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(BOSTON) — A Massachusetts woman was arrested Thursday in connection with a “hoax” bomb threat made last month against Boston Children’s Hospital, which has seen weeks of harassment and threats for providing gender-affirming care, federal officials announced.

Catherine Leavy, 37, of Westfield, has been charged with one count of explosive materials – willfully making a false bomb threat, Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said.

On Aug. 30, Boston Children’s Hospital received a bomb threat over the phone, during which the caller reportedly said, in part, “There is a bomb on the way to the hospital, you better evacuate everybody, you sickos,” according to Rollins.

“As you can imagine, this resulted in an immediate response by the hospital and local authorities and federal authorities,” Rollins said during a press briefing Thursday.

The hospital and surrounding area were placed on lockdown, though authorities ultimately determined that there were no explosive devices at the hospital, Rollins said.

Investigators traced the phone number that called in the bomb threat to a T-Mobile account owned by Leavy, Rollins said.

“She was arrested at her home earlier today, and the telephone used to make the alleged threat was recovered,” she said.

Following an initial court appearance Thursday, Leavy was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for noon Friday. Online court records do not list any attorney information for her.

The charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, the Justice Department said.

“This alleged conduct is disturbing, to say the least,” Rollins said. “Bomb hoaxes cause fear, panic and a diversion of resources that have a real impact on our communities. The people that work at Children’s Hospital and the parents that bring their loved ones to Children’s Hospital are under enough stress.”

Rollins did not make any comment on a possible motive, though noted that the hospital has been “subjected to a sustained harassment campaign” over its gender-affirming care.

Boston Children’s Hospital is home to the nation’s first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program, according to the hospital. After it posted a since-removed informational video about the gender-affirming care it provides for patients, far-right social media accounts and commentators began harassing the institution, according to the hospital.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to battle the spread of false information about the hospital and our caregivers,” the hospital said in a statement to ABC News last month. “We are committed to ensuring the hospital is a safe and secure place for all who work here and come here.”

ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.

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(ORLANDO, Fla.) — One person has been injured and another is missing after an apparent lightning strike during rowing practice at Lake Fairview in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday night, the fire department said.

Members of the nonprofit group North Orlando Rowing Club were practicing in the water around 5:50 p.m. when the incident took place, the Orlando Fire Department told ABC News in a statement.

“Preliminary reports indicate lightning struck the area,” the department said.

Five people were onboard a vessel at the time, it said, adding that one person has been transported to AdventHealth Orlando and a rescue mission is underway to locate another person.

“We believe the students were from various schools in Central Florida,” the department said.

Orlando’s dive team, the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Fire and Rescue Department are also on the scene.

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

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(JACKSON, Miss.) — Mississippi ended its boil water notice for all of Jackson’s residents on Thursday, the state’s health department announced.

The news comes nearly two weeks after water pressure returned to the state capital’s residents after days of a water shortage crisis that impacted thousands of Jacksonians.

A boil water notice was in effect in Jackson since July 29, with the city saying that it needed “two rounds of clear samples” before it could lift the notice, adding: “We will alert residents as soon as this happens.”

“On Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health began officially conducting tests of the water quality. They collected 120 samples for two consecutive days,” Gov. Tate Reeves said at a press conference on Thursday. “We can now announce we have restored clean water to the city of Jackson.”

Last month, at least 180,000 people went without reliable drinking water in Jackson after pumps at the main water treatment plant failed.

Reeves declared a state of emergency on Aug. 30 to address the issue.

At Thursday’s press conference, Reeves touted Mississippi’s efforts in fixing the water issues in Jackson, including increasing how much water is produced, restoring water pressure and installing an emergency pump at the water treatment facility.

City and state officials have been helping to distribute drinkable and non-drinkable water to residents.

The state distributed nearly 12 million bottles of water, but distribution will end soon since the boil water notice has been lifted, Stephen McCraney, the executive director of the state Emergency Management Agency, said at the press conference.

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(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Robert Packer, the Jan. 6 rioter seen in photos wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt, to 75 days in prison.

Packer had previously pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of demonstrating inside the U.S. Capitol building.

