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(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) — The district attorney in Syracuse, New York, is giving a group of high school students 48 hours to turn themselves in for an alleged hazing incident that he describes as a “criminal matter.”

“I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgement involved in this case,” Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Fitzpatrick said he decided to prosecute charges against 11 students at Westhill High School who allegedly hazed a younger student on April 24.

In the evening hours of April 24, the students, who are members of the boys varsity lacrosse team, allegedly decided they would “haze or play some sort of prank on some of the younger members of the lacrosse team,” Fitzpatrick said.

One victim told officials he thought he was going to have an “enjoyable evening with the upperclassman, go to a lacrosse game and finish the evening with something to eat at McDonald’s,” Fitzpatrick said.

But, on their way home from eating food, the driver of the car claimed he was lost, stopped in a remote part of the county, which is when “accomplices jumped out of the woods pretending to be kidnappers,” Fitzpatrick said.

These accomplices, who were other students, were dressed in black and armed with “at least one handgun and at least one knife,” Fitzpatrick said.

The victim had a pillowcase placed over his head, was tied up and placed in the trunk of the car, according to the DA.

“I’ve seen the video tape of what happened to this young man, it is not a rite of passage, it is not a trivial matter,” Fitzpatrick said. “I find it incomprehensible that in this day and age that somebody thought they could have gotten away with something like this.”

Investigators say there were four other potential victims, but they were able to flee the area.

The incident, which Fitzpatrick describes as “hazing on steroids,” said the 11 suspects that were involved have 48 hours to turn themselves into the sheriff’s department.

If the suspects decide to surrender to police before Friday, their case will either be handled through the family court system or will not fall under their criminal records, Fitzpatrick said.

But, if they refuse to cooperate, the suspects will be arrested, prosecuted as adults and charged with kidnapping in the second degree, the DA said.

He said that this incident “goes way beyond hazing,” likening it more to “criminal activity.”

“If you want to welcome someone onto your team and toughen them up, maybe an extra hour of practice might be appropriate as opposed to taking someone at gunpoint, stuffing them in the back of a car and traumatizing them for the rest of their life,” Fitzpatrick said.

Westhill Schools Superintendent Steven Dunham sent an email to families regarding the incident, saying the school made the “difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the Westhill High School varsity boys lacrosse season,” even though the majority of those on the team were not involved in the alleged hazing.

“Some may argue that all student-athletes shouldn’t be punished for the actions of a few. While I understand the perspective, we must address the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset,” Dunham said.

Dunham said the school will address the behavior that “negatively impacts members of our school community promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct.”

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(NEWARK, Del.) — A University of Delaware student was killed and several other people were injured when a U-Haul truck driver fled from police and collided with people near campus, officials said.

On Tuesday afternoon, officers in a parking lot spotted a U-Haul truck that had been reported Monday “as an unauthorized use vehicle” after it was rented but was not returned when due last month, Newark police said.

As officers moved in to arrest the U-Haul driver and passenger, the driver drove through the parking lot, going over a curb and hitting a marked police car, according to police.

The driver ignored the officers’ commands and sped out of the parking lot, police said, adding that the “officers did not engage in a vehicle pursuit and remained in the shopping center.”

The U-Haul driver then sped down a street, hitting two pedestrians who were standing next to a parked car, according to police. The truck then hit several parked cars before coming to a stop, police said.

One of the two pedestrians — a University of Delaware student whose identity has not been released — died at the scene, according to police and the university.

The second pedestrian was hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.

Another three victims were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries and three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said. University of Delaware students are also among the injured, university officials said.

Officers responded to the disabled U-Haul and detained the driver and the passenger, police said, adding that the driver was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Police said the crash “appears to be an isolated criminal and traffic incident.”

“This is a terrible tragedy,” university President Dennis Assanis and Vice President for Student Life José-Luis Riera said in a letter to the university. “We speak for the entire University in offering our condolences to the families, friends and classmates of the victims, and keep the other members of our community in our thoughts who may have witnessed the crash and its aftermath.”

“The safety of our entire community remains our top priority, and we will continue to work with our partners in city and state government to address safety concerns around and on the UD campus,” they added.

