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(NEW YORK) — About 6,600 people in New Jersey who said they were not U.S. citizens had been incorrectly registered to vote due to a technical error during the previous gubernatorial administration, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who took office this year, said Tuesday. She added that fewer than 400 were found to have actually voted and that the state is taking action to remove them from its voter rolls.

The admission came less than a week after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sent letters to New Jersey and three other states alleging that those states might have tens of thousands of noncitizens registered to vote, although Mullin did not explain how precisely DHS got those numbers.

Mullin and DHS had alleged that New Jersey could have “as many as … 35,152 non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey.”

Sherrill said in a statement on Tuesday, “Last week I learned that a serious software error in New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle System led to the registration of roughly 6,600 people who indicated that they were not U.S. citizens between June 2023 and June 2024, almost three years prior to my taking office. These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway.”

The governor’s statement said that the state’s “preliminary analysis” found that less than 400 people who were erroneously registered to vote had voted in elections and were not tied to just one party; they were registered as Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliated voters.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Sherrill said those voters could have potentially voted in any election since being registered, but the state has “no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed” because of those voters

Sherrill said that she has ordered an independent investigation about what happened, the removal of any New Jersey residents from the state’s voter rolls who should not have been registered to vote, and that the new administrator of New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission is starting to replace the vendor tasked with running the faulty system.

The governor also said she will present the state’s findings after it investigates, and that the state is taking care to protect the identities of noncitizens who were registered inadvertently so that their immigration status does not get imperiled.

In a statement, IDEMIA, the company that runs the system faulted by the governor, said: “IDEMIA works with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and has for more than 40 years, to support the process through which eligible individuals may indicate their interest in registering to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state-issued identification card. IDEMIA’s role is to transmit information through the motor vehicle system. The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote. Information submitted by IDEMIA must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections.”

At her press conference, Sherill pushed back against any insinuation that the finding validates claims the Trump administration has made about New Jersey’s voter rolls.

“Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity. For the past 10 years, he’s cried wolf and peddled bizarre conspiracy theories about fraud with no evidence,” she told reporters during the press conference.

Sherrill also briefly referenced the DHS letter, saying that the number of alleged noncitizen voters appears to be unrelated to the number of noncitizen voters New Jersey uncovered. She confirmed New Jersey received the DHS letter, but said the state asked the administration for any evidence of there being that many noncitizen voters and has not gotten anything back yet.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice said Tuesday that is investigating the matter.

In a letter to Sherrill shared on social media, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, wrote: “Ensuring that U.S. citizens’ votes are not illegally diluted by noncitizens votes is of paramount importance. We therefore write to formally request additional information to assess New Jersey’s compliance with various federal statutes.” Dhillon asked for the state to provide within five business days personal information on the registered noncitizens the state identified and details on the around 400 who voted.

The White House said Tuesday’s announcement from Sherrill bolsters the need for Congress to pass the president’s signature SAVE America Act, which would significantly retool the administration of American elections.

“Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

“As President Trump has said, there is nothing more important than the integrity of our elections. And this latest incident underscores the absolute necessity of the SAVE America Act,” she added. “American voters deserve to have confidence that our elections are safe and secure — President Trump will never stop fighting to make that happen and all patriotic Americans should join in his effort.”

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(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) — A woman is recovering after she was attacked by a brown bear while hiking through an Alaskan trail over the weekend, Alaskan authorities said.

The unidentified victim was hiking on a trail above Bear Valley, a neighborhood in south Anchorage, with another person and three dogs Saturday around 5:30 p.m. when the bear came out of the trees and encountered the pair and their dogs, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game said.

“High winds and inclement weather conditions at the time of the encounter may have increased the chance that the bear was surprised by the hikers and their dogs, even if they were making noise,” the agency said in a statement.

The bear ran off, and first responders found the woman with non-life-threatening injuries, the Anchorage Police Department said. She was carried out of the trail and transported to a local hospital, according to the police.

Police used a drone to track the bear and ensure it was not coming back as they got the hikers and dogs to safety.

Saturday’s attack took place more than a week after another woman was attacked by a bear on the front porch of her Alaskan home just as she was leaving with her dogs.

The unidentified woman took out a shotgun to try to scare away the adult bear and its two cubs from her dog but was attacked and hospitalized on July 9, according to the authorities.

The bears ran away after being scared off by another person.

