(NEW YORK) — Life-threatening heat is returning to the West before spreading to the East Coast later this week.
This weekend, record highs were tied and broken from Florida to Colorado.
Dalhart, Texas, in the Texas Panhandle, hit a record high of 103 degrees, while Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reached a record 98 degrees.
Jacksonville, Florida, tied its record high of 99 degrees and Grand Junction, Colorado, tied its record high of 98.
The heat will linger in Florida for one more day Monday, with the temperature possibly reaching 100 degrees in Jacksonville.
On Tuesday, the heat will again move into the West with a heat dome taking over the Southwest.
By Wednesday, temperatures could climb to a dangerous 109 degrees in Las Vegas and 112 degrees in Phoenix.
The heat then moves east. By the end of the week, record highs will be possible from Massachusetts to North Carolina.
By Friday, the temperature is expected to jump to 90 degrees in New York and 96 degrees in Washington, D.C.
Doctors recommend taking excessive heat warnings seriously. There are hundreds of deaths each year in the U.S. due to excessive heat, according to CDC WONDER, an online database, and scientists caution that the actual number of heat-related deaths is likely higher.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and United States Courthouse on July 26, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Mark M
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is on trial in Delaware on three felony charges related to his efforts to obtain a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs.
The younger Biden, who pleaded not guilty last October after being indicted by special counsel David Weiss, has denied the charges. The son of a sitting president has never before faced a criminal trial.
The trial comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump’s conviction on felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment made to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
The frequency of updates may be limited due to federal court restrictions.
Jun 10, 7:17 AM The big question: Will Hunter Biden take the stand this morning?
As the second week of Hunter Biden’s gun trial gets underway this morning, defense attorneys will confront their most consequential decision: whether to put their client on the witness stand.
To allow Hunter Biden to testify in his own defense would carry myriad risks, as the president’s son would likely face a grueling cross-examination from a prosecution team that has shows itself adept at eliciting testimony supporting their central contention in the case — that Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs at the time he purchased the handgun at heart of the case.
Jurors witnessed that on Friday, when Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, struggled to explain text messages she sent her father in October 2018 after he had purchased the gun — in which she seemed to express concern about his addiction, despite testifying moments earlier about how “great” her father seemed at the time.
If Hunter Biden decides not to take the stand, jurors could possibly have the case by the end of the day, after closing arguments and jury instructions.
Court is scheduled to get underway earlier than usual today, at 8:15 a.m. E.T.
Jun 07, 2:07 PM Defense to decide if Hunter takes stand as court breaks for weekend
In an unexpected move, court recessed for the day following the lunch break, with the defense telling the judge they are “down to that last decision” — suggesting that they will determine over the weekend if Hunter Biden takes the stand Monday in his own defense.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the court the defense decided not to call one of its expert witnesses.
It also appears defense attorneys reversed course on testimony from Hunter Biden’s uncle James Biden, who was already at the courthouse and who Lowell had earlier indicated would be testifying. James Biden was subsequently seen leaving the building.
Prosecutors said they are “still considering” whether they will put on a rebuttal case after the defense rests.
Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the jury, telling them to “enjoy a long weekend.”
“We are starting to wrap the evidence in this case,” she said.
The parties are scheduled to be back in court Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Jun 07, 1:19 PM Naomi Biden says her dad ‘seemed great’ after gun buy
Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, testified that her father “seemed great, he seemed hopeful” when she saw him on Oct. 18 or 19, 2018, in New York, where she was returning his vehicle to him — several days after he purchased the gun at the center of the case and just days before his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden discovered and discarded it.
Earlier, in August, Naomi Biden described visiting him in Los Angeles, where he was in a drug rehab program. “He seemed the clearest I’d seen him since my uncle died,” she said, referring to Hunter Biden’s brother Beau Biden.
It was important testimony for the defense in their attempt to show that Hunter Biden was not using drugs around the time of the gun purchase.
Defense counsel Abbe Lowell asked Naomi Biden about the car trip she and her then-boyfriend took from Washington, D.C., to New York in mid-October 2018 to return her father’s truck — a Ford Raptor — to him.
On cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise asked Naomi Biden if she ever witnessed her father using drugs — she said she had not — or whether she would know if he was using drugs based on his behavior.
“I guess not,” she said.
Wise also established that Naomi Biden did not leave any drugs or drug residue in the vehicle before returning it to her father — suggesting that the drug residue and paraphernalia Hallie Biden observed in the car days later arrived there after Hunter Biden retrieved the truck.
