Protests erupt after Massachusetts high school student detained by ICE

Protests erupt after Massachusetts high school student detained by ICE
Protests erupt after Massachusetts high school student detained by ICE
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

(MILFORD, MA) — Protests have erupted over the arrest of an 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student who state officials say was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents over the weekend while on his way to volleyball practice.

Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a Brazilian national who is a junior at Milford Public High School, was arrested on Saturday, according to a court filing from his attorney.

Students at the high school staged a walkout on Monday in support of Gomes da Silva, holding signs that said “Free Marcelo.” The protest followed community demonstrations at the Milford Town Hall on Sunday calling for his release.

The teen, who is currently in ICE custody, was not the target of the operation but was a collateral arrest, according to ICE officials.

“When we go out into the community and we find others who are unlawfully here, we are going to arrest them,” ICE acting Field Director Patricia Hyde said at a press briefing on Monday. “We’ve been completely transparent with that. He’s 18 years old. He’s unlawfully in this country.”

Gomes da Silva’s father was the actual target of the operation, according to acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. The father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira, was sought because he “has a habit of reckless driving” at speeds over 100 mph, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Agents made a traffic stop on the father’s vehicle, which Gomes da Silva was driving at the time of his arrest, Lyons said during the briefing. The father has not turned himself in yet, he said.

Gomes da Silva entered the U.S. in 2012 through a student visa, which has since lapsed, according to his attorney. He has no criminal history and is “eligible for and intends to apply for asylum,” his attorney stated in a habeas corpus petition filed Sunday seeking his release.

A federal judge issued an emergency order Sunday afternoon directing the government not to remove Gomes da Silva from the U.S. or to transfer him out of the judicial district of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours. On Monday, a federal judge ordered that the government not transfer the teen out of Massachusetts without first providing the court at least 48 hours advance notice of and reasons for the move.

The ICE detainee locator website lists Gomes da Silva as being in custody but does not list where he is being held. His habeas petition indicates “on information and belief” that ICE is detaining him at a field office in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is “demanding immediate answers from ICE” about the teen’s arrest, where he is being held and “how his due process is being protected.”

“I’m disturbed and outraged by reports that a Milford High School student was arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice yesterday,” Healey said in a statement on X on Sunday. “Yet again, local officials and law enforcement have been left in the dark with no heads up and no answers to their questions.”

Kevin McIntyre, the Milford superintendent of schools, said in a statement that the student was detained off-campus, and several parents have also been detained by ICE in recent weeks.

“We are all distraught by this news,” McIntyre said in a statement. “The Milford Public Schools play no part in immigration enforcement and support all of our students and families, including those who are immigrants to the United States. They are members of the community, students in our classrooms, athletes that compete representing Milford, musicians, artists, friends, and neighbors. We will do everything in our power to support our students and families during these difficult times.”

Gomes da Silva was supposed to play in the band at the high school’s graduation on Sunday, Boston ABC affiliate WCVB reported. Some graduates marched from the ceremony to the protest at Milford Town Hall, still in their caps and gowns.

The teen’s friends expressed shock and dismay at his arrest. His girlfriend, Julianys Rentas, told WCVB that he plays drums for her church.

“He’s a member of his community and he’s never done anything wrong,” she told the station while fighting back tears.

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who attended Sunday’s rally, also expressed disbelief at the teen’s detainment.

“I don’t see how a kid en route to volleyball, who is an honors student, who’s a musician in the high school band — that kid is not a threat to law and order,” the Democrat told WCVB.

ICE arrested 1,461 “alien offenders” in the region in May as part of a large-scale operation, according to Hyde. Over half — 790 — had “significant criminality as well,” she said.

Pressed by reporters on whether Gomes da Silva was a danger to the community, Lyons said, “I didn’t say he was dangerous. I said he’s in this country illegally.”

“We’re not going to walk away from anybody,” he added.

ABC News’ Luke Barr and James Hill contributed to this report.

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Woman arrested for leaving dog outside in crate during extreme heat

Woman arrested for leaving dog outside in crate during extreme heat
Woman arrested for leaving dog outside in crate during extreme heat

(LAS VEGAS) — A Nevada woman was arrested after her dog was trapped outside in a crate and died due to the extreme heat, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

At approximately 2:02 p.m. on Saturday, police received a call for assistance from the Clark County Animal Protection Services in reference to “a dog who was deceased at a residence” in Las Vegas, police said in a statement on Sunday.

