(LONDON) — At least six people were shot dead at Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction on Monday, Israeli police and emergency services said.
Two suspects were also shot and killed at the scene, police said in a statement.
The attackers opened fire at people waiting at a bus depot, police said, before boarding a bus to continue the attack.
At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting, Israeli emergency services said.
Visiting the scene, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are at war, a fierce war against terrorism on several fronts,” according to a readout published by his office.
“We are fighting terrorism — the terrorist regime of the Houthi, Iran that backs everyone, in Gaza, Lebanon, Hezbollah, in all sectors,” the prime minister said. “We are not letting up and we will not let up. We are nailing our actions, and we will achieve all our goals.”
“We are now pursuing and surrounding the villages from which the murderers came,” Netanyahu said. “We will catch everyone who helped them, everyone who sent them.”
(NEW YORK) — With less than two months out to Election Day, this year’s elections — ranging from hot-button mayoral and gubernatorial contests to a vote over new congressional maps — are set to ramp up as candidates begin to make their final pitches to voters.
And even without presidential candidates on the ballot, a few elections this fall could serve as bellwethers over how Americans feel about the second Donald Trump administration or the future of the Democratic Party.
Here are some of the key races to watch:
New York City mayoral race New York’s mayoral race made headlines after a relative newcomer won the crowded Democratic primary in June — and in some ways represents the struggle between the progressive and moderate wings of the party as it attempts to course-correct after losses in 2024.
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist campaigning on a progressive economic platform who made a splash with savvy social media and campaigning, has remained the front-runner since clinching the Democratic primary. But Mamdani has faced some backlash over the feasibility of his proposals and current or former views on policing and Israel; some prominent Democratic elected officials have not yet endorsed him.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, attempting a political comeback as an independent after resigning in 2021 amid sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations, maintains that he has the most experience to take on Trump and help the city. He has struggled to gain momentum since his Democratic primary loss.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who announced he’d run as an independent after federal bribery charges against him were dismissed, is calling for voters to give him four more years to continue turning around the city. But he faces discontent from New Yorkers who believe he may be too tied to Trump.
Adams said on Friday he will continue his bid for reelection following reports that Trump advisers have been making efforts over the last few weeks to persuade him to drop out of the race.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, separately, has rebuffed calls to drop out of the race and argued that he’s above the fray of the other candidates. Sliwa ran against Adams in the 2021 mayoral election.
Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races The only governor’s races in the country this year are in Virginia and New Jersey and are drawing national attention, heavy outside spending, and interest as early indicators for how the 2026 midterms could shake out.
In Virginia, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer, faces Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in a contest that could give Democrats their first state trifecta since 2013. Whoever wins will also become Virginia’s first female governor.
Spanberger has raised more than $27 million and secured the endorsement of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association. Earle-Sears is the first Black woman elected statewide.
In New Jersey, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli compete in a state that has not elected the same party three straight terms since 1961, with affordability and taxes central to the race. Trump’s inroads with Garden State voters could be tested in November, as Republicans point to last year’s presidential results as a sign the state has gotten more favorable for the GOP.
California’s Proposition 50 on its congressional map Californians will vote in November on whether to adopt a redrawn congressional map — which could make five U.S. House districts more favorable to Democrats — as retaliation for new Republican-friendly maps passing into law in Texas in the middle of the decade, even though new lines are usually drawn after every census.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, considered a 2028 presidential hopeful, has pushed for the move, saying that Texas’ new map means Democrats have to respond in kind. Republican legislators and others, including actor and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, have argued that the move hurts voters’ ability to choose who represents them and throws more fuel on the flames of a “redistricting war” between red and blue states.
Special elections for open congressional seats Several vacant U.S. House seats are set for special elections this fall. With Republicans holding only a narrow majority, the outcomes could shape the balance of power heading into 2026.
In Virginia’s 11th District, voters will select a successor to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly on Sept. 9, with Democratic James Walkinshaw — Fairfax County supervisor and Connolly’s former chief of staff — facing Republican Army veteran and former FBI agent Stewart Whitson.
Arizona’s 7th District will hold a Sept. 23 election after the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, featuring his daughter Adelita Grijalva, Daniel Butierez and Eduardo Quintana.
