US President Donald Trump (R) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. (Photo by Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s Friday deadline has arrived for Russia’s Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face “secondary sanctions” against countries that buy oil from Russia.
But uncertainty remains as to whether the U.S. will hit Moscow with new economic penalties amid talk of a possible bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin happening soon.
Trump on Thursday was asked directly if his Aug. 8 deadline for Putin to make peace or face consequences still applied.
“It’s gonna be up to him,” the president responded. “We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s gonna be up to him. Very disappointed.”The White House is pushing for a trilateral summit between Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though Trump said Putin meeting with Zelenskyy wasn’t a condition for he and Putin to meet.
“They would like to meet with me and I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing,” Trump said on Thursday.
Trump, who once said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first 24 hours in office and touted his personal relationship with Putin, has expressed increasing frustration with the Russian leader.
In mid-July, Trump said he was giving Putin a 50-day ultimatum to stop the fighting. He then moved up the timeline to 10 days, citing his disappointment with Putin.
“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump said at the time. “I’m not so interested in talking anymore. He talks, we have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations, and then people die the following night in a — with a missile going into a town and hitting.”
Tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalated last week when Trump announced he was moving nuclear submarines in response to what he called “highly provocative statements” from the deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev.
Medvedev, also the former president of Russia, had sounded off on Trump’s ceasefire deadline, writing on social media that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.”
While Trump said the nuclear submarines would be moved in response, he and the White House would not specify what capabilities the submarines have or other questions surrounding the announcement.
And earlier this week, Trump indirectly upped the pressure on Russia by doubling his tariff rate against India over India’s imports of Russian oil.
Firefighters battle flames from the Canyon Fire on August 7, 2025 in Castaic, California/Eric Thayer/Getty Images
(LOS ANGELES) — The Canyon Fire, a rapidly spreading blaze in California, is impacting communities in the Los Angeles area as thousands have been placed under evacuation orders and warnings, according to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger.
The local emergency proclamation issued by officials enables the county to “expedite access to critical resources and cut through bureaucratic red tape to enhance firefighting and recovery efforts,” according to a statement from Los Angeles County.
So far, the Canyon Fire burning in Ventura and Los Angeles counties has grown to just under 5,000 acres in a matter of hours and is 0% contained, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. On Thursday, the fire had burned 1,500 acres.
Five zones in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, with 2,700 residents evacuated and 700 structures threatened by the flames, officials said. Six other zones in this county are currently under an evacuation warning, with 1,400 residents and 5,000 structures at risk, officials said.
Ventura County also has five zones under evacuation orders and two areas under evacuation warnings.
“The issuance of this emergency proclamation is a crucial step in our fight against the Canyon Fire,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “It allows us to unlock vital state and local resources more quickly and removes barriers that could slow down our first responders. Our priority is to protect lives, homes, and critical infrastructure, and this proclamation will help ensure that we have the tools and support necessary to meet the urgent needs of our communities.”
The emergency declaration grants authorities the flexibility to “coordinate across agencies, mobilize additional firefighting personnel and equipment, and streamline procurement processes,” officials said.
The blaze, which began on Thursday afternoon, is burning east with a “rapid rate of spread in light to medium fuels,” according to Cal Fire. Multiple strike teams of engines, hand crews and dozers have been ordered to “reinforce the initial response,” with 250 personnel and seven helicopters assigned to fight the flames, officials said.
As of Thursday evening, there have not been any residences damaged or reported injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Supervisor Barger urges all residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, follow evacuation orders, and stay informed through official channels as the situation evolves.
Officials said residents should visit the Los Angeles County Emergency Website for incoming updates and information.
This wildfire comes as the Gifford Fire — which is situated within the Los Padres National Forest in Solvang, California — has burned nearly 100,000 acres and is the largest blaze in the state this year, according to Cal Fire. This blaze, which began on Aug. 1, has destroyed 99,232 acres and is 15% contained, according to an update from officials on Thursday evening.