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(NEW YORK) — A fourth person has died in New York City amid an ongoing cluster of Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side, according to health officials.

At least 76 cases have been identified and seven people remain hospitalized, the New York City Health Department announced.

Since the cluster began, 53 people have been discharged from the hospital, according to the department.

Health officials advised that anyone who has spent time in the affected ZIP codes 10028, 10075, 10128, including Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, should seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms. Legionnaires’ disease symptoms can appear up to 14 days after exposure, according to the health department.

The department previously said it believes the source of the Legionella bacteria has likely been eliminated and that it will continue inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive for the bacteria.

Health officials added there is not an issue with any building’s plumbing system and that residents in the affected ZIP codes can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use an air conditioner at home.

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.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Bertha was churning early on Tuesday about 110 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida, moving northwest at about 5 mph, with maximum sustained winds at about 50 mph.

Tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect for parts of the Florida Panhandle to the coast of southeastern Louisiana, including Florida’s Panama City and Pensacola, along with Mobile, Alabama, and Gulfport, Mississippi.

A tropical storm watch was in effect for New Orleans on Tuesday morning.

A tropical depression that formed over the weekend strengthened on Monday night into Tropical Storm Bertha, the National Hurricane Center, prompting a tropical storm watch on Monday for parts of the Gulf Coast.

A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.

On the forecast track, the storm was expected to slowly move along the Gulf Coast through Tuesday before approaching southern Louisiana on Wednesday, still as a rather weak tropical storm.

New Orleans was likely see some showers and gusty winds, some of which could potentially be tropical storm force, starting Tuesday night and lasting through Wednesday into Thursday, but major impacts are not anticipated.

Beyond Wednesday, Bertha was expected to continue moving westward toward Texas while weakening. It was expected to dissipate or turn post-tropical on Thursday night or Friday.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected to possible on Tuesday along the Gulf Coast and Florida panhandle. Storm surge could reach 1 to 4 feet. Life-threatening rip currents were also expected to be also possible.

The rain and thunderstorm activity was forecast to shift toward southern Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gusty winds would also be possible, along with a widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts up to 8 inches through Friday along the Gulf Coast.

Major rain or flooding from Bertha were not expected.

As of 8 p.m. ET Monday, Bertha had a maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It continued to move very slowly, at just 3 mph, and the center was located about 110 miles south of Panama City, Florida.

The system was forecast to weaken back to a tropical depression sometime on Thursday and possibly dissipate or become post-tropical by the end of the week, as it was expected to approach the Texas coast.

The National Hurricane Center said the system would likely have a very asymmetric structure, with the bulk of the rainfall and much of the wind expected to occur to the south of the center, meaning it would not be over land.

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(LOS ANGELES) — A highly anticipated dayslong preliminary hearing in the murder case against the singer D4vd is set to get underway in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with evidence and testimony to be presented in court for the first time.

D4vd — whose legal name is David Burke — was arrested and charged in April with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez following a monthslong investigation. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a child and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last three to seven days, with prosecutors seeking to establish probable cause to move forward with a trial.

Prosecutors allege that D4vd and Rivas Hernandez began a sexual relationship in 2023, when he was 18 and she was 13, and that she was threatening to expose their illegal relationship and ruin his career if he would not be exclusive to her.

Just as tickets for his world tour were set to go on sale, it is alleged that the “Romantic Homicide” singer ordered an Uber that brought Rivas Hernandez to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, prosecutors said in a nine-page brief filed days after D4vd’s arrest. That was the last time she was seen alive, according to prosecutors.  

Prosecutors allege that D4vd stabbed the teen multiple times, watching her bleed out, and then undertook a series of events to dismember her body, including ordering two chainsaws on Amazon.

“In order to distance himself from the victim, he amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name,” prosecutors wrote in their brief, noting that her fingers have not been found.

Her badly decomposed remains were found in two body bags in the front trunk of D4vd’s Tesla four months later, in September 2025, according to prosecutors.

The brief was filed to “assist the court in understanding the scope and relevance of evidence the prosecution intends to present at the preliminary hearing,” prosecutors wrote.

During his arraignment in April, D4vd’s attorney, Blair Berk, asked for a preliminary hearing as soon as possible, saying she believes the evidence will show that he did not murder Rivas Hernandez and that they would “like to be able to have the evidence come into the light of day at the earliest opportunity.”

D4vd has been held on no bail since his arrest.