In Texas, a Nov. 4 contest will fill the 18th District seat vacated by the late Sylvester Turner.
And Tennessee’s 7th District will hold a Dec. 2 general election following an Oct. 7 primary.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — One year ago, Ryan Routh allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump during his campaign for reelection as U.S. president.
Federal prosecutors on Monday will begin the process of trying to prove that claim when they start selecting a jury for a trial they have warned could quickly devolve into a “circus.”
Routh, a 59-year-old construction worker from North Carolina and Hawaii, will be representing himself during the month-long trial despite not being a lawyer and having limited legal experience. He has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges that risk sending him to prison for life, including attempting to kill a presidential candidate and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Since taking over his own defense, Routh, according to court filings, has requested a “beatdown session” with Trump, asked to compete for his life in a round of golf with the president, and proposed being part of a prisoner swap instead of going to trial.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon — a Trump appointee who oversaw and dismissed one of the president’s criminal cases — is allowing Routh to defend himself but has imposed strict rules to prevent the trial from spiraling into what she called “calculated chaos.”
“I will be representing myself moving forward; It was ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me,” Routh wrote in a letter to Judge Cannon in July. “I am so sorry, I know this makes your life harder.”
‘I tried my best’ Prosecutors allege that Routh planned his attack for months, then hid in the bushes of Trump’s Palm Beach golf course with a rifle in the predawn hours of Sept. 15.
With Trump just one hole away from Routh’s position, a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle poking out of the tree line, according to prosecutors. Routh allegedly fled after the agent fired at him, and was later arrested after being stopped on a nearby interstate.
Routh faces five criminal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using a gun with a defaced serial number.
To secure a conviction, prosecutors will need to prove that not only did Routh intend to kill Trump, but that he also took at least one “substantial step” to carry out his plan.
According to prosecutors, Routh set his plan into motion after the unsuccessful attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania, which Routh was not involved in. Prosecutors say Routh acquired a military-grade rifle, purchased more than a dozen burner phones, and researched Trump’s movements and campaign events.
Prosecutors also allege that Routh tried to purchase anti-aircraft weapons the month before his alleged assassination attempt, coordinating with someone he believed was a Ukrainian with access to military weapons. He allegedly shared a photo of Trump’s private plane, discussed the price of the weapon, and wrote, “I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected.”
In addition to ammunition and the weapon allegedly used by Routh, which federal agents plan to bring into the courtroom to show the jury, prosecutors plan to use Routh’s own words against him during the trial.
According to court filings, Routh, in the months leading up to the assassination attempt, dropped off a box with a friend that included a note detailing his plans..
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job,” the handwritten letter said. “He [the former president] ended relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.”
Routh has argued in court filings that prosecutors are misrepresenting the letter by only using a portion of it. and that the entire note is about “gentleness, peacefulness, and non-violent caring for humanity.”
Prosecutors also allege that Routh expressed similar sentiments in a 2023 self-published book, in which he encouraged readers to “assassinate Trump” in part due to his foreign policy with Iran. They also allege that Routh boasted about his alleged crimes in emails from jail.
Prosecutors have disclosed more than 40 potential witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, including forensic evidence allegedly tying Routh to the weapon found at the crime scene.
‘Character is the whole of this entire case’ After being represented by federal defense lawyers for months, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year. Though his former lawyers will be present in court on standby, Routh will address the jury, question witnesses, and participate in the jury selection process.
In handwritten letters from prison while awaiting trial, Routh suggested his defense would center on his character as part of an effort to prove he lacked the intent to kill Trump.
“Character is the whole of this entire case — there is nothing else,” he wrote. “If one argues lack of intent then that totally hinges on character and character alone.”
Judge Cannon has warned Routh against representing himself and threatened to sanction him or revoke his ability to maintain his pro se status if he engages in “vexatious, obstructionist, or obstreperous behavior.”
Routh will wear business attire during the trial and be permitted to use a podium; however, he will not be allowed to roam the courtroom freely.
Prosecutors have expressed concern about Routh’s antics.
Routh’s self-representation has already created issues, according to Judge Cannon, who has sharply rebuked some of his tactics in court filings. She accused Routh of using the Federal Rules of Evidence to create “calculated chaos” and called one of his potential witnesses “a farce to bring about obviously ludicrous and absurd results in a court proceeding.”
