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(BOSTON) — More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and 450 Mass General Brigham home care clinicians are scheduling a strike Wednesday morning, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association. 

The strike would be the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, according to a Massachusetts Nurses Association press release.

“At both bargaining tables, the nurses and clinicians made significant efforts to compromise and offered to continue negotiating to avoid a strike,” the association wrote in a statement. “MGB refused to improve its proposals and declined opportunities to continue bargaining.”

The nurses’ strike, expected to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, is scheduled to last one day and be followed by a four-day lockout imposed by Mass General Brigham, the association said. Mass General Brigham home care clinicians plan to strike for seven days beginning at 8 a.m. on the same day, according to the union.

The union said it is seeking more competitive wage increases that keep pace with the rising cost of living, among other demands. It cited data from the MassINC Policy Center, which said the income needed to maintain a middle-class standard of living for a family of four in Massachusetts jumped 50% from 2020 to 2024.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital said in a statement that Brigham nurses are “among the highest compensated in the market.” 

The hospital said it plans to continue providing high-quality patient care throughout the work stoppage.

Scott Sperling, Mass General Brigham board chair and co-CEO of a private equity firm, wrote to the association in an email on Sunday night, stating that s “substantial effort” has been made to find common ground, according to the association’s press release. 

On Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey released a joint statement encouraging both sides to resume negotiations. 

“A strike and lockout of this scale would cause serious disruption across the Greater Boston region, and the possibility that patient care could be impacted through diversions, delays, or other emergency measures is deeply concerning to the communities we represent,” the statement said.

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(NEW YORK) — Several Midtown Manhattan blocks were evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers discovered the structure of an office building being converted into residential housing was compromised on the 21^st floor, officials said.

New York City Fire Department and Department of Buildings crews went to 235 East 42nd Street, which is one block west of the United Nations headquarters, around 8:11 a.m. after workers “observed structural support beams beginning to buckle,” the NYPD said.

That caused the 21st through 26th floors of the building to start caving under the stress, officials said.

The FDNY said that they initially received calls of bricks falling from the building.

The 37-story commercial building is currently undergoing renovations to convert it into a residential building, according to the DOB. It is one of the largest office-to-apartment conversion projects in city history, officials said.

There were no reported injuries and all construction workers were safely evacuated, according to police.

Other buildings near 235 East 42nd Street were also evacuated, including a nearby Hampton Inn, according to officials.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday morning that among the evacuated locations was a school with 400 students.

As of 11:15, the FDNY said nine buildings were evacuated.

“Our top priority right now is the safety of those who live in this area and those who work in this area. And DOB inspectors and engineers are on site working quickly to secure the site as well as that surrounding area,” he said.

Several nearby streets were closed off as a precaution while building inspectors and FDNY personnel inspected the building.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging the Trump administration has been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government.

According to the complaint filed in Washington, D.C., many Iranian asylum seekers are pro-democracy protesters, members of religious minorities, or members of the LGBTQ community who seek refuge in the U.S. “because of the grave dangers they face in Iran.”

“Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian Government violates the asylum seekers’ confidentiality rights, puts those who are subject to removal to Iran, directly or through chain refoulement via third countries, at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran, and endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran,” the group said in the complaint.

More than 100 people have been deported to Iran during the Trump administration, according to the IALDF.

The group wrote in the complaint that while the U.S. government may coordinate logistics with receiving countries, federal regulations prohibit the sharing of information that would “reveal or infer that the individual to be removed had applied for asylum.”

“Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian government violates federal regulations requiring confidentiality, endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran, and puts those who are subject to removal to Iran at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran,” said Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group that is representing the IALDF. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and a representative of the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

The complaint alleges that the Trump administration has continued to share confidential information during the current war between the U.S. and Iran. The group claims the two governments held monthly meetings to share the immigration files of Iranians in ICE custody, including final orders of removal and applications for asylum.

