Authorities respond to a residence in Harris County, Texas, following a lightning strike, July 7, 2026. (Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office)
(HOUSTON, Texas) — A child was injured after lightning struck his Texas home and the electrical current traveled through the home’s wiring, shocking him while he used a computer, according to authorities.
The incident occurred Tuesday in Cypress, a Houston suburb. The electrical current caused a small fire in the home’s attic, in addition to injuring the boy, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.
The 14-year-old was evaluated by emergency medical services personnel at the scene and was not transported to a hospital, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
The Cypress Creek Fire Department also responded, authorities said.
The investigation remains ongoing, Herman said.
The forecast for the Houston area on Tuesday called for isolated thunderstorms and showers.
Herman issued a safety warning following the incident, saying in a statement, “During thunderstorms, avoid using corded electronics and stay away from electrical wiring and plumbing, as lightning can travel through a home’s electrical system.”
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of Syria (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, sitting next to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the NATO summit in Turkey, said Wednesday that he will remove Syria from the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
“He’s done a great job. Maybe he would have brought that up. That’s a good question. Yeah, any problems with that? I think we should. Yeah, I will,” Trump said of al-Sharaa when asked about removing Syria from the list.
Trump offered high praise for al-Sharaa during their meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, a remarkable turnaround for the man who once led an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
Al-Sharaa at one point had a $10 million bounty on his head and served time in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
He then then led a coalition of Islamist rebel factions in late 2024 to topple former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“He’s done a really fantastic job as president. He’s unified the country in a very short period of time,” Trump said Wednesday, describing the Syrian leader as a “strong person” who is “respected by everybody.”
“We’re proud of the job he’s doing,” Trump said.
What it means for Syria Trump’s commitment to potentially remove Syria from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list would mark one of the final obstacles blocking the country from fully rejoining the international financial system.
The U.S. designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 — the longest such designation for any country on the list. The other countries on the list are Cuba, Iran and North Korea. Syria was designated as such because of the former al-Assad regime’s historical support for designated terrorist groups.
But U.S. officials have said there are a number of steps needed ahead before the designation can be removed.
U.S. lawmakers are cautiously optimistic.
A bipartisan trio of lawmakers wrote to Trump earlier this month lobbying for Syria’s removal from the list. But they argued al-Sharaa’s government has more work to do to follow through on equal representation for women and minority constituents in Syria and ensuring security in the region.
The new US-Syria relationship
In May 2025, Trump announced he would lift sanctions on Syria to create a new relationship between the two countries.
Last November, the United Nations Security Council formally adopted a U.S.-led resolution that lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa so he could travel to the U.S. to meet with Trump in the Oval office, the first offical visit by a Syrian president.
Congress also approved repealing comprehensive sanctions under the Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act. Trump signed it into law in December.
The repeal provided a way for Syria to begin transacting with regional and U.S. businesses, but the state sponsor of terrorism designation blocks it from accessing significant U.S. foreign assistance.
Lifting this designation on Syria could facilitate a whole range of investments in the country, including in oil, banking, technology, and real estate — which could lead to an economic sea change for the country and more overall stability.
Workers gather outside of the former Pfizer headquarters building on July 08, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — New York City officials began reopening some streets and buildings in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday, after engineering crews stabilized a building that was at risk of a partial collapse due to buckling beams.
Engineers worked throughout Tuesday night and the following morning to shore up the compromised floors at 235 E. 42nd St., the former Pfizer corporate building that is currently being converted into residential apartments.
“Right now, we have been in a consistent and stable and safe situation. We have been able to bring in a plan and materials to stabilize the impact,” New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said Wednesday.
The building was evacuated Tuesday morning after construction crews discovered buckling beams on the 21st floor of the 37-story building. The 21st through 26th floors began caving as a result, according to DOB.
A five-by-three-block frozen zone was established to prohibit pedestrians and vehicles around the site. Nine buildings were evacuated as crews carefully made their way into the compromised building and worked to secure it.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on the 21st and 22nd floors, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, the DOB said on Wednesday.