Routh’s witness list included two dozen people, including a group of Palestinian activists and professors, his own son, a former girlfriend, and Trump himself.
In one court filing, Routh offered to drop his objections to most of the other evidence disputes if prosecutors allowed him to question Trump, whom he has described as a “mad fool.” He has also requested “female strippers,” asked for a putting green to prepare for a golf match with Trump, and proposed brawling with Trump.
“I think a beatdown session would be more fun and entertaining for everyone; give me shackles and cuffs and let the old fat man give it his worst,” he wrote. “A round of golf with the rascist pig, he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job.”
Routh family told investigators that while Routh had no diagnosed mental illness, he “fixated” on things, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
Judge Cannon has curtailed some of Routh’s potential arguments, including trying to justify his actions, claiming he did not plan to follow through with the alleged assassination, and encouraging the jury to exercise its nullification power. She has also clamped down on his witness list, allowing him to call experts and a few friends who could testify to his character.
‘Appearance of impartiality’ Jury selection, which begins Monday morning in the Alto Lee Adams federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, is expected to take three days. Attorneys will question three sets of 60 people to settle on twelve jurors and four alternates.
Opening statements are expected to take place as early as Wednesday afternoon, and the trial is scheduled to take 2-4 weeks.
Judge Cannon has opted to keep the jury anonymous and partially sequester them during the trial, with federal marshals picking up and dropping off the jurors from a confidential location daily.
Routh unsuccessfully tried to have Judge Cannon recuse herself from the case to prevent an “appearance of impartiality” stemming from her association with Trump, who appointed Cannon to her position.
Cannon oversaw the criminal case regarding Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House 2021, and dismissed the case on a novel legal theory that was widely criticized by legal scholars. Trump has repeatedly commended Judge Cannon’s actions overseeing his case — calling her the “absolute model of what a judge should be” — and one of Cannon’s recent law clerks is now in a senior Department of Justice position.
“Although Mr. Trump is the alleged victim here, he previously served as President of the United States. While in office, he nominated Your Honor to her current position as a U.S. District Judge on the Southern District of Florida. Your Honor thus owes her lifetime appointment to the alleged victim in this criminal case,” Routh’s former lawyers argued, adding that Trump could still nominate her to a higher court.
Judge Cannon denied the request to recuse herself, concluding that Routh could not identity a legal basis that required recusal and pushing back against some of his claims.
“I have never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding, through counsel. I have no ‘relationship to the alleged victim’ in any reasonable sense of the phrase,” she said.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said Sunday that those who might be in the Jeffrey Epstein files need to be held accountable regardless of their social status.
“We can’t avoid justice just to avoid embarrassment for some very powerful men, Massie told ABC News’ “This Week” Anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said there will be enough votes in the House to force a vote on his and Massie’s discharge petition to release the files.
“We have the 218 votes, 216 already support it. There are two vacancies that haven’t been reported as much, but two Democrats are going to be joining and they are both committed to signing it. That’s going to happen by the end of September,” Khanna said.
(CHICAGO) — The Chicago area is bracing for additional immigration enforcement over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed back against President Donald Trump Saturday after the president increased his threats to send in federal troops to the city with a social media meme.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump reshared an image that places him in front of Chicago that insinuated he was going to take action against the city, referencing his recent rebranding of the Pentagon the “Department of War.”
Pritzker slammed Trump and said that the president threatened to go to war with the city by posting the memes.
“This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator,” Pritzker wrote in an X post.
Johnson echoed the governor’s sentiment, saying the president’s “threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.”
“We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” the mayor wrote in an X post.
A White House spokeswoman criticized the Illinois leaders in a statement, citing Chicago’s murders during the Labor Day weekend.
“Local Democrat leaders are more upset about a post from the President — that tells you everything you need to know about the Democrats’ twisted priorities,” Abigail Jackson, White House spokeswoman, said in a statement to ABC News.
The back and forth between Trump and Chicago Democrats has increased over the last week as the president has vowed to step up federal enforcement of crimes and immigration enforcement, including by deploying the National Guard.
