Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure

Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
JazzIRT/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The Federal Aviation Administration said normal operations were “resuming gradually” after ordering a nationwide pause on all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Wednesday following a computer failure that has impacted flights around the country.

“The ground stop has been lifted,” officials said at about 8:50 a.m. ET. “We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem.”

Departures were resuming at about 8:15 a.m. ET at two of the nation’s busiest hubs — Newark, New Jersey and Atlanta — FAA officials said on Twitter, adding, “We expect departures to resume at other airports at 9 a.m. ET.”

The affected Notice To all Air Missions, or NOTAM, system is responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots, administration officials said earlier.

“The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage,” said the FAA announcing the temporary grounding of all planes nationwide. “The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.”

A senior official briefed on the FAA computer problems tells ABC News the software issue developed late Tuesday night and led to a “cascading” series of IT failures culminating in Wednesday morning’s disruption. As has been reported, the disruption is confined to the commercial side of aviation.

Engineers are feverishly working to fix the problems and, separately, identify precisely what happened. As of now, the assessment is the failures are the result of a “glitch” and not something intentional. All possibilities are being looked at to ensure that the FAA systems were not breached.

Notably, the FAA system that failed is overdue for replacement.

The official compared the current outage to the crisis that crippled Southwest Airlines during the holidays: antiquated software overdue for replacement inside a critical IT network. If one thing goes down, the system can become paralyzed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a tweet that President Joe Biden has been briefed and said “there is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point.”

“I just spoke with [Transportation Secretary Pete] Buttigieg,” Biden said addressing the media on the South Lawn of the White House. “They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes. I told him report directly to me when they find out. Aircrafts can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is expected to be able to — in a couple hours we’ll have a good sense of what caused it. And we’ll respond at that time.”

“THE FAA is experiencing an outage that is impacting the update of NOTAMS. All flights are unable to be released at this time,” the FAA said in a statement announcing the problem.

An update was issued shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress,” said the FAA.

American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.

“The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information,” said American Airlines. “We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information.”

United Airlines corroborated the current technical problems with a statement of their own.

“The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards & restrictions to all commercial airline pilots – Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) – is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA,” said United Airlines.

Southwest Airlines also confirmed that they are suffering through delays due to the technical issues occurring at the FAA.

“We are closely monitoring a data issue with FAA systems which may impact the start of operations today on Jan 11, 2023,” Southwest Airlines said in their statement released early Wednesday morning. “Please check your flight status in the Southwest app or website to watch for any flight status changes. If your flight status changes substantially we will message the day of travel contact listed on your reservation by their preferred contact method.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Live updates: FAA ‘making progress’ after ordering pause on all domestic flights after computer failure

Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
JazzIRT/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The Federal Aviation Administration said it is “making progress” after ordering a nationwide pause on all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Wednesday following a computer failure that has impacted flights around the country.

Departures were resuming at about 8:15 a.m. ET at two of the nation’s busiest hubs — Newark, New Jersey and Atlanta — FAA officials said on Twitter, adding, “We expect departures to resume at other airports at 9 a.m. ET.”

The affected Notice To all Air Missions, or NOTAM, system is responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots, administration officials said earlier.

“The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage,” said the FAA announcing the temporary grounding of all planes nationwide. “The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.”

A senior official briefed on the FAA computer problems tells ABC News the software issue developed late Tuesday night and led to a “cascading” series of IT failures culminating in Wednesday morning’s disruption. As has been reported, the disruption is confined to the commercial side of aviation.

Engineers are feverishly working to fix the problems and, separately, identify precisely what happened. As of now, the assessment is the failures are the result of a “glitch” and not something intentional. All possibilities are being looked at to ensure that the FAA systems were not breached.

Notably, the FAA system that failed is overdue for replacement.

The official compared the current outage to the crisis that crippled Southwest Airlines during the holidays: antiquated software overdue for replacement inside a critical IT network. If one thing goes down, the system can become paralyzed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a tweet that President Joe Biden has been briefed and said “there is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point.”