While the monthly in-person meetings reportedly stopped before the war began on Feb. 28, the group alleges that ICE has “continued to mail or hand deliver document packages to the Iranian Interest Section.”

The complaint also alleges that Iranian officials have met with dozens of detainees at ICE facilities. 

“Many of the Iranian detainees did not consent to meet with the Iranian Interest Section officials but were required to do so by ICE,” the filing says.

“According to Iranian detainees who met with an Iranian Interest Section official, the official had knowledge of their immigration cases, including the details of their asylum applications,” the suit said. “These nonconsensual meetings with the Interest Section official solidified the detainees’ belief that they had been identified to the very same repressive government that they had fled.”

The IALDF is asking a federal judge in Washington to block the government from providing confidential information to the Iranian government and to appoint a special master to review the files of Iranian detainees that have already been shared.

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(NEW YORK) — A Mississippi community is mourning the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was believed to be recovered after going missing over the weekend.

Wells vanished after going on a boat trip with friends on the 4th of July, officials said. He was last seen on Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.

“[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”

Wells’ mother reported him missing and took to social media, pleading for help.

The sheriff’s department said it launched a search on Horn Island with officials from the Coast Guard, Department of Marine Resources and Gulf Islands National Seashore.

A body was later recovered. On Monday, Ledbetter told ABC News the coroner is still waiting on a DNA test, but said the body matches the description and is likely Wells.

Authorities said they suspect Wells drowned, but are still investigating.

The sheriff said investigators do not suspect foul play.

“There’s no information that we have right now that would lead us to believe that a crime has occurred,” he said.

Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Monday that she was “absolutely devastated.”

“My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others,” she said. “Nolan was a special soul.”

The Ocean Springs School District said in a statement that it’s “shocked and heartbroken.”

Wells graduated last year from Ocean Springs High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete, and he went on to play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College, the district said.

“We are devastated by Nolan’s passing. He was the kind of son, teammate, friend, and student that every coach hopes to have in a program,” the high school’s football coach Jake Bramlett said in a statement. “Nolan was so much more than an outstanding football player. He carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, and led by example. His character spoke louder than his accomplishments, and he was loved deeply by his teammates and coaches.”

Principal Jacob Dykes added, “He will be remembered as an extremely kind and hardworking young man who left a lasting impression on his teachers, coaches, teammates, and community. Our thoughts are with his family and the many people he made a lasting impact on.”

ABC News’ Mark Guarino and Joy Piazza-Ruppert contributed to this report.

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A 2-year-old girl has died after being left in a hot minivan while in the care of a babysitter, police in Florida said.

Officers found the little girl when they responded to a home around 1:35 p.m. Sunday in Hallandale Beach, about 20 miles north of Miami, Hallandale Beach police said.

The heat index – what the temperature it feels like with humidity – soared to 101 degrees on Sunday in Hallandale Beach.

The 2-year-old was taken to a hospital and later declared dead, authorities said.

It’s not clear how long she was in the car. Police said prosecutors are reviewing the case and “no charging decision has been made at this time.”

“This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts are with the child’s family, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” the Hallandale Beach Police Department said in a statement. “We also want to use this moment to remind every parent, guardian, and caregiver in our community: Always check the back seat before locking your vehicle and walking away.”

This is at least the 10th child to die in a hot car in the U.S. this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org. Last year, at least 37 children died in hot cars across the country, KidsAndCars.org said.

Click here for what to know to keep your children safe from hot car dangers.

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(NEW YORK) — Health officials in New York City said they are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease.

As of July 6, 23 cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in two of Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhoods, according to the New York City Department of Health. So far, no deaths have been associated with the cluster.

In a notice to the two neighborhoods — Carnegie Hill and Yorkville — the department said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria.

The health department said there is no issue with any building’s plumbing system and that residents in the affected areas can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners.

“All cooling towers in [the] area are being sampled and tested in the NYC Public Health Lab,” Mark Levine, the city’s comptroller, wrote in a post on X on Sunday evening. “It unfortunately takes several weeks for cultures to grow.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or contaminated water accidentally going into the lungs.

