(NEW YORK) — The town of Greenfield, Iowa, resembled a war zone on Thursday with uprooted trees and overturned cars in all directions and splintered wood that was once part of homes and businesses. Residents searched for belongings and family heirlooms in the rubble left by a devastating tornado that ripped through the community, killing four people.
A swarm of at least 26 twisters roared through Greenfield and other parts of Iowa and five other Midwestern states on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. The funnel cloud that tore through Greenfield was confirmed by the National Weather Service to be an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum wind speeds reaching 135 mph.
A fifth person was killed in what is believed to be a tornado-related incident about 25 miles from Greenfield, officials said.
Besides those killed, 35 people were injured in Greenfield, which is about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that at least 202 homes in Iowa were destroyed or sustained major damage. She said she expanded a disaster declaration from 15 to 32 counties and has submitted an application for disaster relief to FEMA and the White House.
“Hearing the stories from residents who barely escaped with their lives is both heartbreaking and inspiring,” Reynolds said. “Our deepest condolences go out to those who lost loved ones.”
Donna Dubberke, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Des Moines, said the agency surveyed three separate long-track tornadoes that left destructive paths totaling 130 miles. Dubberke said Iowa was in store for more severe weather Thursday night.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” Greenfield resident Cam Harter told ABC News as she and her husband, Jay Harter, sifted through the rubble of their home of 26 years.
“These are the stairs that led to the basement,” Cam Harter pointed out. “The whole top part is gone. The garage back there, a two-and-a-half car garage, is gone.”
Even metal grain silos could not withstand the powerful storm, leaving many of them crumpled as if they were tin cans. Several towering wind turbines were also knocked over, including one that caught on fire.
Joan Newall stood near her destroyed Greenfield home of more than 50 years as he told ABC News that when the twister hit, she took shelter in the basement, where search-and-rescue crews found her and pulled her to safety.
She said four of her neighbors did not survive.
“Their house had no basement,” Newall said.
Throughout Greenfield Thursday, an army of electrical crews worked to restore power. Search-and-rescue teams combed the town for possible survivors, marking homes and vehicles with spray paint indicating they had been searched and cleared.
According to the National Weather Service, at least 21 of the 26 reported tornadoes spawned by severe weather on Tuesday struck Iowa between 5:44 p.m. and 11 p.m. CT.
The only hospital serving Greenfield, the Adair County Health System (ACHS), sustained substantial damage, forcing the evacuation of staff and patients and the closure of the facility, hospital officials said.
“There were no injuries to staff or patients inside the hospital during the storm,” officials said in a statement. “The hospital was closed immediately after the tornado passed through that devastated the town of Greenfield. It will remain closed until further assessments can be completed. It is likely to take weeks, if not months, to fully repair the damage.”
Hospital staff have set up a temporary hospital for primary care services at an elementary school and high school on Thursday. The city of Temple in Bell County suffered the brunt of the tornado damage, officials said.
The severe weather continued Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, spawning tornadoes in central Texas. The City of Temple, Texas, took the brunt of the storm.
Dozens of homes, businesses and structures in Temple were damaged or destroyed, officials said. The storms took off the roofs of at least 30 homes in Temple, knocked down numerous powerlines and pulled up trees across the city.
Temple residents Abbie Rurup and Gavin Ethridge told ABC affiliate station KVUE in Austin that at one point during Wednesday’s storm the floors, walls and ceiling of her home were shaking, prompting them to take shelter in a backroom closet.
“Whenever I first walked out of the house, [a] whole side row of houses and their roofs were almost completely gone,” Rurup said. “I just broke down.”
Ethridge said windows of their kitchen and living room were blown out during the chaotic weather event and a powerline fell across their backyard.
“You always like to hear about it and see it in movies. But for it to actually happen here… definitely just happy and blessed that we’re OK,” Ethridge said.
Shadavia Blakemore told KVUE that the ceiling of her apartment caved in during the storm.
“I mean it was just loud, the wind kept picking up and it was just harder than what I normally hear,” Blakemore explained. “It started sounding like a train and the winds just got too heavy and like I knew a tornado [was] outside.”
Blakemore said she immediately packed some belongings and went to her mother’s nearby home to ride out the storm.
“I am upset because I have to leave my apartment and it’s caved in,” Blakemore added. “I guess it’s bittersweet because I mean, my lease is about to be up. We’re safe, that’s the most important thing.”
More than 200 severe storms were reported Wednesday from New York to Texas.
2024 has been the most active tornado season to date since 2017 with 859 tornadoes reported so far. The average number of tornadoes from January to May is 578.
More severe weather is forecast through the Memorial Day weekend for a huge part of the Heartland from the Dakotas all the way south to Texas, including the major cities of Dallas, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Omaha and Fargo.
Damaging winds and large hail will be the biggest threat on Friday but the possibility of a few potential tornadoes cannot be ruled out from northern Texas to Nebraska.
On Friday, severe weather is expected from Dallas to Chicago with damaging winds and hail being the biggest possible threat.
On Saturday, severe weather is forecast from Dallas to Lincoln, Nebraska, and a tornado threat is expected to increase.
Looking ahead, severe weather could also continue into Sunday and possibly this Memorial Day.
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — A Louisville, Kentucky, police officer violated department policy when he failed to turn on his body-worn camera during a traffic incident involving golf star Scottie Scheffler during the PGA Championship, authorities said Thursday.
