(LONDON) — A Russian military aircraft carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday in western Russia’s Belgorod region, Russian officials said.
The “captured” Ukrainian soldiers were being transported to the Belgorod region, located along Russia’s border with Ukraine, as part of an “exchange,” according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
There were also six crew members and three “accompanying persons” aboard the Il-76 military transport aircraft, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
There was no immediate comment on the crash or confirmation of a planned prisoner exchange from Ukrainian officials.
Photography by Keith Getter (all rights reserved)/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Parts of a winter storm that brought historic rainfall to Southern California this week is now moving eastward, bringing even more precipitation to the southern and eastern United States.
Areas of eastern Texas, where flash flood warnings have been issued, already got up to a half of a foot of rainfall on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday. Some schools there had delayed openings on Wednesday morning and some roads were closed north of Houston.
As of early Wednesday, 17 states were under flood watches for heavy rain as well as a combination of heavy rain and melting snow.
Rounds of heavy rain are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday across the South and even into the Midwest, where all the snow is melting from mild temperatures.
On Wednesday, the heaviest rain will hit from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and into Jackson, Mississippi, where some areas could see an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain and flash flooding is expected.
Some thunderstorms could also become severe on Wednesday with damaging winds and even a few tornadoes, especially in southern Louisiana and Mississippi.
By Thursday, the flood threat is forecast to move into Georgia, including Atlanta, where 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall with localized amounts up to 5 inches possible.
Meanwhile, 23 sates from Texas to Washington and east to Pennsylvania were under dense fog alerts for Wednesday morning, with visibility dropping close to zero in some places. Overnight, a ground stop was issued at Texas’ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport due to visibility near zero.
The fog is expected to impact major cities and their airports, including Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; and Detroit, Michigan.
The fog should dissipate in most areas by Wednesday afternoon but is forecast to reform in the evening.
In the Northeast, a mix of snow and ice was falling lightly early Wednesday from northern Pennsylvania to upstate New York into the New England area. Winter weather advisories have been issued from Pennsylvania to Maine for Wednesday morning, though not much snowfall is in the forecast there — possibly an inch or two with a glaze of ice.
Most of the weather alerts are set to expire Wednesday morning, while some — mostly in northern New England — remain in effect until the evening.
Much of the precipitation in the Northeast is expected to transition into just rain by Wednesday evening as temperatures warm well above freezing.
(NEW YORK) — The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it will investigate after a tire under the front nose of a Delta Boeing 757 fell off one of the wheels and rolled down a nearby embankment.
The incident occurred on Saturday around 11:15 a.m. local time at Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport while Delta Flight 982 was taxiing before takeoff to Bogota, Colombia.
In air traffic control audio included in a report from the FAA, a controller is heard alerting the pilot of the situation, saying, “One of your nose tires just came off; it just rolled off the runway behind you.”
The report also says that the tire landed on the south side of the runway, down an embankment.
Following the incident, passengers and their luggage were returned to the terminal via buses and their departure was delayed. The passengers were put on another aircraft to their destination, according to the FAA report.
No injuries were reported in the incident, the FAA said.
In a statement Tuesday, Delta offered an apology “to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The news of this Boeing incident comes weeks after a mid-cabin door plug fell off during the ascent of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 and days after the FAA recommended flight operators check another model of Boeing airplanes.
On Jan. 5, the door plug fell out of the Alaska Airlines plane after it took off for Ontario, California, from Portland, Oregon. Six crew members and 171 passengers were on board Flight 1282, the airline previously said.
The cabin became depressurized shortly after takeoff, and the pilots asked for an emergency landing, according to the transcript of an air traffic control call from LiveATC.net.
The door was found several days later. The NTSB is investigating the incident.
(REDWOOD CITY, Calif.) — A man has been arrested after entering a church and threatening one of the employees with a box cutter, according to authorities.
The incident occurred on Monday at approximately 7:31 p.m. when the Redwood City Police Department received a report of a subject threatening an employee with a blade at the Street Life Ministries Church, located about 30 miles south of the city of San Francisco, California.
The suspect took off shortly after the confrontation but the individual who reported it to the police followed the suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Jorge Orozco, until police officers were able to locate him in a nearby neighborhood, according to a statement from the Redwood City Police Department.
It is unclear if Orozco was affiliated with the church, knew anybody there or what his potential motivation was for threatening the employee.
“Once contacted, Orozco was detained without incident and a box cutter was located on his person,” police said following the incident. “He was positively identified by the victim as well as two witnesses.”