People are seen in smoke after Israel targeted the area near Abbas Junction in western Gaza City, Gaza on August 08, 2025/Khames Alrefi/Anadolu via Getty Images
(LONDON) — On the heels of Israel’s security cabinet approving plans to occupy Gaza City, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said “this further escalation will result in more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction,” according to a statement released Friday morning.
Turk called for the offensive to be “immediately halted.”
“The Israeli Government’s plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza strip must be immediately halted,” Turk said. “It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination.”
Family members of hostages and other protesters gathered in front of the building where the Israeli cabinet was in session to protest Netanyahu’s current proposal to occupy all of Gaza, calling the move a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages in a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
“For a year and ten months we’ve been trying to believe that everything is being done to bring them back – you have failed. Now it’s necessary to do the one thing the government hasn’t yet done – put a comprehensive deal on the table that will bring them all home together,” said Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest.
Israel’s plan for an expansion of military operations comes amid international condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
“The Security Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement released on Thursday. “The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will prepare for the takeover of Gaza City while ensuring the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
Turk, however, said that the potential escalation will only lead to more problems in the region. leading to, what he says, “senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
“The war in Gaza must end now. And Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live side by side in peace,” said Turk. “Instead of intensifying this war, the Israeli Government should put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza’s civilians by allowing the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid. The hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released by Palestinian armed groups. Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must also be immediately and unconditionally released.”
In a Fox News interview earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said repeatedly that he does not want to “govern Gaza,” but he wants to “hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threating,” Israel.
Hamas, responding to the Fox News interview, said in a statement that “Netanyahu’s statements represent a blatant reversal of the negotiation process and clearly expose the real motives behind his withdrawal from the latest round of talks, despite us nearing a final agreement.”
On Sunday, an Israeli official told ABC News that Netanyahu was pushing to expand the military operation in Gaza on the grounds that he felt Hamas is not interested in reaching a new ceasefire deal under which surviving hostages could be released.
When asked about the possible expansion of the campaign in Gaza, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday, “Reporting is one thing. Real plans might be another. We are not in the business of interpreting statements from foreign governments when and if they’re made.”
“We do remain focused on freeing the hostages, including the remains of two Americans, and ensuring that Hamas never rules Gaza again,” Bruce said.
(NEW YORK) — Weak jobs data came out hours before President Donald Trump fired the head of labor statistics. A report on gross domestic product indicated a slowdown of growth over the first half of the year. A sweeping round of tariffs hit nearly 70 countries.
These events — all since last week — prompted some analysts to warn of a recession and others to raise concerns about the political independence of gold-standard U.S. economic data.
The stock market, however, hardly blinked.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq has ticked up 0.4% since the end of trading last Tuesday, a day before the GDP report marked the first in a series of major developments. Over that same period, the S&P 500 has dropped 0.6%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 1.4%.
Despite mixed results, the indexes remain well above where they stood three months ago. The Nasdaq has surged 20% since May, while the S&P 500 has jumped 13%. The Dow has climbed 7% over that period.
Analysts who spoke to ABC News attributed investor optimism to robust corporate profits, the prospect of interest rate cuts at the Federal Reserve and an abiding expectation that Trump will not return to the steep tariffs initially rolled out in April.
The resilient stock market has generated a momentum of its own, some analysts added.
“The mindset of the market is to embrace risk because that brings rewards rather than losses — keep shrugging it off,” Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at trading firm Interactive Brokers, told ABC News. “That can paper over a lot of concerns.”
The economy added an average of about 35,000 jobs over three months ending in July, which marks a major slowdown from roughly 128,000 jobs added monthly over the prior three months, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on Friday showed. Employers are hiring at their slowest pace since 2020.
Two days earlier, fresh GDP data indicated average annualized growth of 1.2% over the first half of 2025, well below 2.8% growth last year.
Hours after the release of the jobs report on Friday, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, an appointee of former President Joe Biden who was confirmed by a bipartisan vote in the Senate in 2024.