“I just spoke with [Transportation Secretary Pete] Buttigieg,” Biden said addressing the media on the South Lawn of the White House. “They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes. I told him report directly to me when they find out. Aircrafts can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is expected to be able to — in a couple hours we’ll have a good sense of what caused it. And we’ll respond at that time.”

“THE FAA is experiencing an outage that is impacting the update of NOTAMS. All flights are unable to be released at this time,” the FAA said in a statement announcing the problem.

An update was issued shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress,” said the FAA.

American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.

“The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information,” said American Airlines. “We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information.”

United Airlines corroborated the current technical problems with a statement of their own.

“The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards & restrictions to all commercial airline pilots – Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) – is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA,” said United Airlines.

Southwest Airlines also confirmed that they are suffering through delays due to the technical issues occurring at the FAA.

“We are closely monitoring a data issue with FAA systems which may impact the start of operations today on Jan 11, 2023,” Southwest Airlines said in their statement released early Wednesday morning. “Please check your flight status in the Southwest app or website to watch for any flight status changes. If your flight status changes substantially we will message the day of travel contact listed on your reservation by their preferred contact method.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Live updates: FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure

Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
JazzIRT/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a nationwide pause on all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Wednesday following a computer failure that has impacted flights around the country.

“The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage,” said the FAA announcing the temporary grounding of all planes nationwide. “The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.”

The affected system is responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots known as NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions).

A senior official briefed on the FAA computer problems tells ABC News the software issue developed late Tuesday night and led to a “cascading” series of IT failures culminating in Wednesday morning’s disruption. As has been reported, the disruption is confined to the commercial side of aviation.

Engineers are feverishly working to fix the problems and, separately, identify precisely what happened. As of now, the assessment is the failures are the result of a “glitch” and not something intentional. All possibilities are being looked at to ensure that the FAA systems were not breached.

Notably, the FAA system that failed is overdue for replacement.

The official compared the current outage to the crisis that crippled Southwest Airlines during the holidays: antiquated software overdue for replacement inside a critical IT network. If one thing goes down, the system can become paralyzed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a tweet that President Joe Biden has been briefed and said “there is no evidence of a cyber attack at this point.”

“THE FAA is experiencing an outage that is impacting the update of NOTAMS. All flights are unable to be released at this time,” the FAA said in a statement announcing the problem.

An update was issued shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress,” said the FAA.

American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.

“The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information,” said American Airlines. “We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information.”

United Airlines corroborated the current technical problems with a statement of their own.

“The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards & restrictions to all commercial airline pilots – Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) – is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA,” said United Airlines.

Southwest Airlines also confirmed that they are suffering through delays due to the technical issues occurring at the FAA.

“We are closely monitoring a data issue with FAA systems which may impact the start of operations today on Jan 11, 2023,” Southwest Airlines said in their statement released early Wednesday morning. “Please check your flight status in the Southwest app or website to watch for any flight status changes. If your flight status changes substantially we will message the day of travel contact listed on your reservation by their preferred contact method.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

California storms live updates: At least 17 dead as severe weather persists, gov says

California storms live updates: At least 17 dead as severe weather persists, gov says
California storms live updates: At least 17 dead as severe weather persists, gov says
Photography by Keith Getter (all rights reserved)/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Dangerously stormy weather continues to wallop California, drenching the drought-stricken state with a sudden and near constant onslaught of rain and snow, leaving a trail of destruction.

The National Weather Service has warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” in the West Coast over the coming week. President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for California, while local authorities have ordered thousands of residents to evacuate.

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

Jan 11, 7:49 AM EST
The latest forecast for the West Coast

Yet another storm is expected to hit the West Coast on Wednesday, dumping more rain and snow over Northern California while offering some respite to Southern California.

Parts of coastal Oregon could see waves as high as 35 feet from this storm.

As of Wednesday morning, 12 U.S. states in the West were under severe weather alerts for high winds, floods, avalanches and heavy snowfall.

But any break this storm provides will be brief, as a much larger weather system is in the forecast for this weekend, bringing torrential rain, heavy snow and gusty winds to the entire state of California, from San Diego to Redding.

Over the next seven days, the deluge will impact Oregon and Washington state as the storms move farther north and become more widespread.

