(NEW YORK) — A second storm within one week is pummeling nearly the entire state of California with heavy rain and life-threatening flooding.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where floodwaters have inundated roads and high winds are knocking down power lines and trees.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 05, 9:25 AM
Latest forecast
Los Angeles recorded more than 4 inches of rain on Sunday, beating the city’s daily record of 2.55 inches set in 1927.
The relentless rainfall and life-threatening flooding are ongoing across the Los Angeles area on Monday morning and will continue throughout the day.
A flash flood warning is in effect from Malibu to Beverly Hills to Brentwood to Hollywood to Burbank.
By Tuesday morning, the heaviest rain will be targeting areas east of San Diego.
On Tuesday afternoon, scattered downpours continue throughout California, and by Wednesday, just a few light showers and sprinkles will remain.
Feb 05, 7:37 AM
4 million under flash flood warning in Southern California
The National Weather Service has a flood watch in effect Monday morning for some 40 million residents in California, where more than a month’s worth of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours.
There was also a flash flood warning in effect until at least 9 a.m. PT for more than 4 million residents in Southern California, from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park, including the areas of Hollywood, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Santa Monica, Encino and Brentwood. There were reports of numerous damaging landslides, inundated roadways, submerged vehicles as well as flooded creeks and streams within the region.
Automated rain gauges indicate between 5 and 8 inches of rain have already accumulated in the warning area, with rainfall continuing. An additional 1 to 4 inches of rain was possible there.
-ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 5:49 AM
Over 634,000 customers without power in California
Power is out for hundreds of thousands of electric customers in California amid severe weather.
As of 2:40 a.m. PT on Monday, more than 634,000 customers were without power across the Golden State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 5:34 AM
Man killed by falling redwood tree in Yuba City, police say
A man was killed by a falling redwood tree in his backyard in Yuba City in Northern California on Sunday, authorities said.
The Yuba City Police Department identified the victim as 82-year-old David Gomes.
A neighbor, who reported the incident, told the responding officers that they last saw Gomes at around 3 p.m. PT and believed they heard the tree fall about two hours later, according to police.
“Through the investigation, it appeared Gomes was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him,” police said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — A second round of back-to-back atmospheric rivers is bringing dangerous weather conditions to nearly the entire state of California this week.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where floodwaters inundated roads and high winds knocked down power lines and trees.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 05, 5:49 AM
Over 634,000 customers without power in California
Power is out for hundreds of thousands of electric customers in California amid severe weather.
As of 2:40 a.m. PT on Monday, more than 634,000 customers were without power across the Golden State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 5:34 AM
Man killed by falling redwood tree in Yuba City, police say
A man was killed by a falling redwood tree in his backyard in Yuba City in Northern California on Sunday, authorities said.
The Yuba City Police Department identified the victim as 82-year-old David Gomes.
A neighbor, who reported the incident, told the responding officers that they last saw Gomes at around 3 p.m. PT and believed they heard the tree fall about two hours later, according to police.
“Through the investigation, it appeared Gomes was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him,” police said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — The United States on Friday began to carry out airstrikes against Iran-backed militants and Iranian military targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone attack on an American base in Jordan on Jan. 28 that killed three U.S. service members.
Dozens of other American troops were wounded in the drone attack on the Tower 22 base near Jordan’s border with Iraq and Syria. The U.S. says Iran is responsible for funding and arming the militants while Iran has denied involvement.
U.S. President Joe Biden had quickly warned that America would respond forcefully, escalating U.S. involvement in the Middle East after months of trying to contain tensions from boiling over into a broader war in the region.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 04, 9:23 PM
Another US strike hits 4 anti-ship cruise missiles
U.S. Central Command forces conducted what CENTCOM said was a “strike in self-defense against a Houthi land attack cruise missile,” earlier on Sunday.
CENTCOM confirmed the incident — which it said was due to an “imminent threat” — happened at 10:30 a.m. local time. U.S. forces hit four anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, which it says were “prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.”
CENTCOM said the threat was to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the area.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said in a release Sunday night.
