The annual Tribute in Light is illuminated over the skyline of lower Manhattan, One World Trade Center, and the Statue of Liberty in New York City ahead of the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center on September 9, 2024, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Twenty-four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) on Thursday announced three new identifications of World Trade Center victims.
Ryan Fitzgerald of Floral Park, N.Y., Barbara Keating of Palm Springs, Calif., and an adult woman whose name is being withheld at the request of her family are the 1,651st, 1,652nd and 1,653rd victims positively identified through DNA analysis, OCME said in their announcement.
The tally represents little more than half of the 2,753 people killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and are the first new victims identified since January 2024, according to OCME.
The three new victim identifications were the result of “ongoing outreach to families for DNA reference samples,” the announcement said, which were then analyzed by OCME using advanced DNA technology and compared to the victims’ remains, which were recovered in 2001 and 2002.
“The pain of losing a loved one in the September 11th terror attacks echoes across the decades, but with these three new identifications, we take a step forward in comforting the family members still aching from that day,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams in a statement.
“Nearly 25 years after the disaster at the World Trade Center, our commitment to identify the missing and return them to their loved ones stands as strong as ever,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham. “Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time. We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost.”
Some 1,100 victims of the 9/11 attacks, representing roughly 40% of those who died that day, remain unidentified, according to OCME.
General view of Perito Moreno Glacier at Parque Nacional Los Glaciares on December 16, 2023 near El Calafate, Argentina. Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images
(LONDON) — What was once considered the most stable glacier in the Patagonia region is experiencing ice loss at rates far greater than previously thought, according to new research.
The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina has retreated far more rapidly than expected in the past several years, according to a paper published Thursday in Communications Earth & Environment.
The glacier, measuring about 18.6 miles long, has retreated nearly half a mile in some areas over the past few years and could retreat by more than a mile in the near future, the study found. It is fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Andes Mountains and terminates in Lago Argentino.
Previously painted as a glacier that “prevails in a changing climate,” researchers began closely studying Perito Moreno to compare it to other, less-stable glaciers, Moritz Koch, a researcher at the Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, and lead author of the study, told ABC News.
The scientists were left “baffled” over the unprecedented surface lowering rates seen at Perito Moreno, Koch said.
Perito Moreno remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2019, unlike most of the glaciers fed by the Patagonian Ice Fields. During that time frame, the glacier retreated about 328 feet, the researchers said.
But there has been a “substantial” increase in the rate of retreat since 2019, according to the paper.
“We do see that the stability of the glacier has come to an end, and it has, well, surpassed a tipping point,” Koch said. “That’s why we see this retreat happening.”
During two helicopter flights in 2022, researchers used radar to survey the thickness of the ice. They then combined that data with a survey of the lakebed beyond the glacier to investigate differences in the surface height and surface velocity of the glacier between 2000 and 2024.
In recent years, there has been more than a 16-fold increase in the thinning rate of the glacier at the terminus — where the glacier is currently grounded on in the water — from about 1 foot between 2000 and 2019 to an average of 18 feet between 2019 and 2024, the researchers found.
“This specific feature has stabilized the glacier over past decades, basically acting as a pinning point,” Koch said.
A large ridge beneath the terminus may have been responsible for the glacier’s stability before 2019.
Perito Moreno was like “climatically” out of balance on the surface, but kept physically in its position due to the bedrock ridge, Koch said.
But if the glacier continues to thin at the current rate, it will detach from the ridge and rapidly retreat, according to the paper. The increased water depth below the glacier would lead to an increased rate of calving.
As the frontal position changes in the glacial troughs to the north and east of Perito Moreno, the additional water surrounding the glacier is able to destabilize it and make it buoyant — causing a feedback loop of melting, Koch said.
“So, eventually, the water is able to lift up the glacier from its bed, and this facilitates this very strong calving activity that we are seeing right now,” he said.
As one of the most famous glaciers in the world, the Perito Moreno Glacier is a major tourist destination in Argentina and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
“It’s a very important economic factor for the region,” Koch said.
Climate change is likely playing a significant role in the ice loss of glaciers in the Patagonia region, Koch said.
“We do see a gradual increase in temperatures in the past decade, so warming definitely plays a substantial role in why glaciers are melting on the surface,’ he said.
Glaciers all over the world are at risk of significant ice loss due to global warming, according to scientists.
Between 2000 and 2023, glaciers lost an estimated 7,211 billion tons of ice, equating to an average annual loss of 301 billion tons, according to study published in Nature in February.
In the past two decades, the rate of ice loss has increased by about 36% in the past two decades, the researchers found.
