National

(NEW YORK) — Residents of the Big Apple won’t be walking in a winter wonderland any time soon, but a light dusting of snowfall overnight means the record for the latest snow in a season now stands as Feb. 1, 2023.

The latest measurable snowfall ever recorded during a winter season in New York City — was broken Monday, and the city remained snowless until the early morning hours of Wednesday, when 4/10 of an inch of snow fell in Central Park, according to the National Weather Service.

Previously, the latest snowfall in the 154 years of record-keeping was Jan. 29, 1973, during the 1972-73 winter, according to the National Weather Service.

New York City also approached its longest streak without measurable snow, with the previous record at 332 days, occurring from Jan. 19, 2020 to Dec. 15, 2020.

The last time there was measurable snow in New York City was on March 9 of last year, when .4 inches was measured in Central Park. That record would have been broken had the city remained snowless until Feb. 5.

Storm systems moving into the Northeast on Jan. 25 brought along a chance of measurable snow in New York City, but the precipitation changed to rain after only a trace of snow had fallen, according to the NWS.

While brief flurries and snow showers have fallen occasionally this winter in New York City, accumulation of at least 0.1 inches must be recorded for it to be considered measurable snowfall by the NWS.

January has been relatively mild in New York City this year — normally a time when it should be racking up the coldest temperatures. As temperatures remain far above freezing, any precipitation will fall as rain.

Other major cities east of the Colorado Rockies are also experiencing record or near-record warmth. The least amount of snow in 16 years has fallen in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which is experiencing its warmest year on record.

Measurable snow has not fallen in Philadelphia, which is experiencing its second-warmest winter on record. Baltimore is also experiencing a snow drought this winter, its warmest on record.

Milwaukee; Detroit; Portland, Maine; Worcester, Massachusetts; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Norfolk, Virginia, are just a handful of the dozens of cities in the U.S. experiencing their warmest January on record.

The same can’t be said for Empire State residents in upstate New York.

Record-breaking amounts of snow fell just before the Christmas weekend, killing dozens of people.

The storm, described as the “blizzard of the century” by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, led to nearly 52 inches of snowfall and 39 deaths.

ABC News’ Melissa Griffin and Max Golembo contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — A massive ice storm is freezing Texas and the southern United States on Wednesday.

Some 60 million people in 22 states — from New Mexico to Maine — are on alert for dangerously cold weather, ice and flooding.

Freezing rain and sleet are in the forecast from Texas to Tennessee, before slowly transitioning into just rain as temperatures warm up late Wednesday into Thursday.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Feb 01, 9:55 AM EST
Over 250,000 without power in Texas

More than 250,000 customers are without power in Texas on Wednesday morning as a massive ice storm slams the South.

Feb 01, 9:26 AM EST
Latest forecast

The latest weather forecast for Wednesday shows waves of freezing rain and sleet continuing to move through the southern Plains and the Mid-Mississippi River Valley, from western Texas to western Tennessee.

Some areas have already accumulated more than a half an inch of freezing rain, as well as 1 to 2 inches of sleet.

Numerous roads and highways have been shut down, many schools have been closed and state of emergencies have been declared in the South due to the icy storm.

Freezing rain and sleet will continue from Texas to Tennessee, before slowly transitioning into just rain as temperatures warm up late Wednesday into Thursday.

The Texas cities of Austin, Dallas and Midland as well as Arkansas’ capital, Little Rock, can expect to see freezing rain on Wednesday evening at around 7 p.m. CT. That ice will turn into rain the next morning at 6 a.m. CT.

Up to half an inch of additional ice accumulation is in the forecast for these areas.

The brutal cold is not expected to last long, however. Much warmer weather is in the forecast by Sunday and into early next week.

Feb 01, 9:03 AM EST
Over 1,400 flights already canceled nationwide

More than 1,400 flights scheduled for Wednesday nationwide had already been canceled by the morning, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

The list for cancellations included both major airports in Dallas, as well as airports in Austin and Nashville.

Feb 01, 8:56 AM EST
Over 200,000 without power in Texas

More than 200,000 customers were without power in Texas on Wednesday morning, as a massive ice storm slams the South.

Power was out for 231,081 customers across the Lone Star State as of 7:08 a.m. CT, according to data collected by the website PowerOutage.us.

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(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols’ family will gather in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday for his funeral, weeks after the 29-year-old died following a violent encounter with Memphis police officers caught on body camera.