Nobody was injured during the assault and Orozco was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to a New Hampshire primary election night watch party in Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump is projected to score a double-digit victory in New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, marking a second and crucial step toward securing the 2024 Republican nomination.
With more than 73% of the estimated vote in as of late Tuesday, Trump was in first with 54% and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was in second with 44%.
Though Haley played up that second-place finish in a speech after polls closed — drawing Trump’s scorn — she had staked much of her campaign on winning over New Hampshire voters given the state’s more anti-Trump electorate and its rules allowing independents to participate in the primary.
Polls show she is much further behind Trump than 10 points in various other parts of the country, including South Carolina, where they will next face off next month.
On the Democratic side, a write-in campaign for President Joe Biden handily won his race, which was unsanctioned by the Democratic National Convention after New Hampshire refused to move the race’s date to jive with the DNC’s calendar of having South Carolina hold the nation’s first primary.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s results:
Trump margin expected to stay in double digits
Experts have long said that New Hampshire had the makings of the kind of state that could blunt Trump’s momentum and help boost one of his primary rivals.
Among other things, the state boasts an electorate more moderate than that of Iowa, where Trump romped in the caucuses last week. And by Tuesday, only one major opponent remained, Haley, which could have allowed anti-Trump voters to coalesce around her.
In the end, though, Trump again emerged victorious, dashing Haley’s hopes of a narrow win or a truly close second-place finish and cementing even further his popularity in the GOP.
The next two contests are set to be held on significantly more friendly terrain for Trump.
He’ll enter Nevada’s caucuses in early February with a huge lead with voters there, per polling, and Haley isn’t even competing in them. South Carolina will hold its primary on Feb. 24 — and even though it’s Haley’s home state, Trump currently leads by about 36 points in 538’s polling average.
Trump’s allies flexed after the former president’s strong showing, pointing to the results as evidence that the primary was never competitive in the first place.
“After President Trump’s resounding victory in New Hampshire tonight people will say this primary is over. The truth is, tonight’s result proves it never existed at all. President Trump has been our nominee all along. It’s now time for the entire Republican Party to unite behind our nominee to defeat Joe Biden in November,” Kari Lake, the Arizona GOP Senate candidate rumored to also be a possible vice-presidential pick for Trump, said in a statement.
“It’s time for unity, it’s time to take the fight to the Democrats, and for Nikki Haley: it’s time to drop out,” added Taylor Budowich, who heads the main pro-Trump super PAC.
Biden’s campaign didn’t disagree with that assessment of the race.
“It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher,” he said in a statement.
Haley stays in, for now
Haley on Tuesday night played down any possibility she’d be exiting the race.
Her team had steadily lowered expectations in New Hampshire from projecting a victory to saying they would settle for a respectable second place and hope for a better result in South Carolina next month.
In a speech to supporters, Haley indicated she plans on staying in the race through South Carolina’s primary and Super Tuesday on March 5, where the lion’s share of delegates is up for grabs.
“In the next two months, millions of voters in over 20 states will have their say. We should honor them and allow them to vote. And guess what? In the next two months, Joe Biden isn’t going to get any younger or any better. We’ll have all the time we need to defeat Joe Biden. When we get to South Carolina, Donald Trump’s going to have a harder time … attacking me,” she said.
“South Carolina voters don’t want a coronation. They want an election. And we’re going to give them one,” she said. “Because we are just getting started.”
Haley also took pointed swipes at Trump, indicating an escalation of their back-and-forth that Haley had appeared reticent to engage in early in the campaign.
“[Democrats] know Donald Trump is the only Republican in the country who Joe Biden can beat,” Haley said. “You can’t fix the mess if you can’t win the election. A Trump nomination is a Biden win and a Kamala Harris presidency.”
She also noted Trump’s reluctance to debate her and a recent gaffe when he confused her with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — while also reiterating her call for mental competency tests for elderly politicians.
Trump is 77, and Biden is 81.
“Most Americans do not want a rematch between Biden and Trump. The first party to retire its 80-year-old candidate is going to be the party that wins this election. And I think it should be the Republicans that win this election. So, our fight is not over because we have a country to save,” she said.
The write-in campaign set up by Biden allies is projected to have easily dispatched Democratic challengers Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson.
