Former University of Michigan football coach indicted for hacking accounts, downloading ‘intimate’ photos

Former University of Michigan football coach indicted for hacking accounts, downloading ‘intimate’ photos
Former University of Michigan football coach indicted for hacking accounts, downloading ‘intimate’ photos
Michigan Wolverines logo on the end zone pylon during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium on November 2, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The former co-offensive coordinator for the University of Michigan’s football team has been charged with hacking into thousands of athlete and alumni accounts and downloading private data, including “intimate” photos, over an eight-year span, according to federal investigators.

Matthew Weiss, 42, who was also the team’s quarterbacks coach, allegedly gained unauthorized access to a student-athlete database of over 100 colleges and universities, and downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of over 150,000 athletes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Weiss has been charged with 24 counts — 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft — according to the attorney’s office.

Weiss allegedly used the data and internet research to obtain access to social media, email and cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 athletes and over 1,300 students and alumni from universities across the country, according to the attorney’s office.

Weiss then downloaded personal, intimate photos and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners, according to the attorney’s office.

Weiss’ attorney, Douglas Mullkoff, did not immediately respond to a call or email request for comment from ABC News.

In addition to personally identifiable information and medical data of over 150,000 athletes, Weiss also downloaded athletes’ passwords by cracking encryption protecting the passwords, the indictment said.

“Weiss primarily targeted female college athletes. He searched and targeted these women based on their school affiliation, athletic history and physical characteristics,” according to the indictment.

Months, and in some cases years, after gaining access to some accounts, Weiss returned looking for additional photos and videos, according to the indictment.

“Weiss kept notes on individuals whose photographs and videos that he viewed, including notes commenting on their bodies and their sexual preferences,” the indictment said.

Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a statement that the FBI and University of Michigan police “worked relentlessly on this case to safeguard and protect our community.”

“Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens,” acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck said in a statement Thursday. “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.”

Weiss obtained access to the database of information by “compromising the passwords of accounts with elevated levels of access” including trainers and athletic directors, according to the indictment.

If convicted, Weiss could face up to five years in prison on each count of unauthorized access and two years on each count of aggravated identity theft, according to the attorney’s office.

Weiss started his career at Michigan as a quarterbacks coach in 2021 and then became co-offensive coordinator as well the following the year. Before that, he worked as coach in various capacities for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens from 2009 to 2020.

He was fired in January 2023 with little explanation by the university. Athletic Director Warde Manuel said in a statement the termination came “after a review of University policies.”

Weiss acknowledged an “ongoing investigation” and told ESPN at the time of his firing that he was “fully cooperating.”

“I have nothing but respect for the University of Michigan and the people who make it such a great place,” Weiss tweeted after his firing. “I look forward to putting this matter behind me and returning my focus to the game I love.”

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NTSB recommends vulnerability assessments on 68 bridges following Key Bridge collapse

NTSB recommends vulnerability assessments on 68 bridges following Key Bridge collapse
NTSB recommends vulnerability assessments on 68 bridges following Key Bridge collapse
n this aerial view, a steel truss from the destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge that was pinning the container ship Dali in place was detached from the ship using a controlled detonation of explosives in the Patapsco River on May 13, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland

(WASHINGTON) — Nearly a year since the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after a container ship struck one of its piers, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the owners of nearly 70 bridges across the United States conduct vulnerability assessments of the risk of collapse from a vessel collision.

Such an assessment could have prevented the deadly Key Bridge collapse, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Thursday.

If the Maryland Transportation Authority had conducted a vulnerability assessment, it “would have known the risk and could have taken action to safeguard the Key Bridge,” Homendy said during a press briefing announcing the recommendation.

“Had they done that, the collapse could have been prevented,” she said.

Homendy said the MDTA was unable to provide the NTSB with the data needed to conduct the agency’s own vulnerability assessment of the Key Bridge.

“We asked them for that data,” Homendy said. “They didn’t have it. We had to develop that data ourselves, with the help of our federal partners at the Federal Highway Administration.”

ABC News has reached out to the MDTA for comment.

Homendy said the vulnerability assessments were recommended to bridge owners by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials twice: in 1991 and then in 2009.

