National

(ATLANTA) — Fulton County prosecutors leading the criminal investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia are now looking to question one of Trump’s attorneys as part of the probe, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Prosecutors in District Attorney Fani Willis’ office have requested an interview with Trump’s attorney Christina Bobb, according to multiple sources. It is not clear what information prosecutors hope to gain from Bobb, whose role in Trump’s handling of classified documents is also being examined by special prosecutor Jack Smith.

Criminal defense attorney John Lauro, who represents Bobb, confirmed to ABC News that Fulton County prosecutors called him last week and requested an interview with Bobb.

The prosecutors did not specify what information they were looking to glean from speaking with Bobb, Lauro said, adding that prosecutors “knew nothing about any role that Christina Bobb had, since she had nothing to do with Georgia.”

Bobb plans to deny the request from Fulton County prosecutors, Lauro said.

“They had a year and a half of investigating and never once reached out to Christina Bobb,” he said. “It was one of the more strange conversations I’ve had.”

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to comment to ABC News.

The new interest in speaking with Bobb comes a little more than two months after the special grand jury seated as part of the probe delivered its final report documenting its findings from its investigation, before the panel was dissolved. The grand jury sat for eight months and interviewed over 75 witnesses, according to limited portions of the report that were released by the judge overseeing the case.

In its report, the grand jury recommended to prosecutors that they seek indictments against witnesses who they believe may have lied during their testimony, according to excerpts of the grand jury’s report.

The foreperson of the special grand jury also said in an interview with The New York Times that the grand jury had recommended multiple indictments, but did not specify who was recommended for indictment or on what charges.

On Monday, Trump’s attorneys filed a sweeping motion asking a judge to quash the largely sealed grand jury report summarizing the findings of its investigation and prevent it from being used in the investigation moving forward.

The motion, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, also seeks to remove the district attorney’s office leading the investigation.

Among those who testified before the grand jury were some of the president’s closest allies, including his former chief of staff Mark Meadows and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Though the special grand jury does not have the power to bring indictments, it has the power to make recommendations regarding potential charges. It would then be up to the district attorney to determine whether or not to pursue them. A second grand jury is needed to return a potential indictment.

Willis said in January that charging decisions in the case were “imminent.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The Manhattan, New York grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s role in the hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels is hearing Monday from a witness for the defense.

Trump’s legal team asked the Manhattan district attorney’s office to allow Bob Costello, an attorney and longtime Trump ally, to appear as an exculpatory witness, according to a letter to prosecutors obtained by ABC News.

Costello previously represented Michael Cohen, a key witness for the prosecution, and was expected to tell the grand jury that Cohen previously said he was unaware of any crime committed by Trump.

“Cohen repeatedly told Costello that Cohen does not know of any criminal activity by President Donald J. Trump in any matter,” the letter said.

Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, paid $130,000 to Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign to allegedly keep her quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump. The former president has denied the affair and his attorneys have framed the funds as an extortion payment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mulling whether to charge Trump with falsifying business records, after the Trump Organization allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the payment then logged the reimbursement as a legal expense, sources have told ABC News. Trump has called the payment “a private contract between two parties” and has denied all wrongdoing.

Over the weekend, Cohen said he was asked to be on standby for possible rebuttal testimony before the grand jury.

Based on the date of the letter, Costello’s testimony appeared to be arranged before Trump wrote on social media Saturday morning that he was expecting to be arrested Tuesday. The post also called on followers to protest.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city is prepared for any protests related to a potential indictment.

“We are monitoring comments on social media, and the NYPD is doing their normal role of making sure there is no inappropriate actions in the city,” Adams said Monday at an unrelated press conference.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The story has become a sadly familiar one in New York.

A delivery worker finishes a long day, parks their e-bike outside, and leaves its drained battery in their hallway overnight to charge.

The battery ignites overnight, spreading with the ferocity of an explosion. Residents are trapped in their apartments, the fire spreads, and New Yorkers die.

New York witnessed 219 fires related to these kinds of devices in 2022, causing 147 injuries and six deaths. So far in 2023, 33 fires, 42 injuries and three deaths have been attributed to these fires.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a package of e-bike safety legislation Monday to stop that chain of events, two weeks after the New York City Council approved the laws.