Even if temperatures were to stabilize at current levels, glaciers around the world will likely lose at least 39% of mass, according to the World Economic Forum.
Melting glaciers and ice sheets are significant contributors to sea level rise. If all of the glaciers on Earth were to melt, it would contribute to an additional 230 feet of ocean water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Sen. John Cornyn leaves a senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol, June 3, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has granted his request for the federal government to assist with locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.
Cornyn’s letter requesting federal help with locating and investigating the state legislators was sent on Tuesday.
“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” Cornyn said in a news release.
The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Cornyn also joined “The Mark Davis” radio show on Thursday morning and expressed his gratitude for Patel’s prompt response.
“Just to get to the bottom of it, I asked Kash to look into it and he responded promptly, I’m grateful to him,” the senator said.
Cornyn also called the Democrats “irresponsible” for breaking quorum — and rendering the legislature unable to take up any legislation, including some in responds to the floods that devastated the region recently.
“There are a number of things on the call that Gov. Abbott has listed, including redistricting, but they’re missing all of those. And I think that’s irresponsible, and I think we just need to get to the bottom of it,” said Cornyn. “They got to come back home sometime … it’s not going to be successful. They’re not going to be able to ultimately escape their responsibility. It’s a stunt.”
The Texas House of Representatives failed again on Tuesday to move forward on enacting the GOP’s new congressional map, which could net Republicans between three and five seats in next year’s midterm elections. Those added seats could be the difference maker over who has control of the U.S. House — a chamber where Republicans have a small majority.
House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said the legislature would try again on Friday to establish a quorum.
In the meantime, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest those Democrats, an order Abbott said will remain in effect until they are “accounted for and brought back” to Austin.
President Donald Trump earlier this week told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce the FBI “may have to get involved.”
“You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about,” the president said at the time.
The alleged shooter in today’s shooting incident at Fort Stewart is identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford, a 28-year-old automated logistical sergeant from Jacksonville, Florida. Photo Credit: U.S. Army
(NEW YORK) — When a gunman opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia, six soldiers immediately jumped into action to stop the shooter and tend to their fellow service members who were wounded, the secretary of the Army said.
Automated logistics Sgt. Quornelius Radford allegedly opened fire with his personal handgun at the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area on Wednesday morning, shooting and wounding five other soldiers, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield commander.
When the shots rang out, one soldier — who was unarmed — ran at and tackled the gunman who “was actively shooting,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said at a news conference on Thursday.
“Another solider jumped on top of the person to subdue them,” Driscoll said, adding “the other soldiers immediately … started to take care of mass casualties.”
Surgeons said the soldiers’ quick work to stop the bleeding “certainly saved their lives,” according to Lubas.
“We are just so incredibly proud of them. We are so grateful for them,” Driscoll said.
Three of the five wounded soldiers were released from the hospital on Wednesday, Lubas said. The fourth soldier, a woman, may be released from the hospital this weekend, and the fifth soldier, also a woman, has a “longer road,” but doctors are hopeful for a full recovery, Lubas said on Thursday.
A motive is not clear, Lubas said, but the shooting involved Radford’s co-workers and was at his “place of work.” Radford used a personal handgun, but it’s not clear how he brought it to his workplace, Lubas added. Having a personal gun on base is a violation, officials said Thursday.
Radford has been interviewed by Army investigators and is in custody, Lubas said.
Radford has not previously deployed to combat, Lubas said. He had been arrested locally for a DUI, Lubas said, noting the arrest was “unknown to his chain of command until the [shooting] occurred and we started looking into the law enforcement databases.”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, “The entire nation is praying for the victims and their families, and hopefully they’ll fully recover.”
“The perpetrator of this atrocity — which is exactly what it is — will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Trump added.
U.S. President Donald Trump waves from the roof of the West Wing of the White House as he takes a tour on August 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday demanded work begin on a new census as redistricting battles are spreading across the country.
In a social media post, Trump announced he directed the Commerce Department to “immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.”
“People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,” Trump added.
The U.S. Census Bureau says it “collects data from all foreign born who participate in its censuses and surveys, regardless of legal status” and has done so for its 235-year history. The data determines how the 435 House seats are divided among the 50 states every 10 years.
Trump’s announcement on Thursday comes amid a showdown in Texas over a proposed congressional map that, if enacted, could net Republicans between three and five U.S. House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
Texas Democrats fled the state in protest, denying Republicans the necessary quorum to vote on the changes. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is now exploring legal consequences for those lawmakers, ordering Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest lawmakers who left the state and asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove a top Texas House Democrat from office.