The Federal Highway Administration started requiring vulnerability assessments of new bridges in 1994, the NTSB said. The Key Bridge was built before that requirement.

The 68 bridges that the NTSB recommends for assessment are those designed before the guidance was established and do not have a current vulnerability assessment, the NTSB said.

They include iconic landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Virginia, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan.

“Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse,” the NTSB said in a press release Thursday. “The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan, if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold.”

The container ship Dali struck one of the piers on the Key Bridge early on the morning of March 26, 2024, triggering the bridge to collapse and killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on it. Two other workers survived the incident.

The crash affected entry into the Port of Baltimore for weeks as the debris blocked entry for other ships. Dozens of federal, state and local agencies responded to remove approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete and asphalt from the channel and from the Dali.

A preliminary report released by the NTSB in May found that the Dali experienced two power blackouts while docked, 10 hours before the collision that toppled part of a bridge span.

The NTSB said Thursday its final report on the Key Bridge collapse will be released this fall.

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Tesla arson defendants to face ‘full force of law,’ AG Bondi says

Tesla arson defendants to face ‘full force of law,’ AG Bondi says
Tesla arson defendants to face ‘full force of law,’ AG Bondi says
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Tesla arson defendants will face the “full force of the law” for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to set fire to the electric vehicles and charging stations, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Thursday.

“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”

Bondi is referring to the three people charged for their alleged involvement in recent attacks in Salem, Oregon; Loveland, Colorado; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk also said Thursday the company has increased security nationwide after reports of vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations.

“Tesla has ramped up security and activates Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores,” Musk said in a post shared on X.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Georgetown fellow detained over alleged Hamas ties was targeted for wife’s Palestinian heritage: Lawsuit

Georgetown fellow detained over alleged Hamas ties was targeted for wife’s Palestinian heritage: Lawsuit
Georgetown fellow detained over alleged Hamas ties was targeted for wife’s Palestinian heritage: Lawsuit
Georgetown University

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration appears to be targeting a Georgetown University fellow due to his wife’s identity as a Palestinian and her constitutionally protected speech, a lawsuit alleges.

On March 17, Badar Khan Suri, a visiting scholar with lawful status, was arrested outside of his apartment building and charged with removability and detained, according to a complaint obtained by ABC News.

The Department of Homeland Security alleges Suri was spreading Hamas propaganda and accused him of having ties to the terror group.

“This was done pursuant to a policy to retaliate against and punish noncitizens like Mr. Suri solely for their family ties to those who may have either expressed criticism of U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Israel,” attorneys representing Suri said in the complaint. Suri’s wife is a U.S. citizen, his attorneys said.

On Monday, according to the complaint, law enforcement agents who identified themselves as members of DHS, told Suri that the government had revoked his visa and did not permit Suri’s wife to hand over his passport and other documents.

“The agents had face coverings and Ms. Saleh could only see their eyes,” attorneys said in the complaint.

Two hours after he was removed, Suri called his wife to let her know he was being transferred to a detention center in Farmville, Virginia, his attorneys said.

“The Rubio Determination and the government’s subsequent actions… and plans to whisk him 1,600 miles away in the same manner as the government did in the case of Mr. Mahmoud Khalil, isolating him from his wife, children, community and legal team, are plainly intended as retaliation and punishment for Mr. Suri’s protected speech,” the complaint says, referring to the recent arrest of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Attorneys for Suri are requesting the court in Alexandria, Virginia, to assume jurisdiction and vacate the Trump administration’s “unlawful policy of targeting noncitizens for removal based on First Amendment-protected speech advocating for Palestinian rights/and or their family relationships.”

DHS said Suri was “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media,” according to a statement. The department alleges Suri had close connections to a “known or suspected terrorist” who is a senior adviser to Hamas.

Suri’s attorneys have not yet commented on the allegations to ABC News.

Georgetown University said Suri is an Indian national who was granted a visa to enter the United States to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention,” the university said in a statement. “We support our community members’ rights to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable. We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly.”