Part of the western storm that hit California on Tuesday will sweep across the country, bringing severe weather to the South on Thursday with threats of damaging winds and an isolated tornado. This storm will move into the Northeast on Thursday night with mostly just rain.

Jan 10, 6:39 PM EST
Santa Barbara lifts all evacuation and shelter-in-place orders

Santa Barbara County announced Tuesday that it’s lifting all its evacuation and shelter-in-place orders but warns that flooding may be present in certain parts of the county.

On Monday, Santa Barbara received a record 4.12 inches of rainfall.

Jan 10, 6:23 PM EST
At least 17 people dead due to weather, over 142,000 customers without power

At least 17 people are confirmed dead in California because of the powerful storms slamming the state, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

More than 44,000 people are under evacuation orders, Newsom said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Over 142,000 customers are without power throughout the state.

“We are not out of the woods,” Newsom said.

The storms are expected to impact the state until Jan. 18, according to the governor.

Jan 10, 2:59 PM EST
Search continues for 5-year-old swept away by floodwaters

Rescuers have resumed the search for a missing 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters near San Miguel, California, after they were forced to halt the search on Monday as the extreme weather made it unsafe for first responders to continue their efforts, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

Underwater search and rescue, as well as air operations, will continue the search during a break in the intense storms, but warned that conditions continue to be extremely dangerous, the sheriff’s office said.

“The water level is high and continues to be fast moving. The public is strongly cautioned not to conduct self-initiated searches and put themselves in harms way and become a victim requiring resources that would otherwise be used for searching,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

Jan 10, 1:59 PM EST
At least 16 people dead due to weather, over 195,000 customers without power

At least 16 people are confirmed dead due to California’s most recent band of storms.

Over 195,000 customers are without power throughout the state.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed 14 deaths as of Monday afternoon. Two more deaths were confirmed on Tuesday. Lightning struck a tree that fell on top of a truck, killing its driver. A motorcyclist also died after hitting a tree on the road.

-ABC News’ Alyssa Starr

Jan 10, 8:03 AM EST
Over 224,000 customers without power in California

More than 224,000 customers were without power across California early Tuesday, as storms unabatedly battered the Golden State.

As of 4:56 a.m. PT, there were 224,470 Californian customers without power, according to data collected by the website PowerOutage.us. A majority of those — 64,057 customers — were located in Santa Clara County.

Jan 10, 7:56 AM EST
California sees record rain, snow

Storms have dumped copious amounts of rain over California in recent days.

Santa Barbara received a record 4.12 inches of rainfall on Monday alone.

In the past two days, Ventura County counted 16.34 inches, Santa Barbara County 16.05 inches, Los Angeles County 7.12 inches and Monterey County up to 10.71 inches.

Meanwhile, the highest wind gust in the last 24 hours — up to 88 miles per hour — was recorded in the mountains near Santa Clarita.

Another 5 to 10 inches of rainfall is expected across California through the weekend, with the possibility of more flooding. An additional 4 to 6 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is also in the forecast.

Jan 10, 7:47 AM EST
The latest forecast for California

An unusually long and powerful jet stream is bringing tropical moisture all the way from Southeast Asia to California. It’s been parked over the Pacific Ocean for weeks, with no end in sight.

The latest forecast shows parts of these Pacific storms moving into the Rocky Mountains on Tuesday, with heavy snowfall and gusty winds.

The next storm is already arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday morning and will last through the day. Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California will also get more rain with this new storm, according to the forecast.

California will have some respite on Tuesday night before a new storm arrives in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday morning.

This pattern of stormy weather will not end there. The forecast shows yet another system arriving at the end of the week and lasting through the weekend, bringing even more rain from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Jan 10, 7:12 AM EST
Tornado warnings for parts of Central California

The National Weather Service issued two tornado warnings for parts of Central California early Tuesday morning.

The first lasts until 4 a.m. PT and includes the areas of Rancho Calaveras, Valley Springs and San Andreas. The second lasts until 4:15 a.m. PT and includes the areas of Modesto, Ceres and Riverbank.

Jan 10, 6:47 AM EST
Over 192,000 customers without power in California

More than 192,000 customers were without power across California early Tuesday, as storms unabatedly battered the Golden State.

