A coyote walks along a wall and behind various bushes that separate homes from The Tracks at Brea Trail in Brea early on Saturday morning, September 21, 2024. Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — A coyote attacked and chased a 9-year-old in Portland, Oregon, while the child was playing hide-and-seek in their own yard, with officials encouraging residents in the area to remain on alert, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The attack occurred last week in the Portland neighborhood of Alameda, where a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old were “playing hide-and-seek in their yard when a coyote approached the 9-year-old” and bit their foot, the fish and wildlife department said in a press release on Wednesday.
The 9-year-old, who was wearing socks at the time of the attack, was able to “shake their foot out of the sock and run away,” officials said.
The coyote then proceeded to chase the 9-year-old until the child’s father — who was on the front porch — began yelling at the animal, who then ran away, officials said.
The child was taken to a local hospital and was “treated for minor injuries,” officials said. The status of the child’s condition remains unclear as of Thursday.
A day after the attack, officials traveled to the scene to “conduct a site investigation” and informed residents via flyers and social media posts that a “concerning incident with a coyote had recently occurred,” the department of fish and wildlife said.
In the days following the attack, officials said they have “continued to monitor the area and talk to neighbors” and are working closely with local and federal authorities to “determine next steps for addressing the human safety situation.”
While coyotes are “not unusual” in this area of Portland — even during the day — officials strongly encouraged residents to “monitor young children playing outside” and to not provide food to coyotes, which is illegal in the state of Oregon.
Dave Keiter, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told ABC Portland affiliate KATU the attack was a “very unusual incident,” but feeding the animals can “make them spend more time around humans which can cause conflict both with people and with pets.”
“The vast majority of encounters with coyotes are entirely benign,” Keiter told KATU.
If someone does encounter a coyote, officials said to scare away the animal by yelling, using airhorns, banging pots and pans or throwing objects.
Officials encourage community members to “immediately report concerning encounters and aggressive behavior toward people or pet” to the department of fish and wildlife or call 911 in the event of an emergency.
A coyote walks along a wall and behind various bushes that separate homes from The Tracks at Brea Trail in Brea early on Saturday morning, September 21, 2024. Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — A coyote attacked and chased a 9-year-old in Portland, Oregon, while the child was playing hide-and-seek in their own yard, with officials encouraging residents in the area to remain on alert, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The attack occurred last week in the Portland neighborhood of Alameda, where a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old were “playing hide-and-seek in their yard when a coyote approached the 9-year-old” and bit their foot, the fish and wildlife department said in a press release on Wednesday.
The 9-year-old, who was wearing socks at the time of the attack, was able to “shake their foot out of the sock and run away,” officials said.
The coyote then proceeded to chase the 9-year-old until the child’s father — who was on the front porch — began yelling at the animal, who then ran away, officials said.
The child was taken to a local hospital and was “treated for minor injuries,” officials said. The status of the child’s condition remains unclear as of Thursday.
A day after the attack, officials traveled to the scene to “conduct a site investigation” and informed residents via flyers and social media posts that a “concerning incident with a coyote had recently occurred,” the department of fish and wildlife said.
In the days following the attack, officials said they have “continued to monitor the area and talk to neighbors” and are working closely with local and federal authorities to “determine next steps for addressing the human safety situation.”
While coyotes are “not unusual” in this area of Portland — even during the day — officials strongly encouraged residents to “monitor young children playing outside” and to not provide food to coyotes, which is illegal in the state of Oregon.
Dave Keiter, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told ABC Portland affiliate KATU the attack was a “very unusual incident,” but feeding the animals can “make them spend more time around humans which can cause conflict both with people and with pets.”
“The vast majority of encounters with coyotes are entirely benign,” Keiter told KATU.
If someone does encounter a coyote, officials said to scare away the animal by yelling, using airhorns, banging pots and pans or throwing objects.
Officials encourage community members to “immediately report concerning encounters and aggressive behavior toward people or pet” to the department of fish and wildlife or call 911 in the event of an emergency.
An undated photo of 9-year-old murder victim Carol Ann Dougherty. Bucks County District Attorney’s office
(BUCKS COUNTY, Pa.) — A 9-year-old girl’s killer has been identified more than 60 years after she was raped and murdered in a Pennsylvania church, authorities announced.
On Oct. 22, 1962, Carol Ann Dougherty was on her way to the library when she was raped and strangled at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Bristol, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office said.
“We believe it may be the only rape and murder of a little girl in a church in the United States,” Bucks County DA Jennifer Schorn said at a news conference.
