(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. fighter aircraft shot down a missile fired toward an American warship from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, U.S. military officials said.
The USS Laboon was fired on in the Southern Red Sea at about 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, U.S. Central Command said on social media.
“The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hudaydah by U.S. fighter aircraft,” officials said. “There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The missile launch on Sunday appeared to be the first such attack by the Houthi militants since American and British forces unleashed a series of large-scale retaliatory airstrikes against multiple Houthi targets inside Yemen.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group, have for weeks been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea, a gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most heavily traveled shipping routes.
There have been at least 27 attacks on international commercial shipping, President Joe Biden said Friday.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, two of the world’s largest shipping companies, have diverted container ships away from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sending them instead on the longer journey around the Cape of Good Hope.
More than 2,000 commercial ships have been rerouted to avoid the Red Sea, Biden said.
The retaliatory strikes by the United States and United Kingdom were a “defensive action” following the attacks on commercial vessels, Biden said in a statement issued Thursday.
“I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” he said.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Nathan Luna contributed to this story.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Government building, Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta. — Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE
(ATLANTA) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis spoke at a church in Atlanta Sunday morning where she gave emotional and passionate remarks that appeared to acknowledge for the first time the affair allegations leveled against her last week, while also defending the special prosecutor she brought in for the election interference case against Donald Trump.
“I hope for y’all this week I don’t look like what I’ve been through,” she joked as she spoke Sunday at the Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a service to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
One of former President Trump’s co-defendants in his Georgia election interference case is seeking to dismiss the indictment against him and disqualify DA Willis, alleging she “engaged in a personal, romantic relationship” with one of the top prosecutors she brought in to work on the case, which allegedly resulted in financial gain for both of them.
In the court filing Monday, former Trump campaign staff member Michael Roman accused Willis of having potentially committed “an act to defraud the public of honest services” based on her “intentional failure” to disclose the alleged relationship that she allegedly “personally benefitted from.”
The 127-page filing from Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, alleged the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, has a “lack of relevant experience” but has been paid approximately $650,000 in legal fees since being appointed to the role — which the filing claims was a “self-serving arrangement.” Trump’s attorney said in court on Friday that they’re considering joining in the complaint against Willis.
During her remarks Sunday, which were livestreamed, Willis repeatedly referred to herself as “flawed” and “imperfect.”
Willis also said she was “a little confused” why so many questioned the decision to bring in multiple special prosecutors to the case, and though she never mentioned Wade by name, she called him a “great friend” who was paid equally to others while extensively defending his “impeccable credentials” for the job — suggesting the attacks on him were motivated by race.
“I appointed three special counselors. It’s my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate,” Willis said. “They only attack one. I hired one white woman: a good personal friend and great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man: brilliant, my friend, and a great lawyer. And I hired one Black man, another superstar, a great friend, and a great lawyer.”
Willis never denied or directly addressed the allegations she and Wade had an inappropriate relationship. She continued to tout Wade’s résumé, saying he was paid more than double when hired by a Republican in another county, and that he “served as a prosecutor, a criminal defense lawyer, special assistant attorney general.”
“Isn’t it them playing the race card when they only question one?” she said.
Speaking for more than 30 minutes, Willis’ emotional speech Sunday detailed at length the difficulties she has faced in her position as Fulton County DA and prosecuting the Trump case. She spoke about feeling “isolation,” “loneliness,” “backstabbing” and facing constant death threats that have forced her out of her home.
“I am tired of being treated cruelly,” she said.
Willis read a letter she said she wrote to God this week in which she said felt “unworthy” of the job: “Lord, even right now, I continue to feel unworthy of the honor,” she said as she read the letter, while appearing to get choked up.
“A divorced single mom who doesn’t belong to the right social groups. Doesn’t necessarily come from the right family. Doesn’t have the right pedigree. The assignment was just too high for lowly me,” Willis said.
Speaking about threats against her, often fueled by race, she said she and her family members’ lives have been “threatened so regularly, I now think it’s not normal if I don’t have two death threats a week.”
“They call me the N-word more than they call me Fani,” she said, while noting that her home has been swept “multiple times for bombs.” She said she now spends “most days and nights” in isolation.
Willis also specifically called out Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“I never want to be like those who attack me. I never want to be like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has never met me but has allowed her spirit to be filled with hate,” she said.
Still, Willis touted the accomplishments of her team, saying they have “wins, wins, wins” and a 95% conviction rate.
“I thank you for every attack that makes me stronger,” she said.
Merchant is pushing back on Willis’ suggestion in church on Sunday that the allegations against her and the special prosecutor were motivated by race, saying, “This has nothing to do with the color of his skin.”
“If anybody doubts our claim that [Nathan] Wade is inexperienced, ask him how many RICO cases he has handled. Ask him how many felonies he has tried,” Merchant said to ABC News.
The difference between Wade and the other special prosecutors brought in to work on the case are the relationship allegations, according to Merchant.