His attorneys said they plan to “vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” his attorneys — Berk, as well as Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter — said in a statement following his arrest.

An attorney for Rivas Hernandez’s family said in April that the family has decided not to make any future statements “in light of the gruesome details emerging almost daily.”

“There are no words to express the indescribable pain the family is experiencing right now,” the attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, said in a statement. “They still have bills to pay and jobs they go to every day. All they want is time to grieve and heal.”

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(NEW YORK) — The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are bracing for a new round of severe storms and possible flash flooding on Tuesday after getting hammered by heavy rain on Saturday.

The greatest threat — a level 3 out of 5 risk — will span from northeastern Kentucky to New Jersey, including Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Numerous severe thunderstorms with potentially destructive winds and tornadoes are possible in this region.

Flash flooding will be a concern for a large swath of the Interstate 95 corridor, from D.C. to Philadelphia to New York City.

Flood watches have been issued for Tuesday, from Delaware to southern New York, where rainfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour, potentially triggering flash flooding, especially in urban areas. This includes Philadelphia and New York City.

There is growing concern for slow-moving thunderstorms bringing torrential rain in some areas on Tuesday, possibly unfolding by the late morning or early afternoon.

The storms are expected to last throughout the day.

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(NEW YORK) — A man described as an “anti-government extremist” set off an “incendiary device” to set a fire outside a Manhattan federal building that houses an immigration court, the FBI said, leaving three with minor injuries.

Andrew Arrabaca, 43, allegedly poured gasoline onto the ground outside 26 Federal Plaza and ignited it with a lighter and a large firework in a canister on Monday morning, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said.

He also allegedly “pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven pellets” in the direction of 26 Federal Plaza, Barnacle said.

Arrabaca “is an anti-American, anti-government extremist,” Barnacle said.

After Arrabaca’s arrest “he did say he was targeting the building and he was OK if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were federal employees or civilians,” Barnacle said.

Two government employees and one civilian suffered minor injuries, Barnacle said, noting that the civilian victim was an immigrant there for an immigration hearing.

Arrabaca — described by the Department of Homeland Security as an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement “rioter” — was apprehended by officers, Barnacle said.

Arrabaca is a former soldier who served from 2001 to 2005 and worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, Barnacle said, with police noting he wore a military-style helmet. He’s been taken into custody and has been interviewed, Barnacle said.

Arrabaca “came armed with bad intentions,” Barnacle said.

“He had two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives,” as well as several incendiary devices, Barnacle said.

Barnacle said “26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremists,” and he said “Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people.”

Barnacle said Arrabaca had a cart with him with “anti-ICE literature,” he said when Arrabaca was being arrested, he “yelled derogatory terms toward ICE.”

On the suspect’s cart was a sign reading “ICE Off Our Streets,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Charges are yet to be filed, Tisch said, noting that the incident took place on federal property.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it”deeply disturbing.”

“I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody,” he wrote on social media. “… Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that.”

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(NEW YORK) — A tropical storm watch is in effect Monday for parts of the Gulf Coast after a tropical depression formed over the weekend and is expected to become Tropical Storm Bertha late Monday or Monday night.

The National Hurricane Center said it is closely monitoring what is currently Tropical Depression Two, which formed Sunday.

The tropical storm watch has been issued from the Florida panhandle to the southeast Louisiana coast, including Panama City and Pensacola, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Gulfport, Mississippi.

Tropical storm conditions, including strong winds and rain, are possible in the watch area by late Monday.

As of 11 a.m. ET Monday the tropical depression was a weak and disorganized system centered about 120 miles south of Panama City and drifting northwest at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph. A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.

After the depression becomes a storm, it’s expected to slowly strengthen over the next few days and move mostly parallel to or along the Gulf Coast. The latest forecast puts the system near or south of New Orleans by Wednesday.

The storm could impact the Louisiana coast and the areas of southeast Texas on Wednesday and into Thursday. Tropical storm conditions will be possible from New Orleans to Houston.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible across Florida on Monday and into Monday night, mostly along the Gulf Coast and panhandle.

A possible storm surge of 1 to 3 feet could impact the area from Indian Pass, Florida, located about two hours southwest of Tallahassee, to the Chassahowitzka River, about 90 minutes north of Clearwater on the Gulf coast. The rough surf could produce life-threatening rip currents.