The golfer, ranked No. 1 in the world, was driving near the Valhalla Golf Club on May 17 when authorities allege he drove past a police roadblock and injured an officer with his vehicle. He was arrested hours before his second-round tee time at the year’s second major.
Scheffler, 27, was arrested on charges of second-degree assault of a police officer — a felony — as well as third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic, according to police. He is scheduled to be arraigned on June 3.
There is no body camera footage of the incident that led to Scheffler’s arrest, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. The officer involved in the interaction, identified as Detective Bryan Gillis, should have turned on his body-worn camera but did not, Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a press conference Thursday.
Following an internal investigation of Scheffler’s arrest, the chief said Gillis has received a corrective action for failing to turn on his body-worn camera.
“We understand the seriousness of the failure to capture this interaction, which is why our officer has received corrective action for this policy violation,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.
Police also released footage Thursday from two cameras that captured the time of Scheffler’s arrest.
The dashcam of a police car captured the golfer being led away in handcuffs, while a fixed pole camera showed the scene, including multiple parked buses and flashing lights.
Greenberg said they released the footage amid the ongoing legal proceedings to be transparent.
“Transparency is incredibly important to our administration, to LMPD, to our community,” Greenberg said during the briefing.
Greenberg said there is no known footage that captured what led to Scheffler’s arrest, saying the incident occurred in “dark, rainy and tense conditions.”
Officials did not take any questions regarding the case during Thursday’s briefing.
“We respect the judicial process, and we will allow the courts to proceed accordingly,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.
The arrest occurred about an hour after a deadly accident near the golf course. Around 5 a.m. that day, a man was fatally struck by a shuttle bus as he tried to cross a road near the course holding the PGA Championship, according to a statement released by the Louisville Metro Police Department. The victim was identified as PGA Championship volunteer John Mills.
In a police form on his failure to activate his body-worn camera, Gillis wrote he was directing traffic following the accident in front of a gate. After PGA personnel stopped a bus from entering the gate, he wrote that he stopped an approaching vehicle and advised the driver, Scheffler, he could not proceed due to the bus.
“He demanded to be let in, and proceeded forward against my directions,” Gillis wrote. “I was dragged/knocked down by the driver. I then proceeded to arrest the driver.”
A police report alleged that Scheffler refused to comply with Gillis’ request to stop and “accelerated forward,” dragging the detective to the ground. Gillis was taken to the hospital after suffering “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee,” the report stated.
Scheffler has called the incident a “big misunderstanding” and said that he was “proceeding as directed by police officers.”
“It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” Scheffler said in a statement on social media. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions.”
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, told reporters Thursday that they contend that he didn’t do anything wrong and are prepared to litigate the case.
“All the evidence that continues to come out continues to support what Scottie said all along — this was a chaotic situation and a miscommunication, and he didn’t do anything wrong,” Romines said.
Romines has previously said they plan to plead not guilty at Scheffler’s arraignment.
(NEW YORK) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its highest-on record May hurricane forecast for the upcoming hurricane season.
All categories of storms are expected to exceed the typical number seen every year, National Weather Service forecasters announced Thursday in a news conference for the 2024 hurricane outlook.
NOAA scientists predict between 17 and 25 named storms, compared to an average of 14; between eight and 13 hurricanes, compared to an average of seven; and between four and seven major hurricanes, compared to an average of three.
Multiple officials, including National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan and National Weather Service Director Ken Graham, described the 2024 Hurricane Outlook as the “highest” forecast ever issued in May.
A major hurricane is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Near record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and a developing La Niña that will reduce wind shear in the western Atlantic will likely contribute to the increased number of storms.
In addition, an above-average African monsoon season will help initiate thunderstorms over Africa that will eventually form into tropical systems in the Atlantic.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The peak of the season typically occurs around Sept. 10, according to NOAA.
Climate change is likely having a significant impact on the Atlantic hurricane season, according to researchers.
Warming of the surface ocean temperatures from human-induced climate change is likely fueling more powerful tropical cyclones with more extreme precipitation, scientists say.
The destructive power of individual tropical storms through storm surge is amplified by rising sea levels, which very likely has a substantial contribution at the global scale from climate change.
Tropical storm precipitation rates are also projected to increase due to enhanced atmospheric moisture associated with global warming, since a warming atmosphere can hold more water.
The proportion of Category 4 and 5 tropical storms has increased likely due to more frequent rapid intensification — when hurricanes strengthen quickly as they approach land — and is projected to increase further, research shows.
Most recent studies project the total number of tropical storms each year will decrease or remain approximately the same, but the ones that do form will be more intense — both in strength and impacts.
Fewer numbers of cyclones in all oceans could be attributed to warming higher in the atmosphere, in addition to surface warming, researchers have told ABC News. With less difference in temperature as you go up through the atmosphere, there is less of a chance for storms to generate.
“With the anticipation of another active hurricane season on the horizon, insurers and homeowners should do everything they can to prepare and mitigate as much risk as possible,” CoreLogic, a property solutions firm that plans on releasing a hurricane risk report next week, told ABC News in a statement via email.
ABC News’ Daniel Amarante, Melissa Griffin, Dan Peck and Ginger Zee contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — NASA announced the new target launch date for the first astronaut-crewed flight into space aboard Boeing’s Starliner after several delays.