“E-bikes and e-scooters are here, you might as well get used to them,” Adams said. “They are now part of our movement, now we must make sure they are incorporated in our everyday lives … in a safe and efficient manner.”

The legislation most notably ensures that any micro-mobility device meets standards set by UL solutions, an industry leader in battery technology. Other measures ban the resale of bikes or batteries, change New York City Fire Department reporting standards, and restrict the reconditioning of used batteries.

Amid a surge in demand for food and grocery delivery, New York legalized electric bikes and scooters in August 2020, opening the door to a relatively unregulated market of potentially dangerous e-bikes. Shoddy batteries in New York have had a catastrophic impact on residential buildings, not only starting fires but also potentially causing structural damage due to their explosive nature, officials said.

“They are not just regular fires, they are basically explosions and they spread so rapidly, and it’s more than just water to take them out,” Adams said.

Despite New York City passing the comprehensive set of laws governing these kinds of devices, it remains unclear how these new laws will retroactively prevent fires from the 65,000 e-bikes purchased before this law took effect in New York.

Nationwide, e-bike sales have rapidly grown since the pandemic changed the lifestyle habits of millions of Americans, including the proliferation of app-based delivery services.

“More than 65,000 app-based delivery workers rely on these electrical micro-mobility devices to meet the brutal delivery schedule that they receive from the app delivery industry, to be able to travel the long distances, and also to be able to do as many deliveries a day so they can provide for their families,” Workers Justice Project executive irector Ligia M. Guallpa said at Monday’s press conference.

A projected one million micro-mobility devices were likely sold in the U.S. in 2022, an exponential growth compared to the 288,000 sold in 2019, according to Ed Benjamin, chairman of the Light Electric Vehicle Association.

At least 19 people died nationwide in 2022 because of fires stemming from micro-mobility devices, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said this week.

According to UL Solutions Chief Scientist Robert Slone, the regulations governing micro-mobility devices (notably UL 2272 and UL 2849) already existed prior to the New York law. Despite the framework for governing e-bikes already existing, lawmakers have been delayed in responding to the quick growth of micro-mobility devices.

“I think it’s the type of a technology that was initially slow to be adopted and then ramped up very quickly, and I think the laws and the requirements are catching up,” he said. “The standards have been there for quite some time.”

The delay in preventing unregulated e-bikes has had deadly consequences for New York. Slone said the most common living arrangement in New York — multi-story apartments in which residents literally live on top of each other — can also increase the impact of these challenging fires.

“When first responders like FDNY are fighting these fires, it appears to be out and then it comes back and reignites with no sign that it’s going to do that…,” he said. “So they are more complicated fires to fight, and in some ways, honestly more dangerous fires to fight when they do happen.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Police in Nashville, Tennessee, say they’re searching for two suspects who were caught on camera spray-painting houses with swastikas and other hate messages.

Nashville police said five homes in the Sylvan Park area were targeted by the vandalism early Sunday.

Home surveillance video showed the suspects spray-painting a camera at one of the homes around 1:30 a.m.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted, “Nashville stands united against the hate and bigotry these disgusting acts represent.”

“Grateful to [Nashville police] Chief Drake & his team for their ongoing work to track down those responsible and hold them accountable,” Cooper said. “We will not tolerate antisemitism or discrimination of any kind in our city.”

The police department said its officers are increasing their presence in Sylvan Park and at Nashville’s Jewish institutions.

Police ask anyone with information to call the department’s Specialized Investigations Division at 615-742-7463.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A high-ranking Memphis, Tennessee police officer on duty at the scene of the beating that would end Tyre Nichols life, retired one day before he was expected to be fired, according to Memphis City Council Vice Chairman JB Smiley, Jr.

“We’re accountable to the people who pay taxes,” Smiley told ABC News. “And if we’re wronging the people who pay taxes, we shouldn’t be allowed to receive dollars that are ultimately theirs.”

“We call for Memphis police and officials to do everything in their power to hold Lt. Smith and all of those involved fully accountable and not allow Lt. Smith to cowardly sidestep the consequences of his actions,” the Nichols family’s attorneys said in a statement. “His cowardice in resigning and not facing his own disciplinary board to defend himself is not an end-around on accountability or reckoning.”