-ABC News’ Nathan Luna
Feb 04, 5:31 PM
More retaliatory operations planned after troop deaths, official says
The U.S. will take “more action” against Iran-backed militants in response to the deadly drone attack in Jordan last week, the White House’s national security adviser said in an interview on Sunday.
“This was the beginning of our response, there will be more steps,” Jake Sullivan told ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “Some of those steps will be seen, some may not be seen. But there will be more action taken to respond to the the tragic death of the three brave U.S. service members.”
The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed fighters for the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan on Jan. 28.
Iran has denied involvement. Pressed by Stephanopoulos whether additional strikes could escalation tension with Iran, Sullivan said it’s something the U.S. is prepared for.
“This is something that we have to look at as a threat,” he said. “We have to prepare for every contingency, and we are prepared for that contingency. And I would just say, from the perspective of Tehran, if they chose to respond directly to the United States, they would be met with a swift and forceful response from us.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Feb 03, 11:05 PM
US destroys anti-ship cruise missile in Yemen: CENTCOM
Early Sunday morning, the United States conducted a strike “in self-defense against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea,” a statement from the U.S. Central Command forces said.
Around 4 a.m. locally, U.S. forces identified a cruise missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined it presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region, according to CENTCOM.
According to the release, “This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.”
Feb 03, 6:06 PM
Airstrikes on Yemen aim to stop attacks against US ships and international commercial vessels
The round of airstrikes launched by the U.S. and U.K. on Saturday “further degraded the Houthis’ capability to continue their illegal and reckless attacks” against U.S. ships and international commercial vessels, according to a senior U.S. administration official.
“The U.S. does not want escalation, and these strikes are directly in response to the actions by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” the senior administration official said. “They are unrelated to the action the United States took on Friday in response to the continued attacks on our troops and facilities in Iraq and Syria.”
The official emphasizes that the U.S. has “rallied a global coalition” to condemn and hold the Houthis accountable, adding that this is the third round of strikes as part of the coalition that includes the U.S., UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and now also Denmark and New Zealand.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Feb 03, 6:05 PM
Correction: Strikes on Houthis in Yemen not in response to attack on troops in Jordan, per US officials
The U.S. and U.K. led a coalition of strikes against Houthis in Yemen focused on degrading the Houthis capabilities in shipping attacks, US officials say, stressing that the strikes are unrelated to strikes against targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday which were in response to the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. Earlier reporting said the attacks on Yemen were in response to the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.
While the timing may be coincidental, both the militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis are backed by Iran, U.S. officials say. But when asked if there was an intended message for Iran as well, the U.S. officials said they did not want to focus on Iran and instead kept the discussion about how each of the airstrikes was intended to deter and degrade Iran’s local proxies.
Feb 03, 5:16 PM
Austin warns Houthis to end attacks on shipping vessels
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement saying the strikes on Yemen aim to “disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia” from continuing to attack vessels in the Red Sea.
The strikes targeted Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars, according to a statement from Austin.
“This collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear further consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels,” Austin said.
He added, “We will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 5:05 PM
US, UK launch strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen
The militaries of the U.S. and U.K. launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, the countries said in a joint statement Saturday.
The strikes targeted 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea, the statement said.
“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” the statement said.
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 4:37 PM
US retaliatory strikes begin in Yemen
The next round of retaliatory strikes for the attack in Jordan are ongoing in Yemen at this time, three U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News.
The strikes are in addition to the six anti-ship missiles that were taken out, also in Yemen, earlier in the day.
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 2:37 PM
29 members of Iranian militias killed in strikes on Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group which reports on war in Syria, confirmed that 29 members of Iranian militias were killed in airstrikes on 28 positions.
Separately, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a state security force including Iran-backed groups, said that 16 its members were killed including fighters and medics.
Feb 03, 12:10 PM
Hezbollah condemns US strikes in Iraq, Syria
In a statement on Saturday, the Hezbollah terrorist organization strongly condemned the U.S.’s strikes on Iraq and Syria and extended its sympathies for the lives lost.
“What the United States of America did is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the two countries, an attack on their security and territorial integrity, and a shameless violation of all international and humanitarian laws,” Hezbollah said.