In a social media post, Trump volleyed sharp criticism and baseless accusations at McEntarfer, claiming without evidence that the data had been “manipulated.” The jobs report featured revisions of previous months’ data, which is a routine practice.
“Trump touted his economic performance in a social media post: “The Economy is BOOMING under ‘TRUMP’ despite a Fed that also plays games, this time with Interest Rates.”
McEntarfer did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy,” McEntarfer said in a social media post after her dismissal. “It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.”
The major stock indexes fell markedly last Friday, suggesting concern among traders about the weak jobs report. Within days, however, stocks had largely recovered the losses.
Alongside mixed signals from the economy, a series of major companies have released strong earnings, indicating a resilient corporate bottom line. The list of high-performers includes tech giants like Meta and Microsoft, which account for a disproportionately large share of the S&P 500.
“The markets like to focus on earnings,” Ed Yardeni, the president of market advisory firm Yardeni Research and former chief investment strategist at Deutsche Bank’s U.S. equities division, told ABC News. “They’ve been pretty impressive considering some of the economic data has looked soft of late.”
The outlook for the economy remains uncertain, leaving open the possibility of continued growth and soaring stocks, some analysts said. The economy has largely averted the type of widespread job losses that often accompany a recession. Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of economic activity, ticked higher over three months ending in June.
If the economy sours, the Federal Reserve will likely move forward with interest rate cuts, buoying the market, Sosnick said.
“There’s a belief that there’s nothing better for the market than a rate cut,” Sosick added.
Still, the combination of elevated tariffs and sluggish hiring could hurtle the U.S. toward an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation,” in which the economy slows while prices rise.
Potential stagflation poses difficulty for the Fed. If the Fed raises interest rates as a means of protecting against tariff-induced inflation under such a scenario, it risks stifling borrowing and slowing the economy further. On the other hand, if the Fed lowers rates to stimulate the economy in the face of a potential slowdown, it threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.
“There’s definitely a possibility the market is getting it wrong on inflation,” Jay Ritter, a professor of finance at the University of Florida, told ABC News.
For now, markets remain opportunistic about current gains, rather than wary of possible headwinds that may emerge in the coming weeks or months, Sosnick said.
“This market is preferring to deal with the here and now than deal with the conceptual,” Sosnick added.
Displaced Palestinians flock to an aid distribution point set up in the Netzarim Corridor in hopes of receiving limited humanitarian aid in Deir al Balah, Gaza on August 08, 2025/ (Photo by Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Some U.S. citizens who are victims and family members of victims of Hamas and Hezbollah attacks have filed a lawsuit against the largest U.N. agency that provides humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, accusing the aid organization of promoting terrorism.
Filed in a Washington, D.C., district court last week, the lawsuit targets the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its U.S.-based non-profit, UNRWA USA, which is based in Washington, D.C.
The 200 plaintiffs accuse UNRWA of violating antiterrorism laws by allegedly providing funds and other methods of support to Hamas and Hezbollah, which are classified by the State Department as foreign terrorist organizations. They also accuse the agency of employing staff who they say were directly involved in terror attacks.
In a press release, UNRWA slammed the lawsuit as “meritless, absurd, dangerous, and morally reprehensible.”
“Both UNRWA and UNRWA USA’s missions are legal, moral, and humanitarian,” the organization said in the statement. It called the allegations “misinformation to dismantle a life-saving institution precisely because of its central role in keeping Palestinian refugees and the hope of Palestinian freedom and self-determination alive.”
One of the plaintiffs, the Mathias-Troen family, is suing on behalf of Shachar Deborah Troen Mathias and his wife, Shlomi David Mathias, who were “heinously murdered” by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the lawsuit. In addition to their deaths, the couple’s son was physically injured, prompting 12 family members to seek reparations for the “severe mental anguish and extreme emotional pain and suffering” they endured.
While many of the allegations center around Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel, some plaintiffs are also seeking compensation for attacks that occurred years prior.
“This is a case seeking justice and accountability against an entity that holds itself out as ‘humanitarian’ but which has utterly failed in its mission and purpose while unconscionably providing material support for terror,” Richard D. Heideman, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement to ABC News.