Once on the scene, animal cruelty detectives took over the investigation, determining that the dog had been locked in a crate and had been left outside in the extreme heat for hours by the owner, police said.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Las Vegas reached a high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, with officials urging owners to keep their pets inside and out of the excessive heat.

The owner, who was identified as 30-year-old Olivia Underwood, was arrested for willful or malicious torture, maiming or killing of a dog and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center, police said.

It is unclear whether Underwood remains in custody.

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Graham among senators escalating calls for severe Russia sanctions bill to advance

Graham among senators escalating calls for severe Russia sanctions bill to advance
Graham among senators escalating calls for severe Russia sanctions bill to advance
Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Senators are escalating calls for a severe Russia sanctions bill to advance, with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham claiming — after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — that the chamber will move ahead with legislation this week that would impose strict tariffs on Moscow.

Graham took a trip to Kyiv over the weekend with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who cosponsored the Senate sanctions measure that would slap 500% tariffs on any country that buys Moscow’s energy products.

“I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill,” Graham said during a press conference in Ukraine on Friday. “There are House members that are ready to move in the House and you will see congressional action.”

President Donald Trump has yet to endorse the sanctions bill. ABC News’ Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz asked Zelenskyy if he were satisfied with the administration’s involvement in the conflict, and the Ukrainian leader called on Trump’s support for the sanctions and a ceasefire.

“We are looking for very for strong steps on the part of President Trump to support the sanctions and to force President Putin to stop this war, or at least proceed with the first stage of putting an end to this war — that is the ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said.

Graham and Blumenthal’s visit came just before Ukrainian officials on Sunday claimed that their country’s drones struck and damaged more than 40 warplanes in attacks on four military airports inside Russia.

Graham, a Putin critic, applauded Ukraine’s drone warfare tactics and urged action against Russia in a post on X following the reports.

“Russia indiscriminately kills men, women and children. It’s time for the world to act decisively against Russia’s aggression by holding China and others accountable for buying cheap Russian oil that props up Putin’s war machine,” Graham wrote.

Blumenthal also responded on X, urging a crackdown on Russia through the sanctions.

“When I visited President Zelenskyy & his team only a few days ago with @LindseyGrahamSC these extraordinary qualities of courage & capability were clearly evident. Russians have spread misinformation that they’re winning. Time to pass our sanctions bill.”

Graham wrote a letter last week in the Wall Street Journal, saying the Senate was “prepared” to place proposed sanctions on Russia depending on how the country responded to Trump’s recent request for Putin to “provide a term sheet outlining the requirements” for a ceasefire.

“Depending on how Russia responds, we will know which course to take,” Graham wrote in the letter.

Graham said he has coordinated with the White House on the Russia sanctions bill — the “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025” — which has around 80 co-sponsors and bipartisan support.

“The bill would put Russia on a trade island,” Graham said. “The consequences of its barbaric invasion must be made real to those that prop it up. If China or India stopped buying cheap oil, Mr. Putin’s war machine would grind to a halt.”

Graham also highlighted recent comments from Majority Leader John Thune that also suggest the upper chamber would act against Russia if “Putin continues to play games.”

“As Thune said last week, if Mr. Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act. I’m hoping for the best, but when it comes to the thug in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same,” Graham wrote.

Thune, speaking to reporters at the Capitol on Monday, said that there’s a “high level” of interest in the bill, and that the Senate might be able to work on it before the end of the month.

“We are in conversations with the White House, obviously, about that subject and that issue … there’s a high level of interest here in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle and moving on it, and it’s very well could be something that we would take up in this work period,” Thune said. “Obviously we’re working with the White House to try and ensure that what we do and when we do it works well with the negotiations that they’ve got underway.”

Other Republican senators, too, are going on offense when it comes to sanctions on Moscow.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley called for sanctions in a post on X last week — advocating that they are strong enough so Putin knows it “game over.”