The first flight will attempt to launch on Saturday, June 1, at 12:25 p.m. ET, with backup dates set for June 2, June 5 and June 6, the federal space agency said in a blog post late Wednesday.
It comes after the launch of Starliner was delayed several times. The crewed flight test was tentatively scheduled for May 6, but was scrubbed after a problem with an oxygen valve on a rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), which manufactures and operates the rockets that launch spacecraft into orbit.
A new launch date had been set for May 25, but a small helium leak was discovered in the service module, which contains support systems and instruments for operating a spacecraft.
“There has been a great deal of exceptional analysis and testing over the last two weeks by the joint NASA, Boeing, and ULA teams to replace the [valve] and troubleshoot the Starliner Service Module helium manifold leak,” Steve Stich, manager of the NASA Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. “It has been important that we take our time to understand all the complexities of each issue.”
The Starliner is designed to carry a seven-person crew, but aboard the “test drive” launch will be NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore, 61, a former U.S. Navy captain who will be commanding the flight, and Sunita Williams, 58, a former Navy service member who will be piloting the flight.
Williams and Wilmore are continuing to practice in Starline simulators to prepare for the flight and remain in quarantine at the Johnsons Space Center in Houston. When the new launch date approaches, they will fly back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said.
After Starliner launches into orbit, it will be about a 24-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS), during which the crew will test several flight objects, such as checking equipment, according to NASA.
Williams and Wilmore are expected to spend one week aboard the ISS and will be evaluating the spacecraft and its systems. Upon re-entry, the spacecraft will deploy parachutes and an airbag system, landing the pair in the western U.S.
NASA and Boeing said a media teleconference will take place on Friday, May 24, during which officials “will provide insight into the next targeted launch opportunity and updates regarding ongoing work.”
If the mission is successful, NASA could certify the spacecraft to perform routine missions to and from the ISS. NASA has primarily been using SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to transport crew and cargo to the ISS.
The missions are part of the larger Commercial Crew Program at NASA, which uses American rockets and spacecraft to launch astronauts and cargo to the ISS with the hope of helping the federal space agency prepare for its upcoming moon and Mars missions.
ABC News’ Leah Sarnoff and Gina Sunseri contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Here’s how the news is developing:
May 23, 12:31 PM Appeals court denies defense’s bid for judge’s recusal
New York’s Appellate Division has upheld Judge Juan Merchan’s decision not to recuse himself from former President Trump’s hush money case.
Trump’s defense team had sought Merchan’s recusal based on his daughter’s work for a consulting firm with Democratic clients.
A panel of appellate judges ruled that Trump failed to prove the judge overstepped his authority by denying a defense motion for recusal.
“Petitioner has failed to establish that the court acted in excess of its jurisdiction by denying his motion,” today’s order said. “Petitioner also has not established that he has a clear right to recusal.”
The judges also found that the defense appeal was procedurally improper since they waited too long to appeal Merchan’s August 2023 recusal order, then rushed to the Appellate Division before Merchan ruled on their more recent recusal motion.
The appellate court also upheld Merchan’s decision denying Trump’s argument that some of his social media posts were covered by presidential immunity.
The appeals court said Trump could include both appeals in its general appeal of the verdict should he be found guilty.
The court also denied Trump’s request for a change of venue for the trial, which Trump had sought before the trial began last month.
The former president has repeatedly criticized Judge Merchan as “conflicted” throughout the trial.
May 22, 6:32 PM Trump says he didn’t testify in part because of his ‘past’
Donald Trump said Wednesday that he didn’t take the stand in his hush money trial because he didn’t agree with the judge’s rulings — and because he was seemingly worried about information that could have come out during cross-examination.
“He made rulings that makes it very difficult to testify,” Trump said in an interview on WABC Radio, referring to Judge Juan Merchan. “Anything I did, anything I did in the past, they can bring everything up, and you know what, I’ve had a great past — but anything.”
“The other reason is because they have no case,” Trump said. “In other words, why would — why testify when they have no case?”
Trump had originally indicated he would testify, saying on April 12 that “I would testify, absolutely.” But he subsequently appeared to back away from the idea, falsely telling reporters on May 2 that the limited gag order in the case — which prohibits extrajudicial statements about witnesses and jurors — prevented him from testifying.
The next day in court, Judge Merchan directly addressed Trump to clarify that he has an “absolute right” to testify and that the limited gag order does not apply to his statements in court.
“I want to stress, Mr. Trump, that you have an absolute right to testify at trial, if that is what you decide to do after consultation with your attorneys,” Merchan said.
-Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
May 21, 4:58 PM In final clash, lawyers spar over retainer instructions
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass, at the end of the afternoon’s pre-charge conference, argued that the jury’s instructions should include that retainer agreements are legally required for lawyers to begin conducting work for a client.
Prosecutors have argued that Trump falsified records because he characterized Michael Cohen’s hush money reimbursement as legal expenses pursuant to a retainer agreement. Defense lawyers have argued that Cohen was paid by the company for years and never had a retainer agreement with Trump — or needed to.
“It is in fact the law,” Steinglass said about the requirement to have a retainer.
Merchan said he would review the rules before making a decision.
The judge subsequently ended the conference, telling the attorneys he would aim provide them with the final jury instruction by the end of the day Thursday so they can prepare over the weekend, ahead of the jury getting the case next week.