A grand jury investigation has now identified Carol Ann’s killer as William Schrader, who Schorn described as an “absolute predator.” Although Schrader died in 2002, he’s now “definitively linked” to the murder “through the combination of decades-old evidence and recent investigative developments,” the DA’s office announced in a statement on Wednesday.
In 1962, a witness reported seeing Schrader — who lived near the church — outside the church around the time of the murder, and police initially questioned him, the DA’s office said. Schrader failed a polygraph test and investigators determined he lied about his alibi, authorities said. After Schrader realized he was a suspect, he left Pennsylvania and moved to the South, Schorn said.
“Schrader’s life was marked by a pattern of violence and sexual violence, particularly against young, pre-pubescent, and adolescent females,” the DA’s office said in a statement. Investigators determined he “sexually abused nearly every female child he lived with or had access to,” prosecutors said.
A pubic hair collected from Schrader at the start of the investigation was tested in the 1990s, and it showed “significant similarities” to hair found in Carol Ann’s hand, officials said. There were 141 pubic hair samples tested during the decadeslong investigation, and “all other individuals were eliminated,” officials added.
A breakthrough in the case came last year when investigators interviewed Schrader’s stepson, who said Schrader “confessed to him on two separate occasions that he murdered a little girl in a Pennsylvania church,” the DA’s office said. Schrader allegedly told his stepson he lured Carol Ann inside, raped her and “had to kill the girl in Bristol to keep her from talking,” the DA’s office said.
Carol Ann’s murder “changed my family’s life forever,” her sister, Kay Dougherty, said at Wednesday’s news conference.
“Our family lived without answers and the uncertainty surrounding Carol’s death became a part of who we were,” she said through tears. “My parents both passed away without knowing on this earth who murdered their daughter. … After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed.”
Stock image of police lights. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images
(SPARTANBURG, S.C.) — A former sheriff of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is expected to plead guilty Thursday morning to stealing money from his own police force and taking illicit drugs.
Chuck Wright previously signed a plea deal admitting to three criminal counts of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and obtaining controlled substances through misrepresentation, according to court documents reviewed by ABC News.
Wright has been accused of stealing money from a benevolent fund intended for his officers facing financial difficulties and pocketed cash he said he would use to send an officer to Washington, D.C., to honor a deputy killed in the line of service, according to federal filings.
Attorneys for Wright did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
Two other former Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office employees pleaded guilty to charges associated with Wright.
Amos Durham, a former chaplain of the force, helped Wright steal more than $28,000 from the sheriff’s department, and Lawson Watson was paid by Wright as a deputy for four years for work he never did — totaling more than $200,000, investigators said in court documents against Durham and Watson.
Wright resigned earlier this year after working as a police officer for more than 20 years. Suspicion began to rise against him after a local paper discovered he had spent over $53,000 over six years on frivolous purchases that included dinners, fancy hotels, and subscriptions that included a keto diet program, according to the Post and Courier.
An excavator sits on the rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on October 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Days after the abrupt demolition of the East Wing of the White House, critics are questioning whether the Trump administration and contractors involved in razing the historic structure adhered to federal health and safety standards, including those governing the handling of hazardous materials like asbestos, a dangerous and potentially deadly substance widely used during the period of the East Wing’s original construction.
On Thursday, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., penned a letter to executives at the firm responsible for the demolition seeking evidence that the company complied with regulations dictating the safe removal of asbestos and lead — or if, instead, they “cut corners” and “gambled with people’s health.”
“The demolition of a structure of the age and historic national significance of the East Wing demands the highest possible standards of care, not the lowest bid and a blind eye toward regulation,” Markey wrote to leaders of ACECO, a Maryland-based demolition contractor.
The senator’s overture comes days after the nation’s largest asbestos victims’ organization raised alarms about whether the White House may have deviated from accepted practices for handling these materials.
“Federal law requires comprehensive asbestos inspection, notification, and abatement before any demolition,” wrote the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) last week. “No publicly available information demonstrates that these statutory obligations have been fulfilled.”
A White House official would not say whether asbestos was found in the East Wing, but told ABC News that “a very extensive abatement and remediation assessment was followed, complying with all applicable federal standards.”
The official said that “any hazardous material abatement was done in September,” prior to the demolition earlier this month.
But Linda Reinstein, the president of ADAO, said she has seen no public evidence to suggest that an assessment or abatement took place. Federal standards require rigorous inspections to be done prior to demolition, and those inspections are then documented with a certification. If asbestos is found, workers on site would be observed wearing protective equipment, like hazmat suits.