Jurors also saw some emotional text messages between Naomi Biden and her father during that mid-October timeframe.
“I’m really sad, I can’t take this,” she wrote her father, adding that “I really want to hang out with you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so unreachable,” Hunter Biden replied. “It’s not fair to you.”
On the stand, Naomi Biden spoke quietly, at one point saying, “Sorry, I’m nervous.” Her husband, Peter Neal, sat in the gallery next to first lady Jill Biden, and had his hand over his mouth for much of the testimony.
Hunter Biden appeared emotional and was seen at times touching his face during her testimony.
When her testimony concluded, she embraced her father before leaving the courtroom, and court recessed for lunch.
Jun 07, 12:22 PM Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi takes the stand
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi took the stand as the defense’s third witness.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend a pre-sentencing interview on Monday afternoon ahead of his July 11 sentencing in his New York criminal case, according to sources familiar with the matter.
A probation officer is expected to conduct the interview – which Trump will attend remotely from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida – to prepare a report recommending the appropriate punishment for Judge Juan Merchan to impose at the former president’s sentencing next month.
Last month, a jury convicted Trump of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to hide information from voters ahead of the 2016 election, including a $130,000 money payment to buy the silence of adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with him, which he has denied.
Although defendants typically attend their interview with probation officials without the presence of counsel, Judge Merchan signed an order last week permitting Trump’s defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, to attend the interview.
The interview will not be public, and the report prepared ahead of Trump’s sentence will likely remain under seal.
In the New York state courts, a probation officer, social worker, or psychologist usually interviews a defendant convicted of a crime to better access their personal and criminal history before preparing a presentence report for the judge overseeing the case. According to Pace University law professor Bennett Gershman, that report is particularly important in cases where a judge accepts a guilty plea or is unfamiliar with the defendant’s background and conduct.
“It’s a lengthy investigation that the probation services do for the judge, and it’s done to give the judge as much information as they can glean in terms of the defendant’s background,” Gershman told ABC News.
Depending on the nature of the crime, a probation officer could speak with the defendant’s family, the victim, or individuals involved in the investigation to prepare their report. The report normally covers a defendant’s personal history, finances, professional work, criminal record and background information about the crime.
The interview also presents the defendant an opportunity to present positive information about himself and make the case for a lighter sentence “if a person is able to garner the sympathy of the probation officer, and they write a report that is more … sympathetic or casts the defendant in a more positive light,” said Fordham Law professor Cheryl Bader.
However, Bader cautioned that the report is unlikely to serve a vital role in Trump’s case because the judge is already familiar with the alleged conduct and Trump’s overall character. The former president frequently targeted the judge throughout the trial — accusing him of being biased and conflicted — and was held in criminal contempt 10 times for violating the case’s limited gag order.
“The judge is very well acquainted with Donald Trump and the circumstances of this case, and so is probably going to be less influenced by details that are in the presentence report,” Bader said.
While the interview is unlikely to shed new details about Trump’s conduct or character, according to Gershman, it could work against Trump if he demonstrates contempt toward the probation officer.
“If Trump gave certain answers that showed a disrespect or a disregard for the system, the judge — the things he has been saying all along — the judge will certainly cite that,” Gershman said. “If Trump makes an apology, shows remorse … the judge would cite that.”
The report prepared by the probation officer — in addition to the sentencing submissions prepared by both sides — will be used by Merchan to consider what kind of sentence to impose on July 11.
Trump was convicted of 34 class-E felonies, the lowest level felonies in New York state that carry a maximum four-year sentence. Merchan could opt to impose prison time, probation, or conditional discharge, including conditions like community service or fines.
(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles City Council president is demanding answers after security cameras captured two Burbank Police officers allegedly dropping off a homeless man near his office and driving away as he lay on the ground this week.
Councilman Paul Krekorian released the video that showed the two uniformed officers pull up to the street in North Hollywood on June 6, get the unidentified man out of their marked vehicle in handcuffs, uncuffing him and then driving off as he appeared to get on the ground on all fours.
The man, who wasn’t wearing any shoes, is then seen lying on the ground on his belly.
“This was callus cruel, inhumane and fundamentally irresponsible,” Krekorian told reporters at a news conference Friday.
Krekorian said his office staffers were able to find the man and get him medical care after they were given the security footage, he said.
The councilman said he was outraged that the officers showed no attempt to help the man.
“Without giving any aid to this person, without determining if anyone could provide services to this person, they dumped him in North Hollywood,” Krekorian said.
The councilman reached out to the Burbank mayor’s office about the incident. The city said that the Burbank Police Department “is conducting an in-depth investigation.”
