Actor Jonathan Majors to be sentenced Monday in domestic violence case

Actor Jonathan Majors to be sentenced Monday in domestic violence case
Actor Jonathan Majors to be sentenced Monday in domestic violence case
Actor Jonathan Majors leaves the courthouse following closing arguments in Majors’ domestic violence trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on December 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Actor Jonathan Majors is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday after a jury found him guilty late last year of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend.

His sentencing had been postponed two months after his attorneys filed a motion to set aside his conviction in February. A Manhattan criminal court judge denied the motion last week, allowing the sentencing to move forward.

Majors, 34, was convicted of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment, but acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict following a trial in December 2023.

The mixed verdict signaled the jury believed Majors recklessly assaulted his ex-girlfriend but did not intentionally do so.

He faces up to a year in jail on the two counts.

The charges stemmed from a March 2023 altercation with his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in a for-hire SUV in Manhattan.

Jabbari testified during the trial that she tried to grab his phone after seeing a message pop up saying, “I wish I was kissing you.” She described in court Majors pulling her right hand behind her back while holding the phone in her left.

“It just felt like he was twisting my arm and my hand and trying to make me feel pain,” she said in court.

Prosecutors said Jabbari fractured her finger and showed jurors photos taken by police of her injuries, including a cut to her ear and the bruised and swollen finger.

Majors declined to testify in his defense during the trial. In a sit-down interview with ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis in January, his first after his conviction, he denied twisting her arm and causing those injuries.

“She went to grab the phone. I held the phone. I pulled the phone back. She came on top of me, squeezed my face, slapped me. That’s all I remember,” he said.

Jabbari sued the actor for defamation and other alleged injuries last month, according to the civil complaint.

She is seeking damages for physical injuries she said she suffered as a result of the incident. She also claimed Majors committed “intentional infliction of emotional distress” against her and “made knowingly false statements” about her during the interview with Davis, according to the civil complaint.

Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement to ABC News following the filing that he is preparing counterclaims against Jabbari.

Majors played the role of Kang in several Marvel films and TV shows, including the Disney+ series Loki, and was set to return to the role in Avengers: Kang Dynasty, slated for a 2026 release date.

Following the verdict, Marvel dropped Majors from future productions as the Marvel villain.

He was nominated for an Emmy for his lead role in the 2020 HBO series Lovecraft Country.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Marvel.

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Witnesses in Trump’s hush money trial likely to include former members of his inner circle, sources say

Witnesses in Trump’s hush money trial likely to include former members of his inner circle, sources say
Witnesses in Trump’s hush money trial likely to include former members of his inner circle, sources say
Madeleine Westerhout watches as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with North Korean defectors in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Feb. 2, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — To try to prove their criminal hush money case against former President Donald Trump, prosecutors in New York are expected to rely on several witnesses who are or were part of Trump’s inner circle, including his longtime assistant, Rhona Graff, his former director of Oval Office operations, Madeleine Westerhout, and longtime trusted aide, Hope Hicks, sources familiar with the case told ABC News.

The sources said prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office are also expected to call Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the Trump Organization’s accounting department, and Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization’s former controller, as well as Trump’s former attorney and so-called “fixer,” Michael Cohen. McConney is also expected to testify in Trump’s defense, sources said.

Other former Trump aides who appeared before the grand jury that probed the case are not expected to be called as trial witnesses, including Trump’s longtime adviser Kellyanne Conway, the sources said.

Westerhout — who also served as Trump’s executive assistant for the first two-and-a-half years of his presidency — was subpoenaed to testify by the Manhattan district attorney, according to her lawyer Jason Wright. He told ABC News that Westerhout does not know when or if she will be called to the witness stand.

Prosecutors have not publicly released a witness list, and the sources cautioned the decision to call someone to testify is subject to change before the trial, which is set to begin April 15. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment to ABC News about the prospective witnesses. Lawyers for the other potential witnesses either declined to comment or did not return requests for comment.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election.

“It’s a disgrace that it can happen,” Trump said last month. “This was a case could have been brought three and a half years ago, and they decided to wait now just during the election so that I won’t be able to campaign.”

Former American Media Inc. executive David Pecker is also expected to testify, and National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard could also be a prosecution witness, sources said. Both played an integral role in what prosecutors say was a “scheme” to “catch and kill” negative stories about Trump during his first campaign for president.

“[Pecker] agreed to help with the Defendant’s campaign, saying that he would act as the ‘eyes and ears’ for the campaign by looking out for negative stories about the Defendant and alerting [Cohen] before the stories were published,” prosecutors alleged in a filing.

Attorneys for Trump have hammered at the credibility of prosecution witnesses, including Cohen, in recent court filings.