The graphic footage of Nichols’ traffic stop and beating was released to the public on Friday and sparked nationwide outrage. Nichols, a young father who loved skateboarding, died on Jan. 10.

“This video illustrates exactly what happened on those streets that night. This also justifies our son showing that he was no threat to them,” Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told ABC News Live. “We needed the public to see it so that they could make their own judgment.”

Five officers involved in the Jan. 7 traffic stop have been fired and arrested on charges including second-degree murder.

Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said, “I just feel like my son was sent here on an assignment. His assignment was fulfilled and God took him home.”

“That’s what keeps me going, because I’m not going to stop until I get justice by my side,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Memphis for the funeral. Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, will also be in attendance.

The service begins at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Feb 01, 6:11 AM EST
Memphis bridges to be lit up for Tyre Nichols

Two bridges in Memphis will be lit red and gold Wednesday night in honor of Tyre Nichols’ favorite football team, the San Francisco 49ers.

Feb 01, 5:23 AM EST
Vice President Harris to attend

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Memphis, Tennessee, to attend Tyre Nichols’ funeral.

Nichols family attorney Ben Crump said Nichols’ parents spoke with Harris on the phone for over 30 minutes.

Harris and Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, “spoke exclusively, and during this emotional time, the Vice President was able to console Ms. Wells and even help her smile,” Crump said in a statement on Tuesday.

Principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said Tuesday, “When President Biden spoke with Mr. Nichols’ families last week, he told them that he was going to be making the case to Congress to pass the George Floyd justice and policing act.”

Dalton added the administration’s usual caveat that Biden has basically maxed out his executive authorities on the issue, and that Congress needs to act to effect further change.

“President Biden is committed to doing everything in his power to ensure our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment and dignity for all,” she said.

“We need Congress to come together and take action to ensure our justice system lives up to its name,” she added.

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(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Two of the former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols were previously reprimanded for not filing required paperwork after forcibly arresting individuals, ABC News has learned.

ABC News obtained personnel records for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, all of whom were fired from the Memphis Police Department last month before being arrested and charged with several felonies, including second-degree murder.

The records show Mills failed to submit a “Response to Resistance” form after using force to assist other officers with arresting a woman in 2019. According to the case summary, the woman was apparently drunk and resisting arrest, so Mills “grabbed [her] by the arms, taking her down to the ground.” He then “placed her arms behind her back and another officer put handcuffs on her,” the case summary stated. Mills later received a written reprimand for not filling out the “Response to Resistance” form, according to the records.

The records show Haley also failed to submit a “Response to Resistance” form after using force to assist other officers with arresting a woman in 2021. According to the case summary, Haley “grabbed [her] by the arm and turned her around to be handcuff (sic) as she resisted arrest.” He then “helped another officer with putting [her] in the backseat of a squad car,” the case summary stated. The woman blamed one of the other officers on scene for dislocating her shoulder during the encounter. Haley later received a written reprimand for not filling out the “Response to Resistance” form, according to the records.

Haley, Mills, Bean, Martin and Smith were involved in the traffic stop that allegedly led to Nichols’ death last month. Nichols was arrested in Memphis on the evening of Jan. 7, after officers attempted to make a traffic stop for reckless driving near the area of Raines Road and Ross Road, according to separate press releases from the Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A confrontation unfolded as the officers approached Nichols, who ran away. Another confrontation occurred when the officers pursued Nichols and ultimately apprehended him, police said.

After the incident, Nichols “complained of having a shortness of breath” and was transported by ambulance to Memphis’ St. Francis Hospital in critical condition, according to police.

Due to Nichols’ condition, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and TBI special agents were subsequently requested to conduct a use-of-force investigation, according to the TBI.

Nichols “succumbed to his injuries” on Jan. 10, the TBI said.

Local, state and federal authorities continue to investigate the Jan. 7 traffic stop and Nichols’ death.

Video of the incident, comprised of footage from the city’s surveillance cameras and the former officers’ body-worn cameras, was made public last Friday. The graphic video, which shows the officers beating Nichols, has sparked nationwide outrage.

According to a preliminary independent autopsy commissioned by Nichols’ family and released by their lawyers, he suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”

Neither the independent autopsy report nor official autopsy report have been publicly released.