With control of the U.S. House potentially at stake, blue-state Democrats are vowing to respond in kind should Texas Republicans succeed in changing their map.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and California Gov. Gavin Newsom said they will explore ways to gerrymander their maps. Both states currently use independent commissions to draw their maps following constitutional amendments.
More Republican governors, too, are exploring possibly redrawing congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections given the GOP’s razor-thin margins in the House. Democrats would need to only net three seats next November to win back the House.
Vice President JD Vance is visiting Indiana on Thursday to discuss redistricting and other topics with Republican leaders.
Trump in his first term attempted to change the U.S. census to exclude noncitizens. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that Commerce Department’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census violated federal law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks with reporters before a bipartisan meeting with senate leaders in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(LONDON and TEL AVIV) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with his security cabinet on Thursday, an Israeli official said, as he considers plans to occupy the Gaza Strip despite international condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian situation there.
Netanyahu is expected to ask the cabinet to approve plans for the Isreal Defense Forces to gradually seize Gaza City, the largest city in the territory, the Israeli official told ABC News.
The cabinet is expected to meet at about 6 p.m. local time, or 11 a.m. ET, the source said.
Two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News earlier this week that Netanyahu had decided to propose that the IDF move forward with a plan to fully conquer and occupy the Palestinian territory.
Netanyahu held a three-hour limited security cabinet meeting on Tuesday where the matter was discussed, according to a readout from the prime minister’s office.
“The IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the Political-Security Cabinet,” the readout said.
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 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.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
A United Airlines plane takeoff from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, United States on August 6, 2025 as United Airlines flights grounded nationwide because of computer problems. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A tech outage led United Airlines to ground flights nationwide Wednesday night, and even with the issue now resolved, over 1,000 flights were delayed and dozens were canceled.
“We are working with customers to get them to their destinations after a technology disruption on Wednesday evening,” the airline said in a statement.
The outage stemmed from an issue with the airline’s weight and balance computer system, United said.
“The underlying technology issue has been resolved, and, while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations,” the airline said.
The airline said the outage began shortly after 6 p.m. ET and was resolved after a few hours.
“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports,” the airline said in a statement. “We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations.”
Overall, more than 1,000 flights were delayed and more than 40 were canceled, according to FlightAware, a site that tracks air traffic. United said it’s covering meals and hotels for impacted customers.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was aware the airline “experienced a technology issue disrupting their operations.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the issue was specific to United’s operations “and is unrelated to the broader air traffic control system.”
The airline confirmed in a statement to ABC News that the issue was not related to a cyberattack.
The ground stop did not affect United Express flights, and any flight that was already in the air will continue to its destination, according to the airline.
Multiple FAA notices stated that the airline requested ground stops at major hubs, including Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and Houston.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Members of the U.S. Army drive a M1A2 Abrams Main Battle tank in the 250th birthday parade on June 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — An active duty soldier with the U.S. Army was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempting to share sensitive information about U.S. military tank capabilities with Russia, the Justice Department announced.
Taylor Lee, 22, a soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, is alleged to have transmitted the information to an individual he believed was affiliated with Russia’s government in exchange for Russian citizenship, federal prosecutors said.
Lee was arrested on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license, according to the DOJ.
Prosecutors said Lee, who has a top secret security clearance, sent technical information on the M1A2 Abrams tank and offered his assistance to the Russian Federation in an exchange online in May. In that exchange, prosecutors said Lee stated “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” before adding, “at this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and the person he apparently believed was a representative of the Russian government, prosecutors said Lee passed an SD memory card to the person, “including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations,” according to a DOJ press release. “Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide.”
In another instance detailed in charging documents, Lee allegedly delivered hardware from inside an M1A2 Abram’s tank to a storage unit located in El Paso, Texas, and then texted the individual he believed was a Russian agent, “Mission accomplished.”
Lee has not yet entered a plea to any of the charges.
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brig. Gen. Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment.”
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., talks with reporters on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Florida Republican Congressman Cory Mills is facing allegations from an ex-girlfriend that he threatened to release sexually explicit images and videos of her following the end of their relationship, according to a police report obtained by ABC News.
Lindsey Langston, a Republican state committee member and 2024 Miss United States winner, filed a police report on July 14 alleging that Mills threatened to release the videos of her after their breakup earlier this year and that Mills threatened to harm any future partners, according to the report obtained from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
In response, Mills said in a statement to ABC News, “These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions,” and accused a former Florida primary opponent of “weaponizing the legal system to launch a political attack against the man who beat him.”