“Cohen is not a truth teller, he is a serial liar,” defense lawyers wrote in a February motion to argue that the judge should limit testimony from Cohen, Daniels and others.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the federal probes into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is also relying on some of Trump’s closest aides, advisers and allies to build those two criminal cases. The indictments in both of those cases are structured using the words of people around Trump during his waning days in office.

In the New York case, the sources also said both Daniels and Karen McDougal — a former Playboy model who received a $150,000 payment from AMI for rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump — are also expected to testify at trial. Trump has denied having affairs with both McDougal and Daniels.

“I’m absolutely ready. I’ve been ready,” Daniels told ABC’s The View last month. “I relish the day that I get to face him and speak my truth.”

Dino Sajudin, a former doorman who was paid $30,000 to stay quiet after shopping claims, later discredited, that Trump had a love child with a building employee, was a prospective witness in the case but is no longer expected to testify at the trial, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In a ruling last month, Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan cleared the way for witnesses including Daniels, McDougal and Sajudin to testify because their actions “flow directly from the 2015 meeting at Trump Tower where Pecker, Cohen” and Trump agreed to the catch-and-kill scheme, the judge said.

“[T]he evidence and testimony surrounding these individuals is inextricably intertwined with the narrative of events and is necessary background for the Jury,” Merchan wrote.

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Suspect nabbed in arson fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s office

Suspect nabbed in arson fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s office
Suspect nabbed in arson fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s office
Suspect Shant Soghomonian, 35, was arrested for setting fire outside Sen. Bernie Sander’s office in Burlington, Vermont, on April 5, 2024. — Credit: Burlington Police

(BURLINGTON, Vt.) — Federal charges were filed Sunday against a 35-year-old man who allegedly set fire to the door of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office in Burlington, Vermont, while staff was working inside, police and prosecutors said.

Shant Soghomonian, formerly of Northridge, California, was arrested on Sunday after investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage that captured him allegedly spraying a liquid on the outer door of Sanders’ office in downtown Burlington, U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest said in a statement.

The fire unfolded around 10:45 a.m. Friday outside Sanders’ third-floor Church Street office, which is in a building that is also used in interstate commerce, Kerest said.

Sanders was not at the office at the time of the blaze, authorities said.

“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department.

The Burlington Fire Department fire crews quickly responded to the fire and extinguished the flames, officials said.

“Along with fire damage to Senator Sanders’s door and vestibule, water from the sprinkler systems caused significant damage to that space and other areas of the building,” police said.

Surveillance video, according to police, showed the suspect entering the building and proceeding to the third floor.

“Soghomonian was recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter. A blaze quickly began while Soghomonian departed via a staircase,” Kerest said.

Soghomonian, who also goes by the name Michael Soghomonian, was arrested after police released surveillance photos of the suspect and asked for the public’s help in identifying him, according to police.

A motive for the incident remains under investigation, according to police.

The suspect was charged with using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce and as a place of activity affecting interstate commerce, according to a federal complaint.

If convicted of the charges, Soghomonian could be sentenced to 5 to 20 years in federal prison and face a fine of up to $250,000, according to Kerest.

It was unclear Sunday whether Soghomonian has hired an attorney. The suspect is awaiting his first court appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, officials said.

“I am deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday,” Sanders said in a statement. “I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured. I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times.”

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Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after ‘mechanical issue,’ airline says

Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after ‘mechanical issue,’ airline says
Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after ‘mechanical issue,’ airline says
Lisa C

A Southwest Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing Sunday morning after the engine cover detached during takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which had been scheduled to fly from Denver to Houston, landed safely back at Denver International Airport just after 8:00 a.m. and was towed to the gate, according to the airport and airline.

According to the FAA, which is now investigating the incident, crew members aboard the flight said “the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap.”

In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the flight “landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue.” Customers were rebooked on other flights, and maintenance teams are now inspecting the plane, the airline said.

Footage taken by some passengers showed what appeared to be part of the plane hanging off and flapping in the breeze.

“It all blew away,” one person can be heard saying in a video taken by passenger Lisa C., after which several people on board can be heard breaking out in cheers as the plane touches back down.

The engine cowling “peeled off within the first 10 minutes” of the flight, Lisa C. told ABC News.

“We all felt kind of a bump, a jolt, and I looked out the window because I love window seats, and there it was,” she said.

Another passenger, Cooper Glass, told ABC News the experience was “frightening.”

“People in the exit row across from me started yelling up to the flight attendants and showed them the damage,” Glass said.

Glass praised the pilot, whom he said “did a great job on landing.”

ABC News’ Sam Sweeney, Samira Said, and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.