In May, Senate Majority Whip John Barasso spoke on the Senate floor, calling for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and threatening Russia with sanctions through the Senate bill.

“Russia faces a stark choice: peace or crippling sanctions. President Trump has spoken forcefully of swift, severe consequences if Russia fails to honor a ceasefire. A bipartisan group of senators agrees,” Barasso said.

“Energy is the cash cow of Putin’s war machine. Cut it off, and Russia cannot continue to fight. Russia’s biggest customer is Communist China. The next is India. They will be hit hard,” Barasso continued.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman called for sanctions on Russia during a discussion in Boston on Monday with Republican Sen. Dave McCormick.

“Russia continues to kill innocent civilians in Ukraine and so here we are — and we have to sanction them and hold Russia accountable,” Fetterman said.

McCormick said he’d back the sanctions package because it continues to pressure Putin to engage in negotiations about ending the conflict.

“The only way to keep the pressure on is for things to happen like what happened today with Ukraine having a very successful military capability and operation, but in addition to that, the kinds of sanctions that are proposed in this legislation, and that is meant to help President Trump deliver on the vision and the deal he’s talked about,” McCormick said.

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Los Angeles police release photos of suspects in alleged attacks against transgender woman

Los Angeles police release photos of suspects in alleged attacks against transgender woman
Los Angeles police release photos of suspects in alleged attacks against transgender woman
LAPD

(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three suspects who are allegedly involved in a series of attacks against a transgender woman — with the most recent incident taking place on Sunday.

Police released photos of the three suspects and said that an initial attack and sexual assault allegedly took place on April 8, while the most recent attacks that police believe to be “perpetrated by the same individuals” allegedly took place at around 11:38 p.m. local time on Saturday.

No arrests had been made in this case as of Monday afternoon, an LAPD spokesperson told ABC News.

“[The suspects] returned to the victim’s location and physically assaulted her, inflicting serious injuries. The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived,” the LAPD said in a statement released on Sunday.

Police said the victim is a 61-year-old transgender woman but did not disclose her identity. However, the victim of the alleged attacks — Sabrina de la Peña — came forward in an April 28 interview with ABC Station in Los Angeles, KABC.

De la Peña, a small business owner in the Westlake neighborhood, recounted the alleged April 8 attack. She told KABC she believed that being transgender made her a target.

She said that the first suspect came into her store and attempted to flirt with her but became angry when she turned him away.

“He pushed me down… on the floor and we start fighting on the floor,” she said.

According to an April 28 police statement, “the suspect sexually assaulted the victim and discovered she was a transgender woman. The suspect pulled away and threatened to kill the victim.”

“Subsequently, the same suspect returned to the location multiple times with additional suspects and committed hate crimes against the victim,” police said.

According to police, during one incident the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a skateboard, and on another occasion, he pepper-sprayed her. During a third incident, the suspect allegedly “threw an unknown liquid at the victim while another suspect attempted to stun her with a Taser,” police said.

De la Peña said that after the initial incident on April 8, the suspect allegedly returned the next day with another man and beat her with a skateboard.

“He take me to the alley, out my door…and he beating me,” she told KABC. “I think he hate transgender women because he tell me many times… ‘I’m gonna kill you.'”

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the three alleged suspects and urging people to review the photos and share any tips with LAPD Rampart Division Detectives at (213) 484-3495.

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Democrat announces run against Ernst after her ‘We’re all going to die’ comments

Democrat announces run against Ernst after her ‘We’re all going to die’ comments
Democrat announces run against Ernst after her ‘We’re all going to die’ comments
Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

(DES MOINES, IOWA) — J.D. Scholten, a Democratic Iowa state representative and professional baseball player, has entered the race to take on Republican Sen. Joni Ernst in 2026 — prompted in part by her comments to constituents last week about potential cuts to Medicaid.

Ernst faced a number of agitated constituents at a town hall on Friday who expressed concerns that Republican cuts to Medicaid in the bill that would fund Trump’s legislative agenda. After one person in the audience shouted. “People are going to die!” Ernst responded, “Well, we’re all going to die.”

The incident “really hit home with me,” Scholten told ABC News in a brief interview. “We need better leadership than that.”

On Saturday, Ernst posted a sarcastic “apology” for her comments in what appeared to be a cemetery, saying, “I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth. So I apologize, and I’m really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.”

