(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. and U.K. on Monday staged airstrikes against multiple targets in Yemen aimed at stopping Iran-backed Houthi militants from attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The White House has insisted the airstrikes have been effectives despite repeated Houthi attacks.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(WASHINGTON) — Last week’s Iowa caucuses posed something of a Rorschach test for one of the biggest questions of the 2024 cycle: Will Donald Trump’s GOP continue to shed suburban support — or will enough of them return to the Republican base when faced, again, with choosing him or Joe Biden?
The history of Trump’s problems in the suburbs came back into the spotlight after the Republican nominating race kicked off with Iowa’s caucuses on Jan. 15, where Trump’s margins of victory in many suburban counties were smaller than in rural counties.
Those results followed years of Republican atrophy in such areas, culminating in 2020 losses in key swing states fueled by defections from voters living near major cities like Atlanta, Phoenix and beyond.
But Trump still ended up winning 98 out of 99 counties in Iowa — only losing the last county to Nikki Haley by one vote — including many he failed to take in 2016, the last time there was an open GOP race and before he was bogged down by Jan. 6, two impeachments and four indictments. (He denies all wrongdoing.)
That had GOP allies as well as skeptics and critics of the former president telling ABC News they believe President Biden’s reputation (evidenced by his weak approval rating) and record on inflation and the cost of living are problematic enough to give Trump a chance to win back some of the suburbanites who’ve been voting against Republicans since he first ran for president.
“He actually did a little better in the suburbs than I thought he would. I think Nikki Haley underperformed somewhat. Rubio won those counties, Nikki came closer but didn’t win them,” veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Kochel, who has been critical of Trump, told ABC News, referencing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 GOP campaign.
Teresa Horton Bumgarner, the chair of the Republican Party in Johnson County just outside Cedar Rapids, considered Iowa’s most liberal enclave and where Trump lost to Haley, estimated that he still has “very strong” appeal in the suburbs and that “coming in and only losing by one vote is a huge victory.”
To be certain, Republican boasts of Trump’s strength in the suburbs run counter to the party’s performances in the cycles after he first emerged as a major candidate in 2015.
Democrats retook the House two years into Trump’s term and then Republicans lost both the White House and the Senate in 2020. All three defeats were fueled, in part, by Trump or the GOP losing votes in key suburban areas.
For instance, Trump lost Johnson County by more than 43 points in 2020, the largest margin of defeat for a Republican in a presidential race there in decades.
He also fell short in 2020 in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin after underperforming around major cities like Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee and Phoenix.
But now, Republicans told ABC News, Trump, if and when he wins the 2024 nomination, is expected to face off against a president with a record marred by negative perceptions of the economy and worries over his age and fitness.
Biden had just a 33% approval rating in an ABC News/Ipsos poll from this month — with only 31% of adults approving of how the president is handling the economy.
Some surveys also show Trump ahead by healthy margins in key battlegrounds like Arizona and Georgia, according to 538’s averages.
“You don’t win those states without doing well in the suburbs,” said Robert Blizzard, a GOP pollster whose firm worked for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ now-ended presidential campaign.
“If you look at ’20, the swing voters in ’20 that decided to pull the lever for Biden and not for Trump, they were thinking much more with their hearts than they were with their heads or with their wallets,” Blizzard added. “And I think now as you head into ’24, I think a lot of those voters are now thinking with their heads and with their wallets.”
Even some of the 49% of Iowa Republicans who rejected Trump in the caucuses last week are expected to find their way home to their party’s nominee come November, strategists said.
“It’s a binary choice … and I can’t imagine many choosing Biden,” said Terry Sullivan, a GOP strategist who worked on Rubio’s 2016 campaign.
Nonpartisan pollster Mike Noble noted some suburbanites could choose Trump due to economic “pain points.”
“Certain people think it’s unfathomable that they would vote for Trump, and I have to always explain to them is that it’s not that they’re voting for it, it’s that they have realistically an A/B choice. And of the A/B choice, it’s kind of saying, ‘Hey, would you like anthrax or Ebola?’ And it’s like, both are pretty crappy, but they got to pick one,” Noble said.
Still, some of the Republicans who spoke with ABC News warned not to underestimate the headwinds Trump has and could continue to face in appealing to suburban voters.
These experts pointed to signs suggesting the public still largely rejects what happened on Jan. 6 — and disapproves of Trump’s conduct around the U.S. Capitol attack — as well as the ongoing electoral backlash to the elimination of federal abortion protections.