From Monday evening through Wednesday, thunderstorm activity is expected to shift toward southern Alabama and Mississippi. Widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected in the area along the Gulf Coast through Friday, with isolated totals up to 8 inches possible.

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(OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.) — Family and friends of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells are gathering Monday for his funeral in his hometown of Ocean Springs as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said at the service at Center Pointe Church, “We thank you, Lord, for the beautiful 18 years that you blessed us with him.”

“Thank you for the joy he brought, not only to our family, but also to his friends and everyone in the community whose lives he touched,” Wonsley said with her husband, Rev. Al Sharpton and family civil rights attorney Ben Crump by her side.

“Nolan had such a gentle, calming spirit about him,” she said.

She described her son as protective and nurturing, noting that he hoped to have three daughters one day.

“We will miss everything about him, from his quiet nature to the corny jokes. His gentle smile, the way he made everyone around him feel comfortable, loved and at ease,” Wonsley said. “Your absence has left an emptiness that can never truly be filled — a piece of our hearts will always be missing.”

“We will continue to fight for you,” she said through tears.

Wells’ father, Elmore Wonsley, was overcome with emotion as he recalled his son’s excellence in football, telling the mourners, “I nicknamed you Mr. Cool Hands, because it seemed like you were catching a touchdown every game.”

“You wanted to be the best, so I poured all my knowledge into you that I could — by taking you to the gym to work out, taking you to the beach to do drills in the sand, teaching you how to watch film, how to study your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. And you carried these teachings all the way through high school,” he said.

Elmore Wonsley thanked everyone for attending the funeral.

“Nolan meant a lot to a lot of people, and today just shows us how much he meant to the community, to the country and to the world,” he said.

Sharpton will eulogize Wells.

Director Spike Lee is among those attending the service, Sharpton said, and actor and director Tyler Perry is paying for the funeral.

The 18-year-old went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with his high school friends to the popular, undeveloped Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, according to officials and Crump. 

“[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’ body was recovered two days later, according to officials.

Authorities said they believe the college football player drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”

Wells’ family is desperate for answers and sent his body to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, Crump noted.

Ledbetter told ABC News that the sheriff’s office welcomes the family’s independent investigation.

“By all means, that’s more information looking into the death of Nolan that will be made available and another set of eyes looking at it,” he said.

“We’re working towards the same goal as the family — we want a thorough investigation,” the sheriff said.

Wonsley told ABC News her son was a “bright light,” recalling that “his smile, his energy was just, just so infectious.”

“He was just a genuinely a good person,” she said

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(NEW YORK) — Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as “El Mayo,” will be sentenced Monday in a New York City federal court on drug trafficking charges that accused him of being one of the most prolific and powerful narcotraffickers in the world.

Together with Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as “El Chapo,” he founded the Sinaloa cartel and oversaw the shipment of millions of kilograms of lethal drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. He employed armed sicarios who assaulted, tortured, and murdered and he paid millions in bribes at all levels of the Mexican government, officials said.

“It would be difficult to overstate the magnitude of the defendant’s crimes and scale of the corruption, violence, and other harm he spread throughout Mexico, the United States, and the world,” federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a sentencing memo that called for life in prison. 

The sentence is not in doubt. El Mayo pleaded guilty last August to a charge of committing a continuing criminal enterprise, a catch-all that included 85 violations of the law, and agreed to the mandatory life imprisonment along with a $15 billion forfeiture. 

As part of his plea, El Mayo, 76, admitted he was responsible for at least 1.5 million kilograms of cocaine and vast quantities of heroin and fentanyl.

Federal prosecutors said El Mayo represents “serious security concerns” that must be considered when the judge recommends a prison where he will serve his sentence.

“The defendant is the co-founder of one of the world’s most violent criminal organizations, and for decades directed its operations, including its violence. Moreover, many members of the Cartel remain loyal to the defendant, including one of the defendant’s sons, who remains a key leader of the defendant’s faction of the Cartel in the defendant’s absence,” federal prosecutors said.

The defense noted that El Mayo spared the judicial system a trial and “helped protect the safety of potential witnesses who will not need to be disclosed or called to testify.”

In a statement, El Mayo said he recognized the “grave harm that illegal drugs have done to the people of the United States, of Mexico and elsewhere.” He also said he recognized the “human toll of the violence and lawlessness that my criminal organization engaged in.”  

El Mayo said he took responsibility for his role in all of it and apologized to “everyone who has suffered or been affected by my actions.”

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