Scholten has run for higher office before, coming within a few points of unseating far-right Rep. Steve King in 2018. He lost the 2020 race for King’s old seat to Rep. Randy Feenstra by a wider margin and currently serves in the state house representing the Sioux City area.

He is currently a pitcher for the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association of Baseball, an independent Major League Baseball partner league.

Should he win the Democratic primary, Scholten said he also plans to make the race a referendum on President Donald Trump’s trade policy, noting that Iowa soybean farmers have been caught up in the trade war with China.

While some of Iowa’s House seats are considered competitive in 2026, Democrats have not won a Senate race in the state since 2008.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

1st measles case of the year in South Dakota as CDC updates travel guidance

1st measles case of the year in South Dakota as CDC updates travel guidance
1st measles case of the year in South Dakota as CDC updates travel guidance
Natalya Maisheva via Getty Images

(MEADE COUNTY, SD) — South Dakota has reported its first case of measles this year. The state is now the 33rd in the country to confirm a measles case, with at least 1,088 cases reported nationally so far this year.

An adult who recently traveled outside the country tested positive for measles in Meade County, South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

It comes as federal officials are urging all Americans to get vaccinated against measles before traveling abroad, according to guidance updated last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, the guidance stated that those traveling to countries with an ongoing outbreak should be vaccinated before leaving.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is part of the routine immunization schedule and has been shown to be up to 97% effective after two doses, the CDC says. Adults without immunity through vaccination or infection should also get vaccinated, the agency notes.

At least 62 people in the U.S. were infected with measles while traveling on an airplane this year, a CDC spokesperson told ABC News in part of a statement. “There has been only one situation during this period in which measles appeared to have been transmitted during air travel, ” the spokesperson added.

In South Dakota, the person infected with measles visited two medical centers where others may have been exposed to the virus.

The Department of Health says anyone who was at the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room on May 28 between 7:15 a.m. and 10 a.m., or at Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room on May 29 between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., should watch for signs of illness.

Health officials explain that the early signs of measles appear in two stages. In the first stage, symptoms include a runny nose, cough and slight fever. The eyes may become red and sensitive to light while the fever rises each day. The second stage begins between three and seven days after symptoms start, with temperatures reaching 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and a red blotchy rash that lasts between four to seven days. The rash typically starts on the face before spreading to the shoulders, arms and legs.

“Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and spreads through the air from an infected person,” Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist, told ABC News. “Individuals who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person.”

According to state health officials, the measles vaccine offers the best protection against infection. People are considered immune to measles if they were born before 1957, received one dose of the measles vaccine (MMR) as an adult, received two doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) as a child or high-risk adult, have measles antibodies shown by a lab test, or had a previous measles infection confirmed by a lab test.

The Department of Health notes that the MMR vaccine is typically given at 12 to 15 months of age, with a second dose at four to six years. For international travel with children, MMR vaccines can be given starting at 6 months of age.

Learn more about measles on the Department of Health website, where information includes fact sheets, frequently asked questions, and a webinar for healthcare providers.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Diddy trial day 18 recap: 2nd Combs victim concludes ‘humiliating’ cross-examination

Diddy trial day 18 recap: 2nd Combs victim concludes ‘humiliating’ cross-examination
Diddy trial day 18 recap: 2nd Combs victim concludes ‘humiliating’ cross-examination
John Lamparski/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs concluded three days on the witness stand, with attorneys for the music mogul grilling her so intensely that a prosecutor asked the judge to stop the cross-examination, calling it “humiliating” and “harassing.”

The witness, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” told jurors last week that Combs tormented and sexually assaulted her during her time working as his personal assistant.

Defense attorneys tried to assail her credibility over her last two days appearing on the stand, pressing her about dozens of text messages and social media posts she authored about Combs that were playful, respectful and even adoring.

Combs’ lawyers argued Mia misrepresented how Combs treated her and fabricated part of her story. Mia largely stood by her testimony, telling jurors that she was “brainwashed” by Combs and explained that she now wants to speak truthfully about the years of harassment and abuse she endured.

“It’s the worst thing I ever had to talk about in my life,” Mia told the jury about her reluctance to talk about how Combs sexually assaulted her.