While the Democratic primary will not award any delegates after being disavowed by the DNC, party leaders were concerned that a victory or near-second by either of the two challengers would mark a major embarrassment for the president, just as Democrats try to quell hand-wringing over Biden’s age, handling of the economy and poor standing in early polls of the 2024 race.
In the end, though, Biden was at 67% with write-ins while Phillips hovered around 20% and Williamson failed to break 5% as of late Tuesday, with more than 41% of the vote counted. (Williamson’s campaign manager, Carlos Cardona, soon quit but told ABC News that there was no bad blood and the campaign planned to keep going.)
Still, Phillips reiterated in a speech on Tuesday that he has concerns about a Biden-Trump rematch and said he will stay in the race, despite failing to beat a man who didn’t compete in New Hampshire or even appear on the ballot.
“Joe Biden is a good man. He’s a fine man. Yes, he is everybody, he’s our president, but I gotta tell you, everyone, he cannot win. The polls are saying he cannot win, his approval numbers are saying you can’t win, and the fact that an unknown congressman from Minnesota two weeks before the election said I’m going to come out here and run for president just got 21%, that says something,” Phillips said.
“We’re going to go to South Carolina, and then we are going to go to Michigan, and then we are going to go to all the Super Tuesday states,” he added.
Steve Bannon, former advisor to President Donald Trump, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court to set his trial date, May 25, 2023, in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s attempt to dismiss his fraud indictment in New York City “bears little resemblance to reality,” Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday in a new court filing.
Bannon, who helped run former President Donald Trump’s campaign for part of the 2016 presidential race, is seeking to dismiss charges that he defrauded donors of the “We Build the Wall” online fundraising campaign that was supposed to raise money for Trump’s signature domestic project.
Bannon has pleaded not guilty in the case. A trial is scheduled for May.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Bannon defrauded donors to the nonprofit organization by falsely promising that none of the money they donated would be used to pay the salary of “We Build the Wall” president Brian Kolfage — while Bannon secretly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage by laundering it through third-party entities.
The fundraising campaign represented that “We Build the Wall” would use the money to privately construct the wall along the southern boarder. Prosecutors said a “central piece of the public messaging in support of this fundraising effort was that Kolfage was not taking a penny of compensation.”
Financial records show that Kolfage was paid according to a secret salary arrangement that included an upfront payment of $100,000 and monthly payments of approximately $20,000.
Prosecutors said that when Kolfage testified before a grand jury, he admitted to receiving those payments, but testified that he believed that he was being paid by a nonprofit organization controlled by Bannon, Citizens of the American Republic, instead of We Build the Wall.
Prosecutors allege that Bannon concealed his role in diverting some of the $15 million in donations toward Kolfage, pointing to messages they say show how the alleged scheme worked.
“People’s presentation in the instant matter included ample evidence that was more than sufficient to support the grand jury’s decision to vote the charges laid out in the indictment,” prosecutors said in their opposition to Bannon’s motion to dismiss.
Bannon has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud investors. He was initially indicated on federal charges, but received a pardon from then-President Trump on Trump’s final night in office.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at Rochester Opera House in Rochester, N.H, Jan. 21, 2024. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday it will not take up an appeal from former President Donald Trump of the limited gag order placed on him in his federal election interference case, according to a new court filing.
The ruling, which did not include any accompanying opinion, means Trump could now seek to appeal the issue to the Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in October granted part of the government’s request for a narrowly tailored gag order against Trump, prohibiting him from making or “reposting” statements “publicly targeting” the special counsel and his staff, as well as Chutkan’s staff and the staff of other D.C. district court personnel.
After temporarily halting the limited gag order following Trump’s appeal of her order, the judge then reinstated the limited gag order in response to Trump’s social media comments regarding his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Trump in August pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and denounced the charges as political.
(CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE) — For weeks, Nikki Haley and her allies have said she was ready to take on Donald Trump in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary — and prove she has the momentum with Republicans to keep fighting him for the party’s presidential nomination.
With Haley’s endorsement from the state’s popular governor, Chris Sununu, and its higher proportion of college-educated and independent voters, the state was seen as the most favorable early battleground for her against the former president after she finished a distant third in Iowa.
New Hampshire polls found Haley had some reason for optimism, with 538’s polling average showing her gaining notable ground with voters since December.
Still, Trump’s own support has also increased and they headed into primary day with Haley still trailing by double digits.
The Haley team, including surrogates like Sununu, also softened their own expectations for how she would perform, from predicting a “landslide” to vowing a “strong second.”