“The biggest difference between Ms. Cross, Mr. Floyd and Mr. Wade is that Ms. Willis is not in a relationship with Ms. Cross and Mr. Floyd,” Merchant said. “And neither Ms. Cross nor Mr. Floyd have taken Ms. Willis to California, Florida or in cruises to the Caribbean.”
Merchant reiterated that she “would never file a motion that we did not have evidence to support.”
“If we need to prove the allegations in open court, we stand ready and welcome the chance,” she said.
Roman, Trump and 17 others pleaded not guilty in August to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jena Ellis and Scott Hall subsequently took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.
The former president has blasted the district attorney’s investigation as being politically motivated.
(ELOY, Ariz.) — Four people were killed and one person was critically injured when a hot air balloon crash-landed in the desert in Eloy, Arizona, on Sunday morning, the Eloy Police Department said.
The crash happened in Pinal County, a rural desert area about five miles north of town, at 7:30 a.m. local time, Eloy Police said.
The mayor of Eloy confirmed that a total of 13 people were in the hot air ballon at the time of the crash — eight skydivers, four passengers and a pilot, according to local ABC Arizona affiliate KNXV.
Just before the crash the skydivers exited the hot air balloon and witnesses who spoke to KNXV said the balloon appeared to be flying up and down before impact occurred.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the other three victims died at the hospital and a fifth person is currently in critical condition at Valley Hospital, according to KNXV.
NTSB officials said the hot air balloon crashed due to an unspecified issue with its envelope. Officials with the NTSB and FAA are investigating the incident.
A man holds the body of a small child as he and others mourn while collecting the bodies of friends and relatives killed in an airstrike on January 13, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — More than a month after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas ended, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.
The end of the cease-fire came after Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza, freed over 100 of the more than 200 people its militants took hostage during the Oct. 7 surprise attack on southern Israel. In exchange, Israel released more than 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 15, 5:07 AM
What we know about the conflict
The Israel-Hamas war has reached the three-month mark.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 24,100 people have been killed and 60,834 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.
In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 297 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Jan 15, 4:59 AM
Shots fired as crowd seeks humanitarian aid in Gaza
Gunshots rang out as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sought food from humanitarian aid trucks in the war-torn Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Video of the incident in Sheikh Iljlin, a neighborhood in southern Gaza City, shows a large crowd gathering to receive flour from aid trucks parked near an Israeli military checkpoint. Then the sound of gunfire erupts and people are seen frantically running.
ABC News was not able to independently verify who fired the shots and whether anyone was killed or injured.
The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Monday.
-ABC News’ Felicia Alvarez, Nasser Atta, Helena Skinner and Morgan Winsor
Jan 14, 7:29 PM
Hamas releases video showing 3 Israeli hostages in captivity
Hamas released a video on Sunday showing three Israeli hostages who are still being held in captivity in Gaza.
The three hostages that appear in the video are 26-year-old Noa Argamani, 35-year-old Itai Svirsky and 53-year-old Yossi Sharabi.
The video released by Hamas called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on Gaza.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Jan 14, 6:47 PM
100 days into war, IDF says its ‘goals are complex to achieve and will take a long time’
As the Israel-Hamas war reached its 100th day Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces says it’s goals “will take a long time” to achieve.
“To achieve real results, we must continue to operate in enemy territory, not to allow extortion attempts for a cease-fire,” IDF Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a televised address Saturday.
“We must continue applying pressure and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said. “[Our] goals are complex to achieve and will take a long time. To dismantle Hamas, patience is both necessary and essential.”
The IDF also said it’s now moving to intensify its operations in southern Gaza, where it believes Hamas’ leadership is hiding.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jan 13, 4:56 PM
Netanyahu says Israel will pursue war with Hamas until victory
Israel will pursue its war against Hamas until victory and will not be stopped by anyone, including the world court, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a defiant speech Saturday evening.
Netanyahu spoke after the International Court of Justice at The Hague held two days of hearings on South Africa’s allegations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, a charge Israel has rejected as libelous and hypocritical.
South Africa asked the court to order Israel to halt its blistering air and ground offensive in an interim step.
“No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else,” Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to Iran and its allied militias.
The case before the world court is expected to go on for years, but a ruling on interim steps could come within weeks. Court rulings are binding but difficult to enforce.
Netanyahu made clear that Israel would ignore orders to halt the fighting, potentially deepening its isolation. Netanyahu also said a decision had yet to be made about a potential military takeover of the “Philadelphi Corridor” along the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt.
-ABC News’ Bruno Nota
Jan 13, 2:44 PM
Israel-Hamas war reaches 100th day
Saturday marked 100 days since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the deadliest conflict between the two sides in recent history.
The fighting began on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has launched numerous airstrikes and a ground offensive. The Israeli government has previously claimed it is defending itself.