Mia’s testimony marked the beginning of the fourth week of testimony in Combs’ sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial. Prosecutors charge that Combs used his wealth and influence to run a criminal enterprise that served to protect his reputation and coerce women into sex.

If convicted on all counts, the music mogul could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Combs has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argue that, while he might have been violent towards romantic partners and abused illicit drugs, he did not commit the crimes alleged by the Department of Justice.

Defense attorneys stress Mia’s loving messages to Combs

Continuing his cross-examination from last week, defense attorney Brian Steel returned to Mia’s social media posts and text messages to challenge the woman and the version of events she shared with the jury.

“Life is f—— insane and supposedly it all happens for a reason in order to elevate us in our human experience, but it’s rough,” Mia wrote Combs in 2020, more than three years after she stopped working for him. “I love you with all of my heart and I’m here for you forever.”

Steel also showed the jury other text messages from the 2019-2022 time frame in which Mia expressed love and admiration to Combs.

“Hey. Saw our doc on Netflix top 10. Congrats I miss you,” read one text from July 2022.

Combs responded, “Love, love, love, love.” Mia wrote back, “And I love, love, love you.”

“Everything is positive and loving from you to Mr. Combs, would you agree with that?” Steel asked.

“Yes, of course,” Mia answered. She quickly explained to the jury she was still “brainwashed” by Combs from her years working for him.

Once the lengthy and contentious cross-examination of Mia concluded, federal prosecutors tried to minimize any damage that might have been done to her credibility.

“Did you post on social media as part of your job?” prosecutor Madison Smyser asked on re-direct examination.

“Yes,” Mia answered, adding that posting about Ciroc, Diddy Door, the Bad Boy reunion, and Combs himself were part of her job. She described her Instagram posts “like the highlight reel” of Combs and not meant for posts about the downside of working for him.

“Is that why you didn’t post about Mr. Combs slamming Cassie’s head into a bed frame?” Smyser asked. “Yes,” Mia answered.

“Is that why you didn’t post about Mr. Combs throwing a computer at your head?” Smyser asked. “Yes,” Mia answered.

“Is that why you didn’t post about Mr. Combs sexually assaulting you?” Smyser asked. “Yes,” Mia answered.

Steel tries to cast doubt on Mia by asking why she didn’t document abuse
Throughout his searing cross-examination, defense attorney Steel tried to poke holes in Mia’s testimony by highlighting how she did not document the abuse she said she suffered from Combs, even as she documented the upside.

“Do you have any recording of Mr. Combs berating you?” asked Steel, who highlighted that part of Mia’s job was to carry a small camera to document Combs’ life. “No, I would not have been allowed to record that,” Mia responded.

“Because it’s not true, is it, Mia?” Steel accused. “Your statements that you were the victim at the hands of Mr. Combs of brutality isn’t true?”

Mia fired back, testifying, “Everything I’ve said in this courtroom is true.”

Steel also questioned Mia’s account of escaping Combs with Ventura in Turks and Caicos by paddleboarding out to sea. Steel asked whether there were any text messages, emails or photographs documenting those allegations.

“Was that just made up by you?” Steel pointedly asked. “No,” Mia testified.

Steel’s next question — “How is it that all these events have no photograph or text message or email from you?” — was stopped by the judge after an objection.

At one point, prosecutors asked the judge overseeing the case to intervene, arguing the “humiliating” cross-examination borders on harassment and could deter other crime victims from coming forward in other cases.

“Eyes are on this trial. Victims in other cases are going to see how victims are treated,” Comey said in a clear nod to the global headlines being created by the Combs trial. “Our concern is that if this victim is not protected from further harassment, it will deter other victims in other cases.”

Judge Arun Subramanian said he heard no yelling and saw no improper treatment, but he did caution Steel about the form of his questions.

Steel suggests Mia fabricated her story after Ventura’s lawsuit

Steel suggested Mia timed her disclosure of alleged sexual assault by Combs with the filing of a civil lawsuit by the singer Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former longtime girlfriend. Ventura is the prosecution’s star witness, and she has alleged that Combs abused her for a decade. Her lawsuit, the starting point for the federal investigation that culminated with the current prosecution, was settled after a day for $20 million, Ventura testified. There was no admission of wrongdoing.