As of 3:37 a.m. PT, there were 192,426 Californian customers without power, according to data collected by the website PowerOutage.us. A majority of those — 85,314 customers — were located in Santa Clara County.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

First lady set to have skin lesion removed near her right eye

First lady set to have skin lesion removed near her right eye
First lady set to have skin lesion removed near her right eye
Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith

(WASHINGTON) — First lady Dr. Jill Biden will undergo an outpatient procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday to remove a small lesion found above her right eye.

The lesion was discovered during a routine skin cancer screening and doctors have recommended it protectively be removed and analyzed for any signs of cancer through a procedure called Mohs surgery.

“Mohs surgery is considered the most effective technique for treating many basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), the two most common types of skin cancer,” according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. “Sometimes called Mohs micrographic surgery, the procedure is done in stages, including lab work, while the patient waits. This allows the removal of all cancerous cells for the highest cure rate while sparing healthy tissue and leaving the smallest possible scar.”

Dr. Biden’s office hasn’t released a schedule so it is currently unclear what time the procedure will take place on Wednesday.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Computer failure at FAA could impact flights nationwide

Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
Live updates: Departures ‘resuming gradually’ after FAA orders pause on all domestic flights after computer failure
JazzIRT/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A computer failure at the Federal Aviation Administration has the potential to impact flights nationwide, including a possible nationwide grounding, ABC News has learned.

The affected system is responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots known as NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions).

“THE FAA is experiencing an outage that is impacting the update of NOTAMS. All flights are unable to be released at this time,” the FAA said in a statement.

An update was issued shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress,” said the FAA.

American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.

“The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information,” said American Airlines. “We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information.”

United Airlines corroborated the current technical problems with a statement of their own.

“The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards & restrictions to all commercial airline pilots – Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) – is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA,” said United Airlines.

Story developing…

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

No Mega Millions winner Tuesday, next jackpot now $1.35 billion

No Mega Millions winner Tuesday, next jackpot now .35 billion
No Mega Millions winner Tuesday, next jackpot now .35 billion
youngvet/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Mega Millions players will have another shot at winning one of the largest prizes in the game’s history after no winner was announced Tuesday night.

The winning numbers in Tuesday’s drawing were 7, 13, 14, 15 and 18, and the gold Mega Ball number was 9.

The jackpot for Friday night has now climbed to an estimated $1.35 billion, with no winner since Oct. 14. The cash option would be $707.9 million.

While Tuesday’s jackpot was the third-largest prize in Mega Millions history, it was the fifth-largest in U.S. lottery history. The largest prize in lottery history came in November 2022, when a single Powerball winner took home $2.04 billion.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

The lucky winner can opt for either an annuity or the cash option.

The Mega Millions annuity is paid out as one immediate payment, followed by 29 yearly payments with each payment growing by 5%.

“This helps protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation,” according to the Mega Millions website.

Or, the winner can opt for the cash option: a one-time, lump-sum payment of the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Delayed Amtrak Auto Train arrives 37 hours after departure

Delayed Amtrak Auto Train arrives 37 hours after departure
Delayed Amtrak Auto Train arrives 37 hours after departure
Florian Roden / EyeEm/Getty Images

(SANFORD, Fla.) — Passengers traveling on an Amtrak Auto Train from a Washington, D.C., suburb Monday evening expected to arrive in the Orlando area by Tuesday morning. But their planned 17-hour journey experienced significant delays caused by a freight derailment.

The train rolled into the station in Sanford, Florida, on Wednesday morning, ending the 37-hour trip. The 563 passengers and 333 vehicles onboard had been delayed by almost 20 hours.

The southbound Amtrak Auto Train was detoured off its normal route due to the derailment of a CSX freight Monday night and was stopped in Denmark, South Carolina, while waiting for a new crew to arrive, Amtrak said.

“The train was detoured off its normal route in order to continue operating south,” Amtrak told ABC News late Tuesday, confirming that the train was moving again.

“We have been providing regular updates to customers, along with meals, snack packs and beverages,” it said. “The onboard staff is working with pet owners to provide bathroom breaks.”