The bacteria are found naturally in freshwater but amounts generally don’t lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disease does not generally spread from person to person, but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building’s water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.

Legionnaires’ disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases dropped during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.

Although most people recover from Legionnaires’ disease with antibiotics, certain patients — including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases — can develop complications that can be fatal.

About one out of every 10 people who develop Legionnaires’ disease will die due to complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires’ disease during a stay in a healthcare facility, about one out of every four people will die, the federal health agency added.

The NYC health department said anyone who lives or works in the affected areas — or has visited since late June — and is experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately. The ZIP codes for the areas are 10028, 10128, and 10075.

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(OCEAN TOWNSHIP, N.J.) — The roof of a BJ’s Wholesale Club in New Jersey partially collapsed during heavy rain on Monday, temporarily entrapping two people who were able to safely escape, authorities said.

No injuries have been reported following the incident at the big-box store in Ocean Township, authorities said.

Video from the store’s security camera captured the collapse, showing a portion of the roof fall near the bakery section as a deluge of water flooded the interior. Local officials have confirmed they are looking at the video as part of an investigation into the incident.

Multiple agencies responded to the store around 11:16 a.m. ET following reports of the partial roof collapse, authorities said. There were 27 people inside the store at the time, including two who became partially entrapped but were able to free themselves and safely leave, according to local authorities.  

First responders conducted a “comprehensive search” of the building, and a drone and K-9 teams were also involved in the search effort to ensure no one remained inside, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and Ocean Township Police Department said in a joint statement.

The collapse occurred as heavy rain pummeled the area, resulting in “extreme flooding,” the sheriff’s office said. Up to six inches of rain was reported in the area over the past 24 hours, with most of the rain falling since early Monday morning. 

“This incident is another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions,” Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said in a statement about the collapse. “We commend all first responders who worked with urgency under challenging circumstances. Despite the ongoing flooding and severe weather affecting our communities, all worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone was safely accounted for.”

ABC News has reached out to BJ’s Wholesale Club for comment.

Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners Director Thomas Arnone commended the “swift response” by agencies in the incident while urging residents to stay alert for updates regarding flash flooding and other storm-related damage in the area. 

The heavy rain that was occurring at the time of the roof collapse has since ended, though additional rounds of rain are possible through the evening hours.

A flood watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. ET Monday in Monmouth County, according to the National Weather Service.

ABC News’ Daniel Peck contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — More than 60 million people from Ohio to Massachusetts and Virginia are bracing for possible flash flooding on Monday following a deadly holiday weekend heat wave that left much of the East Coast sweltering in triple-digit temperatures.

New York City and Long Island appear to be in the center of the storm zone, with a level 3 out of 4 threat for flash flooding. Southern Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts are also expected to get heavy rain.

Up to 3 inches of rain per hour is possible in some parts of the Northeast, and some areas could receive up to 8 inches.

A flood watch is in effect for the entire New York City metropolitan area through Monday night.

A flash-flood warning has been issued for more than 2.5 million people in the Philadelphia area, where flooding was already reported Monday, including in the Lemon Hill Park neighborhood in North Philadelphia.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released an online video statement on Sunday, advising New Yorkers to take precautions.

“We ask New Yorkers in this time to stay safe, stay prepared, and to keep an eye out for one another,” said Mamdani, adding that city workers were out over the weekend clearing catch basins and preparing neighborhoods that are historically flood-prone for the impending storm.

The mayor asked New Yorkers who live in basement apartments to plan to evacuate.

“If you see water rising around you, move to higher ground,” Mamdani said.

The storms expected on Monday follow a multi-day heat wave. Parts of the mid-Atlantic and South saw heavy rain on Sunday night.

At one point, more than 800,000 utility customers from Oklahoma to Connecticut lost electricity on Sunday, including 85,000 in New York, according to the website PowerOutage.com.