“We do not take this concern lightly, as the City of Burbank’s foremost priority is to provide our unhoused residents with the support and resources necessary to transition from the streets into stable and secure living conditions,” Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz said in a statement on Friday.
Krekorian said his office determined that the man sought medical treatment at a hospital in Burbank and hospital staff called the police when he allegedly became unruly.
The Burbank Police Department released more details about the officers’ encounter with the man.
Officers responded to a call around 8:45 a.m. PT on Thursday, of a man sitting naked at a bus stop on Buena Vista Street and Alameda Avenue, just outside Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, according to the police.
When the officers encountered the man, he refused an offer for clothes as he had his own clothes, police alleged.
The man allegedly told officers that he was homeless and had been transported to the hospital from the Sunland-Tujunga area, according to the police.
“The individual said he had a leg injury he had suffered many years ago, and officers learned he had left the hospital voluntarily prior to the officers’ arrival. Upon inquiry, the individual declined any medical service(s),” the Burbank PD said in a statement.
Why experts say some unhoused people are unfairly assumed to be dangerous The police alleged that in order “to gain cooperation for the individual to put on clothing, the officers offered to drive the individual to a place of his choosing,” and he eventually got dressed.
At first, the man allegedly asked to be transported to the Sunland-Tujunga area but then agreed to be transported to the Metro Red Line in North Hollywood, according to the police.
During the ride the man allegedly asked to be let out to get coffee, the police said.
“The officers complied immediately with his request, pulled over, and let the individual out of the patrol vehicle,” the Burbank PD said in a statement.
The police said it is reviewing all evidence in the incident, including body-worn cameras and witness statements. They thanked Krekorian for bringing it to their attention.
The councilman stressed that law enforcement should be taking better care when it comes to dealing with the ongoing crisis of unhoused individuals.
“If you see it happening to see it on a random security camera, chances are it’s happening a lot more often at times when we don’t see it,” he said.
(WATERSOUND, Fla.) — Three swimmers, including two teens, were attacked by sharks in two separate incidents while they were at beaches in Walton County, Florida, on Friday, the authorities said.
A 45-year-old woman was swimming just past a sandbar with her husband at Watersound Beach when she was bitten by a shark around 1:20 p.m., South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford told reporters.
The unidentified woman sustained “significant trauma” to the midsection of her body, and part of her left arm had to be amputated, Crawford said. She was transported to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in critical condition.
Around 90 minutes later near Seacrest Beach, which is just four miles from Watersound Beach, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl were with a group of friends near the first sandbar in waist-deep water when they were injured by a shark, according to Crawford.
MORE: 24-year-old speaks out after falling into shark-filled marina: ‘I got very lucky’ One victim was bitten by a shark and sustained “significant injuries,” and was flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital in critical condition, Crawford said.
The second victim sustained flesh wounds to her foot and was transported to Ascension Bay Medical Center in stable condition.
Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. told reporters that officials ordered beaches to be closed after the first incident, however, the order was not fully enacted in time before the teens were attacked.
Authorities also said that the process of changing the beach warning flags along the coastline would have taken about an hour and a half to complete.
Sheriff Adkinson Jr. said the last shark attack in the county was back in 2021 and the last shark-related fatality was in 2005.
“This is an anomaly … everything from it being three victims, to where it’s at,” the sheriff said. “All we can do is respond control, and mitigate what we can.”
Walton County authorities have reached out to ocean wildlife experts at Mote Marine in Pensacola, Florida, to help in the investigation of the incident, Sheriff Adkinson Jr. said.
Walton County officials reopened the beaches Saturday with extra patrols in the water and red and purple flags to warn swimmers.
“It is important to us that beach patrons recognize and understand the risk of the open water as it pertains not just to surf hazards, but marine life. We ask you to remain situationally aware at all times,” South Walton Fire District said in a statement.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office also announced double red flag warnings for its beaches Saturday and had more information on what may be attracting the sharks.
“Sheriff Tommy Ford has been in conversation with [the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] and has learned that bait fish are schooling near the shore at this time of year which may have been a contributing factor in the attacks,” the office said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took the iconic “Earthrise” photograph while in lunar orbit that showed the moon’s surface and Earth, has died, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Friday. He was 90.
Anders was piloting a Beechcraft plane that plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state on Friday morning, authorities said. He was the only person onboard the aircraft and his body has since been recovered, the Coast Guard said.
Anders’ famous “Earthrise” photo was taken on Christmas Eve in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission.