Bean, Haley, Martin, Mills and Smith were part of the SCORPION Unit, an acronym for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods launched in 2021 by the Memphis Police Department. The goal of the unit was created to address violent crimes in the city in a 50-person unit that operates seven days a week. According to the Memphis Police Department, the five former officers violated policies for use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid. Other officers are under investigation for department violations as well.

All five were booked into Shelby County Jail on Jan. 26. Bonds were set at $350,000 for Martin and Haley, and $250,000 for Bean, Mills and Smith, according to a TBI press release. Online jail records show they have since been released after posting bond.

Mills’ lawyer, Blake Ballin, and the attorney for Martin, William Massey, told reporters last month that their clients were “devastated” about the charges and will be pleading not guilty. Although there have been no public announcement of other defense attorneys representing the officers, Ballin and Massey told reporters that all former officers are currently represented.

A funeral for Nichols will be held in Memphis on Wednesday.

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(SAN FRANCISCO) — A mountain lion attack just 40 miles south of San Francisco has left a young child in an unknown condition at a local trauma center.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:50 p.m. Tuesday on the 1000 block of Tunitas Creek Road in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County — which is located about 40 miles west of San Jose, California, and 40 miles south of San Francisco.

Officials from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they were “dispatched to a report of a mountain lion attack and we can confirm a child was transported to a local trauma center after the attack,” according to a statement posted on social media.

Authorities say the child was conscious when they were transported to the hospital but did not elaborate on their condition.

“Our coastal community has endured so much these past few weeks,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement responding to the incident. “Our entire agency is saddened of this news and sends many warm wishes to the child for a speedy and full recovery. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”

Chad Conover, a neighbor of the family whose child was attacked by the mountain lion, told ABC News’ San Francisco station KGO-TV that the situation surprised him.

“They were pretty calm when I pulled up, they’re my neighbors so I asked them if they were okay,” Conover told KGO following the attack. “They said everybody’s fine, but they had to talk to fish and game, and a warden pulled up right as I pulled out. Typically the mountain lions avoid people, so it’s not often you hear about an attack on a human.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are also currently investigating the reported attack and the status of the mountain lion involved is unknown.

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(OMAHA, Neb.) — A man armed with an AR-15-style rifle was shot and killed by police after opening fire in a Target store in Nebraska, authorities said.

No injuries were reported among employees and shoppers at the Omaha store, police said.

Law enforcement officers responded to multiple reports of an active shooter at the west Omaha Target around noon local time on Tuesday, the Omaha Police Department said.

“The first arriving officers went into the building, confronted the suspect and shot him dead,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday.

The suspect, who was described as a white man estimated to be in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Schmaderer said the man entered the store armed with the gun and “plenty of ammunition” and began firing rounds. Police received more than two dozen 911 calls for an active shooter at the store, and multiple shell casings were found at the scene, police said.

The suspect had 13 loaded magazines, according to the police department.

It is unknown at this time if the suspect was firing at anybody, Schmaderer said.

No civilian injuries were reported after police conducted several sweeps of the store, Schmaderer said. A Target spokesperson also confirmed in a statement that all guests and workers had “safely evacuated the store.”

Omaha police thanked “brave” Target employees who recently underwent active shooter training and “assisted in getting shoppers out of the store.”

The store will be closed until further notice, the Target spokesperson said.

“We are partnering with the Omaha PD as we learn more,” the spokesperson said.

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(GRANTS PASS, Ore.) — A man accused of torturing a woman who authorities believe uses dating apps to find victims or people to help him evade police is now in custody following a manhunt, Oregon police said.

“After a several [hourslong] standoff, Benjamin Foster is in custody. A press conference will be held tomorrow with additional information,” the Grants Pass Police Department said Tuesday.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, police said.

He is an “extremely dangerous suspect,” the department warned in an update on Sunday, when Foster was still on the run.

A man police believe to be Foster was spotted walking a small dog in the Grants Pass area Tuesday morning, the department had said.

“It’s essentially an all-hands-on-deck operation,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told ABC News. “We are laser-focused.”

Police began looking for Foster on Jan. 24, after responding to a home in Grants Pass for an assault. At the home, officers found a woman in critical condition who had been “bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness,” police said.

The suspect had already fled the scene before officers arrived but was identified as Foster, of Wolf Creek, police said.

“The scene was horrific,” Hensman told ABC News. “This is a bad man that needs to be captured.”