Pritzker warned that there has been a surge in ICE agents in the city and that there could be as many as 300 ICE agents this weekend, according to local officials.
In response to the possibility of added ICE enforcement, city officials from neighboring communities say they are bracing for the increase of agents in communities, according to Gregory Jackson, who serves as the Chief of Staff in North Chicago, Illinois. Agents and officials are expected to operate out of the Great Lakes Naval Station for about 30 days, he said.
Fencing was seen going around the federal courthouse in Chicago, in anticipation of the enforcement actions occurring, according to city officials.
El Grito Chicago, the city’s festival for Mexican Independence Day, postponed the event scheduled for next weekend citing ICE activity.
“It was a painful decision, but holding El Grito Chicago at this time puts the safety of our community at stake – and that’s a risk we are unwilling to take,” the event posted on its website.
On Saturday, a crowd of protesters gathered outside Naval Station Great Lakes to protest the expected immigration crackdown.
Trump has repeatedly singled out Chicago as he has mulled sending the Guard to other major American cities following his federal takeover of Washington. Trump has said he preferred that cities ask for his administration’s assistance.
Pritzker has pushed back on the Trump administration’s involvement in Chicago, saying “I will not call the president, asking him to send troops to Chicago. I’ve made that clear already,” Pritzker said.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told ABC News that the enforcement is targeting the “worst of the worst” criminals.
“It is no surprise that these criminals flock to sanctuary cities where politicians protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets putting American lives at risk,” the spokespersons said. “DHS will go to wherever these criminal illegal aliens are — including Chicago, Boston and other cities. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, nowhere is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”
(GLENDALE, Calif.) — Police in Southern California say they have arrested two men in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars in cash and checks from a wedding reception last week.
In a news release, Glendale police said they used video surveillance and other resources to identify Armean Shirehjini as the primary suspect in the theft, which took place at a Glendale, California, banquet hall on Aug. 31.
Shirehjini was arrested Thursday at his home in Sherman Oaks alongside another man, Andranik Avetisyan, who police said acted as the getaway driver.
Police said they carried out searches of both men’s homes and recovered a large amount of cash and dozens of checks made out to the couple whose wedding was being celebrated when the theft occurred.
In addition, several firearms and drugs were seized from other residences, according to police.
Witnesses told Los Angeles ABC station KABC the suspect in the theft was at the reception for about 90 minutes, watching the dance floor. Shortly before midnight, witnesses told police the man entered the banquet hall, grabbed a gift box that contained the cash and checks and then exited the building.
Surveillance footage captured the man getting into the passenger side of a black Mercedes SUV, which then fled the area, according to police.
The victims estimated the box contained about $60,000 in cash and checks.
“As soon as we found out what happened, you know, the music shut down, everything immediately stopped,” the bride, Nadeen Farahat, told KABC. “I ended up sitting on the dance floor sobbing with my friends and cousins around me.”
Police haven’t said what charges the men face and said they are continuing to investigate.
Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
(LONDON) — Ukraine’s cabinet building in Kyiv was among the targets of Russia’s largest drone and missile attack of the war overnight into Sunday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles into the country in the latest barrage, of which 747 drones and four missiles were shot down. Nine missiles and 54 drones impacted across 33 locations, the air force said.
The total of 823 munitions made the attack Russia’s largest to date, surpassing the 741 munitions reported by the air force on July 9.
At least two people were killed in the attack on Kyiv, local officials said. Elsewhere, impacts were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Odesa regions.
At least eight civilians were killed and 59 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram that the attack damaged the “roof and upper floors” of the cabinet building located in the historic Pecherskyi district in the center of the city, which is home to many government buildings.
“Rescuers are extinguishing the fire,” Svyrydenko wrote. “I thank them for their work. We will restore the buildings. But lost lives cannot be returned. The enemy terrorizes and kills our people across the country every day.”
Both the prime minister and president urged an immediate response from the international community and more military assistance for Kyiv.
“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“It has been repeatedly stated in Washington that there will be sanctions for refusal to talk. We must implement everything agreed upon in Paris,” the president added, referring to last week’s meeting with European leaders and virtual talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in the French capital.
Zelenskyy said he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who in a post to X said Moscow was “locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror.”