“This new aggression contributes to destabilizing the region, and creating false justifications and pretexts for the continuation of the American occupation of several regions in Iraq and Syria against the will of their people who yearn for freedom and independence,” Hezbollah said.
U.S. officials said Friday that targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against American service members.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 12:05 PM
Jordan denies involvement in US strikes in Iraq
A Jordanian military source told the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV that Jordan was not involved in U.S. strikes on Iraqi soil, refuting earlier allegations. However, the Jordanian statement did not mention strikes in Syrian territory.
“There is no truth to press reports regarding the participation of Jordanian aircraft in operations carried out by American aircraft inside Iraq,” the source told Al-Mamlaka TV.
“The Jordanian Armed Forces respect the sovereignty of brotherly Iraq,” the source said, confirming “the depth of the brotherly relations that unite Jordan with all Arab countries.”
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 11:06 AM
Iraq declares 3 days of public mourning over strike deaths
The Iraqi government declared that it will have three days of public mourning over the civilians and armed forces who were killed in the U.S. strikes.
“Today, Saturday, the Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, directed the declaration of general mourning in all state departments and institutions, for a period of three days, out of mercy for the souls of the martyrs of our armed forces and the civilians who died as a result of the American bombing on the areas of Akashat and Al-Qaim, west of Anbar Governorate,” the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres
Feb 03, 6:39 AM
Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons US diplomat following strikes
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, the Iraqi MFA said in an official statement.
“In protest against the American aggression that targeted Iraqi military and civilian sites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Charge d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Mr. David Perker, due to the absence of the American Ambassador, to hand him an official note of protest regarding the American attack that targeted military and civilian sites in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions yesterday evening,” the MFA statement said.
Feb 03, 6:07 AM
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 and wounded 25: Iraqi government
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 people and wounded 25 others, the Iraqi government confirmed in an official statement.
“The American administration committed a new aggression against the sovereignty of Iraq, as the locations of our security forces, in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, as well as neighboring civilian places, were bombed by several American aircraft,” said the Iraqi government. “This blatant aggression led to 16 martyrs, including civilians, in addition to 25 wounded. It also caused losses and damage to residential buildings and citizens’ property.”
The Iraqi government also said the strikes would “put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss” and that they directly contradict the United States effort to “establish the required stability” in the region.
Feb 02, 10:22 PM
Video of B-1 bomber aircraft taking off to carry out airstrike: CENTCOM
The United States Central Command posted a video Friday evening showing B-1 bomber aircraft taking off from its bases in the U.S. to carry out the airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups continue to represent a direct threat to the stability of Iraq, the region, and the safety of Americans. We will continue to take action, do whatever is necessary to protect our people, and hold those responsible who threaten their safety,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. CENTCOM Commander, said in a statement.
Feb 02, 6:45 PM
‘We believe that the strikes were successful’: Kirby
The Department of Defense is in the early stages of battle damage assessment “but we believe that the strikes were successful,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in a call Friday.
“The initial indications are that we hit exactly what we meant to hit, with a number of secondary explosions associated with the ammunition and logistics locations,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Chiefs, said on the call.
Kirby said the strikes took place in the course of 30 minutes and involved over 125 precision-guided munitions. Of the seven total strike locations, three were in Iraq and four were in Syria, according to Sims.
Targeted facilities included command and control centers, intelligence centers, rocket missile and drone storage facilities, and logistics ammunition supply chain facilities, Kirby said.
Kirby noted the targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against the U.S. service members.
The administration does not know at this time if or how many militants may have been killed or wounded.
Officials would not tell ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce definitively whether there will be more strikes Friday night but said all U.S. aircraft were out of harm’s way.
Kirby said the strikes are expected to continue in the “coming days.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Sarah Kolinovsky and Molly Nagle
Feb 02, 5:55 PM
Iraqi border area with Syria being targeted: Iraqi military
The city of Al-Qa’im on the Iraqi border with Syria as well as other areas along the Iraqi border with Syria “are being subjected to air strikes by United States aircraft,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces said in a statement.
“These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences, the consequences of which will be disastrous for security and stability in Iraq and the region,” the statement continued.
