Scheduled to open in 2031, 2 World Trade Center will be the global headquarters of American Express as seen in this rendering of the building. (Foster + Partners/WTC)
(NEW YORK) — Twenty-five years after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left a gaping void in Lower Manhattan, American Express broke ground Thursday on its new headquarters, a tiered glass and steel tower at 2 World Trade Center.
The 55-story, 2 million square foot building with more than an acre of outdoor terraces and gardens is the last commercial development in the footprint of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.
The skyscraper is scheduled to be completed in 2031 and rise 1,226 feet.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the project will create 3,200 jobs and inject $6 billion into the city’s economy.
“We are standing today on hallowed ground,” Mamdani said.
“This has been a long journey,” said Lisa Silverstein of Silverstein Properties, the developer of the site since 2001. “This is the capstone for the World Trade Center.”
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department released this photo during the search for Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, in Mississippi. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Department)
(OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.) — The family of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells will conduct an independent autopsy following the 18-year-old’s mysterious death, according to attorney Ben Crump, who revealed new details about what he says unfolded on the day Wells vanished.
“He was a good kid. He was beloved. He was a college athlete. He had everything going for him. And so to go on that island … and then not to come back is what is concerning,” Crump told ABC News’ Linsey Davis.
Wells 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 location is accessible only by private boat and doesn’t have facilities, drinking water or staff.
“[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.”
A body believed to be Wells was recovered Monday, officials said.
Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed Wednesday that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”
Crump said investigators “continue to tell the family that ‘We don’t see any evidence of any foul play,’ even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boats.” Crump described the altercation as “Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat.”
According to Crump, Wells’ friends took the teen’s phone with them when they left Horn Island. Crump said when Wells’ family got his phone back, messages had been deleted.
Crump also said Wells’ father described the 18-year-old college football player as “an elite athlete.”
“He said that his son could swim. And so, they’re just not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally,” Crump said.
Crump said the independent autopsy will be conducted in Washington, D.C.
The sheriff’s office stressed Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island to come forward with photos or videos, “particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”
The sheriff’s office said it’s also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island.”
“Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators. We encourage anyone with firsthand knowledge to come forward,” the department said.
“Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences remain with Nolan Wells’ family during this difficult time,” the department added.
Brian Cole Jr. is seen in this undated yearbook photo from the C.D. Hylton High School in 2013. (C.D. Hylton High School)
(WASHINGTON) — Brian Cole Jr., the Virginia man charged with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is set to go to trial in February, a federal judge said during a court hearing Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali set the trial date for Feb. 16 based on a request from Cole’s lawyers, who pointed to massive tranches of evidence the government has shared with them stemming from the roughly five-year investigation into the placement of the pipe bombs.
The government and Cole’s attorneys said they expect the trial could take as long as two weeks.
Both sides will next return to court on Sept. 10 for a status conference.
On Monday, Judge Ali ruled that the sweeping clemency granted by President Donald Trump for all of the individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack does not apply to Cole.
Cole’s defense attorneys had argued that Cole should be covered by President Trump’s pardons on the basis that his actions were allegedly related to Congress’ convening of the joint session the next day.
Authorities respond to a residence in Harris County, Texas, following a lightning strike, July 7, 2026. (Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office)
(HOUSTON, Texas) — A child was injured after lightning struck his Texas home and the electrical current traveled through the home’s wiring, shocking him while he used a computer, according to authorities.
The incident occurred Tuesday in Cypress, a Houston suburb. The electrical current caused a small fire in the home’s attic, in addition to injuring the boy, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.
The 14-year-old was evaluated by emergency medical services personnel at the scene and was not transported to a hospital, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
The Cypress Creek Fire Department also responded, authorities said.
The investigation remains ongoing, Herman said.
The forecast for the Houston area on Tuesday called for isolated thunderstorms and showers.
Herman issued a safety warning following the incident, saying in a statement, “During thunderstorms, avoid using corded electronics and stay away from electrical wiring and plumbing, as lightning can travel through a home’s electrical system.”
Workers gather outside of the former Pfizer headquarters building on July 08, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — New York City officials began reopening some streets and buildings in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday, after engineering crews stabilized a building that was at risk of a partial collapse due to buckling beams.
Engineers worked throughout Tuesday night and the following morning to shore up the compromised floors at 235 E. 42nd St., the former Pfizer corporate building that is currently being converted into residential apartments.