“Bill Anders offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give. He traveled to the threshold of the Moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves. He embodied the lessons and the purpose of exploration. We will miss him,” Nelson said in a statement.
The Apollo 8 crew was composed of Commander Frank Borman, Lunar Module Pilot Anders and Command Module Pilot James Lovell. The three served as the crew for the first manned Apollo mission launched aboard the Saturn V and the crewmembers became the first humans to enter lunar orbit and witness the far side of the moon.
Anders graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1955. He went on to receive a commission in the U.S. Air Force and obtain a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1962.
In late 1963, Anders “was among just 14 men chosen by NASA from a pool of thousands of applicants” for the Astronaut Corps, according to the Heritage Flight Museum.
Anders founded the Heritage Flight Museum in 1996 with his wife, Valerie Anders, in Bellingham, Washington.
President Richard Nixon appointed Anders to become executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council in 1969.
Apollo 8 was Anders’ only space flight.
Nelson added in a statement Saturday, “The voyage Bill took in 1968 was only one of the many remarkable chapters in Bill’s life and service to humanity. In his 26 years of service to our country, Bill was many things – U.S. Air Force officer, astronaut, engineer, ambassador, advisor, and much more.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Friday’s crash.
(NEW YORK) — Severe weather is shifting into eastern Colorado and Kansas on Saturday, with threats of large hail and damaging winds — and a possible isolated tornado. Meanwhile, record heat will begin to wind down in the western U.S. but will continue in Florida.
Isolated severe storms will span across a larger area, from Colorado to western Kentucky.
The system bringing these isolated severe storms is also bringing heavy rain to the area.
Through the weekend, parts of Kansas and Missouri could pick up 3 inches of rain. A flood watch has been issued in Missouri through Sunday afternoon, where isolated amounts of up to 7 inches of rain are possible.
The rain will be beneficial in Kansas, where parts of the state are experiencing severe to moderate drought.
Southeast Missouri, where more heavy rain is possible this weekend, has seen twice the normal rainfall for the last 30 days.
There were more than 130 storm reports on Friday with most of them in Kansas and Nebraska.
Wind gusts up to 84 miles per hour in Kansas and hail — ranging from the size of tennis balls to basketballs — were reported in both Kansas and Nebraska.
Record heat The very dangerous levels of heat in the west are beginning to wind down enough to allow most of the widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories to be discontinued.
The excessive heat warning was extended through Saturday for Las Vegas and the surrounding area.
The record heat is unrelenting and will continue through the weekend in Florida. Heat indices will range from 105 to 110 degrees, with the potential to exceed 110 degrees in some interior spots.
Record high temperatures are possible across the state through Monday. A potential broad disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico could bring rain and increased cloud cover in the mid-week.
Friday was another day of record heat across the West and Florida.
Temperatures reached 110 degrees in Las Vegas; 109 degrees in Tucson; 105 degrees in Dalhart, Texas; 103 degrees in Palmdale, California; 102 degrees in Pueblo, Colorado; 99 degrees in Winnemucca, New Mexico, 95 degrees in West Palm Beach; 92 in Burns, Oregon; and 90 degrees in Challis, Idaho.
(NEW YORK) — A New York City police officer has been arrested for allegedly shooting another driver in an apparent road rage incident, prosecutors said.
Officer Hieu Tran, 27, was taken into custody at the New York City Police Department on Thursday in connection with last month’s shooting in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Tran allegedly shot a 30-year old-man on the night of May 17, and the victim remains in the hospital, prosecutors said Friday.
Tran’s NYPD-issued gun was linked to the shooting scene, prosecutors said.
Police also used surveillance video and cellphone records to identify Tran as the suspect, prosecutors said.
Tran is charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to prosecutors.
Tran is a member of the NYPD’s public information unit and was off duty at the time of the shooting, according to New York ABC station WABC.
He’s been suspended without pay per department policy, WABC said.
ABC News’ Matt Foster and Ben Stein contributed to this report.
(SEATTLE) — A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed when he apparently tried to break up a fight outside his Seattle high school, according to authorities.
The teen was shot multiple times in the Garfield High School parking lot at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, and he died later on Thursday at a hospital, Seattle police said.
The incident began as an altercation “between some high school-aged students,” Seattle police Deputy Chief Eric Barden told reporters Thursday. “Our victim, it appears, tried to intervene and break up that fight.”
“One of the original combatants approached the victim and an additional altercation broke out,” and the suspect fired multiple rounds, Barden said.