“People just don’t have confidence in Biden,” said Sam DeMarco, the GOP chair in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. “But I don’t know that that repels people. I think with some … they have a visceral reaction to Trump.”
In 2020, Biden notched a 20-point win in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh and some of its suburbs. That was the biggest win for a Democratic presidential candidate there in more than 20 years.
“I’m worried about me being able to raise money for a county party because I have people that will not give if they believe any of it will be used to help [Trump],” DeMarco said. “While I believe that the Biden administration is an unmitigated disaster, I’m concerned that we may not have learned from 2020 and the elections since, and we are headed down a road to ruin here if we don’t get it together.”
Democrats, meanwhile, said they feel more sure-footed in the suburbs — as does Biden’s campaign — despite the many polls that portend problems for his reelection bid.
“The broad, diverse coalition that sent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House has only grown with the strong wins of the Biden-Harris Administration — delivering for the voters who will decide this election on the issues that matter most, while Donald Trump triples down on a losing agenda of ripping away abortion rights and cutting taxes for the ultra-wealthy while the middle class bears the cost,” campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster said. “Like we’ve seen election after election, Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda is a losing agenda, and November 2024 will be no different.”
Democratic pollsters who spoke to ABC News also expressed confidence that Biden will have a chance for a clear one-on-one contrast with Trump based on a potent issue set of abortion rights and democratic norms.
With more than 10 months to go until Election Day, Biden has already been trying to spotlight both — as the GOP hammers him over his stamina and inflation, immigration and foreign affairs.
“Biden needs to needs to rehabilitate himself some with those voters, but unlike Trump, who those voters have been voting against three-plus straight elections, I think Biden has more ability to get a fair hearing to communicate with those voters as to what Biden has done and will do a president, compared to Trump, who I think really the ship has sailed in a lot of ways for,” Democratic pollster Zac McCrary said.
“If non-Trump Republicans in 2022 were not able to make meaningful headway, by and large, in a lot of these races, then Trump himself is much more of a flawed vessel for that,” McCrary said.
Another Democratic pollster, who requested anonymity to discuss the race because of professional concerns, insisted there’s a path for Biden to preserve his standing with suburbanites through a “two-step dance” of touting economic progress while making clear “there is still a long way to go” and underscoring the danger Biden believes Trump poses to the nation’s societal fabric.
But, when asked about Biden’s ability to pull that off, this pollster said: “Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?”
The pollster was “very, very cautiously optimistic,” they said — but added this: “Underline very and cautiously.”
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(QUINCY, Ill.) — When Becky Bliefnick was found murdered on February 23, 2023, in her Quincy, Illinois, home, the city was left reeling over the shocking crime.
“Our entire city was on edge because no one was able to explain what happened,” Chief of Quincy Police Department Adam Yates said.
At the time of her death, Becky was divorced from her husband Tim, and during two years of separation and a protracted divorce the two lived just blocks apart and shared custody of their children.
Tim Bliefnick’s friends described him as a man who found humor in everything and as someone who loved the spotlight. He was often seen on his TikTok videos telling hokey dad jokes and he also performed in community theater.
“Tim was always very goofy and very fun,” said Bliefnick family friend Rachael, who asked ABC News to use only her first name. “Every time you saw him, he would run up and hug you and be like, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’”
Becky was an athlete, a sunshine blonde who met Tim in college. When Becky and Tim decided to marry, there was no ring or honeymoon because they decided to use the money to buy a home. As their family grew, Becky enrolled in nursing school, pursuing a certification as a nurse practitioner.
Becky’s sister, Sarah Reilly, described her as a devoted mother who was “a people person.”
“She can walk into a room and talk to anybody, and they would be her best friend by the end of the night,” Reilly said.
The murder of Becky Bliefnick is part of a new ABC News “20/20″ limited series premiering Monday, January 22, and streaming the next day on Hulu, called “Bad Romance,” which tells the stories of the husbands, wives and lovers who ended up destroying lives.
Eleven years into their marriage, Tim won a spot as a contestant on the popular game show “Family Feud.” Becky was not a part of the show.
“What’s the biggest mistake you made on your wedding day?” host Steve Harvey asked during the game.
Tim is then seen making a joke that may have given their family, friends and the public a glimpse into some possible cracks forming in Tim and Becky’s marriage.
“Honey, I love you,” Tim answered to Harvey on the show, “but – said, ‘I do!’”