“We’re fighting for every inch look. No one said that this was going to be easy,” Haley campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas told ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis on Tuesday night. “Donald Trump is Donald Trump.”
‘A landslide here in New Hampshire’
Haley won the endorsement of anti-Trump New Hampshire Gov. Sununu in December. He chose her over other options like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both of whom have since ended their campaigns.
Sununu quickly became a key surrogate for Haley, stumping for her in numerous rallies and TV interviews.
Fresh off the endorsement — six weeks ahead of the primary — Sununu in a joint television appearance with Haley boasted that the former U.N. ambassador’s chances of victory were high.
“The fact is, we’re gonna have record turnout here,” Sununu said. “And if any — everybody that can vote comes out and votes, there’s no doubt Nikki Haley’s gonna win this thing in a landslide here in New Hampshire. And that’s the fundamental change.”
‘Iowa starts it’
Whereas opponents like DeSantis devoted more resources to a strong showing in Iowa’s caucuses, which kicked off the nominating race last week, Haley promised supporters at one Milford, New Hampshire, event that their primary would be a chance to “get this right.”
“You know, Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it, ” Haley said on Jan. 3.
Introducing Haley at the event, Sununu admitted he expected Trump to win Iowa — which Trump ultimately did, with 51% of the vote — but predicted Haley would have a good showing in the state.
“I think she’s going to shock everyone in Iowa with a strong second.” Sununu said.
Haley overtook DeSantis for second place in a late poll but ended up falling behind in the actual caucuses, ending up in third with 19%.
‘Strong … and then even stronger’
Last week, Sununu struck a different tone about Haley’s goals in his state: “We always wanted to have a strong second,” he told ABC News’ Byron Pitts, adding that it was “the only expectation we ever laid out.”
On the day of the New Hampshire primary, Haley had South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary on her mind. In an interview with ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Haley was asked about recent polls showing Trump widening his lead above Haley in New Hampshire.
“We’re going home to South Carolina. The goal is we wanted to be strong in Iowa, stronger in New Hampshire and then even stronger that in South Carolina,” Haley said.
But there, as in other parts of the country, Trump has an enormous polling lead.
A Haley campaign memo released Tuesday argued that the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5 would offer “significant fertile ground for Nikki.”
“We are committed to see this through. I think what a lot of people don’t realize is first a month in politics is a lifetime,” Perez-Cubas, the campaign spokeswoman, said on ABC News Live on Tuesday. “A lot can happen over the next several weeks.”
(CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE) — New Hampshire voters have been heading to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a presidential primary that could heavily influence the race for the Republican nomination.
It’s largely between former President Donald Trump, who is the favorite in the polls to win both New Hampshire and the overall primary, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the last major candidate remaining against him.
Some still didn’t know who they’re backing in the days before the race.
“I’ve changed my mind about a dozen times so far,” said Mark LaCroix.
Others, however, touted their candidate as the one who can remedy the country’s ailments, with several voters expressing dour perceptions of the economy and the cost of living — a recurring theme going back at least to the 2022 midterms.
“When you speak to the average working-class voter, they have increasing debt, everything has become more expensive for them, and that’s what they’re feeling,” said Bobby O’Donnell.
“I’m voting for Nikki Haley because she’s fresh, she’s young, she’s an accountant, and I like that. She’s gonna balance the budget,” Maureen Ennis told ABC News.
Most voters, though, expressed confidence that Trump would run away with the state.
“I think President Trump is going to win. I think after New Hampshire, I think if he wins this state, Nikki Haley has to win it in order for her to continue,” said Cooper Walsh.
“I’m supporting President Trump because he has a record of getting things done. I think Americans are tired of what Joe Biden’s done to this country. I think they want the border closed. … They want to see the economy booming again. And me, personally, I want a president who’s going to support women in women’s sports,” Maya Harvey said, adding that “absolutely” Trump will be the Republican nominee.
Some voters were motivated to vote because they feared that prediction would end up being true.
“I’m an independent going on the Republican ticket so I can vote for Nikki Haley,” said Karol Carroll. “Because Donald Trump, I do not want him in office.” (Under New Hampshire law, independent voters can cast ballots for either the Democratic and Republican nominees.)
There’s seemingly been less action on the Democratic side. But President Joe Biden’s allies are waging a write-in campaign for him in the state’s unsanctioned primary, which he declined to campaign in because of a larger battle over scheduling between the state and national Democrats.