The suspect has not been identified, Barden said. He fled the scene and has not been found, police said.
Barden called the teen’s death an “extraordinary tragedy.”
Garfield High School is closed Friday and Monday, Seattle Public Schools said.
Police ask anyone with information to call the Seattle Police Department Violent Crime Tip Line at 206-233-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
(NEW YORK) — For a decade, Carl Lentz was the lead pastor for the flagship New York City branch of the famous Australian megachurch, Hillsong. The brand was one of the fastest-growing religious movements on Earth.
Lentz was a hip pastor with a youthful congregation and a following that included actress Vanessa Hudgens, basketball player Kevin Durant and pop star Justin Bieber.
But nearly four years ago it all came crashing down, when Lentz was fired as pastor of Hillsong NYC for “moral failings” when his extramarital affairs made headlines and he admitted he had cheated on his wife, Laura. Now, the couple is opening up about how Carl Lentz’s infidelity shattered their marriage and ministry and the work they have done and continue to do to recover.
“It wasn’t a sexual thing,” Lentz told “Nightline” about the infidelity. “It’s not like I was out, you know, looking to have sex or looking to commit adultery. I had deep brokenness that manifests itself in a lot of different ways.”
When Laura first heard the news, she said she felt “confused and then, sad, broken and shattered.” The lowest point of her life, Laura says, was when she heard the depth of her husband’s acts for the first time during a call with staff. “I just couldn’t take it anymore,” she said.
Laura was close to leaving Lentz and taking care of her children on her own. She spoke with a betrayal therapist, who helped guide her through the next steps to a divorce. Lentz and his wife Laura agreed to tell their three children about what Lentz had done before the scandal ignited headlines across the country.
Lentz said he “was digging my own grave” and is working on changing. He went to rehab to address his mental health. Through therapy, he opened up for the first time about his childhood trauma. When he was a young boy, he says he was molested. “The molestation that happened to me when I was a little boy, about 5 or 6 years old, altered my brain chemistry, altered my habits, altered my view of sex,” Lentz said. “And from that age till as long as I can remember, I had habits of secrecy and hiding and high risk taking that I could never explain.”
Laura says learning this gave her a reason not to end the couple’s 20-plus-year marriage and to fight for it. She ultimately decided to stay by his side.
“I stayed because I loved him,” Laura said. “We’re on the phone with a therapist, and she was asking him some questions about his childhood and some of that pain, and he started to talk and try to go through what happened. And he got to a point where he just stopped and his whole body started convulsing.”
Through Lentz’s breakdown, Laura realized there was so much more brokenness than she had known. While Laura was working toward forgiving her husband, more and more stories about Lentz allegedly abusing his power as lead pastor surfaced.
In 2022, the Christian Post obtained an internal review of Hillsong conducted by an outside firm. The review included interviews with staffers who claimed Lentz had been emotionally abusive. “I don’t know those people, and it’s hard for me to speak to those situations,” Lentz said. “If I were to sit down and talk to these people, and if my actions and leadership hurt them in any way, I’d love to apologize for it.”
In a different situation, a woman who worked for the family alleged that Lentz sexually abused and manipulated her. Lentz denies the allegations. Due to public and private backlash, Lentz and Laura went into seclusion for three years. Their family is rebuilding and restoring their foundation away from the fast pace of New York City in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They say their family needed to be in a place where they could all grow and stay at a consistent, sober, calm, patient pace.
Laura says she changed after Lentz’s rehab process, too, and is working on speaking up for herself and asserting her needs in her marriage. Lentz has accountability partners who keep tabs on his actions; if he messes up again, he says, Laura will be out the door.
Laura said she now trusts her husband again. She said he talks to her about everything — she hears everything — and he’s done the work to build trust in their relationship again. His children have also forgiven him for his mistakes.
“I think sometimes you might have to go through some really dark, deep days or seasons or chapters,” Laura Lentz said. “And you can either flick that page and start again or you just shut the book, you know? And I think we chose to flick the page and see what’s next.”
Carl Lentz told ABC News he has no desire to rejoin the pulpit for now. He wants to put that in the past and is looking forward to what’s ahead. He’s now working on a new podcast.
“I think I realized early that I had a gift to be able to explain things in a way that people who don’t typically love church or love faith could understand, and I figured that out early,” Lentz said. “I didn’t know if it was like a pulpit calling. As much as it is, I’m able to explain this in a way where you can drop your guard and listen, and I’m not going to judge you, and I’m not going to try to make excuses or talk around theology. I’m going to like, speak what I believe to be true.”