Samuel Silverman, counsel for all plaintiffs, told ABC News that the lawsuit is about putting an end to the “foster[ing of] a culture of terrorism.”
The plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, with Heideman telling ABC News that they demand payment for “any judgment for which [the defendants] are found liable.”
A similar lawsuit was filed in New York last year, where noncitizen victims and their families accused UNRWA of assisting Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack, citing alleged instances in which they say UNRWA employed Hamas members, contributed to the construction of Hamas military centers, and held Israeli hostages, among other allegations.
UNRWA USA called this a “baseless lawsuit,” filing a motion to dismiss the case.
“This legal attack is not just on UNRWA USA but on millions of Palestine refugees who rely on its funding for critical needs like food, water, and medical care,” they said in a statement.
The agency argued that it should be immune from litigation because it is a subsidiary organ of the U.N.
As a subsidiary of the U.N., the Biden administration supported UNRWA having immunity from civil liability, which protected the agency from this legal action. But the Trump administration’s Justice Department reversed this stance in April, issuing a letter to the judge overseeing the case that said the prior administration’s stance on the matter was “wrong.”
“Previously, the Government expressed the view that certain immunities shielded UNRWA from having to answer those allegations in American courts. The Government has since reevaluated that position, and now concludes UNRWA is not immune from this litigation,” the letter read.
Silverman called this reversal “a real step in the right direction” and emphasized the need to “support victims of terrorism,” which he believes to be “bipartisan.”
“This lawsuit is sort of going to be novel, as we’ve seen by the two positions that the Justice Department has taken,” he said of the 2025 lawsuit, expressing his confidence in the case.
Outside of the courts, the Trump administration has determined that UNRWA as an organization is “compromised” and should be “dismantled.”
“We can confirm the Administration has determined UNRWA is irredeemably compromised and now seeks its full dismantlement,” a State Department spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday.
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order demanding “renewed scrutiny” for UNRWA, particularly regarding its role in Oct. 7, citing reports that the agency was “infiltrated” by members of foreign terrorist organizations.
In a January interview with ABC News, Director of UNRWA’s DC office, Bill Deere, promised that “every allegation that is brought to our attention with information gets investigated.”
UNRWA previously acknowledged possible wrongdoing in the Oct. 7 attack, terminating nine U.N. employees last summer for potential involvement in the attacks after an investigation led by the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services.
The Biden administration paused UNRWA funding in January 2024 in light of these allegations and the subsequent investigation. The funding remains frozen today, despite multiple congressional efforts to restore it.
“Without the US government’s full financial support, UNRWA’s ability to continue its life-saving work for Palestine refugees at the scale needed, including in Gaza will be in jeopardy,” UNRWA USA said in a statement in March.
According to an UNRWA report released last Friday, food parcels ran out “several weeks ago,” and “no UNRWA supplies entered the Gaza Strip” since March.
The largest U.N. agency operating in Gaza, UNRWA was established in 1949 as a “subsidiary organ” of the UN General Assembly, with operations commencing a year later.
“UNRWA provides humanitarian assistance and contributes to protection of refugees through essential service delivery, primarily in the areas of basic education, primary health care and mental health care, relief and social services, microcredit, and emergency assistance, including in situations of armed conflict, to millions of registered Palestine refugees located within its five fields of operations (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza),” their mandate says.
Deere also told ABC News that UNRWA “represents most of the U.N. staff, the facilities, the expertise and supporting infrastructure for the response in Gaza.”
In 2021, UNRWA said the U.S. was their “largest donor with a total contribution of over US$338 million across all UNRWA funding portals.” They have also referred to the U.S. as one of their “most reliable supporters.”
(SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, Pa.) — A gunman in rural northeastern Pennsylvania shot and killed his neighbor then fired dozens of rounds at two responding troopers, injuring them, in what police described as an ambush.