The proceedings will resume on Tuesday morning with summations.
May 21, 4:40 PM Judge denies defense language related to ‘advice of counsel’
Judge Merchan flatly told the defense that former President Trump could not make an advice-of-counsel argument.
The judge said the defense was being “disingenuous” by raising it now when Trump was given a deadline months ago to say whether he would invoke the defense that, in his conduct, he was relying on the advice of lawyers.
“It was concerning when notice was not given initially. It was concerning when the term was changed to ‘presence of counsel.’ I couldn’t believe when I saw in your submission, ‘involvement of counsel,'” Merchan told the defense regarding their efforts to advance that argument.
“My ruling is the jury will not hear that instruction from the bench, nor are you permitted to make that argument, period,” Merchan said.
“I am not being disingenuous with Your Honor,” defense attorney Emil Bove said before he attempted to argue in favor of the defense.
“You said that already, Mr. Bove,” Merchan said. “This is an argument you have been advancing for many many months. … It is denied. It is not going to happen.”
Trump, at the defense table, scribbled a note and passed it to defense attorney Todd Blanche.
May 21, 4:25 PM Judge will keep original instructions on Cohen’s guilty plea
The defense returned to the question of Michael Cohen’s 2018 guilty plea and AMI’s non-prosecution agreement with the federal government.
Defense attorney Emil Bove called it a “critical issue” the jury could infer Trump’s guilt based on his association with Cohen and AMI executive David Pecker.
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass called the curative language the defense suggested “outrageous,” and Judge Merchan said he would stick to what he told the jury during the evidentiary phase of the trial: That the guilty plea of Cohen and the non-prosecution agreement of AMI could be used to judge witness credibility — but could not be used as an inference of the defendant’s guilt.
May 21, 4:18 PM Defense seeks clarification on effect of ‘Access Hollywood’ tape
Defense lawyers asked Judge Merchan to include an instruction for jurors that clarifies how prominent Republicans and members of the public reacted to the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape.
Witnesses like Trump aides Hope Hicks and Madeleine Westerhout testified about the effect of the video, which led prominent Republicans like John McCain withdrawing their endorsement of Trump and the Republican National Committee considering finding a new candidate.
Prosecutors pushed back on the defense request, describing it as “confusing” and “unnecessary.”
“The nature of the reaction by the Republican Party by other prominent Republican senators by other members of the public — the fact that was the reaction — had an impact on the listener being the defendant,” prosecutor Josh Steinglass argued.
Prosecutors have argued that the immense public backlash to the Access Hollywood motivated Trump to kill the Stormy Daniels story in the days before the election.
Judge Merchan said he would review the relevant portions of the transcript before making a decision, but said he was inclined to agree with the state, suggesting the proposed instruction would be denied.
May 21, 4:09 PM Attorneys hash out additional jury instructions
Following a break, Judge Merchan told the parties that he had worked through his own notes and asked the lawyers for each side to weigh in on what he might have missed.
The defense sought an instruction about former President Trump regarding bias.
“We don’t think that this is necessary, this charge,” prosecutor Josh Steinglass said in response. “I don’t think instructing the jury that they shouldn’t hold bias against the defendant is necessary — voir dire has satisfied this problem, I think.”
The defense also sought an instruction that hush money payments are not inherently illegal. Prosecutors opposed it, arguing the request amounts to the judge making the defense argument for them.
Defense attorney Emil Bove also asked for an instruction that “hush money is not illegal.”
“What the defense is asking,” Colangelo responded, “is for you to make their argument for them.”
The judge agreed with Colangelo, saying that including that language would be “taking it too far.”
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that the jury should not consider Michael Cohen’s tax crimes as one of the crimes Trump advanced by allegedly falsifying business records when he repaid Cohen for the Stormy Daniels hush payment.
Bove argued that Cohen was unaware of the alleged tax crimes when then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg “grossed up” his reimbursement to accommodate for taxes on the payment.
Cohen testified he did not think of the tax law at the time, telling jurors, “I just wanted to get my money back.”
May 21, 3:51 PM I won’t ‘change the law,’ judge tells defense regarding jury charge
Defense attorney Emil Bove tried to make the argument that this particular case is unusual because Trump is not a typical defendant.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo responded that’s precisely why the standard language should be used.
“No one is above the law,” he said.
Judge Merchan settled the matter and ruled against the defense.
“I understand what you mean when you say it’s an important case,” he said. “But what you’re asking me to do is to change the law, and I’m not going to do that.”
May 21, 3:44 PM Parties argue about Trump’s presence at 2015 meeting
Discussing the August 2015 meeting in Trump Tower where prosecutors say Trump, Michael Cohen and then-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker agreed to the criminal conspiracy, defense attorney Emil Bove argued Trump’s “mere presence” at a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower with David Pecker and Michael Cohen where the alleged conspiracy was hatched “could very much be part of the defense here.”
Bove said “there’s nothing criminal about that at all,” despite prosecutors arguing it’s where the catch-and-kill scheme originated.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued there is no way the jury could interpret the meeting as a “high minded conversation about democracy.”
May 21, 3:28 PM Merchan rules state doesn’t have to prove 2 separate intents
The defense failed to convince Judge Merchan to add a layer of intent that prosecutors have to prove.