More than 23,300 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Meanwhile, 1,200 people have been killed in Israel along with 520 Israel Defense Forces officers since Oct. 7.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N’s Palestinian Relief Agency, issued a statement marking 100 days of the war, saying there are now 1.4 million people in U.N. shelters in Gaza and facing a “looming famine.”
Meanwhile, families of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza are holding a series of events Saturday to mark 100 days since their captivity began.
-ABC News’ Mary Kekatos and Patrick Reevell
Jan 13, 8:22 AM
More than half a million people are starving in Gaza, UN says
About 577,000 people in Gaza, equal to a quarter of the population, are now starving, Arif Husain, chief economist for the U.N.’s World Food program, told ABC News.
Hussain has worked as an expert assessing hunger crises for 20 years and said, in terms of scale of severity and speed, he has never seen what is unfolding in Gaza right now, calling it “unprecedented.”
Even before the war with Israel, Gaza relied on humanitarian assistance to meet around 75% to 80% of its needs. With Israel now allowing very few supplies into Gaza, it has quickly run into massive shortages.
“If things continue as they are, or if things worsen, we are looking at a full fledged famine within the next six months,” he said.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jan 12, 12:59 PM
Deal reached to get medicine to hostages, Israel says
A deal has been reached to get medicine to the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza over the next few days, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.
The families of the hostages are insisting that the Israeli war cabinet “demand visual proof that the medications did indeed reach the abductees, as a condition for any return from Israel.”
“After 98 days in the Hamas tunnels, all the abductees are in immediate danger and need life-saving medication,” the families said in a statement.
Jan 12, 9:30 AM
Israel rejects genocide charges at UN’s top court
Israel on Friday called on the United Nations’ top court to dismiss South Africa’s request to halt its offensive in the Gaza Strip amid “grossly distorted” accusations of genocide.
During opening statements to a panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker said the country is fighting a “war it did not start and did not want.”
“In these circumstances, there can hardly be a charge more false and more malevolent than the allegation against Israel of genocide,” Becker added.
He noted that “Israel is in a war of defense against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people,” and that the suffering of civilians during wartime does not amount to genocide.
“The key component of genocide, the intent to destroy a people in whole or in part, is totally lacking,” he said.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres and Morgan Winsor
Jan 11, 12:18 PM
Blinken says he found new willingness to discuss Gaza’s future, denies conflict is escalating
As Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his trip to the Middle East, he said he encountered a new appetite among Middle Eastern leaders to discuss contributing to what he often refers to as “the day after” in Gaza.
“I have to say what was different about this trip is that on our previous trips here, I think there was a reluctance to talk about some of the day after issues and long-term stability and security on a regional basis, but now we’re finding that our partners are very focused on that and wanting to engage on those questions,” Blinken said.
On his major goal of preventing the Israeli-Hamas war from spreading across the region, Blinken was optimistic.
“I don’t think the conflict is escalating. There are lots of danger points; we’re trying to deal with each of them,” he said.
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Jan 11, 12:11 PM
Hostage families beg for Israel to ‘take the deal’: ‘This is hell’
The families of hostages held by Hamas came together for a news conference Thursday demanding that the Israeli war cabinet prioritize their loved ones’ return and approve any deal that would lead to their release.
“I demand the cabinet take any deal on the table,” said Shay Wenkert, whose son, Omer Wenkert, was kidnapped from the music festival on Oct. 7.
“My son has colitis,” Wenkert said. “This is hell. I’m begging you — you had opportunities for other deals and didn’t take them. Take action. You have to take the deal. Bring them home now.”
“No one is doing us any favors in Israel. They must do everything to release the hostages, at any price,” said Gilad and Nitza Corngold, parents of Tal Shoham, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri. “I suggest anyone who says ‘It’s not worth it’ to bring a family member of theirs and make a personal exchange with me — to give me their son and take mine out. Their time is running out.”
Jan 11, 11:48 AM
Genocide case against Israel begins at UN’s top court
Israel is defending itself in the United Nations’ top court starting Thursday against allegations that its ongoing military campaign in the neighboring Gaza Strip amounts to genocide of the Palestinian people — a claim that Israel vehemently denies.
South Africa, which brought forward the allegations, is initially asking the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of the Israeli military offensive against Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas, as part of a landmark case that is likely to take years to resolve.
“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African attorney Adila Hassim told the panel of judges inside a packed courtroom in The Hague during Thursday’s opening statements. “Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court.”
South Africa insists Israel is committing genocide by design and that the country’s latest war in Gaza is part of its decadeslong oppression of Palestinians. South Africa’s ruling political party, the African National Congress, has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and sees parallels with its own struggle against the apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.
“The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023,” South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. “The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called South Africa’s allegations “atrocious and preposterous,” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed the case as “meritless.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response Thursday called South Africa’s allegations “upside-down.”
“Israel is fighting against murderous terrorists who have committed terrible crimes against humanity: they slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they killed children, women, the elderly, young men, young women. A terrorist organization that committed the most terrible crime against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and now there are those who come to defend it in the name of the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to fight the terrorists, we will continue to repel the lies, we will continue to maintain our right to defend ourselves and secure our future.”