The mother and stepfather of Nichols, RowVaughn Wells and Rodney Wells, spoke alongside Ben Crump, who leads their legal team, and Al Sharpton at the National Action Network (NAN) House of Justice in Harlem Saturday.

“In my heart, I just feel like, my son, he had to be sacrificed for the greater good,” RowVaughn Wells said through tears. “That’s the only explanation that I have as the reason why all this is happening. Because he was such a good person. He was a free-spirited person.”

Crump supported RowVaughn Wells’ belief that her son was sent to this world on an “assignment.”

“She’s got to believe some greater good is going to come from this,” Crump said. “All these families joining Tyre Nichols’ family, we’re finally going to get the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act passed. So, we can try to prevent some of these unnecessary, these unjustifiable, and unconstitutional killings of our people.”

According to a statement from Wells’ attorneys, Lt. Smith observed Nichols as he lay battered on the ground, neither rendering aid nor asking for immediate medical attention for Nichols. The Memphis Police Department declined to comment and did not respond to requests to obtain the police reports related to Lt. Smith’s retirement.

After Nichols died, seven other police officers were terminated following the beating on Jan. 7, according to city of Memphis chief legal officer Jennifer Sink. All five officers who were directly involved in the beating have been charged with second-degree murder.

Nichols, 29, died three days after a violent traffic stop caught on body camera footage. He cried out for his mother as he was beaten with fists, boots and batons by the five officers after fleeing the scene of his alleged traffic violation. The officers all pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance on Feb. 17.

“Tyre’s parents believe Smith was one of the first officers who came to their house and told them about Tyre’s beating,” Wells’ attorneys said in a statement. “[Lt. Smith] said Tyre was involved in a DUI or on drugs, and did not tell them about the severity of the situation.”

The statement also said Smith told Wells she would not be permitted to see her son in the hospital.

When reached by ABC News in a phone call, Lt. Smith declined to comment.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MIAMI) — For the third year in a row, the City of Miami Beach has imposed a state of emergency and an overnight curfew for South Beach starting 11:59 p.m. Sunday after multiple fatal shootings occurred during spring break festivities this weekend.

The decision comes after two people were fatally shot between Friday and Sunday morning in the area, according to the Miami Beach Police Department.

Police responded to emergency calls on Friday night, discovering two men who were shot near 7 Street and Ocean Drive, officials said.

Both men were sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital, with one victim succumbing to his injuries at the hospital, police said. The other victim is in critical condition.

According to Miami Beach Police, one person has been detained and three guns were found at the scene.

Police responded to a shooting Sunday morning, where they discovered a wounded man near the 1000 block of Ocean Drive.

The unidentified man was sent to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries, Miami Beach Police said on Twitter.

Law enforcement officials are investigating both incidents.

According to Miami Beach city officials, the curfew will be effective until Monday morning at 6 a.m. local time.

City officials said businesses in the area must close early enough to allow customers time to avoid a curfew violation.

Further curfew limits are expected to go into effect from Thursday, March 23, through Monday, March 27, according to Miami Beach officials.

Last year, Miami Beach issued a curfew after multiple people were hurt after a string of violent incidents in the area.

ABC News’ Matt Foster contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(AURORA, Colo.) — A Colorado dentist has been arrested in connection with the “complex and calculated” poisoning death of his wife, local police said on Sunday.

The Aurora Police Department said James Toliver Craig, 45, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder early Sunday morning.

Craig and his wife, who was suffering from “severe headaches and dizziness,” arrived at a local hospital at about 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday night, officials said.

She was placed on a ventilator after her “condition deteriorated rapidly,” police said in a statement, adding, “She was declared medically brain dead a short time later.”

An investigation into her “sudden” death showed she’d been poisoned, said Mark Hildebrand, a division chief with the department.

“It was quickly discovered this was in fact a heinous, complex and calculated murder,” Hildebrand said in a statement.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Another atmospheric river is expected to hit California this week, bringing rain and snow to a large portion of the state as spring begins.

Much of California saw rain on Sunday, with an additional two to four inches expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. The heaviest precipitation will likely fall in southern California.

This week, the atmospheric river event will also bring an extra two to four feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

More snow is expected to fall in San Bernardino County in areas like Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, bringing a risk of floods.