Merchan told the parties he was “concerned about” a proposed addition by defense attorneys related to Trump’s intent to defraud.
The defense proposed including an instruction that the state “must establish beyond a reasonable doubt two separate intents” for Trump to commit crimes — for both falsifying records and the other crime Trump furthered with the falsification.
“This proposed language is just inconsistent with the text of the statute,” defense attorney Matthew Colangelo argued.
Merchan said he was inclined to use the standard instruction, excluding the proposed defense addition.
“That second level of intent … is incorporated by reference to the first,” Merchan said.
May 21, 3:15 PM Judge reserves decision on ‘accomplice liability’
The debate over jury instructions turned to the definition of “accomplice liability.”
Prosecutors argued that jury should be told that Trump can be convicted because he caused false leger entries to be created by Trump Organization employees Jeff McConney and Deb Tarasoff.
Prosecutors said it’s a necessary instruction because the defense argued in opening statements that Trump himself did not enter accounting records.
Merchan reserved his decision about “accessorial liability” but said he was inclined to strike the proposed language related to the issue from the final charge.
As the lawyers continue their debate, Trump is flipping through a three-inch stack of papers, some of which appear to be press clippings.
May 21, 3:05 PM Judge rejects defense request related to ‘intent’
Judge Merchan turned to what he called “the most challenging issue facing us all”: how to pronounce “eleemosynary,” which he said means “relating to charity.” The quip got a laugh from both sides.
Merchan moved to delete the word from the jury instructions, and neither side objected.
The judge moved on to discussing the definition of “intent” as it relates to Trump’s conduct.
Defense attorney Emil Bove requested that the jury instruction place “more emphasis” on the elements needed to prove Trump had an intent to defraud when he allegedly falsified documents.
“I am going to stick with the standard language,” Merchan replied, shooting down the request.
May 21, 3:00 PM Judge mulls how Cohen’s guilty plea should be described
Judge Merchan heard arguments over how former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s 2018 guilty plea on charges related to the Stormy Daniels payment should be described to the jury — whether Cohen “participated” in crimes or was “convicted” of crimes.
The judge said echoed a defense concern that Cohen’s convictions could be used to infer that Trump, by proxy, should also be found guilty.
“It seems like to me right now we are really playing with fire and getting close to that,” Merchan said.
In general, Merchan reminded the parties, “Where there are standard pattern jury instructions, I don’t deviate”
May 21, 2:50 PM Judge considers whether Daniels payment was campaign expense
The defense is arguing a candidate’s expenses arising from controversies are not necessarily campaign expenses.
Merchan suggests the language should be as follows: “If the payment would have been made, even in the absence of the candidacy, the payment should not be treated as a contribution.”
Prosecutors have argued the payment to Stormy Daniels should have been labeled a campaign expenditure because it was meant to protect Trump’s electoral prospects in 2016
Merchan reserves his decision on the issue but suggests he would include both proposed sentences from the parties.
May 21, 2:43 PM Judge says he wants jury instructions ‘as easy as possible’
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that Judge Merchan should tell the jury it must find Trump acted willfully in order to convict.
The district attorney’s office argued the jury must find Trump acted unlawfully, not necessarily criminally.
Trump was alert and attentive at the start of this afternoon’s session, whispering to his attorney Todd Blanche. Now his eyes are closed.
Judge Merchan, ticking through each of the proposed edits to the jury instructions, appears to be focused on making sure the instructions are clear and understandable for the jury.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for the jury,” he said.
May 21, 2:37 PM Judge declines to tell jury about lack of contribution limits
Judge Merchan declined to add a sentence to the jury charge that there was no limit on Trump’s personal contributions to his political campaign in 2015 and 2016.
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that the line would have told the jury that Trump “could have paid this out of his personal expenses without issue.”
But prosecutors argued that the line was “extraneous” because Trump made the Stormy Daniels payment reimbursement from the Trump Organization, not out of his personal funds.
“It has nothing to do with the case,” Colangelo said.
May 21, 2:30 PM Defense argues prosecutors have failed to show criminality
Defense attorney Emil Bove began the conference by arguing for a jury instruction describing the alleged conspiracy as civil, not criminal.
According to Bove, prosecutors have failed to show that the alleged conspiracy had a criminal object.
“It’s only a crime if it has a criminal object,” Bove said. “To be a criminal conspiracy, there must be a criminal object.”
May 21, 2:24 PM Parties are back in court for pre-charge conference
Judge Merchan is back on the bench, and the parties — including Trump — are seated at the counsel tables for the pre-charge conference that will help determine the jury instructions.
Trump, seated next to attorney Susan Necheles, has a pile of papers in front of him.
May 21, 2:17 PM ‘This next couple hours is very important,’ Trump says
Donald Trump, addressing the media ahead of this afternoon’s pre-charge conference, told reporters, “This next couple of hours is very important.”
Judge Juan Merchan is preparing to hear arguments from attorneys regarding the instructions the judge will provide jurors about the law and evidence in the case when the jury begins deliberating next week.
Trump declined to answer questions from the reporters about why he decided not to testify in the case, and whether he is nervous about a possible conviction.
May 21, 10:35 AM Judge will hold pre-charge conference this afternoon
Judge Merchan asked the parties to return to the courtroom at 2:15 p.m. ET. for the previously scheduled pre-charge conference.