Lawyers for Israel will address the court on Friday.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Edward Szekeres and Morgan Winsor
Jan 11, 11:08 AM
Man who lost entire family sifts through rubble in Gaza
The main highway connecting south and north Gaza, Salah al-Din Road, which Israeli forces used for a civilian corridor, has become impassable in Deir al Balah in central Gaza.
“When we came here, we were surprised — Salah al-Din is a main road connecting the north and the south in four directions, 70 meters wide,” Gaza resident Yahya Deeb Al-Laham told ABC News. Now there’s “no infrastructure, no electricity, no roads, buildings and areas are non-existent … there is nothing here, there are no signs of life. Homes for families have completely disappeared and not a single one of them remains.”
The Israelis have recently left the area.
One of the families who followed Israeli military instructions, evacuating from northern Gaza to Deir al Balah, has been completely wiped out.
The surviving family member, Muhammad Fouad Abu Safi, returned to the site to sift through the rubble and try to find what might be left of his family.
“They left me no family member, no sister, no brother, no cousin, no child,” he told ABC News. “There were about 50 people here. Only three children, girls, came out alive … the rest here were taken out as body parts or decomposing bodies.”
“Humanity has ended, mercy has ended,” he said. “Neither from America nor from any country, there is no humanity or mercy.”
ABC News’ Samy Zayara
Jan 11, 8:32 AM
UN court opens hearings on South Africa’s accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
Israel is defending itself in the United Nations’ top court starting Thursday against allegations that its ongoing military campaign in the neighboring Gaza Strip amounts to genocide of the Palestinian people — a claim that Israel vehemently denies.
South Africa, which brought forward the allegations, is initially asking the International Criminal Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza as part of a landmark case that is likely to take years to resolve.
“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African attorney Adila Hassim told the panel of judges in a packed courtroom at The Hague during Thursday’s opening statements. “Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court.”
South Africa insists Israel is committing genocide by design and that the country’s latest war in Gaza is part of its decadeslong oppression of Palestinians. South Africa’s ruling political party, the African National Congress, has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and sees parallels with its own struggle against the apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.
“The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023,” South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. “The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years.”
Lawyers for Israel will address the court on Friday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called South Africa’s allegations “atrocious and preposterous,” while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed the case as “meritless.”
Jan 10, 1:31 PM
Hamas official says hostages won’t return alive if Netanyahu doesn’t accept cease-fire
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said in a statement that the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza “will not return alive to their families” unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli leaders respond to Hamas’ conditions, “the first of which is a comprehensive and complete cessation of their aggression against the Gaza Strip.”
Jan 10, 11:50 AM
Israelis in Egypt for hostage talks: Egyptian security source
A delegation from Israel is in Egypt on Wednesday for new discussions on swapping Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for Palestinians in prison in Israel, an Egyptian security source confirmed to ABC News.
Jan 10, 11:18 AM
Israeli minister warns ‘Hamas will regain control’ if combat in Gaza stops
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz warned Wednesday that “Hamas will regain control” of the Gaza Strip if the Israeli military ceases combat operations there.
“We must go on. If we stop now, Hamas will regain control,” Gantz, a retired army general who previously served as Israel’s defense minister and alternate prime minister, said during a press conference in Tel Aviv. “In most areas, we have completed the phase of operational takeover and now, we are deep in the phase of dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, which will lead to the demilitarization of the strip.”
However, Gantz noted that “the most urgent thing is the return of the abductees.” More than 100 Israeli citizens are believed to still be held hostage by militants in Gaza after being taken captive during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
“This has precedence over every move in combat,” he said.
Gantz also warned that the Israeli military “will act in southern Lebanon as we act in northern Gaza” if the neighboring country “continues to serve as an Iranian terrorist outpost.” His remarks came as Israeli forces continue to exchange fire with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, amid fears that regional tensions could escalate into a wider war in the Middle East.
“This is not a threat to Lebanon,” Gantz added. “It is a promise to the residents of [northern Israel].”
Israel’s war cabinet is expected to meet on Wednesday evening, followed by a meeting of the wider security cabinet.
ABC News’ Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor
Jan 10, 10:06 AM
IDF claims to have found ‘further evidence of Hamas’ exploitation’
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday claimed to have found “further evidence of Hamas’ exploitation of the civilian population for terrorist activity across the Gaza Strip.”
The 55th Brigade combat team made the alleged discovery in recent days while “operating to destroy terror infrastructure” in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to the IDF.
“During the operations on the military targets, the soldiers located a UAV launch post, a loaded rifle underneath a child’s bed, along with grenades, cartridges, Hamas uniforms, and many intelligence materials inside the residences of terrorist operatives,” the IDF said in a statement. “During the operation, the soldiers found a tunnel shaft near a school, a rocket launcher near a kindergarten, and a training compound near a mosque.”