It was a funny answer for the show, and friends may have thought it was just Tim’s sense of humor peeking out. But Tim filed for divorce weeks after his appearance on the game show.
Then, on February 23, 2023, while the Bliefnicks’ three children were sleeping at Tim’s house and Becky was at her home alone, an intruder broke into Becky’s home through a second-floor window.
Police later discovered her body in the bathroom with 14 gunshot wounds.
As part of their investigation, authorities said a surveillance camera in the neighborhood provided a mysterious clue about who could have killed Becky: a ghostly figure on a bicycle patrolling the streets in the middle of the night. Was it Tim, or was there another suspect who would eventually draw the attention of police?
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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Navy has identified the two SEALs lost in the waters of the Gulf of Aden during a risky nighttime mission to board a boat carrying Iranian-made missile parts to Yemen.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command announced the end of an exhaustive 10-day search and rescue operation involving multiple aircraft and surface ships to look for the two missing SEALs over a 21,000 square mile area.
The military is now conducting recovery operations for the two service members, CENTCOM said Sunday night.
The two SEALS were aboard a small Navy craft that was approaching the smuggling boat on the night of Jan. 11, when one of the SEALs fell into rough waters and, following protocol, a second SEAL dove into the water in a rescue attempt, according to officials.
The incident remains under investigation the Navy said Monday.
The two missing SEALs were identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, both of whom were serving with a U.S. West Coast-based SEAL team.
Chambers, aged 37, enlisted in the Navy on May 17, 2012, and graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill., in July 2012. He had served with west coast-based SEAL units since graduating from SEAL qualification training in Coronado, Calif., in 2014.
Chambers’ awards and decorations include the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat “C,” three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and other personal and unit awards.
Ingram, aged 27, enlisted in the Navy on Sept. 25, 2019, and graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill., in November 2019. Ingram and had also served with West Coast-based SEAL units since graduating from SEAL qualification training in Coronado, Calif., in 2021. His awards and decorations include various personal and unit awards.
“We extend our condolences to Chris and Gage’s families, friends, and teammates during this incredibly challenging time. They were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many within the Naval Special Warfare community,” said Capt. Blake L. Chaney, the commander, of Naval Special Warfare Group 1.
“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” said Chaney. “This loss is devastating for NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the nation.”
On Monday, President Biden also issued a statement praising the two Navy sailors.
“Jill and I are mourning the tragic deaths of two of America’s finest—Navy SEALs who were lost at sea while executing a mission off the coast of East Africa last week,” said the statement.
Over ten days, the United States military conducted an extensive search and rescue mission. Recovery efforts are still continuing as we grieve this profound loss for our country.,” said Biden.
“These SEALs represented the very best of our country, pledging their lives to protect their fellow Americans,” he added. “Our hearts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends, and shipmates who are grieving for these two brave Americans. Our entire country stands with you. We will never fail to honor their service, their legacy, and their sacrifice.”
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(NEW YORK) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 38,000 for the first time ever on Monday, setting a record high and capping a steady rise that stretches back to last week.
The S&P 500 also reached a record high, closing at about 4,850.
The major stock indexes kicked off the year with sluggish performance but began to turn upward in the middle of last week.
The recent surge follows a stellar showing for markets in 2023, driven in large part by optimism about the prospects for a “soft landing,” in which inflation comes down to normal levels while the economy avoids a recession.
Investor enthusiasm about AI also helped drive returns.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(DEMING, N.M.) — Authorities in three New Mexico cities are investigating suspicious devices found Monday.
In Deming, New Mexico, located about 35 miles from the southern border, police confirmed they found an explosive device and are asking people to avoid traveling in the area out of fear of a second one. The explosive device was found near Luna County Magistrate Court, according to the Deming Police Department.
Another item was found at an adult probation center in Las Cruces and a third at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. Authorities have not confirmed whether those contained explosive devices like the one in Deming.
The one in Albuquerque, which was seen by X-ray at a loading dock, contained a pipe-shaped item inside with wires, according to sources.
The New Mexico State Police and local law enforcement are investigating.
The FBI is assisting in the investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(NEW YORK) — Earth is in the midst of a moderate solar storm – but will it be strong enough to cause technology disruptions?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a powerful burst of magnetized plasma from the sun’s corona, its outermost layer – was observed lifting off the sun on Sunday.
The CME is expected to cause a moderate solar storm here on Earth on Monday and Tuesday, according to NOAA.
So what, exactly, does it all mean, and should we be worried?