It will provide an opportunity for the parties to weigh in on the instructions Merchan will provide the jury about the law and evidence in the case.
Trump and his entourage then filed out of the courtroom.
May 21, 10:23 AM Judge adjourns proceedings until next Tuesday
Following the defense resting its case, Judge Juan Merchan told the parties that “summations will not be quick” and that they “will take at least a day.” Jury instructions will then take at least an hour, he said.
“At the end of the day, I think the best thing we can do is to adjourn now until next Tuesday. At that time you will hear summations from the attorneys,” Merchan said.
Merchan says that deliberations could begin as early as next Wednesday.
Merchan told the jury he opted to delay the summations because of this week’s abbreviated schedule and his belief that “it’s always ideal or best not to break up summations.”
Trump’s eyes were closed, his head titled back, as Merchan instructed the jury to return on Tuesday.
The jury then left the courtroom.
May 21, 10:15 AM Defense rests its case following Costello testimony
“You still have a lot of animosity against Michael Cohen,” prosecutor Susan Cohen Hoffinger asked Michael Cohen’s then-legal adviser Robert Costello after displaying emails from 2018.
“I don’t have animosity but –,” Costello replied before being cut off.
“Yes or no,” Hoffinger said.
Hoffinger then asked Costello bluntly if he was trying to “intimidate” Cohen regarding his 2018 congressional testimony.
“Intimidate Michael Cohen?” Costello asked incredulously.
“Yes, that’s my question,” Hoffinger repeated firmly.
“Ridiculous, no,” Costello responded.
Hoffinger then concluded her cross-examination, which was followed by a brief redirect.
“Your honor, the defense rests,” the defense team told Judge Merchan.
Former President Trump did not end up taking the stand in his own defense.
May 21, 10:06 AM Jurors see Costello emails critical of Cohen
Seeking to painting a picture of the machinations behind what Michael Cohen called a “pressure campaign” to keep him in the Trump fold as investigators closed in on him, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger displayed an email from Michael Cohen’s then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello’s law partner in which Costello wrote that Cohen “continues to slow play us and the president — is he totally nuts???”
“I am in a golf tournament tomorrow early and again on Sunday. What should I say to this a—— ? He is playing with the most powerful man on the planet,” Costello wrote.
“That email certainly speaks for itself, does it not, Mr. Costello?” Hoffiner asked.
“Yes it does,” Costello said.
Costello insisted that he was not working to advance Trump’s interests and denied the suggestion that he “lost control” of Cohen.
May 21, 9:55 AM Costello email discussed getting ‘Cohen on the right page’
Prosecutors displayed an email from Michael Cohen’s then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello’s law partner Jeffrey Citron from Aug. 8, 2018, in which Costello shared a link to a Fox News story about Rudy Giuliani joining Trump’s legal team.
“All the more reason for Cohen to hire me because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned to him in our meeting,” he wrote.
In another email, Costello said, “Our issue is to get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instructions from Giuliani or the President. In my opinion this is the clear correct strategy.”
Questioned on the witness stand about that email, Costello told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he wanted “to get everybody on the same page because Michael Cohen had been complaining incessantly that Rudy Giuliani, was making statements in the press that Michael Cohen didn’t approve of.”
Costello told Hoffinger he has other emails clarifying that, “which I’d be delighted to tell you.”
“That’s all right,” Hoffinger replied snarkily.
The gallery laughed, prompting a court officer to yell “Quiet!”
May 21, 9:43 AM Costello’s cross-examination already appearing tense
Only a few minutes into prosecutor Susan Hoffinger’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen’s former legal adviser Robert Costello, their exchanges are already sounding tense.
Hoffinger attempted to confirm that Costello boasted about his relationship with Rudy Giuliani, but Costello denied he did so during his first meeting with Cohen.
“You are quoting from an email that is much later,” Costello said.
“I am not quoting from an email,” Hoffinger replied.
Hoffinger then asked Costello about his relationship with Giuliani.
“He’s been to your wedding?” Hoffinger asked.
“Yes he was,” Costello said.
May 21, 9:35 AM Costello retakes the stand
“Let’s get the witness please,” Judge Juan Merchan said after taking the bench.
Michael Cohen’s one-time legal adviser Robert Costello entered the courtroom and took the witness stand to continue his cross-examination.
“Good Morning, Mr. Costello. Welcome back,” Judge Merchan said.
May 21, 9:28 AM Trump, Don Jr. are in the courtroom
Former President Trump has arrived in the courtroom.
His son Don Jr., accompanying him to this trial for the first time, is seated in the front row of the gallery.
May 21, 9:21 AM Trump, prosecutors arrive for proceedings
The prosecution team has entered the courtroom for today’s proceedings.
Former President Trump has arrived at the courthouse.
May 21, 8:28 AM Trump not expected to testify, sources say
Former President Trump is not expected to take the stand in his criminal hush money trial, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
It’s possible that Trump could make a last-minute decision to testify, so sources caution that nothing is final until the defense rests its case.
Trump’s lawyers have indicated publicly that Robert Costello, Michael Cohen’s one-time legal adviser, is expected to be their last witness before they rest their case today.
May 21, 8:14 AM Trump’s son Don Jr. expected to attend trial
Former President Donald Trump is expected to be joined by his son Don Jr. in court today.
It would mark the first time Don Jr. has attended the trial.