An emergency medical technician who responded to the call of shots fired at the residence in Susquehanna County was also injured when he crashed his vehicle while trying to evade the gunfire, according to Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris. “It’s been a very tragic and harrowing day for the community here in Susquehanna County and the Pennsylvania State Police,” Paris said during a press briefing Thursday evening.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, when a man reported shots fired near his and his girlfriend’s home on State Route 171 in Thompson Township, Paris said.
The caller’s 57-year-old girlfriend — Laurie Wasko — had been shot and killed in front of their residence near her vehicle, Paris said.
Two state troopers were dispatched to the residence. Upon exiting their vehicle, “they were ambushed from a very good distance away,” Paris said.
Several dozen rounds were fired from a rifle “from a position of tactical superiority,” he said. One of the officers was shot twice in the chest-torso area, and the other was shot once in each arm, Paris said.
An EMS worker was also injured while “trying to help others at the scene,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said. When fired upon, the EMT took “evasive action” and crashed his vehicle, Paris said.
“He was able to make it out of his vehicle, and he actually hid for fear that the actor would continue firing upon him,” Paris said.
The suspected gunman — 61-year-old Carmine Faino — lived several hundred yards away on the opposite side of the street, Paris said.
Troopers and law enforcement from multiple counties attempted to set up a perimeter around Faino, who was “moving about,” Paris said. He shot down a drone, and at one point was sitting on a propane tank, which sparked concerns it was an “improvised explosive device,” Paris said.
“After a period of attempting to negotiate with him, he continued to be a threat, and he was shot by members of the special emergency response team,” Paris said.
The suspect was confirmed dead, and authorities say there is no threat to the public.
The motive remains under investigation and police are looking into the suspect’s background, Paris said. The shooting does appear to have been planned, Paris said, pointing to the suspect’s “position of tactical advantage.”
“I would say it doesn’t lend itself to a spur-of-the moment-type decision, at least once he made the decision to open fire,” Paris said.
The troopers, identified as Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins, were seriously hurt and are hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
Despite his injuries, Perechinsky was able to apply a tourniquet to his partner’s arms, Paris said.
“Despite both of their patrol cars being riddled with bullets, a third trooper was able to get in and evacuate them,” Paris said.
Paris said the two injured troopers are “very lucky to be alive.”
The EMT is in stable condition, police said.
Shapiro commended the first responders and called Perechinsky a “hero” for his actions.
“He quite likely almost saved the life of his partner,” Shapiro told reporters.
(CALIFORNIA) — Fox News has moved to dismiss California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $787 million defamation lawsuit against the network and collect attorney fees, calling the suit a “political stunt” that Newsom filed “to advance his presidential ambitions.”
“The tone and content of Newsom’s complaint and his conduct underscore that the purpose of this lawsuit is to create a press spectacle and harass Fox News, not to remedy any legitimate reputational harm,” the 45-page filing from Fox states.
Newsom’s lawsuit stemmed from the channel’s coverage of a spat that occurred between Newsome and President Donald Trump during the L.A. wildfires. Trump claimed at the time that he had spoken to Newsom “a day ago” to tell Newsome he was doing a “bad job,” but Newsom replied on social media that “there was no call” — prompting Trump to give Fox News a screen shot showing the record of a call that had occurred days earlier.
Fox News host Jesse Watters, that night on his show, accused Newsom of lying, saying, “Why would Newsom lie and claim that Trump never called him?”
Newsom’s attorneys, in a letter to Fox News, said they would proceed with the suit unless Fox News issued a retraction and an on-air apology.
In their court filing, Fox News said that Watters did that on July 17 when he said on the air that Newsome “didn’t deceive anybody on purpose. So I’m sorry, he wasn’t lying. He was just confusing and unclear.”
As a result, Fox News says the case should be dismissed on multiple grounds — including on the merits — writing that what Watters said was “substantially true.”
“At a minimum, Watters’ query about why Newsom would ‘lie’ is an opinion based on disclosed facts that enjoys full First Amendment protection,” the filing states.