What is a solar storm?
A solar storm, also known as geomagnetic storm, occurs when the solar wind – which consists of charged particles that are constantly streaming from the sun – interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, or magnetosphere, causing a significant disturbance, according to NASA. The type and severity of that disturbance depends on variations in the solar wind, which can produce major changes in the currents, plasmas and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere.
The current solar storm resulted from an eruption from a filament, which is a magnetic field suspended above the sun’s surface that contains billions of tons of solar material, Shawn Dahl, coordinator for NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, told ABC News. When that magnetic field becomes unstable, it can sometimes eject material into space, dragging a very strong, localized magnetic field with it, Dahl said.
These filament eruptions are what caused the solar storms observed on Saturday, Sunday, and again on Monday morning, Dahl said.
How solar storms can affect technology
Intense geomagnetic storms can bombard the Earth with subatomic particles, in turn potentially disrupting navigation systems by interfering with radio and GPS signals, as well as electrical power networks, according to NOAA. The storm also adds energy to currents in the magnetosphere in the form of heat that can increase both the density and distribution of density in the upper atmosphere, in turn causing extra drag on satellites in low-Earth orbit.
“This is what so many things rely on when we’re communicating with satellites in space,” Dahl said.
This storm should not bring any major impacts to everyday life, Dahl said. While the power grid may notice anomalous activity on high-voltage transmission lines, they are equipped to handle a slight disruption, Dahl added.
In addition, if anything starts to happen with satellites that are in a low-Earth orbit, and the atmosphere there heats up because of the geomagnetic storm activity, measures can be taken to keep satellites at their proper orbital height, Dahl said.
Where the northern lights will be visible in the U.S.
One of the most common manifestations of CMEs impacting the Earth’s magnetosphere is the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, in which the interaction creates ribbons of light in the far northern skies that glow green, pink and other colors. In the Southern hemisphere, the phenomenon is known as the aurora australis, or southern lights. The glowing ribbons occur as the energy states return to normal, Dahl told ABC News.
“That light is what we see in the form of the aurora,” he said.
The stronger the solar storm, the father south the northern lights can be seen.
NOAA ranks geomagnetic storms on a five-point scale, with those rated G5, the strongest, being capable of widespread voltage control problems that could lead to power blackouts or even the complete collapse of some power grid systems. In this scenario, auroras could possibly be seen as far south as Florida and southern Texas.
While the general public doesn’t need to be concerned about the upcoming G2, or “moderate” storm, NOAA warns that power systems at high latitudes could experience voltage alarms, while long-duration storms may cause transformer damage. In addition, high-frequency radio signals can possibly fade at higher latitudes.
Auroras this time of year are typically the most visible from several hours after sunset to around the midnight hour, Dahl said. Viewers wanting to see them will have to take the full moon into account, as well as get away from any city lights – especially to the north, because that’s the direction in which to look, Dahl added.
The auroras are forecast to be visible on Monday into Tuesday in northern and upper Midwest states, from New York to Idaho, according to NOAA.
In the absence of clouds, the northern lights could be visible from states like South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota, Montana, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, forecasts show.
Why auroras, solar storms may occur more frequently
More frequent aurora displays are likely in the coming years, as the sun reaches the solar maximum stage of its magnetic field activity in 2025, Dahl said. The sun reaches its solar maximum about every 11 years, at which time the sun’s magnetic field equalizes and returns to normal, Dahl explained.
Earth is currently approaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25, in which more sunspots with intense magnetic activity are expected, according to NOAA. Impactful space weather events are possible throughout 2024.
The projected peak of this solar cycle is between now and October, Dahl said.
“This whole year in through 2025 are good times to be anticipating more of this type of activity,” Dahl said.
A total solar eclipse on April 8 will give stargazers a rare chance to see the sun’s corona. Dahl advised viewers to equip themselves with the correct eyewear to safely observe the phenomenon.
“Now’s the time to buy the equipment,” he said.
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(NEW YORK) — Ten states from Arkansas to Pennsylvania are on alert for snow, freezing rain and sleet as the latest dangerous winter storm moves through the U.S.
Ice storm warnings are in effect for Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. The warnings are expected to expire later in the day as the ice turns to rain.
On Monday afternoon, Texas is facing heavy rain while the region from St. Louis to Chicago deals with a coating of ice on the roads.
By Tuesday morning, the rain and snow will move into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.
By the morning, the ice will mostly turn to rain from Chicago to Detroit, but a slick morning commute is still expected.