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza, has denied Israel’s claims that it deliberately shelters behind civilians by hiding its fighters, infrastructure and weapons in hospitals, schools and other areas populated by civilians.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Jan 10, 9:49 AM
At least 40 killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital, Hamas says
More than 40 people, including a journalist, were killed Wednesday when Israeli forces bombed an inhabited house across the street from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas Government Media Office.
Hamas claimed the Israeli military had declared the city of Deir al-Balah safe before striking the area.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
Earlier Wednesday, the IDF said its aircraft and ground troops were continuing to operate against Hamas in central Gaza within the area of the Maghazi refugee camp, a couple miles north of Deir al-Balah.
Kurt Kreuger attended a presidential campaign event for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday — not that he felt it would make much of a difference.
Kreuger, a 33-year-old from the city, is still deciding who to vote for in Monday’s caucuses, which kick off the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination after months of candidates on the trail. Kreuger said he’s leaning toward backing entrepreneur and commentator Vivek Ramaswamy but is seriously weighing all of his options after voting for former President Donald Trump in 2020.
But while his personal ballot is still up for grabs, he said, the race overall isn’t.
“Trump’s going to win the caucus,” Kreuger predicted to ABC News. “There’s no chance anybody else wins.”
That sentiment was echoed in recent interviews with a dozen voters and Republican operatives in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina which, along with the Nevada caucuses, encompass the first phase of the primary election.
According to voter and expert interviews — and nearly all polling — Republicans prefer one candidate to the others: Trump, who has campaigned on pledging to dismantle the Biden administration’s record. The former president often focuses on a message of “retribution” and touts anti-immigrant and anti-government policies.
Despite the initially crowded field of candidates running against him and despite the intensive media coverage and despite the frequent campaign stops and impassioned pitches from candidates like Haley and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis — despite all of that and despite Republican voters voicing concerns about having Trump be their White House nominee again, pre-vote polls show he remains the favorite choice.
With hours to go until ballots start being cast, Trump maintains double-digit leads not just in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina but across the rest of the country, as well as nationally, according to 538’s averages.
All of that has added up to a technically competitive contest that feels like anything but, some voters and operatives said.
“It is boring,” New Hampshire GOP strategist Dave Carney said. “It’s technically open, but it’s really running against a two-time presidential nominee.”
For more signs of how secondary the run-up to the Iowa caucuses has recently felt, look no further that the streets of the state’s capitol city just days before the main event that has for years been positioned as key on the road to the White House (despite history showing otherwise).
On one midday afternoon last week, blustering winds whipped blankets of snow from the once-in-a-decade storm around Des Moines, where the streets were deserted, save for a handful of vehicles dotting the roads.
Due to the treacherous weather, nearly all campaigns altered or flat-out canceled events — further overshadowing their final pitches to voters. Trump, the front-runner, who has decided to campaign much less than some competitors, canceled three of his four scheduled in-person appearances this weekend, opting instead for telerallies and off-the-record stops.
Few campaign signs dotted the sidewalks heading into Monday. The lively caucus pre-parties and raucous organizing events that would light up the city in past cycles have not returned; even the large-scale watering holes and popular hotel bars for the throngs of out-of-state media were seen teeming with dozens, rather than hundreds.
That atmosphere marks a stark departure — both from the 2016 Republican nominating contest, in which first-time candidate Trump ultimately emerged victorious, and the 2020 Democratic primary, when President Joe Biden won out only after months of closely watched campaigning in a bustling field.
“This time eight years ago, we had tons of candidate events and stops where you would have two and three things that day. They would be doing local county party events, they’d be doing meetings, they’d be doing coffees and meet-and-greets and bus tours. And so, I just don’t know if the tone is the same as it was eight years ago in that it’s almost like it’s already been decided,” said one well-connected South Carolina GOP operative who asked for anonymity to speak about the race.
That has even some of the most ardent supporters of Trump’s rivals managing their expectations in the early states.
When asked what the best-case scenario would be for Haley in Iowa, Sanford Owens, a volunteer from Oregon who traveled all the way to Cedar Rapids, told ABC News it would be Haley getting “within five to eight points” of Trump — a margin that polling suggests would be a massive upset.
“I would be popping the champagne. I’m popping it baby. And I’m getting the good stuff: the Veuve!” Owens said.
To be certain, Trump’s rivals are working to motivate Iowans to vote in the caucuses.
“The blizzard is not going to stop us, we will fight. The wind chill is not going to stop us, we will fight,” DeSantis said at an event in Davenport on Saturday night. “The media’s not going to stop us, we will fight. The polls won’t stop us, we will fight. We have in our power to fix this country.”
Still, others sounded less certain.
“I just am hopeful that a lot of people will participate on Monday, and we’ll see where that goes,” said Debbie Neumeyer of Robins, Iowa, who plans on caucusing for Haley.
Some Republicans warned of apathy.