According to the police report, Langston stated the relationship lasted from November 2021 to February 2025 and ended after she saw media reports regarding Mills being allegedly involved in an unrelated alleged assault in Washington that reportedly involved another woman, an incident which Mills has denied and was never charged. The woman has retracted her allegations.
“Lindsey confronted Cory about the woman, to which Cory told her he was not in a romantic relationship with her and the press fabricated the story. Lindsey then found a social media account for the other woman and saw posted photos of her with Cory,” the police report reads.
After Langston moved out of Mills’ residence, “Cory has contacted Lindsey numerous times on numerous different accounts threatening to release nude images and videos of her, to include recorded videos of her and Cory engaging in sexual acts,” according to the police report.
The police report, which was first reported on by Drop Site News, also states that Langston provided police with text messages and Instagram messages between her and Mills, “which consisted of Cory threatening to harm any men Lindsey intended to date in the future.”
Langston also told police Mills misled her by claiming he was separated from his wife, though he remains married.
After Columbia County’s initial involvement with the police report, the matter was referred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Anthony Sabatini is weaponizing the legal system to launch a political attack against the man who beat him in the primary, using his corporate legal office to push a narrative built on lies and flawed legal arguments – all to score political headlines. We have not been made aware of any report or allegations from law enforcement or the alleged complainant.” Mills said in his statement.
“These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions. I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District. Out of respect for the legal process, I won’t comment further at this time. My team and I will fully cooperate to ensure the truth is made clear. I remain focused on serving my constituents and advancing America First policies.”
Sabatini, an attorney who serves as a County Commissioner for District 1, briefly represented Langston but no longer does. Previously, he lost a Republican primary for the seat Mills now represents. He also served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2018-2022.
Earlier this year, Mills, who represents Florida’s 7th congressional district, voted in favor of the “Take It Down Act,” a bipartisan law championed by first lady Melania Trump that the president signed into law in May.
The “Take it Down Act” was a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down on the nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit videos and photos, including deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs finally took effect on Thursday, slapping levies on dozens of countries and risking price increases for a host of everyday goods.
Tariffs between 10% and 41% were applied to nearly 70 countries beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, significantly expanding the reach of Trump’s confrontational trade policy.
“IT’S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” President Donald Trump posted shortly before midnight on his social media platform.
The tariffs arrived roughly a week after Trump delayed so-called reciprocal tariffs, opting to modify some levies.
Canada, a top U.S. trade partner, faces a 35% tariff. While Brazil, a key source of coffee, receives a 40% tariff which, when added on top of the 10% baseline tariff in the new order, means a 50% rate on the country’s imports to the U.S.
The countries facing the highest rates in the executive order are Laos and Myanmar at 40% and Syria at 41%.
India is hit with a 25% tariff in the order but that is expected to climb to 50% on Aug. 27. Trump on Wednesday said he was imposing the additional 25% levy as punishment for India’s decision to continue purchasing Russian oil throughout the Russia-Ukraine war.
There is an extended rollout for goods shipped into the country by vessel. As long as they are shipped by Aug. 7 and enter the U.S. by Oct. 5, they will not be subject to the new tariff rates.
The White House has said the rates were determined largely based on the trade deficit the U.S. has with those trading partners.
The new tariff rates resemble levies that were placed on more than 90 countries on April 2, though there are some differences.
Trump rolled out those so-called reciprocal tariffs in April, then delayed them, vowing to strike roughly 90 trade deals in 90 days. In early July, Trump delayed the tariffs again, setting a deadline of Aug. 1. A day before that deadline, he delayed them once again.
The new levies appear to add 15% tariffs on goods from several countries not initially included in the president’s “Liberation Day” executive order on April 2 — including Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana and Iceland.
After the ‘Liberation Day” tariffs were unveiled and then delayed, Trump sent letters to leaders of roughly two dozen countries outlining the tariff levels that would take effect if no deal were struck. The Trump administration raced to strike trade agreements over the days preceding the deadline in an effort to win concessions from targeted countries in exchange for reduced tariff rates.
So far, the White House says it has reached trade agreements with the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as a preliminary accord with China.
“The president and his trade team want to cut the best deals for the American people and the American worker,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month when she announced the Aug. 1 deadline.
Tariffs put forward so far by Trump are expected to cost an average household an additional $2,400 this year, the Yale Budget Lab found last week.
Importers typically pass along a share of the tariff-related tax burden onto consumers in the form of price hikes.
Speaking to reporters last week, a Trump administration official hailed the new tariffs as part of a “new system of trade” that aims to prioritize “fair and balanced trade” over efficiency at all costs.
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart, and Meghan Mistry contributed to this report.