As has been the case over the last several days in court, a number of Republican lawmakers are expected to attend today’s proceedings in support of Trump.
May 21, 7:29 AM Costello to resume testimony, defense expected to rest its case
A day after Judge Judge Juan Merchan threatened to remove him from the witness stand, former federal prosecutor Robert Costello will resume his testimony this morning as the second witness in Donald Trump’s defense case.
Costello is expected to be the final defense witness before Trump’s lawyers rest their case today.
Yesterday, Costello told jurors about his meetings and phone calls with Michael Cohen in 2018 after FBI agents raided his office and hotel room. Costello advised Cohen and helped pass messages to the Trump, according to Cohen, but never formally represented him as his lawyer.
“Michael Cohen said, numerous times, that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he repeated that numerous times,” Costello testified about the hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels that sits at the center of the case.
Cohen told the jury that he lied to Costello about Trump’s involvement in the scheme to use hush-money payments to hide information from voters.
Costello’s reactions to Judge Merchan after taking the stand yesterday afternoon — responding “jeez” to a sustained objection, rolling his eyes at the judge, and appearing to staring him down — prompted Merchan to clear the courtroom before threatening to remove Costello from the witness stand.
While defense lawyers suggested yesterday that they would not call Trump to the witness stand, they will likely have to confirm a final decision about the defendant’s testimony — or lack thereof — before they rest their case.
Judge Merchan has scheduled a charge conference at 2:15 p.m. ET to hear arguments over how to instruct the jury about the law in the case.
(NEW YORK) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its highest-ever early-season hurricane forecast for the upcoming hurricane season.
All categories of storms are expected to exceed the typical number seen every year, National Weather Service forecasters announced Thursday in a news conference for the 2024 hurricane outlook.
NOAA scientists predict between 17 and 25 named storms, compared to an average of 14; between eight and 13 hurricanes, compared to an average of seven; and between four and seven major hurricanes, compared to an average of three.
A major hurricane is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Near record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and a developing La Niña system that will reduce wind shear in the western Atlantic will likely contribute to the increased number of storms.
In addition, an above-average African monsoon season will help initiate thunderstorms over Africa that will eventually form into tropical systems in the Atlantic.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The peak of the season typically occurs around Sept. 10, according to NOAA.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Continued severe weather threat on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — Four people were killed and at least 35 were injured after a powerful tornado devastated Greenfield, Iowa, state police announced Wednesday.
Officials in Iowa’s Adair County made the announcement about 24 hours after the twister hit the small town of Greenfield.
The names and ages of those killed in the severe weather event are not being released at this time, officials said.
Over the past 24 hours, tornadoes have been reported in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Minnesota — with a majority of the reports stemming from Iowa.
According to the National Weather Service, at least 21 of the 26 reported tornadoes spawned by severe weather on Tuesday struck Iowa between 5:44 p.m. and 11 p.m. CT.
“It’s just gut-wrenching. It’s horrific. It’s hard to describe until you can actually see it, the devastation,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a news conference in Greenfield Wednesday morning.
She said that much of the town of Greenfield was flattened in Tuesday’s severe weather event.
The tornado that struck Greenfield was preliminarily confirmed by the National Weather Service as an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum wind speeds reaching 135 mph.
The Adair County Memorial Hospital, which serves Greenfield, sustained tornado damage, one official said Tuesday night, but workers still managed to treat patients and transport some to nearby hospitals for further care.
On Wednesday, the hospital released a statement saying the damage from the tornado required staff and patients to be evacuated from the facility.
The hospital will remain closed for weeks, if not months, to assess the damage and repair the building, according to the statement.
Neither staff nor patients were injured during the storm, according to hospital officials.
State Rep. Ray Sorensen, who represents Greenfield, said he was painting at a church when the tornado struck around 3 p.m. Tuesday and rushed into town to find numerous homes damaged or completely demolished and nearly all of the historic trees in Greenfield uprooted and stripped of limbs.
“It’s a completely different town now,” Sorensen said.
But he said that when he arrived at the scene of the devastation, people were already clearing the streets of debris to make way for emergency vehicles and helping those injured get medical attention at a makeshift triage center at a lumber yard.
“Everybody became little makeshift ambulances,” Sorensen said. “We pulled a guy from the rubble and put him on a little makeshift stretcher that we made, threw him in the back of a truck of a guy that isn’t even from Iowa and we just made our way to the lumber yard, which was the makeshift hospital.”
At least 329 severe storms were reported Tuesday through the nation’s midsection from Texas to Michigan, even up in New England.
More severe weather is on the way. The highest threat for tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail will be in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, including major cities such as Dallas, Waco, Abilene, Little Rock and Shreveport.
Some damaging winds could also develop in Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Rochester.
Severe weather is also expected to stretch into Thursday as the Memorial Day weekend gets underway. Dangerous weather is expected on Thursday through large parts of the Heartland and parts of the South from South Dakota to Texas and east to Tennessee.
Temple City, Texas, which is located between Austin and Waco, issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday night. The Wilson Recreation Center in the area was turned into a makeshift shelter, officials said on Facebook.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued tornado watches for parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Nearly the entire state of Iowa was under a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” according to the National Weather Service, which issued several tornado warnings before the town of Greenfield was slammed by a funnel cloud.
Gov. Reynolds authorized a proclamation of disaster emergency for 15 counties across the state. On Wednesday, she said the state will ask President Joe Biden to approve federal disaster relief.