The Ukrainian president said in a post to Telegram, “Together with France, we are preparing new measures to strengthen our defense.”
The overnight barrage prompted the scrambling of NATO fighter jets in Poland, the country’s Armed Forces Operational Command wrote on X.
“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of maximum readiness,” the command said. The alert last for around three hours.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement posted to Telegram that its “massive strike with high-precision weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles” targeted “facilities for the production, assembly, repair, storage and launch of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as military air bases.”
The Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 69 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Debris from one Russian drone fell on the territory of the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the Krasnodar region, local officials said, causing a fire at one of the technological installations which was quickly extinguished with no casualties.
Voronezh regional Gov. Governor Alexander Gusev said one farm worker was seriously injured when a downed drone crashed. Private homes, farm buildings and power lines were damaged, Gusev said.
In the border region of Belgorod, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that one person was injured by a drone attack that also damaged an administrative building.
(NEW YORK) — Chrysler is recalling up to 91,787 Jeep Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid SUVs over a software error that could result in a loss of drive power, according to a recall notice issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The recall applies to certain 2022-2026 models of the SUVs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The error can cause “a vehicle to crash without prior warning” due to an unexpected loss of propulsion, according to the recall report.
As of Aug. 18, the company said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue, the report said.
According to the recall report, “A Battery Pack Control Module reset which is incorrectly interpreted by the Hybrid Control Processor may cause a loss of propulsion. An unexpected loss of propulsion can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.”
The software error is within the hybrid control processor, caused by an overloading of a microprocessor in the Battery Pack Control Module, according to the recall report.
A remedy for this defect is currently under development and impacted vehicle owners will be mailed a notice by Oct. 23, according to the recall note.
Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — The threat for severe weather on Saturday is shifting east, putting more than 25 million people on alert from eastern Pennsylvania up into southern Maine.
This includes Philadelphia, New York City; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Poughkeepsie, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued from Maryland to Maine, until 8 p.m. This includes much of the I-95 corridor, including Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and Boston.
In the coming hours, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms will be developing near and along a cold front that is sweeping across the region Saturday afternoon.
The primary hazard from any severe thunderstorms that develop is strong, potentially damaging wind gusts. Isolated large hail and a brief tornado or two cannot be ruled out, especially for locations in northern New England included in the watch.
Any slow-moving thunderstorms with torrential rain could also trigger localized flash flooding, especially in urban, poor-drainage areas, and bring frequent lightning.
Damaging winds, large hail, and lightning will be possible early Saturday evening into the overnight across this area, with a slim risk of a few brief tornadoes.
Flash flooding will also be a concern for some of these areas, with the highest risk (Level 2 of 4) stretching from Philadelphia to Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Multiple rounds of heavy rain from overlapping and training storms will be capable of producing localized to scattered areas of flash flooding, especially with the heaviest downpours or in areas known to flood.
These storms will begin firing off after noon on Saturday and continue into the overnight hours.
The inclement weather is expected to hit Philadelphia to New York City from 2 to 8 p.m., with some lingering rain into the overnight; Poughkeepsie and Hartford up into Springfield, Massachusetts, as early as 2 p.m., continuing to about 6 to 8 p.m.; and Portland down to Boston from 4 to 10 p.m., with heavy rain continuing overnight.
Boston is not facing the highest threat for flash flooding or severe weather, but strong storms are expected to roll through the area.
Rain showers will continue to linger into the first half of Sunday as this cold front continues to move through the region, with the region drying out Sunday afternoon into the early evening.
Behind the cold front that is triggering these storms will be noticeably cooler air for Sunday.
(LONDON) — About 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines are battling a blaze at a high-rise building in West London’s White City area, authorities said Saturday morning.
The nine-story building complex is the former headquarters of the BBC and now houses apartments, restaurants and a television studio, according to BBC News.
The blaze, which broke out early Saturday around 3 a.m. local time, “is currently affecting floors toward the top of the building.”
As of 8 a.m. local time, “a restaurant, external decking and ducting remains alight,” according to the London Fire Brigade.”
“The cause of the fire is unknown at this time,” the London Fire Brigade said.
Authorities evacuated buildings in the area as a precaution and set up a rest center for evacuated residents, according to the London Fire Brigade.