No additional movement has been detected as of Tuesday morning, according to DOB officials.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings remained vacated, along with one restaurant located near the site, DOB said.
The frozen zone was also scaled back. Vehicles are prohibited from entering 42nd and 43rd streets between 2nd and 3rd avenues, the city said.
The DOB is currently conducting an investigation of the incident, which it said “will include a detailed review of all associated plans and construction documents, interviews with witnesses and responsible parties, a full inspection sweep of the entire construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.”
MetroLoft, the developer of the conversion project, said Wednesday that it will fully rebuild the impacted areas of the building and that the building was never at risk of collapse.
“We have been working closely with the Department of Buildings to rectify the situation. Our team worked through the night stabilizing the affected columns, and the DOB has confirmed the structure is now stable,” MetroLoft said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have identified the issue and developed a clear plan to fix it. This is a localized situation affecting less than 30 apartments out of over 1,600. At no time was the building, or any portion of it, at risk of collapse.”
“We are in the process of addressing the issue and will fully rebuild this portion of the building in tandem with ongoing construction,” the statement continued. “We remain on schedule, and this work will not delay delivery of the building as it is such a small portion of the project. We are working around the clock so that operations can resume and life in the area can return to normal.”
DOB said that it ordered the building’s owner to retain a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation.
The construction project is one of the city’s largest commercial-to-residential conversions in city history, officials said.
E. Jean Carroll attends “Ask E. Jean” New York screening at IFC Center on May 21, 2026 in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — While President Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in Ankara, a federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered him to pay what he owes E. Jean Carroll after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered disbursement of the $5 million judgment plus almost $800,000 in interest.
A jury in a separate but related case determined Trump owes Carroll an additional $83 million in damages, but that is still going through the appeals process.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Andy Beshear speaks at the 38th Annual Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus Legacy Luncheon on April 18, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear sent a letter on Wednesday to Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell asking for details on McConnell’s health situation after weeks of the Kentucky senator being hospitalized with few details shared by the senator’s team.
“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear wrote in the letter, which was shared by the governor’s office.
“As Governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health.”
Beshear wrote that public officeholders “have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent.”
“I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve,” he wrote.
He also wished him a speedy recovery.
ABC News reached out to McConnell’s office about the letter and didn’t receive an immediate response.
Beshear and McConnell are far apart ideologically, although they have worked together on some issues. The governor said last week he had not gotten any updates on McConnell’s condition.
If McConnell’s seat were to become vacant, Beshear would likely have to set up a special election to fill it, although that could depend on timing. McConnell’s seat is also up for election this year, but he is not running for reelection. Kentucky lawmakers previously passed legislation that blocked the governor from having the ability to appoint a temporary replacement.
The letter came amid questions over the longtime senator’s health. A spokesperson for McConnell first confirmed the senator had been hospitalized on June 14 for an unknown condition. His office has not provided many updates, though they said McConnell is continuing his recovery in the hospital.
Spokespeople for the lawmakers told ABC News on Tuesday that McConnell has had phone conversations with several Republican leaders as he remains hospitalized.
The health of McConnell “did not warrant an immediate return to the US” for his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, while she was on a trip abroad, according to Chao’s spokesperson.
In a statement to ABC affiliate WHAS on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Chao wrote, “The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department released this photo during the search for Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, in Mississippi. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Department)
(JACKSON COUNTY, Miss.) — Authorities are asking for the public’s help as they investigate the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells.
Wells, 18, went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.
“[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”
A body believed to be the teenager was recovered on Monday, officials said
Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed in a new statement Wednesday that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”
The sheriff’s office said it urges anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island on Saturday to come forward with photos or videos, “particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”
The sheriff’s office said it’s also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island.”
“Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators,” the department said.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Wednesday, “Missing our Nolan so much every second of everyday. This has been the worst time in our lives.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Tuesday that his team will conduct an independent review to determine how Wells died.
