioner has his vote for the anticipated movement to ask Abbott to hold a special session.
(WASHINGTON) — The first full-color image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been released.
The images, the full set of which will be released Tuesday morning, will be the deepest and highest resolution ever taken of the universe, according to NASA.
The telescope will help scientists study the formation of the universe’s earliest galaxies, how they compare to today’s galaxies, how our solar system developed and if there is life on other planets.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 12, 2:00 pm
Scientists explain image of dying star
NASA scientists revealed more details about the image of the Southern Ring Nebula taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The image shows a planetary nebula, or a cloud of gas that encircles a dying star.
During a press conference Tuesday, Klaus Pontoppidan, one of the telescope’s project scientists, explained why the image is important.
“It’s not just any star, it’s a star much like the sun, or like the sun will be in 5 billion years when the sun dies,” he said.
Pontoppidian said the star is pushing out its outer layers, including carbon and oxygen, which helps create other cosmic objects.
“There’s a life cycle of stars,” he added. “This is the end of this star, but it’s the beginning of other stars and planetary systems.”
Jul 12, 1:15 pm
NASA scientists say Webb will be ‘revolutionary’
NASA scientists said the images and data that will be collected from the James Webb Space Telescope will be groundbreaking in our understanding of the universe.
“This going to be revolutionary,” said Jane Rigby, the operations project scientist for the telescope, during a press conference Tuesday. “These are previous capabilities we’ve never had before.”
Her comments come after NASA released five new images with never-before-seen detail of exoplanets, stars, nebulae and galaxies in the universe.
Rigby said she cried from happiness after seeing the first images that Webb captured.
“It was a combination of giddy like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is great,’ and having a sob like, ‘Oh my God, this works,'” she said.
Jul 12, 12:05 pm
NASA shows difference between Webb and Hubble
NASA revealed the difference in images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, the first of which were revealed Tuesday, and its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.
The 2009 image taken by Hubble was captured over the span of several weeks and show the galaxies surrounded by several stars.
Meanwhile, the 2022 image taken by Webb was captured in less than one week and reveals hundreds of star formations never seen before because the telescope uses infrared technology, which reveals objects invisible to the human eye due to being surrounded by clouds, gas and dust.
Jul 12, 11:46 am
Hundreds of new stars in nebula revealed in final image
The final image revealed Tuesday from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details about the Carina Nebula, located in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The image, which is actually just the edge of the nebula, shows hundreds of stars never seen before within the cloud.
Because of the massive amounts of dust and gas that exist within the nebula, the stars were not visible to the human eye.
The area, referred to as the Cosmic Cliffs, shows a “giant, gaseous cavity” as young stars that were recently born push down ultraviolet radiation and create the jagged-looking edge.
Jul 12, 11:26 am
Galaxy cluster seen in new telescope image
According to the space agency, the image “contains over 150 million pixels and is constructed from almost 1,000 separate image files.”
The image provides new information about the cluster, including the birth of millions of stars — as they happened millions of years ago — and tails of gas and dust that are being pulled in different directions as the galaxies engage in a “cosmic dance.”
The “most surprising” image, NASA said, is one of the galaxies, NGC 7318B, crashing through the middle of the cluster.
President Joe Biden unveiled the first full-color image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The image, revealed during a press event held at the White House Monday and also attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, shows multiple galaxies.
It is the highest-resolution image of the universe ever captured, officials said.
“Today is a historic day,” said Biden. “It’s a new window into the history of our universe and today we’re going to get a first glimpse of the light to shine through that window.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the light seen on the image has been traveling for over 13 billion years.
Jul 11, 4:46 pm
NASA says all of the telescope’s instruments are ‘ready’
NASA announced Monday all four of the James Webb Space Telescope’s scientific instruments are ready to start being used.
The space agency said there are 17 modes, or ways, to operate the instruments. All have been examined and are “ready to begin full scientific operations.”
The last step was was checking the the telescope’s NIRCam, which block starlight so scientists can detect other nearby structures, such as exoplanets.
Jul 11, 4:00 pm
Test image from telescope offers preview
A test image taken by the James Webb Telescope offers a preview of what’s to come ahead of the release of the first full-color images.
NASA shared the photo last week taken by one of the telescope’s instruments, the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, to demonstrate how strong, clear and sharp Webb’s images will be.
According to the space agency, the “false-color mosaic” is made up of 72 exposures taken over a 32-hour period.
NASA noted that the primary focus of the FGS is not even to capture images but to make sure the telescope is pointing precisely at its target.
Jul 11, 3:30 pm
What to know about the Webb telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope was jointly developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
Development began in 1996 but ran into several delays before it was completed in 2016 at a final cost of $10 billion.
The telescope was launched on Christmas Day and is orbiting 1 million miles from Earth.
It used infrared radiation to detect objects that are invisible to the human eye.
The four goals of the telescope are to study how the first stars and galaxies formed right after the Big Bang, comparing the galaxies from the past to those of today, how planetary systems formed and if there is any sign of life on other planets.