By Tuesday afternoon, parts of the West Coast are expected to see a break in the rain. San Diego and southern California will continue to see rain and snow throughout the day, as will the Sierra Mountains.

The heavy rain and snow are expected to continue in southern California and along the Sierra Nevada on Wednesday. Rain will also be along the entire coast through the Bay Area.

Heavy rain is expected to fall in central Arizona on Tuesday, where a flood risk also exists.

Heavy snow will move through the Rockies and give southwestern Colorado four to six feet of snow, helping the Colorado River Basin feed Lake Mead, which supplies water to cities such as Las Vegas.

More than 73 million people are under freeze alerts for Sunday night into Monday morning, as freeze warnings are in place for multiple states in the South, with agriculture in at least a dozen states from Texas to Virginia feeling the impact after a record-warm start to the year has kick-started the growing season.

Freezing temperatures may lead to reduced yields for the coming season.

Atlanta and Birmingham hit 30 degrees Sunday morning, with Jackson, Mississippi, reaching 20 degrees a day before the official start of spring.

More than a foot of lake effect snow fell in Wisconsin and Michigan, with more snow falling from Ohio to New York.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — On the nation’s largest Native American reservation – spanning 16 million-acres across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah – one in three households lacks running water, according to the Navajo Nation.

At the Supreme Court on Monday, the tribe will face off with the federal government and a group of states over what it calls a “broken promise” to bolster the reservation’s water supply.

The dispute involves the vital but increasingly strained Colorado River, a resource long the subject of litigation between states and carefully apportioned under a labyrinth of agreements to meet the needs of nearly 40 million Americans across the West.

The tribe argues that the 1868 treaty establishing the reservation “promised both land and water sufficient for the Navajos to return to a permanent home in their ancestral territory.”

It wants the Interior Department to assess the reservation’s water needs and develop a plan to meet them, which experts say would most likely involve diverting more water from the Colorado River.

“The Nation is still waiting for the water it needs,” the tribe writes in court papers, asking the justices to greenlight a “breach-of-trust claim” in federal court.

The government disputes that it ever explicitly agreed to provide water and says that even if water rights were implied by the treaty, there is no enforceable obligation.

“No substantive source of law expressly establishes the particular duty that the Navajo Nation asserts,” the government said in a court filing.

A federal district court sided with the government, denying the Navajo Nation’s claim, saying it had failed to identify a “specific, applicable, trust-creating statute or regulation that the government violated.”

A federal appeals court reversed, reasoning that the reservation could not exist without adequate water and therefore an obligation to supply it was implied.

The states – Arizona, Colorado and Nevada – argue the Navajo Nation should never have been able to bring the claim in the first place, since the Supreme Court has asserted exclusive jurisdiction over disputes involving the Colorado River in a series of decisions and decrees over decades.

They also argue that allowing the tribe to claim expanded water rights over the Colorado would upset pre-existing agreements and ultimately mean less water available to those communities that have come to rely on it.

A coalition of western water associations and consumer groups calls the case “critically important,” warning the Supreme Court about its potential to upend “stability and predictability” of the process to determine water rights.

Allowing the tribe to bring a claim, the groups say, “threatens to undermine the certainty of water rights not only in the Colorado River Basin, but also throughout other water-scarce regions of the United States more broadly.”

The tribe says the U.S. government’s 170-year-old promise should come first.

“The United States made a bargained-for treaty promise. The courts should enforce it,” the Navajo Nation told the court.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SCARSDALE, N.Y.) — Five minors have been killed in a crash after a vehicle veered off a highway in Westchester, New York, according to officials.

The victims, four boys and a girl, ranged in age from 8 to 17 years old, according to a news release from Westchester County Public Safety.

The Nissan Rogue the children were traveling in struck a tree and caught fire after it veered off the Hutchinson River Parkway near the Mamaroneck Road exit in Scarsdale around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, officials say.

A 9-year-old boy survived the accident, officials say.

Investigators believe a 16-year-old was driving the car, according to the release. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, officials said.

The victims are from Connecticut, police said. Their identifications will be released after next of kin are notified.

The full circumstances of the crash remain under investigation by the Westchester County Police Department.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.