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Suspect in fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s Vermont office hit with federal charges

Suspect in fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s Vermont office hit with federal charges
Suspect in fire at Sen. Bernie Sander’s Vermont office hit with federal charges
WVNY

Federal charges were filed Sunday against a 35-year-old man who allegedly set fire to the door of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office in Burlington, Vermont, while staff was working inside, police and prosecutors said.

Shant Soghomonian, formerly of Northridge, California, was arrested on Sunday after investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage that captured him allegedly spraying a liquid on the outer door of Sanders’ office in downtown Burlington, U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest said in a statement.

The fire unfolded around 10:45 a.m. Friday outside Sanders’ third-floor Church Street office, which is in a building that is also used in interstate commerce, Kerest said.

Sanders was not at the office at the time of the blaze, authorities said.

“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department.

The Burlington Fire Department fire crews quickly responded to the fire and extinguished the flames, officials said.

“Along with fire damage to Senator Sanders’s door and vestibule, water from the sprinkler systems caused significant damage to that space and other areas of the building,” police said.

Surveillance video, according to police, showed the suspect entering the building and proceeding to the third floor.

“Soghomonian was recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter. A blaze quickly began while Soghomonian departed via a staircase,” Kerest said.

Soghomonian, who also goes by the name Michael Soghomonian, was arrested after police released surveillance photos of the suspect and asked for the public’s help in identifying him, according to police.

A motive for the incident remains under investigation, according to police.

The suspect was charged with using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce and as a place of activity affecting interstate commerce, according to a federal complaint.

If convicted of the charges, Soghomonian could be sentenced to 5 to 20 years in federal prison and face a fine of up to $250,000, according to Kerest.

It was unclear Sunday whether Soghomonian has hired an attorney. The suspect is awaiting his first court appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, officials said.

“I am deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday,” Sanders said in a statement. “I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured. I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times.”

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$1.326 billion Powerball jackpot won in Oregon, lottery says

.326 billion Powerball jackpot won in Oregon, lottery says
$1.326 billion Powerball jackpot won in Oregon, lottery says
WABC

A single ticket sold in Oregon won Saturday’s $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot, the lottery said.

The numbers drawn for Saturday night’s jackpot were 22, 27, 44, 52 and 69, with a powerball of 9, the lottery said.

The winner will have the option to take a cash payment of $621 million, Powerball said.

The drawing had been delayed, due to a participating lottery needing to “complete required pre-draw procedures,” Powerball said earlier.

“Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn. This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process,” a statement from Powerball read.

The Powerball jackpot had ballooned to an estimated $1.3 billion ahead of Saturday night’s drawing after a record-tying streak with no jackpot winner.

The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been won since Jan. 1, when a ticket sold in Michigan claimed a $842.4 million jackpot.

Saturday sees the 41st drawing in the current jackpot run — which ties the lottery game’s record for most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. Only two other previous Powerball jackpot runs have reached 41 drawings, before someone won the grand prize, according to Powerball.

The estimated $1.3 billion jackpot is the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and the eighth-largest overall when factoring in Mega Millions jackpots.

If a player wins the Powerball jackpot Saturday night, they can choose between an estimated lump-sum, pre-tax payment of $608.9 million or annual payouts of the $1.3 billion, also pre-tax — starting with one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.

Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Baltimore Ravens, Orioles donate $10 million to Key Bridge relief fund

Baltimore Ravens, Orioles donate  million to Key Bridge relief fund
Baltimore Ravens, Orioles donate $10 million to Key Bridge relief fund
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

(BALTIMORE) — The Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles announced they have donated $10 million towards a fund for those impacted by the collapse of the city’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The National Football League and Major League Baseball teams contributed $5 million each to the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund that is providing support to families, port workers, small businesses, first responders and the communities impacted by last month’s disaster.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a joint statement released on Friday, “Our heartfelt condolences are with the victims of this tragedy and their families.”

He added, “We are thankful to our first responders for their bravery and tireless work. The Ravens are honored to support the Francis Scott Key Bridge recovery efforts and affected Maryland families and businesses. We are confident that Baltimore and Maryland will keep displaying tremendous spirit and strength during this time of great need.”

Six construction workers were killed when a cargo ship slammed into the Baltimore bridge in the early hours of March 26, causing a near total collapse of the span in the Port of Baltimore. The bodies of three workers have been recovered while three others remain missing.

“Under the leadership of Governor Wes Moore, and in collaboration with the Ravens, the Orioles offer this contribution to support those who keep our city, our state, and our country in business,” Orioles owner David M. Rubenstein said.

Rubenstein added, “The resiliency of our city has once again been sorely tested.”

The Orioles owner honored first responders during the third inning of the opening day game with the Los Angeles Angels last week.

The Baltimore Community Foundation, which is organizing the fund, is behind one of the largest efforts in the city to ensure that Baltimore residents can safely donate money to a secure fund.