“We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves,” Crump said.
Authorities said anyone with information can call the sheriff’s department at 228-769-3065 during regular business hours or at 228-769-3063 after hours.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a unicellular parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. (CDC)
(LANSING, Mich.) — Reported cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, are nearing 1,000 in Michigan, local health officials said Wednesday.
Since June 22, at least 992 cases have been confirmed, a spokesperson from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told ABC News. At least 36 people have been hospitalized.
Typically, the state sees about 50 cases per year, meaning cases are nearly 20 times higher than on average.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, an infectious disease physician, epidemiologist and the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, told ABC News earlier this week that the department’s working hypothesis is the outbreak is linked to contaminated produce.
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC.
The MDHHS spokesperson said on Wednesday that no specific produce, grower, supplier or type of produce has been identified as the source.
The CDC said there have been 145 cases detected in 17 states since May 1, excluding Michigan. No deaths have been reported.
The CDC said patients’ ages cases ranged from 5 through 86 and 61% were female.
Some patients do not experience any symptoms but, for those who do, the most common symptom is “explosive watery diarrhea,” doctors previously told ABC News. Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting, the doctors said.
The CDC says it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.
Because cyclosporiasis symptoms can resemble other illnesses, it may be hard for a patient to determine the cause.
“Anyone experiencing gastrointestinal illness, such as sudden and ongoing diarrhea, should contact their health care provider and their local health department,” the MDHHS spokesperson told ABC News in an email.
Construction crews build scaffolding outside The Kennedy Center on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A panel of D.C. Circuit appeals court judges has rejected a request by President Donald Trump and fellow members of the Kennedy Center’s board to stay a lower court’s order that Trump’s name be removed from the building.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(ANKARA, Turkey) — President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems.
“One of the things we’re going to be talking about is, you’ll — we’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right?” Trump told Zelenskyy during a bilateral meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
“This way he can’t complain that we’re not giving him enough. I said, ‘Make them yourself,'” Trump added.
Trump said the company that manufactures Patriot systems hasn’t been informed yet, but “that’ll work out all right.”
But when asked whether Trump would be willing to provide Patriot interceptors to Ukraine up front while production gets into place, the president said the U.S. didn’t have that many missiles.
“We have Patriots, but we don’t have that many. We need them for ourselves, too,” he said.
The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in Ankara came as expenditures of U.S. Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles in Ukraine and the Middle East have dramatically outpaced current production capabilities, resulting in a critical global shortage as the Russia-Ukraine war drags on.
“We need to find a way to get as quick as possible, as much as possible, missiles for Patriot systems. This is the most important thing,” Zelenskyy said at a defense industry forum at the alliance’s annual summit on Tuesday.
Russia has sought to exploit this shortfall by launching concentrated bombardments of ballistic missiles and drone swarms at Ukrainian targets, overwhelming the country’s defenses and resulting in scores of civilian deaths.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy praised the U.S. for its support throughout the war.
“Mr. President, thank you very much for this meeting. And we’re thankful, as always, to your support, American support, bipartisan support,” he said.
Russia’s ‘last major advantage’
In an address to members of the NATO alliance on Tuesday, Zelenskyy stressed the critical nature of the shortage and argued it was time for Europe to produce its own systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles, calling the rocket-powered missiles Moscow’s “last major advantage.”
“We all value the Patriot system. It’s an excellent system,” he said. “But today’s wars have shown current Patriot production is not enough to meet the growing demand for protection against ballistic missiles. That is a fact.”
For his part, Trump presented a rosier outlook — asserting that an end to the conflict in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year, could be on the horizon.
“I think we’re getting much closer than people realize, and President Putin wants it to end,” Trump said on Monday. “And President Zelenskyy actually wants it to end now.”
Trump also downplayed the impact of the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, saying “it doesn’t affect us” and depicting the conflict as a European issue. Trump had promised to end the war on Day 1 in office — a pledge he later said was hyperbolic.