Feb 02, 5:40 PM
Defense Secretary Austin: 7 facilities used by groups to attack US forces were struck
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. military forces, at Biden’s direction, conducted strikes on seven facilities inside Iraq and Syria that “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias use to attack U.S. forces.”
“This is the start of our response,” Austin said in a statement. “The President has directed additional actions to hold the IRGC and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on U.S. and Coalition Forces. These will unfold at times and places of our choosing.”
Like Biden, Austin stressed the U.S. doesn’t seek conflict in the Middle East but attacks on U.S. troops won’t go unanswered.
“We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests,” he concluded.
Feb 02, 5:39 PM
Biden says US response will continue ‘at times and places of our choosing’
President Biden, who earlier Friday attended the dignified return of the three Army reservists killed in the Jordan drone attack, signaled more action is to come.
“Our response began today,” Biden said in his first statement on the strikes in Iraq and Syria.
“This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,” he added. “It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”
He ended saying, “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” he continued. “But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
Feb 02, 5:08 PM
Biden’s retaliatory strikes come with risks of escalation and political consequences: Experts
President Biden is facing a turning point in the Middle East conflict that carries significant risks of escalation and heavy election-year political consequences.
The debate inside the White House ahead of the retaliatory strikes was tense, according to a U.S. official, as the administration weighed options that some believe will send a clear message to Iran-backed proxy groups to stop the attacks and others fear could trigger broader fighting in the region.
“The choices that any administration and every administration have faced since the Iranian Revolution are fraught,” Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official, told ABC News. “They are not between good and bad policies. They’re between bad and worse policies.”
Biden’s decision making is made only more complicated by the impending election, they said. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, have accused him of being weak in his response to Iran-backed groups and their attacks on U.S. forces.
“He’s in a politically tough spot because policy would compel him to think about this and act with a scalpel,” the Center for a New American Security’s Jonathan Lord said. “But this being an election this year, and this being probably the premier foreign policy issue Republicans are lining up to cudgel him with, he can’t let policy be the only consideration here. Politics, of course, plays a role.”
Feb 02, 4:48 PM
US strikes aimed at more than 85 targets, targeted Iran’s IRGC and militia groups: CENTCOM
In a new statement, U.S. Central Command said American forces “conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.”
“U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States,” CENTCOM said. “The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”
According to a U.S. official, B-1 bombers were used in the retaliatory strikes.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Feb 02, 4:17 PM
US begins retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, officials say
Retaliatory U.S. airstrikes have begun in Syria and Iraq, U.S. officials say.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Feb 02, 3:59 PM
Correction: Initial round of strikes not from US
An initial battery of strikes in Syria did not come from the U.S., sources say. U.S. strikes are still anticipated.
Feb 02, 3:08 PM
Blinken, in coming Middle East visit, to continue work on preventing wider conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East from Sunday to Thursday, making stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank.
It will mark Blinken’s fifth visit to the region since Oct. 7.
One focus, according to the State Department, will be to continue work to prevent the conflict from spreading — a major concern as the U.S. readies retaliatory strikes — while also “reaffirming that the United States will take appropriate steps to defend its personnel and the right to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
Feb 02, 2:30 PM
Biden attends dignified transfer ceremony for fallen troops
Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to witness the return of the remains of three fallen Army reservists killed in Jordan.
He was accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown.
They met with the families privately before receiving the remains, the White House said.
The Pentagon identified the fallen soldiers as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.
Feb 02, 1:59 PM
What we know about the drone attack on US base in Jordan
The U.S. has attributed the drone attack on the American base in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias.
According to a U.S. official, the drone that successfully hit the base was an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to those used by the Russians on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Iran has denied involvement in the Jordan strike. But President Joe Biden earlier this week faulted Iran for providing munitions and funding to these different proxy groups.
The U.S. base is known as Tower 22, a major logistical hub for U.S. troops still in Syria on a mission to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State fighters. According to Central Command, there are approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base.
Feb 02, 1:45 PM
US will have a ‘multi-tiered’ response
The Biden administration has been preparing to strike back in the Middle East after three American troops were killed and dozens more wounded in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
“We will have multi-tiered response, and again, we have the ability to respond a number of times depending on what the situation is,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday.