President Joe Biden on Friday repeated his intention for the federal government to cover the entire cost of rebuilding the Key Bridge, calling on Congress to authorize that effort “as soon as possible.”

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Security guard killed, officer and 6 others injured in Florida shooting

Security guard killed, officer and 6 others injured in Florida shooting
Security guard killed, officer and 6 others injured in Florida shooting
Oliver Helbig/Getty Images/STOCK

(DORAL, Fla.) — A security guard was shot dead and a responding officer and six others suffered gunshot wounds, after an altercation early Saturday at a Miami-area “commercial establishment” broke out and a person pulled out a firearm, according to Doral Police. The suspect is dead as well.

During the fight, the suspect produced a firearm and shot and killed a security guard, who was working at the time.

Police said they responded to the scene and a gun fight broke out. Two officers discharged their firearms during the incident, one officer was shot and the suspect was killed.

Six other bystanders were struck by gunfire and transported to area hospitals in various conditions, according to police.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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College student hailed a hero after he took control of bus after crash

College student hailed a hero after he took control of bus after crash
College student hailed a hero after he took control of bus after crash
Mississippi Highway Patrol

(HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss.) — A University of South Carolina student is being hailed a hero after he took control of a charter bus following a crash Friday in Hancock County, Mississippi, according to authorities.

Eleven people onboard the bus were injured. The driver of the bus, 55-year-old Tina Wilson, and a student were airlifted from the scene in critical condition, according to police.

The charter bus, carrying 56 students from the University of South Carolina, was traveling west on Interstate 10 around 3 p.m. local time when it collided with a center concrete barrier, police said.

“The bus is still moving, now it’s on all wheels on the ground, still moving out of control without a driver,” Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz said. “So heroically the second hero of the day, a young man, a student with Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Paul Clune, grabs that steering wheel and regains control of the bus until it came to a final stop.”

The bus, according to the University of South Carolina, was transporting fraternity members and guests to an event in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Our thoughts go out to the students involved in the accident and those affected by it,” the university said in a statement.

The remaining students at the crash site were transported to a nearby school building, where they arranged for further transportation, police said.

Authorities are not sure what caused the crash, but preliminary information suggests that a mechanical failure may have caused the incident, Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Cal Robertson said.

This crash remains under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

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Body of construction worker missing after Key Bridge collapse recovered: Unified Command

Body of construction worker missing after Key Bridge collapse recovered: Unified Command
Body of construction worker missing after Key Bridge collapse recovered: Unified Command
Courtesy of Family

(BALTIMORE) — The body of one of the four construction workers who remained missing following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse was recovered on Friday, authorities said.

The recovered individual was identified by the Unified Command as 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval. His family has been notified, authorities said.

Unified Command salvage dive teams located what they believed to be the missing construction worker around 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday and notified the Maryland Department of State Police, authorities said. State police deployed a recovery team along with dive teams from law enforcement partners and recovered Suazo-Sandoval.

The father of two migrated from Honduras over 17 years ago, according to Gustavo Torres, the executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a group that works with immigrants. He dreamed of starting a small business and brought joy and humor to his family, Torres told reporters last week.

Suazo-Sandoval was one of six construction workers killed when a cargo ship crashed into the Baltimore bridge early on March 26, causing a near-total collapse of the span in the Port of Baltimore.

The bodies of two workers were covered a day after the collapse. Divers found them trapped in a red pickup truck that was submerged in approximately 25 feet of water near the middle span of the bridge, Maryland State Police said.

The workers were identified by police as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, a native of Mexico who lived in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, a native of Guatemala who lived in Dundalk, Maryland.

Three workers remain missing and are presumed dead. They include Miguel Luna, a father of five from Usulutan, California, in El Salvador, his family told ABC News.

A 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, in Guatemala, and a worker from Mexico also remain missing, according to their respective country’s foreign ministry.

“There are families still waiting to hear if we have found their loved one,” Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, said in a statement on Friday. “I can promise you, we are fully committed to finding closure for each of these families.”

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the recovery of the third victim “brings us one step closer to closure,” though added that “my heart continues to be with all the families still waiting anxiously for their loved ones.”

“I am grateful for the first responders who have maintained focus on recovering the remaining victims and continued their work to clear the channel with the utmost care,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to do everything in our power to support these families, and provide whatever they need to persevere through this unthinkable tragedy.”

The recovery of the victim occurred the same day that President Joe Biden visited the site of the collapse.

Biden thanked first responders for their efforts and later was scheduled to meet with family members of the six workers killed in the bridge disaster.

“They were hard workers laboring in the middle of the night to repair potholes on a bridge that tens of thousands of travelers crossed every day,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Thursday.

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