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Wrongful death lawsuit filed over Philadelphia EMS response

Wrongful death lawsuit filed over Philadelphia EMS response
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over Philadelphia EMS response
The Igwe Firm

(PHILADELPHIA) — A Philadelphia man who requested medical help died after emergency services personnel responded to his home but left without attempting to forcibly enter it, a new lawsuit alleges.

Roberto Santiago Sr., 57, activated a medical device requesting EMS to respond to his home in the early hours of April 24, 2024, while in medical distress, according to a complaint filed this week against the city of Philadelphia.

When EMS personnel arrived around 2:55 a.m. that day, a neighbor on the second floor of the residence informed them Santiago was home and directed them to his residence, according to the Igwe Firm, which filed the complaint on behalf of Santiago’s family.

EMS personnel knocked on his door at 3:01 a.m. but there was no response because Santiago was incapacitated, according to the law firm. They left several minutes later without attempting to forcibly enter his home, the Igwe Firm said.

Santiago died due to cardiac arrest, according to the law firm. His son, Roberto Santiago Jr., said he discovered his father’s body on the floor of his home later that day, still holding onto the medical device.

“There’s no price you can put on a life, there really isn’t, and especially someone like my dad,” Santiago Jr. said during a press event at the Igwe Firm office on Tuesday. “That was like my best friend. I loved him to death, I really did. I was with him all the time, he knew everything about me.”

The lawsuit alleges negligence and wrongful death, claiming that Santiago Sr.’s death “was caused solely by the negligence and carelessness” of the city. It is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

The family began investigating his death after the neighbor told them that EMS had arrived but then left, the law firm said. Surveillance footage captured EMS personnel knocking on his door and then leaving when he didn’t answer, according to the law firm.

The family is calling on the city to conduct an investigation into its EMS protocols for when there is a failure to provide aid. The law firm said it is hoping to learn more about the city’s EMS protocols through its litigation and any potential city investigation. ABC News has reached out to the state’s health department for more information regarding EMS protocols.

“We all pay for these services, and to simply walk away without trying to do any lifesaving procedures, without trying to gain forceful entry, for people who are more than likely incapacitated due to their medical distress, is simply unacceptable,” Emeka Igwe, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, said at the press event.

Santiago Jr. said he would like an apology and “some change to be had, something where this doesn’t happen to no one else.”

This is the second such lawsuit filed by Igwe against the city this month over an EMS response alleging negligence and wrongful death.

Geneva Mackrides, 74, activated her Life Alert medical device while experiencing a medical emergency in her apartment on Dec. 23, 2023, according to a complaint filed earlier this month. Philadelphia EMS personnel responded to her apartment building but left after several attempts to reach her, the complaint alleges.

Several hours later, her son received a call from Life Alert that his mother had activated her emergency distress signal but there had been no follow-up, according to the complaint. He checked a Ring camera in her home and, after seeing his mother lying on her kitchen floor, contacted Life Alert to dispatch EMS personnel again, though she was dead, according to the complaint.

The city of Philadelphia declined to comment on both lawsuits because they remain active, a spokesperson for the city’s law department told ABC News.

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Wildfires erupt as strong winds continue to hit parts of the country

Wildfires erupt as strong winds continue to hit parts of the country
Wildfires erupt as strong winds continue to hit parts of the country
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — More than 24 million Americans are under wildfire warnings due to strong winds on Thursday, posing a threat to existing fires in several states, and as a powerful storm moves toward the Northeast.

A wildfire was reported burning within the Sam Houston National Forested in San Jacinto County, Texas, on Wednesday evening. The fire, named the Pauline Road Fire, has grown to 2,000 acres with only 10% containment as of Thursday morning with the possibility of getting worse due to the strong winds, according to Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.

“The weather today will not be on our side,” Keough said in a statement. “We expect significant wind gusts today with low humidity and warmer temperatures. This will make fighting difficult.”

Mandatory evacuations that were issued in Montgomery and San Jacinto counties are still in place Thursday. Thick smoke engulfed roads near the flames, leaving drivers with minimal visibility.

Thirty-eight fires have also been reported across Arkansas, with eight of those in the central region of the state.

“Our crews are deployed across the state and are partnering with local fire departments, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service,” the forestry division said Wednesday.

Firefighters also responded to several fires in New Mexico on Wednesday, including the Gail Fire, which has burned 235 acres and is zero percent contained, officials said.