Newsom’s $787 million suit seeks the same amount as the 2023 settlement Fox reached with Dominion Voting Systems after the voting machine company accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that Dominion rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor. In its filing in the Newsome case, Fox News called Newsome’s use of that figure a “headline-grabbing gimmick.”
Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) — During a town hall event, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace compared herself to President Donald Trump and requested he endorse her for South Carolina’s governor — a race where there is already a crowded slate of five candidates.
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Mace encountered a friendly crowd at her first town hall since launching her bid for governor and called on them to have Trump — and his supporters — back her.
“I’m just saying I’ve done a lot for the president, and if you talk to him, I would really like his support for governor,” she said Wednesday during her first stop on her so-called “Mother of All Town Halls” tour.
Mace is one of several Republicans who have already thrown their hats into the ring for the state’s top job. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Rep. Ralph Norman have also announced their campaigns.
Mace outlined her campaign promises, urging the audience to support her run to lead the state. She also likened herself to Trump, who is popular in the state after winning it in his 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential runs.
“I want to take what’s broken in South Carolina, and I want to burn it down to the ground and build it right back up, right where it needs to be, because you’ve earned it. You deserve it, and you deserve someone who’s going to work 24/7. I don’t sleep. I went to bed at 1 a.m., and I was up at 4 a.m. OK, I am Trump in high heels. I love what I am doing. I mean, he doesn’t sleep,” she said.
Trump enthusiastically backed Mace for Congress in 2024 after she endorsed him in the state’s presidential primary. Their support for each other was a change after an earlier clash. One day after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Mace said Trump’s “entire legacy” was “wiped out” by the siege. Later, during the 2022 midterms, Trump called Mace “terrible” and a letdown.
Trump has not yet publicly commented on Mace’s recent request for his endorsement.
As governor, Mace said child rapists would get the death penalty, eliciting a loud applause from the crowd. She said businesses who employ “illegal aliens” will be fined $1,000 a day, and hopes to bring down the state income tax.
“We’re going to stop that in South Carolina, because on day one, if you give me a bathroom bill — state legislature, I will sign it into law. We’re going to keep men out of women’s spaces,” she said.
Mace also recounted how she helped get Mike Johnson elected as speaker of the House by getting Trump on the phone with remaining Republican holdouts.
“When there’s one guy in the room that can bring all of us together, I witnessed it, and that man was Donald J. Trump, so I was there for him when we got the speaker elected.”
Mace engaged with an agreeable crowd during the short question-and-answer portion, during which topics including the Department of Government Efficiency, fluoride in water and Trump’s promise to provide a tax credit on generators were raised.
Pressed by an audience member about Trump’s promise to provide a tax credit on generators for individuals who live in dangerous or coastal communities following the floods, Mace said, “I can absolutely remind him.”
Mace said she hopes “like hell” DOGE is “on its way” to South Carolina, claiming she has helped DOGE find “some of these crazy contracts” that DOGE claims are wasteful.
“We’ve got to audit some of our agencies, particularly the Department of Education. I want to know where all the money is going, and can we take some of it out of the bureaucracy and give it to our teachers?” she said.
The congresswoman said she would support “any action to remove fluoride from our water and also ban chemtrails,” the widely debunked conspiracy theory that claims the white lines from aircraft are releasing chemicals — including for nefarious reasons.
Her friendly town hall came at a time when many other members of Congress are facing hostile crowd at rowdy events. Earlier this week, a town hall crowd shouted at and heckled Republican Rep. Mike Flood as he touted Trump’s massive policy and tax bill that was signed into law in July.
ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily halted any further construction of the immigrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams granted a temporary restraining order after two days of testimony about the environmental impact of the site.
The state of Florida and President Donald Trump’s administration can continue to use the facility and house detainees there, but any further construction must be halted for 14 days.
While the hearing was set to resume on Tuesday, Judge Williams granted the temporary order to prevent possible harm to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem in the meantime.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida urged Judge Williams to block the construction site because the detention center was completed without conducting necessary impact studies. The area is home to multiple sensitive species — including the endangered Florida Panther — and is considered sacred to the Miccosukee tribe.