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(NEW YORK) — The 9/11 health program that monitors and treats thousands of people exposed to toxic dust during the 2001 terrorist attack is under threat — again.

A wave of staffing cuts and agency turmoil has thrown the World Trade Center Health Program into crisis, disrupting a system that has provided life-saving care to tens of thousands of people for more than two decades.

Experts warn that cancer diagnoses could be delayed, mental health needs could go unmet and the federal government would break its promise to “never forget.”

“This isn’t about politics — it’s about humanity,” said John Feal, a former 9/11 responder and founder of the FealGood Foundation. “We’re not going away. We’re going to keep coming back until they do the right thing.”

At the center of the controversy is a series of staffing cuts within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the agency that certifies 9/11-related illnesses as valid and oversees the World Trade Center Health Program, which administers care to first responders and survivors of the 2001 terrorist attack in lower Manhattan.

Earlier this year, a 20% staffing cut to the World Trade Health Center Program led to the termination of 16 doctors and nurses, reducing the clinical team to 72, Feal explained.

After a bipartisan outcry, those positions were reinstated in February.

But in April, a second round of cuts eliminated another 16 staffers. Whether those cuts involved any of the reinstated individuals from the first cut is unknown, but they left the program roiling and once again undermined its ability to provide timely care.

In addition to the second round of cuts in April, Dr. John Howard, the longtime program leader, was also removed. He was then quickly reinstated after political pressure.

More than 150,000 people are currently enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, up from about 76,000 in 2015.

The program had been preparing to grow its staff to meet rising demand. Instead, it is now struggling to function, according to Michael Barasch, a lawyer with Barasch & McGarry, a firm that represents thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors.

Barasch told ABC News that patients are waiting six to eight months for appointments.

“This is a program with zero fraud that only does one thing: It saves lives,” Barasch said. “Mark my words: People will die without it.”

Toxic dust from the attacks contained a dangerous mix of chemicals and debris: asbestos, ground glass, benzene, chromium, lead. Those exposed — first responders, recovery workers, office staff, students, residents — potentially face higher rates of at least 69 cancers, as well as respiratory disease and post-traumatic stress.

“If he had it in his lungs, so does everybody else,” Barasch said, referring to NYPD Detective James Zadroga, whose death at age 34 in 2006 was linked to inhaling the hazardous air. “So we’re all ticking time bombs.”

The World Trade Center Health Program was established through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was permanently reauthorized in 2015.

But funding projections failed to account for medical inflation or growing enrollment. A bipartisan bill known as HR 1410 would fix the shortfall, but it remains stalled in Congress.

Feal said he thought the system isn’t just overwhelmed — it’s collapsing.

“We’ve built a program that saves lives and gives people dignity,” he said. “Letting it fall apart now dishonors everyone who ran toward danger that day.”

Barasch noted that many lawmakers — especially those outside of New York — may not realize the scope of the damage or how many of their own constituents are affected.

“People in all 50 states are enrolled in the program,” he said. “Thousands of them no longer live near the original attack sites. They need care where they are.” He urged everyone to call their senators and representatives and remind them of the promise made to the 9/11 community.

In meetings on Capitol Hill with lawmakers this week, Feal said he and other advocates seem to have found a sympathetic audience. Even so, he remains skeptical: “They listen — but will they act? That’s the question.”

An HHS spokesperson told ABC News in an email: “The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program’s Clinical Centers of Excellence and Nationwide Provider Network are continuing to provide services to program members at this time. The program continues to accept and review new enrollment applications and certification requests.”

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(COLCHESTER, Vt.) — A federal judge in Vermont ordered the release Wednesday of Mohsen Mahdawi, the Columbia University student who was arrested two weeks ago by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following his citizenship interview, while his case proceeds.

“The two weeks of detention so far demonstrate great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime,” U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford said at a hearing Wednesday. “Mr. Mahdawi, I will order you released.”

Mahdawi, addressing supporters outside the courthouse following his release, called the judge’s decision “a light of hope.”