But many Democrats are still hoping Biden can win handily via the write-in campaign to fend off an embarrassing defeat to either Rep. Dean Phillips or author Marianne Williamson, who are challenging him for the nomination.
“[People have been confused] and resentful. A lot of people are resentful about it. But it’s nothing that Biden could control really … or New Hampshire. These are the rules, and we have to follow them whether we like them or not. New Hampshire has to be first, and the DNC says South Carolina has to be first. So, we’ve got an impasse,” said Donna Vanderbeck, a supporter of the write-in campaign.
Others, though, felt less positively about Biden.
Phillips is looking to run to Biden’s left and lean into the 26-year age difference between the two of them (Phillips is 55 and Biden is 81) while arguing Biden cannot take on Trump in a rematch in November.
And progressives are frustrated over Biden’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas after Hamas’ October terror attack, with some pushing voters to write-in “cease-fire” instead of the president’s name.
“He was one of the candidates I, one, saw most, which influences a lot in who you vote for,” Daniel Rosario said of why he voted for Phillips. “But also, a lot of his views I align with, along with the fact that he is younger — which is something that we really haven’t had in a while.”
Rosario clarified later that he hasn’t gone to any of Phillips’s events in New Hampshire, but had seen ads for Phillips and some YouTube videos about candidates.
Why not vote for Williamson? “She just didn’t get my attention as much,” Rosario said, adding that while she has “a lot of views that I agree with… something about her didn’t call me to vote for her.” As for President Joe Biden, Rosario said he feels Biden has been in office or running for too long.
“I don’t know that any of the candidates have actually been strong enough with respect to what’s happening in Gaza,” George Shaker said. “Certainly, President Biden hasn’t been, and I think we need a voice with more of a humanitarian concern; there have already been over 25,000 people killed in Gaza; civilians, children, women, men.”
(CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE) — Strong turnout by unaffiliated voters and a comparative abundance of moderates stand out in preliminary exit poll results from the New Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday.
Under New Hampshire law, the primary is open, allowing independents to vote for either the Democratic or Republican nominee.
Voters who are registered as “undeclared,” rather than Republican, account for 47% of the turnout in the preliminary exit poll results — the record to date was 45% in 2012.
Moderates account for 31% of voters, compared with 9% in last week’s Iowa caucuses. Just 24% are very conservative vs. 52% in Iowa. And white evangelicals are 19%, compared with 55% in Iowa.
From a list of four issues, the economy (34%) and immigration (31%) prevailed in importance, compared with foreign policy, cited by 17%, and abortion, 11%.
With regards to abortion, 27% of voters say they favor a federal ban, a sharp difference from 61% who favored it in Iowa, according to preliminary exit poll results.
Economic sentiment is sour, with 69% saying the economy is in not-so-good or poor shape. Relatedly, 77% are dissatisfied or even angry with the way things are going in the country today. And a majority of voters, 56%, say they expect life to be worse for the next generation of Americans — up dramatically from 20% in 2020 and 33% in 2016.
Using self-reported partisanship, 45% of New Hampshire voters in these preliminary exit poll results describe themselves as independents, near the 2012 record of 47%.
Notably, 8% identify themselves as Democrats — double the previous high in a GOP primary in the state.
That leaves just 47% of Republican primary voters identifying as Republicans in these preliminary exit poll results — which, if it holds, would set a new low. Self-identified Republicans have slipped to fewer than half of GOP primary voters in the state just once before: 49% in 2012.
A quarter of New Hampshire voters in these preliminary results say they finally made up their mind in the past week or less and 16 percent are first-time voters in a GOP primary.
A relatively modest majority of New Hampshire primary voters, 56%, say in these preliminary results that they’d be satisfied with former President Donald Trump as the party’s nominee but 55% say they’d be satisfied with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump’s main remaining opponent.
About 32% of New Hampshire voters identify themselves as part of the MAGA movement vs. 46% in Iowa.
Forty-nine percent of voters say they are 2020 election deniers compared with 66% in Iowa. And 47% say that if Trump were convicted of a crime, they’d consider him unfit to serve as president — compared to the 31% of voters in Iowa who said the same. He denies all wrongdoing.
Another question marks Haley’s position as chiefly the anti-Trump choice: 77% of Trump voters in these preliminary results say they strongly favor their candidate as opposed to liking him with reservations or mainly disliking others.
By contrast, just 33% of Haley voters strongly favor her and 39% mainly dislike her opponent
Exit poll results may change as the night progresses.