Overnight, eight tornadoes were also reported in Illinois, with strong winds knocking down trees and damaging roofs in the southern suburbs of Chicago. In Indiana, crews cut down part of a massive tree that uprooted and fell into a home due to the heavy gusts.

On Thursday, a critical risk for fire danger is in place for southeast Colorado, northeast New Mexico, the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma and southeast Kansas, where wind gusts of up to 50 mph are expected, accompanied with relative humidity between 8% and 15%.

In southwest Texas, southern and central Louisiana and the coast of Mississippi are expected to face 30 mph wind gusts and relative humidity as low as 30%.

Power remains out for 50,000 customers in Nebraska this morning, along with 10,000 in Arkansas, 7,000 in Indiana and 24,000 in Michigan, according to officials.

Meanwhile, snow is expected to fall over Chicago and areas of Michigan on Thursday, with rain arriving to the East Coast during the evening Thursday and overnight Friday.

ABC News’ Ginger Zee contributed to this report.

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Michigan hospital employee shoots co-worker outside building in ‘targeted attack’: Police

Michigan hospital employee shoots co-worker outside building in ‘targeted attack’: Police
Michigan hospital employee shoots co-worker outside building in ‘targeted attack’: Police
avid_creative/Getty Images

(TROY, Mich.) — A hospital employee shot a co-worker multiple times in Troy, Michigan, at the building’s parking garage on Thursday in a “targeted attack,” according to police.

The employee was struck twice in the arm when the suspect fired a handgun five times outside Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, according to Lt. Ben Hancock of the Troy Police Department. The victim’s vehicle was also struck, Hancock said.

The victim — a 25-year-old man from Troy — is alive and in stable condition.

The suspect was taken into custody after he fled the scene, police said. Officials have not revealed the identity of the suspect.

Police responded to the shooting on Thursday at about 7 a.m. local time, according to police, with the suspect being taken into custody a couple hours later.

“One victim is in the emergency department for medical treatment. Patients with services scheduled should not come to the hospital at this time. Patients may call the department where they were scheduled for service directly,” Corewell Health said in a statement to ABC News.

The hospital was immediately put on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” Corewell Health said. It is now in the process of resuming normal operations, according to police.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Released JFK files reveal Social Security numbers of former staffers

Released JFK files reveal Social Security numbers of former staffers
Released JFK files reveal Social Security numbers of former staffers
Bettmann / Contributor

(WASHINGTON) — The Social Security numbers and other personal details of at least two former congressional staffers who investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy were revealed by this week’s release of declassified records ordered by President Donald Trump.

Joseph diGenova, 80, and Christopher Pyle, 86, both had their names, birth dates, birth places and Social Security numbers unmasked in the document released by the National Archives — potentially putting them at risk of identity theft and fraud.

The Washington Post spoke to both of the former staffers and ABC News confirmed that both men’s Social Security numbers were in the newly-published documents.

It is unclear how many other people whose Social Security numbers are in the documents and are also still alive. The Washington Post reported that data of more than 200 former congressional staffers and others was made public.

Of those, more than 80 people with birth dates between 1930 and 1952 — putting them in their 70s, 80s or 90s — also had their Social Security numbers and birth dates published.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 23 directing the release of all remaining records related to the assassination, saying it was in the “public interest” to do so.

The records were posted to the National Archives’ website on Tuesday, joining recently released records posted in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2017-2018.

Tuesday’s initial release contained 1,123 records comprising 32,000 pages. A subsequent release on Tuesday night contained 1,059 records comprising 31,400 additional pages.

More than 60,000 pages related to the 1963 assassination were released. Many of the pages had been previously disclosed, but with redactions. Many, but not all, redactions have been removed.

The records were posted to the National Archives webpage under the headline “JFK Assassination Records — 2025 Documents Release.”

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Minnesota Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested for soliciting minor: Police

Minnesota Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested for soliciting minor: Police
Minnesota Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested for soliciting minor: Police
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

(BLOOMINGTON, Minn.) — A Minnesota Republican state senator was charged on Wednesday with soliciting a minor, according to federal prosecutors.