“Judge Crawford, who ruled to release me against all of the heinous accusations, horrible attacks, chills of speech, First Amendment violations — he had made a very brave decision to let me out,” Mahdawi said. “And this is what justice is. And for anybody who’s doubting justice, this is a light of hope, a hope and faith in the justice system in America.”

“To President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said.

Saying that Mahdawi presents no flight risk, Judge Crawford said Mahdawi should remain in Vermont, where he has a home, and attend school remotely — but said Mahdawi can travel to New York City to meet with his lawyers and go to his university.

Mahdawi, who co-founded a university organization called the Palestinian Student Union with detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, was born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank before moving in 2014 to the U.S., where he has been a legal resident for the last 10 years.

Mahdawi, who is expected to graduate from Columbia next month, was arrested at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Vermont, where he was taking his last step in the process to become a U.S. citizen.

Judge Crawford noted at Wednesday’s hearing that Mahdawi received letters of support from over 90 community members, including members of the Jewish community, “who have in a consistent pattern described him as peaceful.”

His lawyers believe that, like Khalil, he is being targeted by the Trump administration under Immigration and Nationality Act section 237(a)(4)(C)(i), which assert that the secretary of state can deem a person deportable if they have reasonable ground to believe that the person’s presence or activities in the U.S. could have adverse foreign policy consequences.

At Columbia, Mahdawi was an “outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and an activist and organizer in student protests on Columbia’s campus until March of 2024, after which he took a step back and has not been involved in organizing,” according to a habeas petition obtained by ABC News.

“He’s being detained based solely on his First Amendment rights — his speech,” Luni Droubi, one of Mahdawi’s attorneys, previously told ABC News. “That’s a violation of the law, that’s a violation of the Constitution, and he should be released immediately as a result of the detention.”

“I think Mr. Mahdawi has made substantial claims that his detention was in retaliation for his protected speech,” Judge Crawford said Wednesday.

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(COLCHESTER, Vt.) — A judge has ordered that Mohsen Mahdawi, the Columbia University student who was arrested two weeks ago by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following his citizenship interview, be released from detention while his case proceeds.

“The two weeks of detention so far demonstrate great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime,” U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford said at a hearing Wednesday. “Mr. Mahdawi, I will order you released.”

Saying that Mahdawi presents no flight risk, Judge Crawford said Mahdawi should remain in Vermont, where he has a home, and attend school remotely — but said Mahdawi can travel to New York City to meet with his lawyers and go to his university.

Mahdawi, who co-founded a university organization called the Palestinian Student Union with detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, was born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank before moving in 2014 to the U.S., where he has been a legal resident for the last 10 years.

Mahdawi, who is expected to graduate from Columbia next month, was arrested at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Vermont, where he was taking his last step in the process to become a U.S. citizen.

Judge Crawford noted at Wednesday’s hearing that Mahdawi received letters of support from over 90 community members, including members of the Jewish community, “who have in a consistent pattern described him as peaceful.”

His lawyers believe that, like Khalil, he is being targeted by the Trump administration under Immigration and Nationality Act section 237(a)(4)(C)(i), which assert that the secretary of state can deem a person deportable if they have reasonable ground to believe that the person’s presence or activities in the U.S. could have adverse foreign policy consequences.

At Columbia, Mahdawi was an “outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and an activist and organizer in student protests on Columbia’s campus until March of 2024, after which he took a step back and has not been involved in organizing,” according to a habeas petition obtained by ABC News.

“He’s being detained based solely on his First Amendment rights — his speech,” Luni Droubi, one of Mahdawi’s attorneys, previously told ABC News. “That’s a violation of the law, that’s a violation of the Constitution, and he should be released immediately as a result of the detention.”

“I think Mr. Mahdawi has made substantial claims that his detention was in retaliation for his protected speech,” Judge Crawford said Wednesday.

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(NEW YORK) — Federal prosecutors said no one from the state or federal government eavesdropped on a jailhouse phone conversation between accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione and his lawyer.

Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo claimed at a court appearance last week that prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney’s office had been “eavesdropping” on a call after federal prosecutors provided them with a recording.