The Pentagon has declined to get into specifics on when and where the strikes would take place, although Austin said the goal is to degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed militants without plunging the region into a broader war
A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the strikes will unfold across several days and hit multiple countries including Iraq, Syria and possibly Yemen.
(ATLANTA) — An 8-year-old girl has died after being struck by a car while boarding her school bus, Georgia State Patrol confirmed Saturday.
The incident took place in Henry County on Thursday when the young girl was struck by a Ford Fusion, driven by 25-year-old Kaylee Andre, on Jackson Lake Road, according to GSP.
The identity of the victim has not been released. She was a student at Rock Springs Elementary School, according to Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV.
Troopers say the school bus had its red flashing lights activated and the stop sign displayed to the front and rear when Andre’s vehicle hit the victim while she was attempting to cross the roadway.
The victim received life-saving measures at the scene by Henry County EMS personnel but was airlifted to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta in critical condition, according to GSP.
The victim was pronounced dead from her injuries on Feb. 2, according to GSP.
On Saturday, GSP troopers arrested Andre and charged her with homicide by vehicle in the first degree, failure to stop for a school bus loading and unloading, and failure to exercise due care.
Andre is currently being held at Henry County Jail, according to court records.
WSB-TV’s Tom Jones interviewed a Rock Springs Elementary School parent, Lindsay Bridges, on Friday, who became emotional over the tragedy.
“It’s crazy to think about something like that happening to a child when you have kids. Well, even if you don’t have kids. It’s very, very sad to hear about. But I can just imagine what those parents are going through,” Bridges told Jones.
Winner Killer Mike, winner of the “Best Rap Album” award for “Michael”, “Best Rap Performance” award for “Scientists & Engineers”, and ” Best Rap Song” award for “Scientists & Engineers,” with trophy, at the 66th Grammy Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. — Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
(LOS ANGELES) — Michael Render, also known as rapper Killer Mike, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge Sunday night shortly after winning three Grammys.
Render was detained and handcuffed by police just after 4 p.m. PT. Police took him into custody over an alleged physical altercation at the 700 block of Chick Hearn Court, one of the streets just outside the Crypto.com arena, which is where the Grammys were held.
Render was placed under arrest and taken to Central Division.
He was booked on misdemeanor battery.
Authorities said Sunday night that Render was in the process of being released.
A rep for the artist didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
Killer Mike won Grammys for rap album for “Michael,” and rap performance and best song for “Scientists & Engineers.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
On Saturday, the LAPD announced that the suspect, Sadie Slater, was arrested in Inglewood. The 21-year-old was booked for robbery with bail set at $70,000. — Ali Zacharias and KABC
(LOS ANGELES) — A French bulldog’s whereabouts remain unknown despite the Los Angeles Police Department making an arrest in connection with the dog’s theft, a department spokesperson told ABC News Sunday.
The dog theft on Jan. 18 left the dog’s owner, Ali Zacharias, clinging to the hood of the suspect’s car as it sped away in a failed attempt to stop the dognapping, according to police and seen in bystander video.
On Saturday, the LAPD announced that the suspect, Sadie Slater, was arrested in Inglewood. The 21-year-old was booked for robbery with bail set at $70,000.
However, the French bulldog, Onyx, has not been located, the spokesperson said.
In a post shared on X, LAPD’s gang and narcotics division said US Marshals worked “through the night to locate and arrest the suspect wanted for this crime” and shared photos of the suspect’s arrest and the dog owner’s attempt to stop the dognapping.
The dognapping took place on Jan. 18 around 3:45 p.m. local time when Zacharias was eating outside of the Whole Foods on South Grand Avenue while Onyx was with her on leash, according to a police press release on Jan. 29.
A female suspect picked up Onyx and fled into a white, KIA Forte sedan, which was driven by an additional suspect, police previously said in the release. The vehicle began driving southbound on Grand Avenue, however, Zacharias “attempted to stop the suspects by jumping on the hood of the vehicle.”
Zacharias eventually fell from the car while the suspects fled with Onyx. She was treated for minor abrasions by paramedics, according to the release.
