(NEW YORK) — Four Texas firefighters were injured early Sunday when an 18-wheeler slammed into their fire engine as they were blocking traffic to a freeway entrance following a car crash, authorities said.
The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. in north Houston, according to the Houston Fire Department.
The injured firefighters were taken by ambulance to a hospital, officials said.
“We are asking for prayers for our four injured firefighters,” Patrick M. “Marty” Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, said in a social media post.
The fire crew had responded to a traffic accident on the Eastex Freeway and was blocking the entrance to the freeway at Northpark Drive with a Houston Fire Department pumper engine when they were hit by the big rig, authorities said.
The firefighters suffered “injuries of varying severities,” according to a statement from the fire department. “All are expected to fully recover.”
Three of the injured firefighters remained hospitalized on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what injuries the driver of the big rig sustained.
The crash remains under investigation.
“Blocking traffic on the freeway is one of the most dangerous tasks we do,” Houston Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said in a statement on social media. “We’re extremely grateful that every member of Engine 104 is expected to recover, and we ask drivers to slow down and move over when they see emergency crews working.”
CHICAGO — A winter storm is hitting the Midwest with snow and wintry conditions, causing travel issues for many who were looking to get home following Thanksgiving.
At least 450 flights had been canceled around the United States as of 7 a.m. ET, with the biggest impacts at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, according to FlightAware, a flight-data tracker.
Some 179 cancelations, including 110 departing flights, were logged at O’Hare early on Sunday. The Illinois hub saw more than a thousand flights cancelled or delayed on Saturday, as snow fell in the area.
The airport logged about 8.4 inches of snow up to midnight, breaking the previous record for the snowiest November day in the area’s history of 8.0 inches back on Nov. 6, 1951.
The Chicago metro area has seen anywhere between 7 to 10 inches of snow as of Sunday morning.
The FAA’s operations plan on Sunday morning said, “Heavy show and ice in the Upper Great Lakes and moving east. As well as thunderstorms in the Southern Plains will be some major constraints along with heavy holiday volume.”
(NEW YORK) — Multiple people who were protesting possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Lower Manhattan were arrested Saturday, the New York Police Department said.
The protesters were seen near Centre Street in Chinatown blocking vehicles and shouting, “ICE out of New York,” according to video obtained by ABC News. At one point, the protesters were observed blocking a van from coming out of a garage.
While the NYPD declined to comment on any possible activity by federal agents, it said in a statement that officers “observed multiple people blocking the street and were told multiple times to disperse but they did not comply.”
The NYPD said that “multiple” persons were taken into custody but didn’t immediately provide more details on the numbers or the charges.
Saturday’s protest came a month after federal agents carried out an immigration enforcement action that targeted vendors on Canal Street in Chinatown. At least 9 people were arrested during that raid, according to federal officials.
Four U.S. citizens were arrested and held for “nearly 24 hours” without any federal charges following that incident, according to U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, who represents the area.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — Over 1,400 flights have been canceled nationwide with the majority due to weather hitting the upper Midwest, according to FlightAware.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the most impacted airport by far, with over 930 cancellations and over 750 delays as of Saturday afternoon. Flights leaving to O’Hare are delayed an average of five hours due to snow and ice, according to the FAA.
Chicago Midway has 187 cancellations and 85 delays. Both airports have been issued ground stops.
The heaviest snow in Chicago is expected Saturday between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The snow becomes lighter overnight into Sunday morning, with some lingering snow winding down by 12 p.m. Sunday. Between 6 to 10 inches of snow are possible.
A cross-country storm already brought snow from Montana to Missouri later Friday. The storm has begun to move into parts of the Midwest Saturday morning, impacting travel for millions making the journey back home from the holiday.
Winter weather alerts are up for millions ahead of this system from North and South Dakota down to Indiana and Michigan.
(NEW ORLEANS) — The federal government will be targeting New Orleans soon as its next city to ramp up immigration enforcement, sources with knowledge of the plans told ABC News.
At least 200 border patrol agents are expected in the city in the coming weeks, according to the source, who noted that plans are preliminary and could change.
The pending buildup of agents comes two weeks after the Border Patrol and other federal agencies increased their presence in Charlotte, North Carolina, and made over 250 arrests.
Greg Bovino, the commander-at-large of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), personally oversaw that effort and is expected to lead the New Orleans surge, sources said.
Bovino teased “next level” immigration enforcement in an X post Saturday, but didn’t say where.
“Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, immigration enforcement is going next level,” he said.
Although Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, has supported proposals for a federal surge and asked for the National Guard to be deployed in his state, schools and businesses have been bracing for the increased federal presence.
Several schools have sent warnings to parents and teachers in anticipation of the increased federal presence, with some offering free rides to school, according to Nola.com.
(NEW YORK) — Over 1,000 flights have been canceled nationwide with the majority due to weather hitting the upper Midwest, according to FlightAware.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the most impacted airport by far, with over 700 cancellations and over 500 delays as of Saturday morning. Flights leaving to O’Hare are delayed an average of over five hours due to snow and ice, according to the FAA.
Snow has already begun falling in Chicago with the heaviest snow expected Saturday between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The snow becomes lighter overnight into Sunday morning, with some lingering snow winding down by 12 p.m. Sunday. Between 6 to 10 inches of snow are possible.