“Right now, we have been in a consistent and stable and safe situation. We have been able to bring in a plan and materials to stabilize the impact,” New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said Wednesday.
The building was evacuated Tuesday morning after construction crews discovered buckling beams on the 21st floor of the 37-story building. The 21st through 26th floors began caving as a result, according to DOB.
A five-by-three-block frozen zone was established to prohibit pedestrians and vehicles around the site. Nine buildings were evacuated as crews carefully made their way into the compromised building and worked to secure it.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on the 21st and 22nd floors, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, the DOB said on Wednesday.
No additional movement has been detected as of Tuesday morning, according to DOB officials.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings remained vacated, along with one restaurant located near the site, DOB said.
The frozen zone was also scaled back. Vehicles are prohibited from entering 42nd and 43rd streets between 2nd and 3rd avenues, the city said.
The DOB is currently conducting an investigation of the incident, which it said “will include a detailed review of all associated plans and construction documents, interviews with witnesses and responsible parties, a full inspection sweep of the entire construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.”
MetroLoft, the developer of the conversion project, said Wednesday that it will fully rebuild the impacted areas of the building and that the building was never at risk of collapse.
“We have been working closely with the Department of Buildings to rectify the situation. Our team worked through the night stabilizing the affected columns, and the DOB has confirmed the structure is now stable,” MetroLoft said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have identified the issue and developed a clear plan to fix it. This is a localized situation affecting less than 30 apartments out of over 1,600. At no time was the building, or any portion of it, at risk of collapse.”
“We are in the process of addressing the issue and will fully rebuild this portion of the building in tandem with ongoing construction,” the statement continued. “We remain on schedule, and this work will not delay delivery of the building as it is such a small portion of the project. We are working around the clock so that operations can resume and life in the area can return to normal.”
DOB said that it ordered the building’s owner to retain a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation.
The construction project is one of the city’s largest commercial-to-residential conversions in city history, officials said.
E. Jean Carroll attends “Ask E. Jean” New York screening at IFC Center on May 21, 2026 in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — While President Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in Ankara, a federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered him to pay what he owes E. Jean Carroll after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered disbursement of the $5 million judgment plus almost $800,000 in interest.
A jury in a separate but related case determined Trump owes Carroll an additional $83 million in damages, but that is still going through the appeals process.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department released this photo during the search for Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, in Mississippi. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Department)
(JACKSON COUNTY, Miss.) — Authorities are asking for the public’s help as they investigate the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells.
Wells, 18, went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to 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.”
A body believed to be the teenager was recovered on Monday, officials said
Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed in a new statement Wednesday that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”
The sheriff’s office said it urges anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island on Saturday to come forward with photos or videos, “particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”
The sheriff’s office said it’s also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island.”
“Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators,” the department said.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Wednesday, “Missing our Nolan so much every second of everyday. This has been the worst time in our lives.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Tuesday that his team will conduct an independent review to determine how Wells died.
“We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves,” Crump said.
Authorities said anyone with information can call the sheriff’s department at 228-769-3065 during regular business hours or at 228-769-3063 after hours.
Construction crews build scaffolding outside The Kennedy Center on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A panel of D.C. Circuit appeals court judges has rejected a request by President Donald Trump and fellow members of the Kennedy Center’s board to stay a lower court’s order that Trump’s name be removed from the building.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A sign points the way to Brigham and Women’s Hospital June 3, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
(BOSTON) –Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham home care clinicians took to the streets Wednesday morning for a strike set to involve roughly 4,500 workers, 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, which was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, is set to last one day and be followed by a lockout imposed by Mass General Brigham, the association said.
The work stoppage is now expected to last until 7:59 a.m. on July 15, according to the hospital.
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.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it will continue to provide high-quality patient care throughout the work stoppage, along with its outpatient centers, though picketing may cause heavier traffic than normal.
Temporary clinicians are being brought in to support patients during the work stoppage, and patients should keep their scheduled appointments unless advised otherwise by their care teams, the hospital said.
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.”
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 a “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.
The U.S. Department of Justice is seen on July 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. Earlier today the Department of Justice asked a federal judge to unseal grand jury testimony used in the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Tuesday quashed a DOJ subpoena seeking the names and personal information of Fulton County’s 2020 election workers as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing election probe.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