“I thought I was going to die. I just was like, ‘This is it,'” Zacharias told ABC Los Angeles station KABC. “I didn’t want the car to drive away, so I ran and stood in front of it. They drove into me, and I fell on top of the hood and just started to grab on… Before I knew it, they were like backing up and taking off,” she said.
The French bulldog is one of the world’s most popular small-dog breeds, especially among city dwellers, according to the American Kennel Club, which notes that French bulldogs, nicknamed “Frenchies,” are the No. 1 target for thieves, ahead of both Labrador retrievers and Yorkshire terriers.
The average cost of a French Bulldog in the US is between $1,500 and $3,000, according to the Canine Journal.
(PITTSBURGH) — A baby shower in Pittsburgh’s Fairywood neighborhood turned deadly on Saturday evening, after a dispute left a 19-year-old man dead and two other people injured, the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said.
Officers responded to the Salvation Army’s Pittsburgh Westside and Worship Center on Broadhead Fording Road at 6:15 p.m. after receiving reports of six to seven gunshots ringing out where a private baby shower was taking place, the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Police said they discovered two male victims with gunshot wounds upon arrival. Medics pronounced Antoine Dorsey dead at the scene while the other victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, according to the public safety department and the Allegheny County medical examiner.
A third victim left the shower location and went to a residence on Glen Mawr Street, police said. He was located later Saturday evening and taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.
Pittsburgh Public Information Officer Cara Cruz told ABC News the dispute is still under active investigation by Violent Crime Unit detectives and no arrests have been made.
The Salvation Army gave a statement to ABC News on Sunday regarding the shooting, saying it’s “saddened to confirm that there was a tragic shooting at its Pittsburgh Westside Worship and Service Center yesterday evening.”
“The incident occurred during a private function being hosted at the Center and did not involve any members of The Salvation Army,” the organization said. “We are grieved by this senseless act of violence in our church and pray for the victims of the shooting and their families. The Salvation Army is cooperating with the local authorities investigating the incident.”
“The Pittsburgh Westside Worship and Service Center will be closed until further notice,” it added.
Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley made a surprise cameo during “Saturday Night Live”‘s cold open, mocking a fictional “Donald Trump,” played by cast member James Austin Johnson, and joking about her past controversy talking about the Civil War.
The roughly two-minute appearance during a parody of a CNN town hall culminated with actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri, the episode’s host, zinging Haley for her past comments in which she initially failed to name slavery as a main cause of the Civil War.
Introduced in the sketch as a “concerned South Carolina voter,” Haley delivered several quips as she went back and forth with Johnson’s version of Trump.
She began by asking the caricature of the former president, “Why won’t you debate Nikki Haley?” — jabbing at the real-life Trump’s decision not to debate because of his large lead in the GOP primary race over her.
“Trump” then exclaimed, “Oh my god, it’s her, the woman who was in charge of security on Jan. 6, it’s Nancy Pelosi.” It was a callback to a recent gaffe by Trump in which he appeared to confuse Haley for the former speaker of the House at a campaign event.
“Donald, you might need a mental competency test,” Haley retorted.
“Trump” then said that he “took the test, and I aced it.”
“Perfect score. They said I’m 100% mental,” he joked.
“And I’m competent because I’m a man. That’s why a woman should never run our economy. Women are terrible with money. In fact, a woman I know recently asked me for $83.3 million,” he added, a nod to the damages won by writer E. Jean Carroll from a New York civil jury after Trump was found to have defamed her after she said he sexually assaulted her, for which he was also found liable by a jury.
(He denies that and has vowed to appeal.)
In response to “Trump” making a joke about the “Sixth Sense” and claiming, “I see dead people,” Haley joked on “SNL”: “Yeah, that’s what voters will say if they see you and Joe [Biden] on the ballot.”
And when “Trump” said that he was going to beat her in South Carolina, Haley asked, “Did you win your home state in the last election?”
But it was Edebiri, one of the stars of FX’s “The Bear,” who, at the end, poked fun at Haley.
“I was just curious, what would you say was the main cause of the Civil War? And do you think it starts with an ‘S’ and ends with a ‘Lavery,'” Edebiri asked, playing a member of the town hall audience.