Hensman told reporters during a press briefing on Jan. 26 that they are still working on a timeline, but said the assault is believed to have occurred over a “protracted period of time.” He would not elaborate on the nature of the suspect’s relationship with the victim.

Amid the manhunt, authorities located Foster’s car and executed a search warrant in a home in Wolf Creek last week. The suspect “evaded capture and likely received assistance in fleeing the area,” police said.

“The investigation has revealed that the suspect is actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into assisting with the suspect’s escape or potentially as additional victims,” police said.

During the search of the home, a 68-year-old woman, Tina Marie Jones, was arrested for allegedly hindering prosecution. She remains in custody at the Josephine County Jail.

The victim, identified by her family as Justine Siemens, was transported to an area hospital and remains on life support.

“She will survive this and as her family, we implore the nation to help bring her attacker to justice,” her family said in a statement.

Foster has been convicted on domestic violence charges for two assaults that occurred within the past five years in Las Vegas, court records show.

In 2019, he was accused of holding his then-girlfriend captive inside her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks, according to an arrest report obtained at the time by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was charged with four counts of battery and two counts of assault, though in August 2021 he pleaded guilty to two of the battery charges as part of a plea deal, online court records show. A judge sentenced him to up to 1.5 years in prison, with credit for the 729 days he had already spent in jail awaiting trial, according to court records.

In August 2021, he reached another plea deal in a 2018 domestic violence case and was sentenced to credit for time served for a misdemeanor battery charge, court records show.

“Am I troubled by what I know already? The answer is yes,” Hensman told reporters when asked about the prior Las Vegas cases. “We’re laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice.”

The Grants Pass Police Department is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Foster in the attempted murder case.

Police described Foster as a 6-foot-tall white man weighing approximately 180 pounds with brown hair, possibly worn in a bun, and blue eyes. Police shared recent photographs of Foster with a beard, though they said he may attempt to change his appearance by shaving his beard and hair or changing his hair color.

“The Grants Pass Police Department asks the public to pay particular attention to Foster’s facial structure and eyes since those features are very difficult to change,” the department said.

Tips for sightings of the suspect “continue to flood into the department, and we are confident this dangerous criminal will soon be captured with the assistance of a concerned citizen,” the department said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Grants Pass Police tip line at 541-237-5607.

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(SANDPOINT, Idaho) — Idaho Fish and Game officials are hunting for answers about why coyotes have been chasing skiers at a resort, even biting one person.

Officials received reports this month that coyotes seen on Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort in North Idaho were chasing skiers as they skied down the slopes in what they describe as “highly unusual coyote behavior.”

One woman suffered minor injuries after a coyote bit her, officials said.

Workers from Idaho Fish and Game and resort staff are working together on a plan to trap and kill the coyotes in the interest of public safety.

Officials said the coyotes are exhibiting unusual behavior because they appear during the day, with two being spotted wandering a business district near downtown Sandpoint, located nearly 500 miles north of Boise.

Officials said that one of the coyotes was captured and killed, while the other remains on the loose.

Coyotes are nocturnal animals and are not usually comfortable around people, making recent incidents unusual, Idaho Fish and Game said.

While an official cause of their behavior is unknown, officials said that it’s unlikely the coyotes have rabies and are most likely acting peculiarly because humans are feeding them.

“When wild animals become habituated to human presence or food sources, they can behave uncharacteristically and become dangerous to people,” Idaho Fish and Game said on its website.

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(DALLAS) — Missing monkeys. Damaged enclosures. An “unusual” death.

The Dallas Zoo has been struck by a string of suspicious incidents in recent weeks that are under criminal investigation.

Here’s a look at what’s unfolded so far:

Jan. 13

A clouded leopard named Nova escaped from its enclosure after its fence was “intentionally cut,” zoo officials said.

The zoo announced that morning it was closed due to a “code blue” — meaning a non-dangerous animal was out of its habitat.

The Dallas Police Department was on-site assisting with the search efforts, and the leopard was eventually located around 4:40 p.m. local time on the zoo grounds near the original habitat.

Amid the search, police and zoo officials said they found a “suspicious opening” in the habitat wall at the front of the exhibit and determined the fence around the animal’s enclosure had been “intentionally cut.”

That same day, investigators discovered a second fence had been similarly cut at a habitat for langur monkeys, police said. No langurs escaped or appeared to be harmed, police said.