Trump’s comments come amid Russian escalation in recent days. On Monday, Russian strikes targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and energy infrastructure in and around Kyiv, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
Zelenskyy has been warning the Trump administration about the crucial depletion of interceptor missiles for several weeks. He is also pressing the U.S. to expedite a license that would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot batteries and interceptors domestically.
A strained relationship
The bilateral meeting tested the strength of Trump and Zelenskyy’s sometimes-rocky relationship at a time when Ukraine is facing new vulnerabilities on the battlefield and diplomacy with Russia has largely stalled.
Trump, on Wednesday, described Zelenskyy as a “difficult character,” but said they have a good relationship.
The leader’s first meeting of Trump’s second term — a February 2025 conversation in the Oval Office — devolved into a shouting match after Trump expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s position in the conflict and called for more gratitude from Zelenskyy for U.S. support.
But Trump appeared to grow more sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause over the past year as repeated efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table fell flat.
A watershed moment came last July when, after repeatedly pausing military aid to Ukraine, Trump agreed to supply weapons to Ukraine if they were purchased from the U.S. by NATO allies.
And there have been signs over the past month that Trump is reengaging in efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and once again eager to coordinate a deal between Zelenskyy and Putin.
During their bilateral meeting, Trump said he spoke with Putin about the Russian president’s desire to set up a meeting in Moscow, though Zelenskyy wouldn’t commit to such a meeting.
Trump held calls with Zelenskyy and Putin over the weekend as both leaders congratulated the president on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.
It’s unclear how substantive the conversations were, though a Kremlin aide said that Trump spoke to Putin for 90 minutes and again offered to help end the war. Zelenskyy said he had “a very good call” with Trump and conveyed there was a “real prospect” for peace.
Trump last met with Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in June, where he, at times, appeared friendly to Ukraine’s cause — describing Russia as the “offensive” party in the conflict and saying he was “going to do whatever” he could to strike a deal.
French President Emmanuel Macron — the host of the G7 summit — said after the meeting that he was optimistic about Trump’s support for Ukraine, claiming he observed “a real change in comparison to recent months” in his attitude.
A sign points the way to Brigham and Women’s Hospital June 3, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
(BOSTON) –Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham home care clinicians took to the streets Wednesday morning for a strike set to involve roughly 4,500 workers, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
The strike would be the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, according to a Massachusetts Nurses Association press release.
“At both bargaining tables, the nurses and clinicians made significant efforts to compromise and offered to continue negotiating to avoid a strike,” the association wrote in a statement. “MGB refused to improve its proposals and declined opportunities to continue bargaining.”
The nurses’ strike, which was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, is set to last one day and be followed by a lockout imposed by Mass General Brigham, the association said.
The work stoppage is now expected to last until 7:59 a.m. on July 15, according to the hospital.
Mass General Brigham home care clinicians plan to strike for seven days beginning at 8 a.m. on the same day, according to the union.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it will continue to provide high-quality patient care throughout the work stoppage, along with its outpatient centers, though picketing may cause heavier traffic than normal.
Temporary clinicians are being brought in to support patients during the work stoppage, and patients should keep their scheduled appointments unless advised otherwise by their care teams, the hospital said.
The union said it is seeking more competitive wage increases that keep pace with the rising cost of living, among other demands. It cited data from the MassINC Policy Center, which said the income needed to maintain a middle-class standard of living for a family of four in Massachusetts jumped 50% from 2020 to 2024.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital said in a statement that Brigham nurses are “among the highest compensated in the market.”
Scott Sperling, Mass General Brigham board chair and co-CEO of a private equity firm, wrote to the association in an email on Sunday night, stating that a “substantial effort” has been made to find common ground, according to the association’s press release.
On Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey released a joint statement encouraging both sides to resume negotiations.
“A strike and lockout of this scale would cause serious disruption across the Greater Boston region, and the possibility that patient care could be impacted through diversions, delays, or other emergency measures is deeply concerning to the communities we represent,” the statement said.