“We welcome the court’s decision to pause construction on this deeply concerning project. The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people. While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades,” Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Florida AG James Uthmeier’s office released a statement to ABC News in response to the judge’s ruling.
“Judge Williams’ order is wrong, and we will fight it. However, it does not shut down Alligator Alcatraz, which will continue to send illegal aliens back to where they came from,” the statement read.
The judge’s decision on Thursday comes after Wednesday’s hearing only saw five witnesses called to the stand by the environmental groups that filed the lawsuit, instead of the multiple state and federal officials who were set to testify.
At issue is the question of whether federal and state officials bypassed legally required environmental impact studies during construction of the facility — which plaintiffs say should block it from being used as a detention center.
Attorneys representing Florida officials have argued that the facility was initially funded by, constructed and managed by the state and is therefore exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act — the main law being used to challenge the facility’s compliance.
Alligator Alcatraz has so far operated in what immigration advocates have described as a jurisdictional gray zone — with the facility funded by the federal government but run by the state of Florida — that they allege allows officials to skirt some legal requirements.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously argued that the state of Florida is “implementing” the federal government’s immigration policy with the expectation that the state would be fully reimbursed for the costs of Alligator Alcatraz, but local and federal officials have so far been unable to tell the federal courts who is actually in charge of the facility.
The hearing — at which federal, state, and tribal officials are testifying — comes amid heightened scrutiny of the facility, which was once touted as a “one-stop shop to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.”
Located 50 miles west of Miami in the heart of the Florida Everglades, Alligator Alcatraz was quickly constructed over a matter of weeks, utilizing hundreds of tents, trailers, and other temporary facilities to potentially house more than 3,000 detainees.
The facility was built on the grounds of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a sparsely used piece of tarmac owned by Miami-Dade County.
Alligator Alcatraz also neighbors land leased to the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, including villages, a school, traditional hunting areas, and sacred sites. The Miccosukee Tribe joined the lawsuit last month, arguing that the facility threatens to damage nearby tribal villages.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Several top FBI officials were ousted from their jobs this week, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News, including the former acting director of the bureau who previously resisted efforts to compile a list of agents who worked on the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Sources tell ABC News that among those informed of their terminations are former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the Washington, D.C. Field office Steven Jensen, and agents Walter Giardina and Christopher Meyer.
It does not appear that any were informed of the rationale behind their terminations, the sources said.
The firings have alarmed many rank-and-file agents due to concerns over whether the moves were politically motivated, said the sources. Giardina and Meyer, for instance, previously worked on investigations involving President Donald Trump.
Driscoll, who had served for nearly 20 years in the bureau, including a variety of leadership positions, was elevated briefly to the role of acting director in the opening days of Trump’s presidency.
He received praise from some agents and law enforcement groups over his brief standoff with Emil Bove, Trump’s former defense attorney who pushed Trump’s agenda at the Justice Department prior to the confirmation of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Driscoll had resisted an order from Bove to compile a list of all agents who aided the Justice Department’s investigation into Jan. 6, which Bove later described in a memo as an act of “insubordination.”
After the Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director, Driscoll was assigned to lead the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group.
In his parting email sent Thursday to staffers, which was obtained by ABC News, Driscoll said he was informed of his termination Wednesday night and was given no reason for the move.
“I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers,” Driscoll wrote, according to the email. “No cause has been articulated at this time. Please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you.”
Sources said that Jensen’s firing similarly came as a surprise to senior leadership at the U.S. attorney’s D.C. field office, where Jensen was set to appear Thursday at a press conference on the unsealing of a hate crimes indictment charging the suspect in the Capitol Jewish Museum shooting.
Jensen was instead replaced at the press event by the chief of the Washington field office’s criminal division.
Asked by ABC News about the reason behind Jensen’s dismissal, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro declined to answer.
“I’m not going to talk about politics today. I’m talking about crime, talking about hate crimes,” Pirro said.
Officials with the FBI and Justice Department also declined to comment on the firings.