“Yep, I probably should have said that the first time,” Haley said, smiling, before segueing into the show’s signature intro.
Posting about her appearance on X afterward, Haley wrote that she “had a blast” on the show.
“Know it was past Donald’s bedtime so looking forward to the stream of unhinged tweets in the a.m.,” she added.
The late-night appearance comes as she is preparing to face Trump in South Carolina’s Republican primary, the next contest in the race for the GOP presidential nomination.
Haley, a former South Carolina governor, recently made headlines for what she said about the Civil War.
At a December town hall, she initially did not mention slavery as one of the main causes of the conflict — instead saying the war was about “basically how the government was going to run” and “freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do.”
Haley soon walked back her initial answer and has repeatedly called the response a mistake on the campaign trail.
Appearing last week on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Haley said that she was “too busy judging” the questioner’s “intentions then I was just answering the question. And it was a mistake.”
“Slavery should have been the first thing that came out of my mouth,” she said.
(LOS ANGELES) — Dangerous weather conditions are affecting nearly the entire state of California over the coming days.
A second round of atmospheric rivers is bringing even more rain and flooding to Southern California in less than a week, exacerbating life-threatening flooding in the region for tens of millions of residents.
The system is forecast to be one of the most significant storms in state history, bringing the threat of flash flooding possible from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, as well as heavy snow and wind in the mountains. Widespread power outages, roadway flooding, mudslides and the likelihood of numerous swift-water rescues are anticipated, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch has been issued for a large swath of the Golden State — from Redding to Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego — affecting 40 million people.
There is a high risk of excessive rainfall for much of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. This indicates a 70% risk of meeting life-threatening flash flood rainfall conditions, according to the NWS. Severe and widespread flash floods are expected in the area, even in places that don’t normally experience flash flooding.
Some of the regions expected to receive the brunt of the moisture are already inundated from the last system.
Santa Barbara, where evacuation orders have been issued, has received 300% of its normal rainfall for this time of year in the last seven days alone. The ground in the region is extremely saturated and unable to soak in additional moisture, causing fast-falling rainwater to wash away immediately, creating conditions for significant flash flooding.
Rain totals will be impressive in Santa Barbara, with 3 to 6 inches across the coastal and valley areas and 6 inches to a foot of rain for the foothills and mountains — especially from Santa Barbara County and south. Any thunderstorms that develop will bring the heaviest rain, up to 1.5 inches per hour, forecasts show.
The storm system is so strong that an extremely rare hurricane-force wind warning has been issued off the coast of Big Sur and Gorda, with wind gusts potentially reaching up to 90 mph.
There is also a chance for brief tornadoes and waterspouts from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles throughout Sunday. In the Los Angeles metro area, winds are expected to gust 25 to 40 mph on Sunday. Farther north, from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, wind gusts from 50 to 70 mph are expected.
A high surf advisory has also been issued. Large breaking waves of 20 to 25 feet are expected in the Bay Area. Big Sur could see waves up to 35 feet, while Santa Barbara could experience waves up to 20 feet, forecasts show.
A winter storm warning has been issued in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Heavy snow is expected to mix with winds up to 85 mph, which will cause impossible driving conditions, extensive tree damage and widespread power outages. Between 2 and 4 feet of snow is forecast in the highest elevations.
Along the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Lake Tahoe could see between 1 and 3 feet of snow, with other parts of the mountain range seeing 2 to 4 feet above 5,000 feet. At times, snowfall rates may exceed 3 inches per hour.
Here’s to expect on the timing of the storm (all times Pacific):
Sunday, Feb. 4
Heavy rain began falling in the Bay Area around 2 a.m. Sunday, extending southward and reaching Santa Barbara by 7 a.m.
By 3 p.m., heavy rain will be situated over Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, with heavy snow in the mountains, as well as damaging winds.
The heavy precipitation will slowly push south overnight but will continue in the Los Angeles area through the evening hours, making travel difficult and dangerous in places that flood.
Monday, Feb. 5
By 4 a.m. Monday, the heaviest rain will be occurring in the San Diego area, triggering flood threats in the region.
