The Carnival Horizon cruise ship sits docked in the Caribbean Sea at the Aruba Cruise Terminal, November 11, 2025, in Oranjestad, Aruba. Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
The teenager was due in court in Miami on Wednesday morning for his arraignment, though he waived his appearance, according to a filing from his attorney.
Prosecutors alleged that the stepbrother “sexually assaulted and intentionally killed” Kepner. The Florida high school senior died from mechanical asphyxiation, officials said.
Anna Kepner’s father, Chris Kepner, is married to the suspect’s mother, Shauntel Kepner.
Chris and Shauntel Kepner said in a statement last week, “Our family is devastated by the loss of Anna and continues to grieve this unimaginable tragedy.”
“This situation is deeply painful and complex for our entire family,” the Kepners said. “Anna was deeply loved, and we remain committed to honoring her life and memory every day.”
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, April 13, 2026. Trump is highlighting the “No Tax on Tips” policy, which allows eligible workers to deduct qualified tips from their federal income taxes as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (Photographer: Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Mike Tyson, Tony Robbins, and President Donald Trump walk into Mar-a-Lago.
It’s not the setup to a joke — it’s a pitch to investors.
On Saturday, all three men and 297 of the top holders of Trump’s meme coin, called $TRUMP, are expected to convene for what organizers call “the most exclusive crypto & business conference in the world” at Trump’s Florida estate — the second such bid to boost interest in Trump’s digital asset since his return to office.
The event website warns that “no gifts will be accepted,” but some attendees, by virtue of their investment in the coin, will have already spent millions of dollars — much of which flows directly to the Trump family — for the privilege of potentially lunching with the president.
Critics have panned the event as a brazen pay-for-play opportunity, accusing Trump of attempting to personally profit by selling access to the presidency.
In a letter transmitted earlier this month to the event organizer, longtime Trump friend Bill Zanker, a group of Senate Democrats sought records tied to the event, stating that “it is essential that Congress fully understand the extent to which President Trump and his family are profiting off of his cryptocurrency ventures.”
Zanker did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
President Trump launched his meme coin — a type of digital currency that’s often based on an internet meme — in January 2025, just days before his inauguration. The coin’s value initially soared to more than $44 before plummeting almost immediately.
Last May, in a bid to reinvigorate interest in the coin, Trump announced plans for an “intimate private dinner” at his golf club in Virginia. Hundreds of investors attended the event, where Trump spoke briefly and handed out gold watches to a subset of attendees, many of whom traveled from overseas and remained anonymous until arriving in person at the event.
The 2025 event in Virginia helped bolster the coin’s value for a time, but interest in the currency again tapered off. By early March 2026, its value dipped below $3, meaning that an investor who purchased $10,000 worth of Trump coins at its peak would have been left with assets worth less than $700.
Last month, when Trump announced plans for the Mar-a-Lago gala, the coin’s value climbed above $4 before settling back below $3, according to CoinGecko data.
On-chain trading activity analyzed by the cryptocurrency data firm Nansen shows that the coin generated roughly $1.35 billion in trading volume on decentralized platforms across 2.74 million transactions ahead of the gala. The Trump family earns a fee from each of those transactions, according to its website, but the structure of those transaction fees remains opaque.
Notably, the volume of tokens bought and sold ahead of the Mar-a-Lago gala remained almost entirely flat, “suggesting wallets may be flipping for leaderboard points rather than building long term positions,” said Jake Kennis, an analyst at Nansen.
At the upcoming event, top investors will receive Trump-branded watches, colognes, posters and a VIP reception with the president, according to the event website. Like the event last May, the identities of these investors are hidden behind pseudonyms or a series of letters and numbers. Attendees will hear keynote addresses from Tyson, Robbins and other business executives.
Buried in the event fine print, organizers say that “President Trump may not be able to attend” — and in fact the White House has said the president plans to attend the White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington later that evening.
Critics say these events are just one way in which the president has used the office of the presidency to line his own pockets. His family business has struck several real estate licensing deals around the world over the past year, most notably in the Persian Gulf region, and he has lent his name and likeness to myriad merchandise, including watches, spirits, sneakers, Bibles, guitars and fragrances.