Beyond Trump’s yawning lead, Iowans are expected to continue to face dangerously cold weather on Monday, sparking speculation that could dampen turnout.
Some operatives have questioned if Trump’s voters will feel emboldened enough to brave the elements or if they feel comfortable that the caucuses are in the bag.
However, others warned the cold and Trump’s advantage combined could make supporters of other candidates wonder if it’s even worth voting if the contest is already considered out of reach.
“My dad specifically told me he wanted to vote for Haley, but he isn’t sure that it’s going to be worth going to caucus on caucus night because he thinks that Trump is gonna run away with it anyway. So, what’s the point?” said one GOP strategist with experience working in Iowa, who asked not to be quoted by name because of professional relationships. “So, I literally told him, ‘It’s gonna come down to turnout from people like you. If you think that it’s not worth showing up, then he is going to run away with it.'”
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
A record-breaking Arctic cold snap is sweeping across much of the United States as the Great Lakes deal with heavy snow and the South prepares for a significant winter storm.
Saturday brought record-breaking cold to much of the northern Plains, with Montana feeling the deepest chill. Chester, Montana, clocked in as the coldest spot in the nation when the temperature plunged to a mind-numbing minus 54 degrees.
In Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, football fans braved negative-degree wind chills to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins.
Wind chill alerts are in effect Sunday across two dozen states from Colorado to Illinois to Texas.
On Sunday morning, the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — fell to minus 35 degrees in Kansas City — the coldest since 1989.
Chicago is facing blowing snow and life-threatening cold.
And in Iowa, wind chill warnings have been issued across nearly the entire state as residents gear up for Monday’s caucuses. It could feel as cold as minus 35 degrees in Des Moines on Monday morning.
The record-breaking cold temperatures will persist in the southern Plains over the next few days, with Dallas, Nashville and Little Rock, Arkansas, feeling the freeze.
In the Northeast, extremely heavy snow and whiteout conditions are pounding the Buffalo, New York, area, where New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a travel ban.
The Buffalo Bills were set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but the game was pushed to 4:30 p.m. Monday because Sunday’s snow forecast would make driving extremely dangerous.
Snowfall rates are reaching up to 2 inches per hour and travel around Buffalo is nearly impossible.
The Buffalo and Watertown, New York, areas will see snow totals of 1 to 3 feet by the time the storm tapers down early in the week.
And in the larger Northeast region, snow squalls are in the forecast on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a new storm will bring snow and an icy, wintry mix to the South.
Light freezing rain or freezing drizzle is possible Monday morning across a large swath of Texas, including Dallas and Austin, making roads very treacherous.
Snow is in the forecast for Little Rock and Nashville. Up to 3 to 5 inches of snow is possible in Memphis.
Even Shreveport, Louisiana, could see sleet and 1 to 2 inches of snow.
The Iowa high school principal who was shot and wounded while trying to protect his students during a school shooting earlier this month has died from his injuries, according to the school district.
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was among seven people injured in the Jan. 4 shooting. One student, 11-year-old sixth grader Ahmir Jolliff, was killed, authorities said.
The suspected shooter — a student at the high school — died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
“Our entire state is devastated by the news of Dan Marburger’s death,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement Sunday. “Dan courageously put himself in harm’s way to protect his students, and ultimately gave his own life to save them. He will forever be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions. May he rest in peace.”
Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff.
“Dan Marburger is more than the Perry High School Principal. Dan is a husband, a father, a grandpa, a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, and a friend who lives and breathes for his family,” his family wrote on GoFundMe. “Being the principal at Perry High School since 1995, also means that Dan’s family includes those who have ever walked the halls of Perry High School.”
“Dan Marburger gave the ultimate sacrifice,” his family said in a GoFundMe post Sunday. “All of the Marburger family and the entire Perry Community will forever be touched by the selflessness of Mr. Marburger.”
If former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee in the 2024 election, the race will be overshadowed by the legal issues and other controversies he’s facing, creating a potent advantage for Democrats, rival Ron Desantis argued on Sunday.
“He’s focused a lot on things that concern him,” the Florida governor and 2024 primary candidate told ABC News “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl just one day before voting starts with the Iowa caucuses.
“Obviously, the distractions of everything that’s going along with all these legal issues has been a huge thing for him [Trump],” DeSantis said. “You’re gonna have criminal trials, you’re gonna have a lot of focus on things like Jan. 6 by the media, and I think that ends up focusing the election on things that are going to be advantageous for Democrats.”
“The notion that somehow all this stuff that’s swirling around him is going to be a positive in a general election, that’s just not true,” DeSantis said, warning of how the contest could be turned into “a referendum on Donald Trump.” (Trump denies all wrongdoing.)
“Whereas if I’m the nominee … I think it will be a crisp opportunity for a crisp victory for Republicans,” DeSantis said.