A cross-country storm already brought snow from Montana to Missouri later Friday. The storm has begun to move into parts of the Midwest Saturday morning, impacting travel for millions making the journey back home from the holiday.
Winter weather alerts are up for millions ahead of this system from North and South Dakota down to Indiana and Michigan.
(NEW YORK) –Traveling after Thanksgiving may be a bit more turbulent than the days leading up to the holiday, with a cross-country storm forecast to bring widespread rain and snow to millions of Americans Friday through Sunday.
Here is a look at the weather forecast for Black Friday and this weekend:
Friday
On Friday afternoon, a new cross-country storm system will bring messy weather for millions of Americans who may be traveling from Thanksgiving, with winter weather alerts for regions across Idaho and Montana down to Indiana and Michigan.
Chicago and Milwaukee are both under a Winter Storm Warning from Friday night through early Sunday, as this cross-country storm moves into the Midwest for the first half of the weekend.
Parts of northern Michigan have already recorded more than a foot of snow, with areas of the Cleveland and Erie metro areas recording between 3 to 4 inches of snow.
A Lake Effect Snow Warning remains in place for multiple areas in upstate New York as well until Saturday, as 6 to 20 inches of additional snowfall are possible with wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph into Friday night.
The rest of the country remains dry and quiet for Black Friday.
Saturday
On Saturday, rain and showers are expected from Kansas and Missouri down to Louisiana and Texas, with 6 to over 12 inches of snow possible for areas in Nebraska to Michigan — including major cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit.
With heavy snow and gusty winds, whiteout conditions and very dangerous travel conditions are likely across the Midwest.
In Chicago, snow will start around 6 a.m. Saturday and taper off until noon Sunday, leaving a possible 6 to more than 10 inches of snow.
In St. Louis, snowy precipitation will begin around 4 a.m. Saturday until that evening with 2 to 4 inches of snow possible.
Sunday
By Sunday afternoon and evening, this system will bring rain to much of the East Coast, especially the Northeast, with temperatures too warm for widespread snow causing rainy showers instead through Sunday evening.
Sunday is predicted to be the busiest air travel day for Thanksgiving, and anyone traveling along the I-95 corridor should try to travel earlier on Sunday or move their travel to Saturday to avoid the rain and slick roads, if possible.
(WASHINGTON) — The suspect in the “targeted” shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., will now face charges upgraded to first-degree murder after President Donald Trump announced the death of one of the victims late Thursday, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.
“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
The suspected gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was previously charged with three counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said during a press conference on Thursday.
Lakanwal is accused of firing at two National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, on Wednesday afternoon.
The suspect allegedly “opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” struck one of the victims, leaned over and shot the individual again, before firing at the other National Guard member “several times,” Pirro said on Thursday.
Trump announced on Thursday evening that Beckstrom, an Army specialist, had died.
“She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” Trump said of Beckstrom. “Her parents are with her. It’s just happened.”
Andrew Wolfe, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, remains in critical condition.
“The other young man is fighting for his life,” Trump said. “He’s in very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life.”
The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station.
Pirro said the suspect, an Afghan national, allegedly drove from Washington state to target the guard members, opening fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
The suspect’s motive is still unclear, according to officials.
A search warrant was conducted at the suspect’s home in Bellingham, Washington, where officials found “numerous electronic devices,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Thursday.
Patel also noted the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” Patel said.
Lakanwal is believed to be from Afghanistan and came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, law enforcement sources said. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April, likely after being vetted, under the Trump administration, according to the sources.
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 National Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
A day before the shooting, during the traditional turkey pardoning at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of D.C. streets. He said it was “one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank you for the job you’ve done here is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
(NEW YORK) — New York Jets player Kris Boyd is back in the hospital days after he was released for treatment of a gunshot wound.
Boyd, 29, had been released from the hospital after he was shot in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 16 but returned on Wednesday due to “health issues,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
“Please bare [sic] with me, I haven’t been in communication much,” Boyd wrote. “I was released but had to return to the hospital due to my health issues.”
Boyd then thanked everyone who has prayed and reached out to him with well wishes.
The nature around his hospitalization was unclear.
Boyd was shot in the abdomen at 2 a.m. on Nov. 16 in front of the Sei Less restaurant on West 38th Street in Manhattan, the NYPD confirmed to ABC News. He then underwent multiple treatments at Bellevue Hospital for the bullet lodged in his lung.
The shooting appeared to have stemmed from an exchange of works between Boyd, who was with two other Jets players and a friend, and another group “chirping” about their clothes, police sources told ABC News.
On Nov. 19, three days after the shooting, Boyd posted a photo of himself to his Instagram story, saying he was beginning to breathe on his own.
“I’m coming along, starting to breathe on my own now,” Boyd wrote. “Sincerely appreciate everyone!”
Last week, NYPD detectives identified a possible suspect, but no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
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(SUSITNA, Alaska) — A 6.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Alaska early Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck at 8:11 a.m. local time near Susitna, which is about 30 miles from Anchorage, according to the USGS.
A tsunami is not expected to form as a result of the quake, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
There were no reports of damage or fatalities.
Alaska experiences more earthquakes than any other region in the U.S., according to the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission.
The state is located where two tectonic plates — the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate — meet, which can result in strong earthquakes, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.
A 9.2 magnitude earthquake, the second-largest ever recorded, occurred in 1964.