Justin David Eichorn, the Republican state senator for District 6, was arrested on Monday after communicating online with who believed to be a 17-year-old girl, but in reality was a police officer, officials said in a statement on Tuesday.

Law enforcement placed online advertisements offering commercial sex, and Eichorn began sending messages, saying, “I saw your post and (sic) chance you are still available tonight?” and “What’s a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.”

The undercover officer — posing as a teenage girl — repeatedly said she was not 18, and Eichorn still “proceeded to ask the undercover officer about pricing for various sex acts she might perform,” federal prosecutors said.

After the detective arranged to meet with Eichorn on Monday in Bloomington, Minnesota, the 40-year-old lawmaker arrived in a pickup truck and was “arrested without incident,” police said.

The senator was booked into the Bloomington Police Department jail and was transported to Hennepin County Adult Detention Center, police said.

“As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement.

Hodges also urged state legislators to “take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

Eichorn was charged with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, federal prosecutors said.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for public officials who violate federal law — particularly those laws meant to protect children,” said acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to the FBI and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”

After Eichorn’s arrest, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota have called for his resignation.

“We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation. Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family,” Minnesota Senate Republicans said in a statement.

House Republican leaders Speaker Lisa Demuth and Leader Harry Niska also demanded for Eichorn’s resignation.

“Given the seriousness of the charges, Senator Eichorn should resign. While he is entitled to due process, we must hold legislators to a higher standard,” Demuth and Niska said in a joint statement.

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party also condemned Eichorn’s actions, saying “no one who solicits children belongs anywhere near public office or the State Capitol.”

“The facts presented by the Bloomington Police Department make it clear that Senator Eichorn is an immediate danger to the public and must resign immediately,” Minnesota DFL Executive Director Heidi Kraus Kaplan said in a statement.

Eichorn was also one of the senators to recently introduce a bill labeling “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a form of mental illness.

The bill defines “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as “acute onset paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump.”

Symptoms for “Trump Derangement Syndrome” include “verbal expressions of intense hostility” toward Trump and “overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting” Trump or anything that symbolizes Trump, the bill said.

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‘Get them here now!’: 911 calls from California’s Eaton Fire full of pleas for help

‘Get them here now!’: 911 calls from California’s Eaton Fire full of pleas for help
‘Get them here now!’: 911 calls from California’s Eaton Fire full of pleas for help
ABC News

(CALIFORNIA) — Voices were full of panic when 911 operators began answering the urgent calls for help that started flowing into the emergency line on the evening of Jan. 7.

“There’s houses on fire. There’s no [expletive] anybody here,” one caller told the woman answering for the Sierra Madre Police Department in the suburbs of Los Angeles County. The caller was begging for firefighters. “Get them here now!”

The caller had spotted what would become known as the Eaton Fire, one of the most destructive infernos in California history.

ABC News and affiliate KABC-TV obtained a recording of the woman’s call, along with multiple other conversations between residents and Sierra Madre dispatchers under the California Public Records Act.

The recordings shine new light on the initial confusion and subsequent fear faced by residents who saw the initial flames during January’s deadly wildfires.

“I don’t know if anyone has called yet, but we noticed that there is an extremely large fire to the northwest of Grand View,” another caller said. “It looks like it’s in the neighborhood. Like, we’re starting to think we need to evacuate and we need Sierra Madre to start getting on this.”

The dispatcher responded that the fire was in neighboring Pasadena at the time, not in the caller’s area.

“No, no, no, not Pasadena,” the caller responded, explaining his location. “We just walked outside. We’re panicking to evacuate.”

One by one, the calls poured in from Sierra Madre and surrounding areas. A third caller told a dispatcher that he was not home at the time, but could see flames from a surveillance camera on his property.

“There’s homes on fire on Ranch Top in Hastings Ranch,” a fourth caller said. “There’s no fire truck out here. Not one.”

Over the next 24 days, the Eaton Fire would spread across 14,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 9,000 structures were destroyed and 17 people died.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Eaton Fire started more than seven hours after the Palisades Fire broke out on the other side of Los Angeles County, near the Pacific Ocean.

Multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department, have declined requests to provide ABC News with audio files associated with the Palisades Fire.

 

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