With the Iowa caucuses one day away — officially starting the 2024 Republican primary race on Monday in brutally cold winter weather — DeSantis is making his closing argument for why conservative voters should turn to him over Trump, who has remained the clear front-runner in state and national polling.
“I’ve delivered on 100% of my promises. Donald Trump, obviously, didn’t build the wall, didn’t drain the swamp and didn’t reduce the debt,” DeSantis told Karl. “I’ve also taken on and beaten the Democrats and the left. And in reality, Donald Trump, as president, oftentimes got beat by the Democrats.”
Still, many potential Iowa voters don’t seem swayed and Trump has dismissed DeSantis’ attacks, refusing even to debate with him.
A new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll released on Saturday showed the former president winning 48% support from likely Republican caucusgoers.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, who has put enormous resources into winning the state, building a robust ground game there, slipped down to third place — narrowly behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
DeSantis has repeatedly boasted over the past few months that he would win the Iowa caucuses but has changed his tune recently as voting approaches, now saying that the nominating contest is about winning the most delegates across every state and that he’s in the race for the “long haul.”
Pressed by Karl on “This Week” if he still promises to win Iowa, DeSantis said instead that “it’s good to be an underdog” and that his supporters in Iowa are ready to turn out for him.
“I’d rather have people lower expectations for us,” he said. “I tend to perform better like that.”
He also took a jab at Haley, who has risen in recent months to compete with him for second place behind Trump. Haley is “not getting support from conservatives,” DeSantis said. “She’s relying on Democrat-leaning independents for her support in the primary.”
Karl cited new ABC News/Ipsos polling that shows 68% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents feel Trump has the best chance to win in November. “Why are they wrong?” he asked.
DeSantis said GOP voters “understandably” see Biden as a “very feeble” candidate who would lose to anyone — but he argued past elections like in 2022 show Trump’s influence was rejected by many voters despite Biden’s poor popularity.
DeSantis also said he thinks current polling showing Trump beating out Biden in a hypothetical race, nearly a year away from the election, is “somewhat of a mirage.”
However, he would not say directly if he believes Trump would lose against Biden in another matchup
“My fear is doing 2024 with a rematch would have a lot of the same dynamics that we had in 2020,” he said.
And when Karl sought a direct answer from DeSantis on Trump’s moral character, the governor pivoted to his primary race pitch.
“For me, leadership is not about yourself, it’s not about showmanship or any of that,” he said. “It’s about producing results. So, when you make promises, do you deliver? And if you break the promises, then that’s not good leadership.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, one of President Joe Biden’s top surrogates, on Sunday downplayed Biden’s continued poor polling ahead of a likely rematch with former President Donald Trump in the 2024 race.
Pritzker’s comments come after a new ABC News/Ipsos survey found Biden’s approval rating sitting at a meager 33%, with the public reporting widespread economic discontent.
“Things are getting better in this country — and over the course of an election year, as the economy continues to improve, you’re gonna see poll numbers improve too,” the governor told ABC News “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
“I think your poll is a bit of an outlier, but here’s what I’ll tell you: This battle hasn’t even been joined yet. You’ve got a bunch of Republicans, MAGA Republicans, espousing things that are not good for the American public that are on the stage now,” Pritzker added. “And it’s not until they choose a nominee will we truly be in this battle. And then it’s a choice.”
Biden and allies like Pritzker have increasingly sought to cast the next presidential race as a referendum on Trump, highlighting issues like Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his support for abortion restrictions.
Republicans say the White House’s record shows failures on immigration, inflation and more.
“The truth of the matter is, this [the 2024 election] is going to be won among independents, and independents understand that, as Democrats do, that it’s the Republicans that are trying to take your freedoms away,” Pritzker argued on Sunday.
Asked about Trump choosing not to sign a voluntary candidate pledge in Illinois that he would not advocate for overthrowing the government — which many other candidates sign — Pritzker said it was more evidence of Trump’s unfitness for office.
“We just can’t afford to have a president who is acting in unconstitutional fashion, and in his own self-interest,” he said.
The Illinois Democrat also swatted away the persistent concerns about Biden’s age. At 81, he is the oldest-ever president. Trump is 77.
Citing the new ABC/Ipsos poll, Karl pressed Pritzker: “Just 28% think that President Biden has the mental sharpness to effectively serve for another term. So how does he address those concerns, those very real concerns, that voters have?”
“Maybe we ought to start by just acknowledging that Joe Biden has years of experience — that when you’re talking about someone’s age, you’re also talking about the wisdom that they gained over many years and how they’ve demonstrated their empathy that they’ve learned from so many experiences,” Pritzker said. “Joe Biden and Donald Trump are roughly the same age. Do you think Donald Trump has learned empathy in his life? He has not.”
Karl further pressed Pritzker on how Biden should handle historically high migrant crossings at the southern border, an issue Trump and other conservatives have been highlighting.
Pritzker maintained that it was Democrats, not Republicans, who have been pushing for major immigration changes and pointed to ongoing negotiations on Capitol Hill.