Judge Margaret Garnett asked for an explanation, which federal prosecutors provided in a court filing.

“To be sure, no one at [the Manhattan DA’s office] or the Government ‘eavesdropped’ on the defendant on a live basis,” prosecutors said in the filing Tuesday. “Rather, consistent with well-known practice in federal and state jails, many of the defendant’s calls are recorded with notice of the recording provided to him and the person on the other side of any calls.”

Prosecutors said a paralegal inadvertently listened to a call between Mangione and Agnifilo but stopped as soon as it became clear it was a lawyer on the other end of the line.

Prosecutors reminded Agnifilo there are ways for attorneys to bypass recorded lines when setting up calls with incarcerated clients and told the judge no further action was needed.

Mangione is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel as Thompson headed to an investors conference on Dec. 4. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the assassination-style killing.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. The federal charge of murder through the use of a firearm would make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

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(MADISON, WI) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan after she was arrested by the FBI and charged last week for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, an order from the court shows.

“The court has learned that Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan has been charged with two federal criminal offenses, one of which is a felony and one of which is a misdemeanor,” a two-page order from the court filed Tuesday stated.

“This court is charged in the Wisconsin Constitution with exercising superintending and administrative authority over the courts of this state. In the exercise of that constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties.”

Dugan was charged with two criminal counts of “obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States” and “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court said Dugan is “temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the State of Wisconsin,” effective Tuesday until further order from the court.

Prior to the order, a Milwaukee County official said this week that starting Monday, a reserve judge will cover Dugan’s cases.

The judge was arrested on Friday over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant “evade arrest” the week prior, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who claimed on social media that Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.”

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that two FBI agents arrested Dugan “for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid arrest” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Duegan appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday on the two charges but did not enter a plea. She was released on her own recognizance.

Her attorney, former United States Attorney Steven Biskupic, said the judge will “defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated.”

“Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” Biskupic said in a statement on Friday.

If convicted on the charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison.

Her case stems from the arrest of an undocumented immigrant — Eduardo Flores-Ruiz — on April 18, county court records show. Flores-Ruiz was set to appear in court that day before Dugan for a pretrial conference in an ongoing case where he has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse.

Upon learning ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, Dugan allegedly became “visibly angry” and confronted one of the officers, according to the federal complaint.

Multiple witnesses cited in the complaint later allegedly said Dugan returned to her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court’s chief judge, according to the complaint.

A DEA agent saw Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in the public hallway of the courthouse and he appeared to be making efforts to evade arrest, the complaint stated. After he was encountered by FBI and DEA agents outside the building, Flores-Ruiz “turned around and sprinted down the street” before he was ultimately apprehended, according to the complaint.

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(WASHINGTON) — The only Black, all-female unit serving in Europe during World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday at the United States Capitol.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, commonly known as the “Six Triple Eight,” addressed a backlog of roughly 17 million pieces of mail in three months before serving in France and eventually returning to the U.S.

Alongside Congressional bipartisan leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) presented the honor, which is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Over 300 descendants and family members of the Six Triple Eight battalion were present for the ceremony, according to Johnson in his speech.

“This remarkable story has brightly captured imaginations, it has now inspired books and movies, stirred the consciousness of millions of Americans, who are just now hearing and sharing this incredible story,” Johnson said.

Earley’s children, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, received the award from the House and Senate leaders.

During their service in 1945, the 855-member battalion did not gain any fanfare or recognition for their feats. This medal comes after years of campaigning for the overlooked battalion that many say set an example for Black women in the military.

Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with this honor back in 2022. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), who co-sponsored the legislation, spoke at the ceremony, praising the “unsung heroes” receiving the acknowledgement 80 years later.

This honor marks the latest development in the unit’s overdue recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in their honor, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Army in 2019.

The 2024 Tyler Perry-directed Netflix film about the unit, which starred Kerry Washington, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

Retired Col. Edna Cummings, who shared a few words of acceptance at the ceremony, directed a documentary on the unit in 2019.

“This history has now restored the passion of service, as evidenced by young girls who now dress up as members of the Six Triple Eight,” she said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared a few words at the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of a bipartisan celebration in today’s political climate.