Police are investigating both incidents. It is unknown if they are related.

Jan. 21

Zoo officials discovered an endangered vulture dead inside its habitat. The death of the beloved animal — a lappet-faced vulture named Pin — was “unusual” and did not appear to be from natural causes, the zoo said.

A gross necropsy determined that the bird, which was at least 35 years old, suffered from a wound, said zoo officials. Dallas police were notified of the latest “suspicious” incident and are investigating, officials said.

Jan. 23

Dallas Zoo president and CEO Gregg Hudson announced the zoo is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment “with these issues” during a press briefing on Pin’s death.

Hudson also revealed that since the leopard’s escape, the zoo has “substantially increased” its security camera coverage and more than doubled its security presence overnight.

Jan. 30

Two of the zoo’s emperor tamarin monkeys were discovered missing from their habitat, which had been “intentionally compromised,” the zoo said. Zoo officials alerted law enforcement officials about the missing monkeys.

“Based on the Dallas Police Department’s initial assessment, they have reason to believe the tamarins were taken,” the zoo said.

An “intentional cut” was made into the monkey enclosure, said Dallas Police, which is investigating.

Jan. 31

Dallas Police released a photo of an unidentified man they are looking to speak to about the missing tamarin monkeys.

The zoo announced several hours later that Dallas Police had located the monkeys that evening. Dallas Police received a tip that the monkeys may be at an abandoned home in Lancaster, a city in the Dallas area, and responding officers found the animals in a closet in the home shortly before 5 p.m. local time, police said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

The monkeys have been returned to the zoo and will be evaluated by veterinarians. An update will be shared on Feb. 1, zoo officials said.

ABC News’ Teddy Grant, Jon Haworth and Mark Osborne contributed to this report.

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(DALLAS) — Authorities in Dallas are asking for help in locating two missing tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo
Two monkeys that were reported missing from the Dallas Zoo on Monday have been found, zoo officials announced. The Dallas Police Department found the emperor tamarin monkeys on Tuesday and alerted zoo officials.

The zoo’s veterinarians will evaluate the monkeys, according to the zoo.

The missing monkeys was the latest in a series of animal incidents to rock the Dallas Zoo this month, resulting in police seeking the public’s help.

Members of the zoo’s animal care team discovered two emperor tamarin monkeys missing from their habitats, which was “intentionally compromised,” the Dallas Zoo told ABC News in a statement.

Zoo officials alerted law enforcement officials about the missing monkeys, which have yet to be found.

Dallas police issued an image of a person on Tuesday, saying, “Detectives are looking to speak with the man in regard to the two tamarin monkeys missing from the Dallas Zoo.”

“Emperor tamarin monkeys would likely stay close to home — the zoo searched near their habitat and across zoo grounds, and did not locate them,” the Dallas Zoo tweeted Monday. “Based on the Dallas Police Department’s initial assessment, they have reason to believe the tamarins were taken.”

The Dallas Police Department is investigating the incident and said it believes “the animals were intentionally taken from the enclosure.”

“Officers responded and the preliminary investigation determined an intentional cut was made into a tamarin monkey enclosure at the zoo,” the department said in a Monday statement.

This is the second time animals have gone missing from the zoo in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, a clouded leopard escaped her enclosure after her fence was “intentionally cut,” officials said at the time. According to zoo officials, the female leopard, named Nova, was found the same day it went missing. Dallas police launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

In a similar incident this month, the Dallas Police Department opened a criminal investigation after finding a second fence cut inside the langur monkey habitat at the Dallas Zoo.

Despite the cut fence, no langurs escaped their habitat or appeared to be in danger or harmed, Dallas PD said in a press release.

On Jan. 21, zoo workers found a rare and endangered vulture dead in its enclosure, describing its death as “unusual.” Both police and zoo officials said the vulture, named Pin, did not appear to die from natural causes.

The Dallas Zoo confirmed that it had increased its security measures after the vulture’s death and the leopard’s escape.

“In the past week, we have added additional cameras throughout the zoo and increased onsite security patrols during the overnight hours,” the statement from the zoo read. “We will continue to implement and expand our safety and security measures to whatever level necessary to keep our animals and staff safe.”

It’s unclear if the incidents with the clouded leopard, dead vulture and missing monkeys are related.

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso, Jon Haworth and Mark Osborne and contributed to this report.

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