The black-hooded sweatshirt Packer donned during the riot, prosecutors said, showed “Camp Auschwitz” and “Work Means Freedom” with a skull image on the front, and “STAFF” written on the back. Underneath his sweatshirt, he wore another Nazi-inspired t-shirt, they said.

The prosecution argued that although Packer did not post on social media, he broadcasted his beliefs on his clothes.

The defense countered that if Packer had short hair, no beard, and was wearing a different shirt, he might be viewed differently.

When Judge Carl Nichols asked why Packer was wearing the shirt, the defense said he “cannot explain” why he was wearing it, but that it was a “free speech” issue.

“I just don’t think it is appropriate to make him serve more time because he is wearing that shirt, because he is allowed to wear it,” his lawyer said.

Packer’s attorney further claimed Packer takes offense to being called a white supremacist, because he “does not see himself that way at all.”

In delivering his sentencing decision, Nichols said “although he did not carry a sign, he wore a distinctive and incredibly offensive shirt.”

The judge said he can infer Packer wore the shirt for a reason, although he does not know that reason, because Packer has not told the court.

While Packer was charged with a misdemeanor, the prosecution requested 75 days of incarceration, followed by three years of probation and 60 hours of community service.

The prosecution noted that Packer’s actions should be considered within the context of the violence of Jan. 6. Although he himself did not perpetuate any acts of violence, they said, the mob would not have succeeded in overwhelming the police, breaching the Capitol, and disrupting the proceedings without his actions, alongside others who did the same.

The judge stated that Packer’s presence, although not inherently violent, “prevents police from dealing with people who are.”

Prosecutors added that the sentencing should deter crime generally, “the most compelling reason to impose a sentence of incarceration.” Because the Jan. 6 rioters directly interfered with democracy, they said, “the gravity of these offenses demands deterrence.”

They said they were justified asking for prison time because Packer ignored police barricades, ignored police officers telling rioters to stop, watched assaults on police officers and Capitol property without leaving or trying to stop them, entered the speaker’s hallway and Statuary Hall, and has not expressed remorse for his actions.

“He was just walking around, looking, to me,” the defense countered. “He is as close to a bystander as you can get in this case.”

“He shouldn’t have stayed there for as long as he did; the question is does he need to go to jail for it,” his defense lawyer said.

Prosecutors added that Packer has been a “habitual criminal offender for 25 years with 21 convictions for mostly drunk driving, but also for larceny, drug possession, and forgery.” He was incarcerated for several previous offenses, they said.

The defense said that his record does not stem from an “evil mind” but a “disease” of alcoholism.

Packer did not make any comments to the court during his sentencing.

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(NEW YORK) — The New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer this month to resolve a civil investigation into former President Donald Trump and his family real estate business, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

For more than three years, New York Attorney General Letitia James has been investigating whether Trump fraudulently adjusted the value of his assets to secure loans or tax breaks.

James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York.

A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News.

James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York.

A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News.

News of the rejected settlement offer was first reported by The New York Times.

Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, has called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt. He repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition last month in James’ office.

In a January court filing, James accused Trump of misstating objective facts, overstating his liquidity, and failing to use fundamental techniques of asset valuation. The filing mentioned financial statements associated with seven different Trump properties, including 40 Wall Street, the apartment in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and golf clubs in Scotland and in Westchester County, New York.

Last month, in a separate case, longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges of running a yearslong scheme to avoid paying taxes on nearly $2 million in income, including fringe benefits like rent, luxury cars and private school tuition for his grandchildren.

He also agreed to testify against the Trump Organization when the company goes on trial in connection with the alleged compensation scheme beginning in October. The plea agreement contains no requirement for him to cooperate in the related criminal case against Trump himself.

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(EL DORADO, CA) –A wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes in California is now the largest in the state this year.

The Mosquito Fire has burned through nearly 64,000 acres and gutted 70 structures in El Dorado and Placer counties since it sparked on Sept. 6, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Of the structures that were destroyed, at least 25 have been single-occupancy residences, fire officials said.

The fast-moving fire has exploded by more than 15,000 acres since Monday and is just 20% contained, according to Cal Fire. It has now surpassed the McKinney Fire as the largest in the state in 2022.