“We gather here today to salute these mighty veterans. We salute the ingenuity with which they sprang into battle,” Jeffries said. “We salute the barriers that they broke in the system designed to push them aside. We salute their trailblazing spirit and the road that they paved for others.”

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion joins the less than 200 recipients to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

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(PITTSBURGH) — Two people died during storms in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, authorities said.

A Pittsburgh man was electrocuted by live wires around 7 p.m. while another man, a 22-year-old from State College was electrocuted when he was putting out a mulch fire caused by live wires that were knocked down due to severe weather.

Meanwhile, several severe weather events hit the Midwest and the Heartland as more than 280 destructive straight-line winds greater than 70mph were reported from Texas to New York with large hail fell in Texas, and a more than 500 miles long wind event left at least one dead and hundreds of thousands without power from Indiana to Pennsylvania.

Three tornadoes were also confirmed across Oklahoma and Missouri, though more may still be confirmed.

Elsewhere, a long-lived destructive thunderstorm wind event, known as a derecho, traveled more than 500 miles from eastern Indiana through central Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon as wind gusted between 55 and 80 mph as the more than 60 mile-wide storm complex knocked down trees and power lines along its destructive path.

Many schools in western and central Pennsylvania are running on a delay or have cancelled classes for Wednesday as more than 400,000 customers in the state remain without power as of 4 a.m. while in Ohio, more than 50,000 are without power.

Hail measuring 5 inches across was reported in Guthrie, Texas, where winds gusted over 100 mph near Seymour, Texas, and up to 90 mph near Nixa and Willard, Missouri.

An EF-1 tornado also hit near Collinsville, Oklahoma, destroying outbuildings, taking roofs and uprooting trees.

In Missouri, an EF-1 hit Verona and an EF-0 hit Nixa. The Verona tornado uprooted large trees and caused major damage to multiple buildings.

Oklahoma City is well on its way to its wettest April on record as the city has received 11 inches of rain as of midnight into Wednesday, and the record is 11.91” from April 1947.

Heavy thunderstorms, along with severe storms, are still slamming north Texas and parts of Oklahoma this morning, similar to Tuesday, and a severe thunderstorm watch is in place until 8 a.m. local time for Lawton and Wichita Falls.

On Tuesday, 2 to 4 inches of rain fell from north Texas to Oklahoma City and, in just the last week, this area had seen 800% of its normal rainfall for this time of year, with flash flood warnings have issued throughout the region.

A flood watch also remains in effect from north Texas to central Missouri for more than 9 million people on Wednesday.

On Thursday, there is a chance for even more severe storms from San Antonio, Texas, to Buffalo, New York, with damaging wind and large hail being the main risks.

However, by Saturday, this system will be much less severe, but still plenty of light rain is expected from the Gulf to the Northeast for a soggy Saturday.

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(MACON COUNTY, AL) — A runaway kangaroo caused a car crash that ended up shutting down an Alabama highway, police said.

The incident took place on Tuesday when the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency responded to a two-vehicle crash in the southbound lane of Interstate 85 near the 46 mile marker in Macon County, Alabama, when a kangaroo interrupted traffic, according to a statement from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Authorities ended up shutting down both the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 85 in an attempt to recover the runaway kangaroo, which may have caused the two-vehicle accident but was uninjured in the collision, officials said.

“Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division along with the animal’s owner conducted a recovery of the kangaroo,” police said.

The kangaroo was eventually recovered, and the roadway was opened back up but police did not say how it managed to escape from the owner or how the marsupial ended up running away onto a busy highway.

According to the Associated Press, the kangaroo’s owner, Patrick Starr, said that the animal’s name is Sheila and that she escaped from her enclosure near to where his family runs a pumpkin patch and petting zoo, though Sheila, Starr said, is a personal pet.

The kangaroo was treated by the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, according to the Associated Press.

“She’s back home safe. She’s up. She’s not sedated anymore. She’s eating. She’s drinking. She’s not injured,” Starr said. “She’s a sweet pet. I’m glad she’s back home, and I’m glad everybody slowed down a little bit,” he said.

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