One year into his second administration, Trump’s personal wealth has ballooned to more than $6 billion, according to Forbes. Despite the fact that his meme coin has lost more than 94% of its value since its all-time high early last year, the transaction fees on trades for the currency has generated nearly $400 million for the president, Forbes reported.
Trump and the White House have repeatedly and forcefully denied that his private business interests create a conflict of interest.
“The President is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself,” a White House spokesperson said when Trump held his earlier meme coin event. “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public — which is why they overwhelmingly reelected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media.”
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FLA) appears for a hearing of the House Ethics Committee on Capitol Hill on March 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress on Tuesday afternoon, just before she was to face a House Ethics Committee sanction hearing.
The committee was set to hold a rare public hearing to determine what sanction would be appropriate for it to recommend to the full House against Cherfilus-McCormick.
Last month, Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty of 25 House ethics violations, including acceptance of improper campaign contributions and commingling of campaign and personal funds. The congresswoman was indicted in November 2025 by a federal grand jury on charges of stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, which she is accused of laundering to support her successful 2021 congressional campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.
In her resignation announcement, the congresswoman called the process a “witch hunt.”
“By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself,” she said. “I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished.”
Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest read out loud the congresswoman’s resignation letter after the committee briefly convened and said the committee had lost jurisdiction over Cherfilus-McCormick with her resignation.
“I will tell you that the committee has worked diligently to investigate this matter, that this was not a rush to judgment, as some would claim, that this was a very deliberate process to gather information into allegations that were extremely serious and extremely complicated,” Guest said.
Ranking Democrat Mark DeSaulnier told the committee, “Nobody’s happy. I don’t think any of us are happy at what we’ve gone through, but I am extremely proud of being associated with all of you.”
She is the third member of the House to resign in a week, following Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who were accused of sexual misconduct and were about to face efforts by their colleagues to have them expelled.
Expelling a member of the House is a rare occurrence. A two-thirds majority is required to remove a member.
Only six House members in U.S. history have been expelled from the lower chamber. Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos was the most recent lawmaker expelled from the House in 2023.
The committee could have recommended a range of sanctions, including expulsion, censure, reprimand, fine — and even denial or limitation of any right, according to House rules. The House may punish its members and may expel its members by a two-thirds vote, according to Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution.
The sanction recommendation against Cherfilus-McCormick was expected to be announced in writing after the hearing. Afterward, the panel was to break into executive session to conclude its deliberations and reach a judgment.
Before Cherfilus-McCormick announced her resignation, Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube said he would move to force a vote to try to expel the congresswoman following the sanction hearing. Steube was expected to make the expulsion resolution privileged, which required Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on the matter within two legislative days.
The speaker signaled last week that expelling Cherfilus-McCormick over her alleged crimes would be “appropriate.”
Though he initially insisted that Democrats would not help Republicans expel Cherfilus-McCormick, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that Democrats would convene a caucus meeting to determine how they’ll handle the the bipartisan Ethics panel’s recommendations.
After her resignation, Steube called on the Department of Justice to put Cherfilus-McCormick in prison.
“This is a victory for our institution and the great state of Florida,” Steube wrote on X. “Thank you to everyone who stayed involved and kept the pressure on. Now it’s on the DOJ to put her in prison.”
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks as Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command, listens during a press briefing at the Pentagon on April 16, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the annual flu vaccine will now be optional for all U.S. military personnel, both active and reserve.
Previously, the flu vaccine had been mandatory. The new policy is in line with a previous change, making the COVID-19 vaccine optional.
Hegseth announced the change in a video posted on social media.
“The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance, at all times, is just overly broad and not rational,” Hegseth said.
“Our new policy is simple: If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you,” Hegseth added.
Referring to the COVID-19 vaccine that led to the dismissal of 8,000 service members who refused to take it, Hegseth said, “Our men and women in uniform were forced to choose between their conscience and their country, even when those decisions posed no threat to our military readiness.”
“That era of betrayal is over,” said Hegseth.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
An aerial view of the Pyramid of the Moon following a shooting that left at least one person dead, at the Teotihuacan archaeological site, in Teotihuacan, Mexico on April 20, 2026. (Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The man who opened fire at one of Mexico’s busiest tourist sites was allegedly influenced by violent acts in the United States, Mexican officials said Tuesday.