The smoke is so intense that it has produced hazardous air quality in states farther north and east, such as Oregon and Wyoming, and it is billowing farther east toward the Midwest. Combined with other wildfires in the West, heavy smoke is causing poor air quality as far east as Billings, Montana, and moderate air quality as far east as Rapid City, South Dakota — and the smoke is expected to continuing traveling toward the East Coast.

This is not the first time smoke from wildfires in the West has traveled to cities more than 1,000 miles away.

Last year, smoke from more than 100 large wildfires from California to Montana drifted toward Denver and the Rocky Mountains.

However, humidity is on the rise for the majority of the area covered by the Mosquito Fire, which will assist firefighters in containing the blaze, fire officials said.

Nationwide, more than 6.7 million acres of land have burned this year, with most of the fires concentrated in the Northwest, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 43,000 of those fires were sparked by people, while just 6,341 were sparked by lightning, according to the agency.

Bone-dry landscapes as a result of a decades long megadrought in the West is exacerbating the fire danger, causing dehydrated vegetation to act as fuel for the flames.

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(TUPELO, MS) — A Mississippi man faces federal charges after allegedly stealing a plane and threatening to crash it into a Walmart earlier this month.

Cory Patterson, 29, was arrested by local authorities on Sept. 3 after the small plane landed in a field after circling over Tupelo for several hours. Tupelo police had warned residents early that morning that the plane’s pilot was threatening to intentionally crash into a Walmart.

Patterson, an unlicensed pilot, allegedly stole the small plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport, where he worked as an employee of Tupelo Aviation, police said.

He was charged on Sept. 3 with grand larceny and making terroristic threats by local authorities.

He was additionally charged in federal court on Monday with destruction of aircraft and threats involving the destruction of aircraft.

ABC News did not immediately receive a response from Patterson’s attorney to an email seeking comment on the federal charges.

According to the affidavit, Patterson had previously taken flying lessons and claimed to have watched YouTube videos to figure out how to fly.

He allegedly called 911 on his cellphone and “threatened to crash the airplane” into the Tupelo Walmart, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent.

When the 911 operator asked if it was intentional that he was about to crash the plane, Patterson reportedly responded, “Oh yeah,” the affidavit stated.

“When asked what his motive was, Patterson stated, ‘l just don’t want to live anymore and want to cause chaos while I’m at it,'” the affidavit continued.

Patterson reportedly told the 911 operator “he did not want to hurt anyone else,” according to the affidavit.

Police said that negotiators spoke to Patterson and were able to convince him to land the aircraft at Tupelo Regional Airport.

Patterson received “instruction” over the phone on how to land the plane from a professional pilot, the affidavit stated. Patterson was able to lower the landing gear and made an approach to the airport but aborted the landing, it stated.

He eventually crash-landed the plane — a Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin-engine aircraft — in a soybean field in Ripley, Mississippi, authorities said.

No one was harmed and only the pilot was on board the aircraft, police said.

An instructor pilot who saw the plane after it landed assessed that the aircraft was a “total loss” and would likely be sold for parts, according to the affidavit.

Patterson appeared in Oxford federal court on Wednesday and was remanded to U.S. Marshal custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing or psychiatric evaluation, court records show.

His attorney has filed a motion for a psychological exam, court records show.

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(NEW YORK) — New York City is “reassessing” longstanding procedures that stem from a law requiring the city to shelter undomiciled people.

It follows an influx of more than 11,000 asylum seekers who have been bussed from Texas, the mayor’s chief counsel said Thursday after touring the city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center.

“We are reassessing the city’s practices with respect to the right to shelter,” Brendan McGuire, the chief counsel, said. “It is important — because we don’t exist in a vacuum — to reconsider the practices that the city developed that flow from the right to shelter.”

McGuire declined to elaborate what, specifically, might need to change but the city’s prior practices involving mainly people experiencing homelessness “never contemplated the bussing of thousands of people into New York,” Mayor Adams said earlier this week. “We expect thousands more to arrive every week going forward. The city’s system is nearing its breaking point.”

The comments followed the failure of the city’s shelter system to offer beds to 60 men who arrived Monday at the men’s intake shelter on E 30 St.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, since early May, has been sending busloads of migrants out of Texas to cities with Democrat leaders, including New York City and Washington, D.C. The Republican governor says he started the busing programs in response to the Biden administration’s immigration policies which he claims inadequately secure the border, forcing states like his to bear the brunt of migrant waves.