On Tuesday afternoon and evening, the snow will stretch from Michigan to upstate New York to New England. A few inches of snow is possible.
After the ice storm is over, rounds of heavy rain are forecast to pummel the South this week, with some areas forecast to see more than 1 foot of rain. Flooding is possible from Texas to Georgia.
Meanwhile, heavy rain is heading to the West Coast.
Flood watches are in effect in Sacramento in Northern California and San Diego in Southern California. Rainfall rates could reach half an inch per hour in San Diego.
Winter storm warnings were issued for the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where more than 1 foot of snow is possible. Some areas around Lake Tahoe are also under an avalanche warning.
And temperatures are expected to rise later in the week for the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.
Temperatures could surpass 50 degrees in New York City, 80 degrees in Tampa, Florida, and 60 degrees in Memphis, Tennessee.
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(WASHINGTON) — A narrowly divided Supreme Court on Monday sided with the Biden administration in a tense dispute over the Texas-Mexico border and razor wire fencing installed by the state that had prohibited federal border agents from performing their duties.
The court, by a vote of 5-4, cleared the way for federal agents to remove the wire, which administration officials and immigration advocates had called dangerous and inhumane.
The Department of Homeland Security has also argued that the state’s activities interfered with clear federal supremacy in setting border enforcement policy.
The Supreme Court’s order did not elaborate on the decision. It means federal border agents can resume full control of the contested border area while litigation continues.
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh said they would have denied the administration’s request to lift a lower court injunction that was blocking removal of the wire.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(SOUTH BEND, Ind.) — Five children, including a 17-month-old, were killed in a wind-whipped house fire in South Bend, Indiana, in what officials are calling a “horrific tragedy.”
Seven individuals — one adult and six children — were in the home at the time of the fire. Officials said they rescued the six children from the residence; five were later pronounced dead. The ages of the victims range from 17 months to 11 years old, according to officials.
Crews responded Sunday to a residential fire at 222 North LaPorte Ave. at approximately 6:15 p.m. local time and continued to fight the blaze for three hours. When they arrived, a two-story structure was engulfed in flames. South Bend firefighters said they found several children trapped on the second floor of the building.
The surviving victim, 11, was rushed to a local hospital and later airlifted to a specialized pediatric burn center in Indianapolis for further treatment. The 11-year-old remains in treatment Monday, officials said.
One adult was in the house at the time of the fire but was able to escape and sustained minor injuries, fire officials told ABC News.
“Obviously our hearts are low and feeling very saddened right now,” South Bend Fire Chief Carl Buchanon told reports in a press conference Monday. “The one thing on the fire service that I can attest to is that we know how hard it is to lose anyone because we do everything in our power to avoid it. But it hurts even more so when its someone who has just begun their time of this earth — not able to make conscientious decisions, which is where the adults, we’re supposed to help them with.”
Amid the rescue efforts, one firefighter was injured after falling through the second floor and was transported to the hospital for treatment, according to officials. The firefighter is now at home and expected to make a full recovery, officials said.
Crews battled the fire for approximately three hours Sunday evening, officials told reporters during a press conference Monday. The cause of the fire and where in the home the fire began is still unknown. Officials said the fire spread quickly through the residence due to winds and harsh weather conditions in the area at the time.
“While this incident casts a shadow of sorrow over our community, particularly due to the loss of young lives, it is also a poignant reminder of the courage and dedication displayed by the members of the South Bend Fire Department,” the department said in a statement.
“The firefighters of Engine 2, in their unyielding commitment to protect and serve, exhibited a profound disregard for their own safety in the face of extreme danger. Their actions reflect the highest ideals of selflessness and a citizens-first ethos, characteristics emblematic of the bravery inherent in our city’s first responders,” the statement continued.
During the South Bend Fire Department’s press conference Monday, South Bend Fire Chief Carl R. Buchanon, Mayor James Mueller and State Fire Marshal Gerard Ellis addressed the tragedy and honored the responding crews for their rescue efforts.
“This incident last night was a horrific tragedy in our community. We know this is rippling across the community today and will for some time. Our heartfelt prayers and condolences are with the family and the rest of our community that are going through this mourning process,” Mueller said.
Buchanon said the adult who escaped told responding crews how many individuals were trapped inside and made attempts to rescue them.
Buchanon added that this incident was the most fatal house fire during his tenure in South Bend.
The South Bend Fire Department said it is working with state and local authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.
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