The deadly mass shooting occurred during the late morning Monday at the Teotihuacan pyramids, an archaeological site outside of Mexico City. The shooter fired upon tourists from atop one of the pyramids while armed with a revolver that he reloaded at least twice before dying by suicide, according to José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico.
One person was killed and seven others wounded by gunfire, officials said. Several people also suffered injuries in the ensuing panic.
“We all know that we had not seen anything like this in Mexico before,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday. “Based on information from the authorities, the individual showed signs of psychological issues and was influenced by incidents that occurred abroad.”
The gunman held a plastic bag containing 52 rounds of ammunition during the attack, according to Cervantes Martínez. The shooter also had a bladed weapon on him and handwritten materials reportedly related to violent incidents believed to have occurred in the U.S. in April 1999, the attorney general said.
The shooting occurred on the same day as the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
“Evidence collected so far suggests a psychopathic profile of the attacker, characterized by a tendency to imitate violent acts that occurred in other places and at other times,” Cervantes Martínez said at Tuesday’s press briefing. “This phenomenon, known as a ‘copycat’ effect, is one of the lines of investigation in this case, as materials referencing violent acts and figures associated with such behavior were found.”
The gunman, identified as Julio César Jaso Ramírez, is not linked to organized crime and appears to have acted alone in a premeditated act, officials said.
“Investigative findings indicate that the attack was not spontaneous. The attacker had previously visited the archaeological site on several occasions, stayed in nearby hotels, and from there planned and carried out his actions,” Cervantes Martinez said.
The first report of an armed individual at the tourist site came at 11:20 a.m., officials said. State police and the Mexican National Guard responded and were also attacked. While returning fire, the gunman was shot in the leg by the National Guard, officials said. He shot himself while being subdued and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
One person — a Canadian woman — was fatally shot and seven others suffered gunshot wounds during the attack, authorities said. Six others were also injured, such as from falls, in the incident, authorities said. Those injured were from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands, Russia and the U.S., officials said.
Sheinbaum said authorities are investigating how the attacker was able to enter the site with a weapon.
In the wake of the deadly shooting, Mexico will be increasing security at archaeological sites and other public locations across the country by increasing the presence of the Mexican National Guard and installing screening equipment, the president said.
“In light of this event, it is necessary to strengthen inspections to prevent anyone from entering an archaeological site or public space with a firearm,” Sheinbaum said.
Booking photo of Mohamed Soliman. (Boulder Police Department)
(DILLEY, Texas) — The wife and five children of the man suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails at a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators last June were ordered released from federal custody by a judge on Monday.
The family of the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been detained in immigration custody for more than 10 months at the family detention facility in Dilley, Texas.
Eric Lee, an attorney representing Hayam El Gamal and her children, told ABC News the family has not been released despite the federal judge’s order. There is a hearing in their case on Thursday.
“Although the court has ruled that the El Gamal family is detained in violation of the Constitution, the government continues to keep them locked up,” Lee told ABC News. “We demand their immediate release.”
A federal judge blocked the family’s deportation in June after the Department of Homeland Security announced they were being processed for removal shortly after the attack.
Soliman, 45, is facing more than 100 charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
In court documents, Soliman’s family — which includes five children aged 18, 16, 9, and 5-year-old twins — have claimed authorities are continuing to detain them despite a lack of evidence that they played any role in the attack.
“The facts of this case have not changed: Mohammed Soliman is a terrorist responsible for an anti-Semitic firebombing in Boulder,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Tuesday.
“The judge wants to release this terrorist’s family onto American streets,” she added. “Under President Trump, DHS will continue to fight for the removal of those who have no right to be in our country, especially national security threats.”
Lee, the family’s lawyer, said on X that El Gamal was rushed to the ER last week after she was denied proper medical care for persistent chest pain.
“We do not know if the lump is cancerous, all we know is that the pain is increasing, the incidents are becoming worse and worse, and she is not receiving a proper diagnosis that could lead to proper treatment,” Lee said. “After 10 months in detention, Ms. El Gamal remains in pain.”