Officials said Texas authorities have not coordinated with New York officials, meaning that officials are unaware of when buses will arrive or how many individuals will be on the buses.

“They’re not letting us know what are the needs of the people on the bus. They’re not giving us any information, so we’re unable to really provide service to the people en route,” Adams told ABC affiliate WABC earlier this summer.

The mayor and his chief counsel have each stressed the city is not reneging on the obligation to shelter itself, which the courts have guaranteed for three dozen years.

“There’s no ambiguity there, so it’s an important distinction. We are not reassessing the right to shelter. We are reassessing [the] practices around the right to shelter,” McGuire said.

Homeless advocates aren’t so sure and warned the mayor not to end any practice that would force people onto the streets.

“@NYCMayor challenging the right to shelter is dangerous. Without this right tens of thousands of people will be on the street,” the Safety Net Project of the Urban Justice Center wrote on Twitter.

Adams announced the opening of New York City’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center on Thursday.

The center, according to the city, “will support individuals and families who have arrived in New York City on or after January 1, 2022. The center will serve as a central place where newly arrived asylum seekers will receive free and confidential help accessing a variety of important services and resources that will help them integrate and thrive in New York City.”

“Our city continues to welcome the thousands of families who have arrived in New York City in the last few months, but, today, we are announcing a one-stop-shop for those seeking asylum to receive free and confidential help accessing the important services and resources that will help them integrate and thrive in New York City,” Adams said Thursday.

“We are always willing to work with the City on ways to improve services for anyone in need of shelter, including asylum seekers, so long as any proposal complies with well-established court orders and New York State’s Constitution, which require the City to provide homeless individuals and families placement in a safe and accessible shelter,” The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless said in a statement Thursday. “We were glad to hear City officials affirming their commitment to those obligations this morning.”

ABC News’ William Mansell, Briana Alvarado and Kyla Guilfoil contributed to this report.

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(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has activated the Florida National Guard to address staffing shortages at the state’s correctional facilities.

“Members of the Guard have the training and capability to assist Florida’s correctional officers with certain duties, such as manning guard towers, perimeter patrols, and control stations, which will allow the correctional officers to concentrate on directly supervising and caring for inmates,” an executive order DeSantis signed Friday said.

The order said the Guard will remain in Florida correctional facilities on a “short term basis” and notes current hiring efforts have “shown early signs of success.”

Florida’s staffing shortage has resulted in the “temporary closure of 176 inmate dorms and suspension of 431 supervised work squads,” it said. “This shortage threatens the safety of officers, inmates, and the public.”

The Florida Department of Corrections is authorized to hire 20,000 correction and probation officers — nearly one quarter of the state’s employees.

There is a severe staffing shortage at federal prisons nationwide as well.

“The unprecedented and remarkable steps taken by Governor DeSantis in sending the National Guard to assist the Florida Department of Corrections is indicative of a profession in crisis with nationwide public safety implications,” Shane Fausey, President of the National Council of Prison Locals 33, the union that represents federal corrections officers around the country.

“The Bureau of Prisons, much like our state and county counterparts, have seen an ominous exodus from our agency, aggravated by serious difficulties in recruiting and hiring,” he said.

Fausey said the Bureau of Prisons saw a departure of nearly 3,000 correctional officers and employees in 2021, and is on course to lose an additional 3,000 by the end of 2022, nearly 20% of its total workforce.

The BOP declined to comment on staffing issues to ABC News.

“I implore executive action by the White House administration, coupled with emergency actions of Congress, be implemented immediately to address our inadequate pay bands, crippling staffing shortages, and incentivize the retention of our most experienced officers and employees,” Fausey said.

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(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Fiona is taking aim on the Caribbean and is set to bring heavy rain and possible flash flooding and mudslides to Puerto Rico this weekend.

Puerto Rico will see the first impacts from Fiona early Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon and evening, the heavy rain will move in as the core of the storm churns just south of the island.

The heavy rain will continue into Sunday morning with the threat of flash flooding and mudslides lingering.

Most of the island could see 3 to 6 inches of rain, but the mountains could see 6 to 10 inches.

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