The counties include Adair, Adams, Cass, Clay, Hardin, Harrison, Jasper, Kossuth, Marshall, Montgomery, Page, Palo Alto, Pottawattamie, Tama and Warren.
Several videos obtained by ABC affiliate station WOI-DT in Des Moines captured a large funnel cloud on the ground in Greenfield.
On Tuesday, WOI reporter Dana Searles, surveying the damage in Des Moines, said, “This small community has a big chunk destroyed, but about half of it is still intact. From what I’ve seen, I’d estimate that maybe 75% of it is near to the ground right now.”
In Yuma, in northeast Colorado, hail ranging from golf ball to softball size pummeled the area, causing damage to cars and buildings. At one point, the hail was so deep it caused multiple vehicles to get stuck, JJ Unger, a volunteer Yuma firefighter, told ABC News Tuesday.
“It was like a blizzard hitting for a half hour because of the hail,” Unger said. “That’s the longest I’ve seen it hail like that.”
Unger said he and his fire crew were out spotting for possible tornadoes Monday evening when lightning struck.
“It was very intense,” said Unger, adding that he and his crew had to pull over and seek shelter as visibility went to almost zero.
Unger said that when the hail finally let up, a foot of hail was covering his fire engine and roads in the area.
He said the windshields of his pickup truck and his wife’s vehicle were shattered.
“Almost every home in town has broken windows and I’ve heard that over a thousand cars were damaged,” Unger said.
In Nebraska, hail measuring two inches in diameter fell in Dundy County in the southwest corner of the state, according to local emergency management officials. Winds of over 90 mph were also reported.
More than half a foot of rain was recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday, producing major flash flooding in the area.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a package found at the Republican National Committee’s Washington, D.C., headquarters Wednesday.
The package was addressed to former President Donald Trump and allegedly contained vials of blood, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The U.S. Capitol Police said they temporarily locked down the location around 7:45 a.m. after they received a call about the package.
Officers arrived on the scene around 7:50 a.m. after the package was found, according to police.
Secret Service members were called in to assist with the investigation, the agency said.
“The package contained vials of liquid suspected to be blood, and the packaging and contents were collected for further testing,” USSS Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stohler said in a statement.
The Secret Service did not officially disclose who the package was addressed to, but Stohler said it was “addressed to a Secret Service protectee.”
Police lifted the lockdown shortly after the package was removed. An investigation into the incident and the package’s source is ongoing, according to police.
The RNC thanked officers for their swift work.
“The lockdown has been cleared and staff has resumed their office duties because we remain unintimidated and undeterred in our efforts to elect President Trump to the White House,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement.
During her daily briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the incident was “concerning” and condemned political threats.
(NEW YORK) — Wednesday was another day of severe weather across the country with more than 200 severe storm reports from New York to Texas.
Wednesday’s severe weather included three reported tornadoes in Texas, with some of the worst damage in Bell County between Austin and Waco.
So far, 2024 has been the most active tornado season to date since 2017 with 859 tornadoes reported so far.
On Friday, more severe weather is forecast for a huge part of the Heartland from the Dakotas all the way south to Texas, including the major cities of Dallas, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Omaha and Fargo.
Damaging winds and large hail will be the biggest threat on Friday but the possibility of a few potential tornadoes cannot be ruled out from northern Texas to Nebraska.
On Friday, severe weather can be expected from Dallas to Chicago with damaging winds and hail being the biggest possible threat.
On Saturday, severe weather is forecast from Dallas to Lincoln, Nebraska, and a tornado threat is expected to increase as we head into the holiday weekend once again.
Looking ahead, severe weather could also continue into Sunday and possibly this Memorial Day Monday.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in California have discovered more than 1,400 packages of methamphetamine worth over $18 million inside a shipment of squash, officials said.
The discovery happened early Monday morning at approximately 6:47 a.m. when CBP officers working at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California encountered a 44-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment of squash, CBP officials said in a statement released on Wednesday detailing the seizure.
“The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was referred for further examination by CBP officers along with the tractor-trailer and shipment,” CBP said. “In secondary, non-intrusive scanning technology was utilized to conduct a full scan of the tractor trailer. After examination, irregularities were observed and CBP officers requested a CBP human and narcotics detection canine. The canine team responded and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.”
In total, CBP officers discovered 1,419 packages of methamphetamine concealed within the shipment of squash with the total weight of the narcotics being 11,469 pounds — an estimated street value of $18,350,400, according to CBP.
“Our officers’ commitment to duty, excellence, and the safety of our nation is truly commendable. These results serve as an outstanding display of effectiveness in thwarting the illegal importation of narcotics,” stated Rosa E. Hernandez, Otay Mesa Area Port Director. “Their exceptional efforts truly embody the highest standards of service.”
CBP officers seized the narcotics, commercial tractor and the trailer. The driver was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation for further investigation.
These seizures are the result of Operation Apollo, CBP said, which is a “holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on October 26, 2023 in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024. Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships, and utilizes local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to boost resources, increase collaboration, and target the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States.”
An estimated minimum of 150 people die, on average, every day from drug overdoses related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our officers’ commitment to duty, excellence, and the safety of our nation is truly commendable,” stated Rosa E. Hernandez, Otay Mesa Area Port Director.