While DHS did not respond to questions about El Gamal’s medical care, the agency in previous statements has denied allegations about the lack of medical care at Dilley.
“These allegations of illegal aliens being denied proper medical care in ICE custody are FALSE,” said Dr. Sean Conley, DHS’ chief medical officer, in a statement posted on the agency website. “It is both policy and longstanding practice for aliens to receive timely and appropriate medical care from the moment they enter ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, women’s health, mental health services, any needed follow up medical appointments, as well as 24-hour emergency care. This is better, more responsive healthcare than many aliens have ever received in their entire lives.”
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FLA) appears for a hearing of the House Ethics Committee on Capitol Hill on March 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s fate as a member of the House of Representatives hangs in limbo as a potential expulsion vote looms this week.
The House Ethics Committee is set to hold a rare public hearing Tuesday afternoon to determine what sanction would be appropriate for the panel to recommend to the full House against Cherfilus-McCormick.
Expelling a member of the House is a rare occurrence. A two-thirds majority is required to remove a member.
Only six House members in U.S. history have been expelled from the lower chamber. Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos was the most recent lawmaker expelled from the House in 2023.
Last month, Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty of 25 House ethics violations, including acceptance of improper campaign contributions and commingling of campaign and personal funds. The congresswoman was indicted in November 2025 by a federal grand jury on charges of stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, which she is accused of laundering to support her successful 2021 congressional campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing — excusing the allegations as an accounting error. Also, she has insisted she won’t resign.
“For those asking whether I plan to resign, the answer is no. This is not the time to abandon the district, not when they too are fighting for their future,” she said in a statement last week.
The committee may recommend a range of sanctions, including expulsion, censure, reprimand, fine — and even denial or limitation of any right, according to House rules. The House may punish its members and may expel its members by a two-thirds vote, according to Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution.
The sanction recommendation against Cherfilus-McCormick is expected to be announced in writing after the hearing, which is expected to last for approximately two hours pending no interruptions. Afterward, the panel will break into executive session to conclude its deliberations and reach a judgment.
The precise timing of when the committee will release its bipartisan decision is unclear.
Regardless of the panel’s recommendation, Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube said he’ll move to force a vote to try to expel the congresswoman following the sanction hearing. Steube is expected to make the expulsion resolution privileged, which requires Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on the matter within two-legislative days.
The speaker signaled last week that expelling Cherfilus-McCormick over her alleged crimes would be “appropriate.”
Though he initially insisted that Democrats would not help Republicans expel Cherfilus-McCormick, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that Democrats will convene a caucus meeting to determine how they’ll handle the the bipartisan Ethics panel’s recommendations.
Burbank police caption: Sergio Fraire has been arrested and booked for murder and attempted murder in Burbank, California, according to police. (Burbank PD)
(BURBANK, Calif.) — A man is in custody for allegedly stabbing a woman to death and stabbing and wounding her daughter, according to authorities in Los Angeles County, California.
Officers responded around 6 a.m. Monday, to a house in Burbank where they found two women suffering from stab wounds, Burbank police said.
The mother, 59-year-old Arti Varma, who taught first-grade in Burbank, died at the hospital, police said.
Her 25-year-old daughter was hospitalized in stable condition, police said. Authorities did not release the daughter’s name, but a neighbor identified her as Meera Varma, a nationally recognized mental health activist, according to Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
Detectives identified 30-year-old Sergio Fraire as a person of interest, and on Monday night, officers served a search warrant at a Burbank home where he was believed to be staying, police said.
Fraire was apprehended and arrested for murder and attempted murder, police said.
“The relationship, if any, between the suspect and the victims remains under investigation, as does the motive,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Authorities noted that “evidence related to the crime was recovered,” but they did not elaborate on the potential evidence.
The Department of Justice logo is displayed on May 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Southern Poverty Law Center is facing an investigation and potential criminal charges by the Justice Department, apparently stemming from its past use of paid informants, the organization’s interim CEO said in a statement Tuesday.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
“For 55 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multi-racial democracy where we can all live and thrive,” SPLC interim CEO Bryan Fair said in the statement.
“We are therefore unsurprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration. They have made no secret of who they want to protect and who they want to destroy,” the statement said.