“My hope is that they’ll get something done. But not enough has been done, there’s no doubt about that. And I think that the president needs to do more. The Congress needs to do more,” he said.
He criticized efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to transport migrants from his state to Democratic areas, particularly in light of the brutal winter weather battering parts of the country. Abbott has criticized Democrats’ handling of immigration and said border states like Texas suffer because of it.
“He does not care about people,” Pritzker shot back at Abbott on “This Week.”
Break out the gloves and hats: A record-breaking Arctic cold snap is bringing dangerously cold temperatures to much of the United States.
In Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, football fans braved negative-degree wind chills to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins.
Twenty-six states remain under wind chill alerts on Sunday.
With minus 30-degree wind chills expected in Chicago, the city has activated its “emergency operation plan for extreme cold.”
Even Texas is feeling the freeze, with temperatures dropping below zero.
Here is your cheat sheet for how to brave the frigid weather:
How to keep pipes from freezing
Keep the temperature in your home consistent during the day and night, the Red Cross advised. If you’re leaving home for the holidays, keep the heat on with the temperature set at a minimum of 55 degrees.
Prop open the cabinet doors in your kitchen and bathroom so warmer air can circulate around the plumbing, according to the Red Cross — just make sure to move any chemicals so children can reach them.
Keep your garage door closed if there are water supply lines inside, the Red Cross said.
You can also let the water drip, even at a trickle, from the faucet connected to exposed pipes, according to the Red Cross.
How to stay safe outside
Those with prolonged exposure or those not dressed appropriately for the weather are in danger of frostbite and hypothermia, National Weather Service meteorologist Jay Engle told ABC News.
Frostbite results in the loss of feeling and color in affected areas — usually the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, toes or chin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frostbite could potentially cause permanent damage and, in severe cases, can lead to amputation, the CDC said.
Someone suffering from frostbite can be unaware of it because tissues that become frozen are numb, the CDC said. These are all signs of frostbite: numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, or skin that feels unusually firm or waxy.
“Don’t rub your hands — if you have frost-nip or frostbite, rubbing actually causes tissue damage,” Dr. Randall Wexler, professor of family medicine at Ohio State University, told ABC News.
If you think you are developing frostbite, “keep the area covered if you can … because if you have frostbite on your hand and you pull off your glove, you may cause tissue damage,” Wexler said.
He added, “That’s also when you want to start trying to raise your core body temperature — get rid of wet clothes, put on clothes that are warm and dry.”
There’s also hypothermia — or abnormally low body temperature — which can impact the brain, “making the victim unable to think clearly or move well,” the CDC said. “This makes hypothermia especially dangerous because a person may not know that it’s happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Warning signs for adults are shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Warning signs for infants are bright red or cold skin and very low energy, the CDC said.
Engle recommends to “dress in three or more layers. One big thick winter coat tends not to do the trick. You have to have a thick sweater underneath and then a lighter jacket on top of that and then your winter coat.”
“People really should keep their heads covered because that’s where majority of heat gets lost,” Engle added.
Wexler said moving can generate heat. But try to avoid sweating.
“If you are overheated and start to sweat, that lowers your body temperature and makes you more susceptible to cold injury,” he said. “You want to be able to adjust your layers, zip and unzip.”
Wexler also recommended staying hydrated because “dehydration can help promote cold injury.”
The young and elderly should be especially careful in the cold.
“Their ability to maintain core body temperature is harder than mid-age and younger adults,” he said. “Kids, especially babies, lose a disproportionate amount of heat from their head — that’s why you want to have a hat on their head when you’re out there. Older people are more at risk simply because it is more difficult to regulate our core body temperature as we get older.”
It’s also more difficult to maintain your core temperature if you are diabetic or taking decongestant antihistamines or certain blood pressure medications, Wexler said.
How to keep your car safe
When the temperature dips, getting behind the wheel can prove to be a challenge. Problems include dead car batteries, iced-over windshields, broken car locks and driving with no traction.
Audra Fordin, founder of Woman Auto Know and the owner of Great Bear Auto Repair in Queens, New York, provided these tips:
1. Before you hit the road, check under the hood.
“If it’s really cold outside, you want to make sure that your battery is going to be good in the freezing cold weather,” Fordin said. “If you see any snow or blue stuff that’s growing off your battery, that’s an indication you want to go to the shop to have your battery checked.”
2. Iced out windshields? Turn to your wallet for help.
“If you get to your car and can’t see, pull out a credit card, and you can just wipe that frost away,” Fordin said.
3. Fighting a stubborn car lock? Get sanitizing.
“If your lock is frozen, put the sanitizer on the key, and then put the key into the lock,” Fordin said.
4. If your car can’t gain traction, let your floor mat give an assist.
“Grab your floor mat, you’re going to put it underneath the wheel,” Fordin said. “That will give you enough traction to pull your car out and hit the road.”
This story was originally published in the winter of 2017-2018.