The Amtrak Auto Train train, which departed Lorton, Virginia, at 5 p.m. Monday, was initially scheduled to arrive in Sanford, Florida, by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Only a few certified crews are able to operate the Auto Train, which carries passengers and their vehicles daily between the two destinations.

The CSX freight train collided with an unoccupied vehicle on the tracks in Lake City, South Carolina, shortly before 11 p.m. Monday, CSX said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Auto Train service on Tuesday was canceled, while Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains that departed on Monday are operating on a detour and missing stops due to the derailment, Amtrak said.

Passengers were apparently calling 911 from the train when it was stuck, according to several videos obtained by ABC News in which a conductor can be heard asking people to stop calling police.

“For those of you that are calling the police, we are not holding you hostage,” a conductor can be heard over the loudspeaker. “We are giving you all the information in which we have. We are sorry about the inconvenience.”

The conductor can also be heard telling people not to open their windows to smoke on the train.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Illinois becomes latest US state to ban assault weapons

Illinois becomes latest US state to ban assault weapons
Illinois becomes latest US state to ban assault weapons
Joseph Sohm; Visions of America/Getty Images

(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) — Illinois on Tuesday became the latest U.S. state to ban the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons.

Just hours after the legislation’s passage in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the “Protect Illinois Communities Act” into law during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Springfield. Supporters, some of whom were gun violence survivors, erupted with applause and cheers as the governor presented the signed document.

“For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state’s streets,” Pritzker said in a statement Tuesday. “Today, honoring the commitment we made, we passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign.”

Nine U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., now prohibit the sale or possession of military-style weapons, driven largely by deadly mass shootings in their communities.

For Illinois, the ban came six months after a gunman wielding a semiautomatic rifle shot and killed seven people at a 4th of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

“No Illinoisan, no matter their zip code, should have to go through life fearing their loved one could be the next in an ever-growing list of victims of mass shootings,” the governor said. “However, for too long people have lived in fear of being gunned down in schools, while worshipping, at celebrations or in their own front yards. This legislation will stop the spread of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches and make our state a safer place for all.”

Pritzker, the Democratic incumbent who defeated Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey in November to win a second term, had campaigned for reelection on the promise of stricter gun laws.

According to the Illinois State Rifle Association, the ban affects nearly 2.5 million legal firearm owners in the state.

“Challenge accepted,” ISRA executive director Richard A Pearson said in a statement Tuesday, in response to the ban. “The Illinois State Rifle Association will see the State of Illinois in court.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Man charged with felony animal abuse after death of multiple dogs

Man charged with felony animal abuse after death of multiple dogs
Man charged with felony animal abuse after death of multiple dogs
amphotora/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A man has been arrested after multiple dogs were found dead in a dumpster during a period of several weeks at the end of last year.

The series of deaths began on Nov. 15 when animal control officers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were alerted to the discovery of three dead pit bulls — one adult dog and two puppies — that were found in a dumpster inside a plastic tub that was covered in feces and urine.

“The adult female dog was starved and had a broken foot,” Myrtle Beach Police Department said in a statement released to the media. “The two six to eight-week-old puppies were drowned.”

The case went unsolved for nearly six weeks until another incident occurred on Dec. 26 when animal control officers were again called to the same dumpster. This time following the discovery of a dead 10 to 12-week-old pit bull puppy that was found in a plastic tub discarded next to the same dumpster the other three dogs were found in on Nov. 15. Authorities say the puppy had died of “illness and drowning.”

An investigation by the Myrtle Beach Police Department eventually led authorities to arrest and charge 33-year-old Raahkeem Orlando Young of Myrtle Beach following an investigation into the deaths of the animals.

“Young was connected to the case after officers located a receipt discarded with a puppy on the 26th that led officers back to Young using cameras from the store and the city traffic and street cameras,” Myrtle Beach Police Department said in a statement announcing his arrest.

Young has now been charged with four counts of felony animal cruelty and four counts of failure to properly bury animals after being taken into custody on Jan. 7.

Young was subsequently released on a personal recognizance bond later that day. A trial date has not yet been set.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department said that this is still an active investigation and ask that anybody with information pertaining to the case contact the Myrtle Beach Animal Control Unit.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.