Fair did not elaborate in the statement on how the SPLC was alerted to the DOJ inquiry, though he said, “the focus appears to be on the SPLC’s prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups.”
Fair, in the statement, outlined the organization’s history in explaining why the SPLC for years used informants to infiltrate far-right and domestic extremist groups, and denied any criminal wrongdoing on the part of the SPLC.
He also sought to frame the criminal inquiry as a continuation of the Trump Justice Department’s efforts to crack down on groups opposed to the administration’s policies.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Kevin Warsh, former governor of the US Federal Reserve, during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring meetings on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s selection to chair the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, testified in a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday as his nomination faces bipartisan opposition centered on a federal criminal investigation into the central bank’s current leader.
The probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, which focuses on alleged false testimony to Congress about an office renovation, threatens to derail or delay Warsh’s nomination.
Powell, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, has rebuked the probe as a politically motivated effort to influence interest-rate policy.
In his opening remarks, Warsh voiced support for the independence of the Fed in its role setting interest rates. He used the term “monetary policy” to describe the central bank’s task of adjusting benchmark borrowing costs.
“Monetary policy independence is essential. Monetary policymakers must act in the nation’s interest,” said Warsh, a former Fed official.
Still, Warsh defended the right of public officials, including presidents, to voice their views on interest-rate policy, saying such comments do not infringe on Fed independence.
“Central bankers must be strong enough to listen to a diversity of views from all corners,” Warsh said.
Warsh said he welcomes collaboration with the White House and Congress on “non-monetary matters that are part of the Fed’s remit,” such as banking regulation.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the committee, responded directly to Warsh’s defense of a president’s right to criticize the Fed, saying the federal investigation of Powell amounts to a pressure campaign that extends beyond public criticism of Fed policies.
“You said it’s perfectly fine for elected officials to state their views on interest rates. But that’s not what Donald Trump is doing,” Warren said, addressing Warsh.
The investigation of Powell, Warren added, is “designed to threaten all the members of the Fed to do Trump’s bidding.”
Warsh may become Trump’s “sock puppet” atop the Fed, Warren said.
By contrast, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, praised Warsh, saying the Fed nominee would focus Fed policy on economic stewardship. During the tenure of President Joe Biden, Scott claimed, the Fed shifted some of its attention to the implications of issues like climate change.
“An independent Federal Reserve is essential to achieving its mission. That independence must be protected,” Scott said.
“Kevin Warsh is battle-tested and brings the necessary experience,” Scott added.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a potentially decisive vote on the committee, says he will not move to advance Warsh’s nomination until the Department of Justice resolves its unprecedented investigation into Powell.
Powell’s term as Fed chair ends on May 15, but he said last month he would stay in the position until Warsh is confirmed. For his part, Trump told Fox Business last week he would fire Powell if the current Fed chair attempts to remain in office past the end of his term.
Warsh, who previously worked on Wall Street and in the President George W. Bush administration, brings experience in finance and policymaking.
He is currently a fellow at a conservative think tank called the Hoover Institution, which is based at Stanford University. He also works as a partner at the Duquesne Family Office, an investment firm founded by billionaire and former hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller.
In 2006, Bush appointed Warsh to serve on the Fed’s Board of Governors, a top policymaking body that helps set the level of interest rates, where he served until 2011. His tenure overlapped with the 2008 financial crisis, during which he helped manage the central bank’s response under then-Chair Ben Bernanke.
The nomination of Warsh arrives at a delicate moment for the Fed, as it grapples with a challenging combination of elevated inflation and sluggish hiring. An interest-rate hike could help ease inflation but risks a further cooldown of the labor market, while a rate cut may boost hiring but threatens higher inflation.
During his term as a Fed governor in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Warsh gained a reputation as an interest-rate “hawk,” meaning he generally preferred higher interest rates as a means of ensuring low and stable inflation.
In recent months, however, Warsh has voiced support for lower interest rates, rebuking the Fed’s concern about inflation risk posed by a flurry of new tariffs issued last year.
Those remarks came before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, however, which sent inflation soaring last month.
The rapid acceleration of price increases could complicate interest rate policy at the Fed, which may be reluctant to lower borrowing costs as inflation climbs.