“I am deeply concerned for White House staff and others working in or near the East Wing demolition site,” Reinstein said. “It remains unclear what measures have been taken to ensure the safe removal of deadly asbestos and other hazardous materials.”
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in mid-century structures for fireproofing and insulation, before its deadly health risks were fully known. Invisible asbestos fibers can become airborne whenever materials containing asbestos are disturbed during demolition, renovation, or even routine maintenance.
Doctors warn that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and that even short, unprotected demolition work can damage the lungs and increase the risk of developing mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to asbestos fibers can cause scarring in the lungs and increases the risk of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Dr. Raja Flores, a top lung doctor, said it can take years after inhaling the fibers for symptoms to arise.
The progressive lung disease and cancer that can occur after asbestos exposure “makes you weak, you feel short of breath, feel like you’re drowning and all these symptoms develop over a long period of time,” Flores said. “It is a prolonged and agonizing torture.”
“You wouldn’t catch me in there — not without a mask” and “not without precautions,” Flores said, referring to the White House complex during demolition.
Although White House officials would not say whether asbestos existed in the building, some experts suggest that its age and the era of its construction mean that it likely had the presence of the fiber. Originally completed in 1800, the building underwent major renovations in the 1940s and 50s, at the peak of asbestos use in buildings.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Donald Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing, citing in part his assumption that “parts of the East Wing could have been asbestos, could have been mold.”
The demolition of the East Wing has been unpopular with most Americans, according to new polling released Thursday morning.
A 56% majority of Americans oppose the Trump administration tearing down the East Wing of the White House as part of the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom paid for by $300 million in private donations, including 45% who “strongly” oppose it, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
President Trump said in July that the ballroom project would not interfere with the existing White House structure. But last week, as crews began to raze the East Wing, an official said the “entirety of the East Wing will be modernized.”
By Thursday, satellite images from Planet Labs PBC showed the East Wing reduced to rubble.
The White House has required at least some of the construction workers tasked with demolishing the East Wing to sign nondisclosure agreements barring them from discussing their work, according to sources familiar with the project.
A White House official told ABC News that requiring workers to sign NDAs is “standard” practice, given aspects of the project deal with the operational security of the White House.
Bob Sussman, who was the deputy EPA administrator under President Bill Clinton and a senior EPA policy counsel under President Barack Obama, said “the speed with which all this happened and the reasons why it happened so quickly should have raised many questions.”
Some environmental and health experts are warning about potential risks to the public if demolition debris that may contain asbestos is being moved off White House grounds without the appropriate safety measures.
“I am concerned that wherever they move this debris, the population in that area is going to be at risk for 20 to 30 years,” Dr. Flores said.
Markey’s letter seeks details from ACECO on the timeline of the demolition, the process it followed, what permits were sought, and whether any incidents were reported, and asks ACECO to respond by Nov. 12.
ABC News’ Jared Kofsky contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking a federal appeals court to expedite his appeal of his conviction on two prostitution-related charges, arguing he could finish his prison sentence before his appeal is heard on a normal timetable.
Combs is appealing his conviction and his more than four-year sentence.
“An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said in a new filing.
She said Combs has already served approximately 14 months of his 50-month sentence, and it is unclear how much additional time he will ultimately serve due to his potential eligibility for reductions.
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Prisons posted what the agency believes to be Combs’ release date from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which is set for May 8, 2028 — although it can change.
Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution after an eight-week trial in July. The jury acquitted Combs of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced.
In his appeal, Combs plans to argue to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prosecutors misapplied the law.
“Sean’s appeal will challenge the unfair use of the Mann Act, an infamous statute with a sordid history, to prosecute him for sex with consenting adults,” Shapiro said.
He has said his counts of conviction should not apply because he had no financial motive for transporting male escorts. Instead he said he wanted to watch them have sex with his girlfriends.
(NEW YORK) — Last week, Joel Camas, a 16-year-old living in the Bronx, New York, showed up for a routine immigration check-in at a federal building in the city, hoping he would be able to return to class at his high school later that morning.
But when Camas appeared at the immigration office accompanied by his lawyers, his attorneys say he was immediately detained and taken into custody, despite telling officials that he has Special Immigrant Juvenile Status — a federal pathway to legal residency for undocumented minors who have allegedly been abused, neglected, or abandoned.
The detention of the 16-year-old, who was granted SIJS status due to the conditions in Ecuador and because his father abandoned him, occurred one month after his mother, who was issued an order of removal in 2024, self-deported to Ecuador, the country they both fled almost three years ago due to gang violence.