In New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that thunderstorms on Friday night and over the weekend knocked out power to nearly 300,000 utility customers and that wind gusts of up to 80 mph toppled trees and power lines.

At least 25 people are suspected to have died in New Jersey from the sweltering heat wave that had enveloped a large portion of the country, officials said.

At least 60,424 utility customers in New Jersey, 43,664 in New York, more than 95,000 across Pennsylvania and at least 100,000 in Michigan remained without power on Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.com.

New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington told reporters at the news conference on Saturday that many of the people who perished in the heat in New Jersey were found in homes without air conditioning.

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(CHINO, Calif.) –A man has been arrested for involuntary manslaughter after a woman died and three people were injured from a fireworks explosion in Southern California over the weekend, authorities said.

Investigators believe a large quantity of fireworks ignited, prompting an explosion during 4th of July celebrations Saturday night in Chino, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, Chino police said. The blast also engulfed a car in flames, police said.

Derion Tradon James Jr., 28, was detained at the scene and later booked on an involuntary manslaughter charge, police said.

“There was a humongous explosion. The explosion was so loud, it’s what I would assume a gas line in a house blew up,” witness Gabriel Gilmore told ABC Los Angeles station KABC. “… The plume of smoke that rose from the floor was equivalent to the size of the house.”

One victim, a woman in her 20s, was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries, police said on Sunday.

Two other adults suffered serious injuries but are expected to survive, according to police, who said a child was also injured and has since been released from the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Chino police department told ABC News that the investigation into the incident is “active and ongoing,” and that “detectives are continuing to work closely with the Ontario [California] Fire Department’s bomb squad to determine exactly what occurred.”

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(PROVO, Utah) — A crucial court hearing is expected to get underway on Monday to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to warrant a murder trial for the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Utah prosecutors have said they have a mountain of evidence against the suspect, 23-year-old Tyler James Robinson, and plan to seek the death penalty.

The state is expected to begin presenting its evidence on Monday at a preliminary hearing in the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah. The hearing is expected to last up to five days.

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, are expected to attend the suspect’s preliminary hearing, according to The Associated Press.

The Kirk family released a statement Monday morning, saying, “Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father.”

“Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children,” the family said. “We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives.”

The family said it will not be commenting further on the case: “We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief.”

District Judge Tony Graf will weigh the evidence presented by prosecutors and decide if there is enough to hold Robinson over for trial and whether prosecutors can proceed in seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutors need only to demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to warrant a trial for Robinson. If Graf orders Robinson to proceed to trial, prosecutors must then prove beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial that the defendant is guilty of killing the 31-year-old Kirk.

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Robinson has yet to enter a plea to the charges, and his attorneys have not issued any statements on his guilt or innocence.

The fatal shooting of Kirk, who was the founder of the conservative youth movement Turning Point USA and a strong ally of President Donald Trump, occurred in September 2025 at an outdoor rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

On Sept. 10, 2025, Kirk was holding the first stop of his “The American Comeback Tour,” which invited students on college campuses to debate hot-button issues. He was at an amphitheater on the campus of Utah Valley University taking a question about gun violence in America when a single shot rang out from a distance away, hitting him in the left side of his neck.

Kirk’s security team immediately carried him to a vehicle and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police investigators have said the shot that killed Kirk was fired from the rooftop of a building about 200 feet from where Kirk was speaking.

Robinson allegedly fled the scene on foot, prompting a massive manhunt. He surrendered to authorities on the night of Sept. 11, 2025, after his father contacted law enforcement officials and told them he recognized his son in photographs of the suspect released by authorities, officials said.

According to court documents, Robinson allegedly confessed in a note left for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner, that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

On the day of the shooting, Robinson allegedly sent his boyfriend a text message that said, “Drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said at a news conference following Robinson’s arrest.

Robinson’s boyfriend told police that he found a handwritten letter under the keyboard, according to Gray, who said the note read in part, “If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text.”

Gray said Robinson allegedly sent another message to his boyfriend, in which he allegedly said of Kirk, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

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