Through the day, rain will still fall steadily from Santa Barbara to San Diego, which is why a flood watch is in effect there until Tuesday. The rain is not expected to let up, and water levels in streams and rivers will continue to rise, making some roadways impassable.
Light and moderate rain will continue from the Bay Area to San Diego — and heavy snow in the mountains — by 3 p.m., causing the flood threat to continue.
Tuesday, Feb. 6
Rain will still be coming down on Tuesday morning from Santa Barbara to San Diego, forecasts show.
In the afternoon on Tuesday, the rain will break up and become more scattered, but there will still be periodic heavy downpours from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.
Rain and snow are expected to be coming down across much of the West at this time.
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. JD Vance on Sunday defended Donald Trump as the former president faces a litany of legal issues amid his comeback campaign for the White House.
In a contentious interview with ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos, Vance — a onetime Trump critic — also doubled down on his views of the 2020 election, saying the results shouldn’t have been immediately certified, and he went on to suggest Trump should ignore “illegitimate” U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
Vance, an Ohio Republican who has been floated in the media as a potential running mate for Trump, was asked by Stephanopoulos if he would have certified the 2020 election results as vice president, as required by the Constitution and as then-Vice President Mike Pence did.
Vance called it a “ridiculous question” and claimed Stephanopoulos was “obsessed with talking about this” but went on to say he would have liked to see the certification of the 2020 election handled differently.
“Do I think there were problems in 2020? Yes, I do,” he said citing a list of issues, including social media restrictions on some content about Hunter Biden and changes in state election laws to accommodate for health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there,” he continued. “That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020. I think that’s what we should have done.”
The Constitution makes no such provisions for this. There has been no confirmed evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 race, and the results were affirmed by local officials across the country, including many Republicans.
Stephanopoulos also asked Vance about a September 2021 podcast interview where he said that if Trump is reelected in 2024, he would advise the former president to “fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people” — and, if and when the courts tried to stop him, “stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did, and say, ‘The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.'”
“Fire everyone in the government, then defy the Supreme Court? You think it’s OK for the president to defy the Supreme Court?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Vance asserted that he “did not say fire everyone in government,” but Stephanopoulos pushed back, repeating that Vance said in the podcast Trump should replace “every civil servant in the administrative state.”
Vance, however, continued, arguing, “We have a major problem here with administrators and bureaucrats in the government who don’t respond to the elected branches. … If those people aren’t following the rules, then of course you’ve got to fire them, and of course, the president has to be able to run the government as he thinks he should. That’s the way the Constitution works.”
“The Constitution also says the president must abide by legitimate Supreme Court rulings, doesn’t it?” Stephanopoulos pressed.
“The Constitution says that the Supreme Court can make rulings … but if the Supreme Court said the president of the United States can’t fire a general, that would be an illegitimate ruling,” Vance said.
Vance separately cast the civil and criminal cases against Trump as biased, including a jury in New York finding the former president liable for sexual assault and another New York jury awarding $83 million in defamation damages to E. Jean Carroll, who says she was assaulted by Trump — which has been spotlighted in anti-Trump advertising.
Trump denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal.
“I think it’s actually very unfair to the victims of sexual assault to say that somehow their lives are being worse by electing Donald Trump for president when what he’s trying to do, I think, is restore prosperity,” Vance told Stephanopoulos when asked to respond to the argument that backing Trump meant tacitly supporting abusers.
“If you actually look at so many of the court cases against Donald Trump, George, this is not about prosecuting Trump for something that he did. It’s about throwing him off the ballot because Democrats feel that they can’t beat him at the ballot box. And so, they’re trying to defeat him in court,” Vance argued, though Republicans and non-Democrats have brought some of the complaints against Trump.
“I think most Americans recognize that this is not what we want to fight the 2024 election on. Let’s fight it over issues,” the senator added.
He sought to dismiss the findings of the New York juries, saying there are in “extremely left-wing jurisdictions” and contending that politics played a role in some of the accusations being brought.
“So juries in New York City are not legitimate when they find someone liable for sexual defamation and assault?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Well, when the cases are funded by left-wing donors and when the case has absolute left-wing bias all over it, George, absolutely I think that we should call into question that particular conclusion,” Vance replied.