Camas’ detention has raised alarm among immigration attorneys about the Trump administration’s rollback of protections for SIJS recipients and their risk for deportation to their home countries.
In June, the administration announced a policy change that eliminated the automatic consideration of deferred action and work permits for those with approved SIJS status who are awaiting an available green card visa. The move, according to immigration attorneys, has resulted in the detention and possible deportation of young immigrants who were granted protections by immigration judges.
The government has defended the changes made to the SIJS program by alleging they are addressing “significant national security and public safety concerns” stemming from alleged abuses within the program.
In Camas’ case, a federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking his removal, shortly after the Department of Homeland Security said that Camas “will be reunited with his family” in Ecuador.
“One of the findings that a judge needs to make is that it’s in the best interest for this young person to remain in the U.S.,” said Beth Baltimore, the attorney representing Joel. “I’ve never seen young people targeted in this way.”
Similarly, Carlos Guerra Leon, an 18-year-old from Spring Valley, New York, was stopped and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August while on his way to work.
According to Guerra Leon’s attorney, Sarah Decker, he was detained without a warrant by officers and told he had a final order of removal, despite having SIJS status and being granted deferred action through 2026.
Guerra Leon was transported to Jackson Parish Detention Center in Louisiana, where he remains in detention. His attorneys have a pending lawsuit alleging that his detention is unlawful and that his arrest was in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.
In a statement to ABC News, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Guerra Leon chose to remain in the U.S. despite a removal order “in violation of the [country’s] immigration laws.”
McLaughlin did not address Guerra Leon’s SIJS status.
“He had just graduated from high school this past June,” Decker said of Guerra Leon. “He was diligent and a well-respected worker at a local car wash, and community members have described him as an extremely hardworking, kind, and responsible young person who was dedicated to building a career in a special trade and finishing his education.”
(NEW YORK) — The National Guard is planning to train as many as 500 troops per state to serve as part of a rapid-response force focused on civil disturbance missions, according to a U.S. official.
The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in August that called for each state to have National Guard quick reaction forces that could be deployed on short notice for “quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order.”
Each state will be required to have a quick reaction force ready by the start of next year with most states required to have 500 personnel assigned to the force.
The development was first reported by The Guardian which obtained a copy of an Oct. 8 internal memo from the National Guard detailing each state’s allotment. The Guardian posted the memo on its website.
Each of the 50 states and four territories with National Guards already have dedicated quick-reaction forces that assist with natural disasters and civil disturbances.
It is unclear if the forces outlined in the memo are in addition to those — or a larger version specifically trained for civil disturbances.
It is also unclear how the force would be different from existing quick-reaction forces already available to each state.
Over the summer, Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid protests over the surge of immigration enforcement there and later to Washington, D.C., as part of what he called a crime-fighting initiative.
The Trump administration has also sought to deploy Guard troops in Chicago and Portland.
In this May 1, 2025, file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference held at the ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operation office in Miramar, Fla. Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE
(FLORIDA) — All 43 Democratic state legislators in Florida have asked Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency as nearly three million Floridians are set to lose their access to SNAP food assistance benefits when funding for the program expires Saturday amid the federal government shutdown.
In a letter to the governor dated Oct. 28, the legislators ask him to “declare a State of Emergency on Food Insecurity to unlock state emergency resources” to make available resources that will allow various state agencies to acquire extra food and funding and to expand school meal programs until SNAP benefits are restored.
“Under Section 252.36 of the Florida Statutes, the Governor has clear authority to declare a State of Emergency when ‘the occurrence or threat thereof is imminent.’ Hunger is both,” the letter states.
“For families already struggling under record food and housing costs, the loss of this critical support would be catastrophic. Local food banks and pantries have already reported overwhelming demand and depleted supplies,” the letter states. “Food insecurity is also increasing for federal employees and our military families as the shutdown continues. This is not speculation; it’s reality.”
“We are days away from a full-blown hunger emergency that will leave families without food during the holiday season. The state cannot stand by,” the letter further states, adding “No child should go hungry because politicians in Washington can’t agree.”
An ABC News request for comment sent to the office of Gov. DeSantis did not immediately receive a response. However, when asked for a reaction to the letter during an unrelated press conference Wednesday at the University of South Florida, DeSantis responded, “Did those Democrats write a letter to Chuck Schumer asking him to stop filibustering the spending?” referring to the Democratic Senate minority leader.
Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been at the center of an impasse with Republican leadership, Senate Majority Leader Tom Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Nearly 42 million Americans were receiving SNAP benefits as of May 2025, the most recent data available, according to the USDA, which funds the state-administered program. Just over 2.9 million Floridians receive SNAP benefits, making Florida the fourth-highest SNAP recipient, according to the latest USDA data, after California, Texas and New York.
There have been thirteen failed votes in the Senate to reopen the government, with the most recent on Tuesday. Democrats have refused to vote on a short-term funding bill that doesn’t address the issue of extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which expire Dec. 31, and Republicans have said they will not address the issue without Democrats first voting on a bill to re-open the government.
On Tuesday, 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the impending loss of SNAP benefits amid the federal government shutdown, which is now the second-longest in U.S. history.
: Senator John Thune (R-SD) at the annual GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day on Capital Hill on April 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. Capitol Hill’s largest and most prestigious legislative event for music creators. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/WireImage for The Recording Academ
(WASHINGTON) — With critical food assistance benefits set to run out Saturday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday said he is talking with President Donald Trump about the shutdown as lawmakers appear sympathetic, but still entrenched.
The Department of Agriculture said earlier this week that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which serve roughly 42 million low-income Americans, will not be issued on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown.
On Tuesday night as he traveled to South Korea, Trump signaled his administration may find a solution to help fund SNAP, saying “we’re going to get it done,” without offering any details on how.
At the same time, Trump blamed Democrats for putting Americans at risk of losing critical federal food assistance this weekend.
“The Democrats have caused the problem on food stamps … because all they have to do is sign, and, you know, they sign, I’ll meet with them,” Trump said.
Asked about Trump’s SNAP benefits comments, Thune told reporters on Wednesday that he spoke to Trump on Tuesday, but didn’t have insight into what his comments meant.
“I think that what he is saying consistently is ‘Open up the government and then we’ — and that’s the way to fund SNAP,” Thune said.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has a new bill that would fund SNAP during the shutdown. While several Republican senators support it, Thune has appeared lukewarm about bringing it to the floor.
Asked if Trump’s comments were an endorsement of bills like Hawley’s that would fund SNAP during the shutdown, Thune said he wasn’t sure if that’s what Trump was referring to.
“I think the message that he and the rest of the White House, including JD yesterday, have delivered pretty clearly is ‘Open up the government and that’s the way to fund SNAP and everything else.’ If he’s got something else he’s thinking about, I’ll certainly be open to listening to that,” Thune said.
On Wednesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the impacts of the government shutdown this week — including a possible food crisis as well as missed paychecks for federal workers and air traffic controllers — are “getting really tough for the American people,” placing the onus squarely on Democrats.
“The Democrats are coming near now to a cliff that they will not be able to turn back from,” Johnson said at a news conference in the Capitol. “You’ve got families and children that rely upon SNAP benefits that are going to go hungry here at the end of the week.”
As Democrats continue their fight over health care subsidies as the Nov. 1 open enrollment date approaches, Trump said Tuesday night that he would work with Democrats — as long as they vote to fund the government.
“I’d say, open up the government and we’ll work it out,” Trump told reporters.
Democrats are working to balance their health care demands and find solutions for SNAP, with Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján expected to attempt to get the Senate to unanimously pass legislation that would direct the USDA to release available contingency funds to ensure benefits under SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program continue during the shutdown.
Luján’s bill is co-sponsored by every Democrat in the Senate, but does not have any Republican co-sponsors. Because it’s being put on the floor by Democrats, the only way the bill could pass is if every senator supports it — meaning it will likely fail as a result.
“Right now, we’re staring down the barrel at two crises at once. A health care crisis and a hunger crisis,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“We don’t want to pit health care and food. Thank you. We think you can have both,” he later shouted.
Schumer has continued to call on Republicans to “sit-down and negotiate with us” to reopen the government and address the health care crisis.
Thune told reporters Wednesday morning that discussions over a path out of the shutdown have “ticked up significantly” and that he’s “hopeful” that something fruitful will soon emerge.
“It’s ticked up significantly,” Thune said of talks among rank-and-file members. “And hopefully that’ll be a precursor of things to come. But yeah, there’s a lot of higher-level conversation.”
Thune stressed that conversations are going on among rank-and-file members and not among leadership.
“There are a lot of rank-and-file members that continue to, I think, want to pursue solutions and to be able to address the issues they care about, which is including health care, which as I just said right there we are willing to do, but it is obviously contingent upon them opening up the government.”
ABC News’ Megan Mistry, Isabella Murray and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