Steel questioned why Mia did not tell federal prosecutors about her claim that Combs sexually assaulted her until June 2024, six months after she began meeting with the authorities and seven months after Ventura’s civil lawsuit. The defense emphasized to the jury that Mia met with federal prosecutors a total of 28 times.

“Do you remember the first time you ever made a claim Mr. Combs ever sexually assaulted you was on June 18, 2024?” Steel asked.

“I don’t remember the dates, but I do remember that horrible conversation,” Mia answered.

On redirect examination, Smyser asked Mia to clarify why she met so often with federal prosecutors. “I met with the government so much in order to understand my story and because I was so terrified and I was learning at the same time,” she testified, and, using Combs’ earlier street name, said she was “terrified of Puff.” She said she has never been able to talk about her claim that Combs sexually assaulted her without looking down.

“It’s the worst thing I ever had to talk about in my life,” she explained.

Latest witness tells jury about damage to Combs’ hotel room

Prosecutors concluded the day by calling Susan Oken, manager of the Beverly Hills Hotel, to testify about the times when Combs was a guest of her establishment.

She said Combs checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel under aliases like “Frank Black” or “Phillip Pines” and Cassie Ventura was listed under Combs’ profile as a guest.

Oken testified that Combs once incurred an extra $300 charge to clean the drapes and another $500 charge to clean “oil damage.” Oken said the charge reflected something “beyond the scope of what we’d normally clean.” The prosecution’s questioning was a callback to earlier testimony about the so-called “freak-off” orgies that Combs would allegedly host and, according to testimony, featured gallons of baby oil.

Court is set to resume on Tuesday with Eddie Garcia, an employee of the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, CA., the scene of Combs’ caught-on-camera attack on Ventura that has created perhaps the most enduring images to come from the high-profile criminal trial.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New shooting near Gaza aid site kills 27 people, health ministry says

New shooting near Gaza aid site kills 27 people, health ministry says
New shooting near Gaza aid site kills 27 people, health ministry says
Relatives of Palestinians, who lost their lives in Israeli attack towards Jabalia Camp, mourn at al Ahli-Baptist Hospital in Gaza Strip on June 03, 2025. (Photo by Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — At least 27 people were killed and more than 90 injured by Israeli forces as they waited to collect humanitarian aid at a distribution center in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

Many of the victims — 24 deceased and 37 wounded — arrived at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, according to Atef Al-Hout, the hospital’s director-general, who said most of the casualties were from gunfire.

The Israel Defense Forces released a statement acknowledging a shooting around 500 meters from one of the aid sites run by the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

“Earlier today, during the movement of the crowd on the regulated routes on the way to the distribution complex, about half a kilometer from the complex, IDF forces identified a number of suspects moving towards them while deviating from the access routes,” the statement read.

“The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces,” it added.

“Reports of casualties are known, details of the incident are under investigation,” the IDF said.

The IDF said that it allows GHF “to operate independently to distribute aid to Gaza residents and prevent it from reaching the Hamas terrorist organization.”

“IDF forces do not prevent Gaza residents from reaching the aid distribution complexes,” it added. “The shooting was carried out about half a kilometer from the distribution complex at individual suspects who approached the forces in a manner that endangered them.”

The GHF released a statement on Tuesday morning saying “aid distribution was conducted safely and without incident at our site today.”

However, the organization acknowledged that the IDF “is investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone.”

“This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area,” GHF said. “We recognize the difficult nature of the situation and advise all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when traveling to our distribution sites.”

GHF’s aid distribution operation — which the United Nations and other aid groups have so far refused to take part in, citing concerns that the GHF is not operating independently of Israeli forces — has been beset by reports of violence.

On Sunday, Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health said dozens of people were shot dead and more than 200 wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer from an aid distribution site in the south of the strip near the city of Rafah.

The IDF and GHF disputed the account given by the ministry. United Nations UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an independent investigation into the incident.

A GHF spokesperson told ABC News on Monday, “There hasn’t been what we would consider a major incident at our distribution sites or the surrounding facility and so far it is going relatively well.”

“However, we are looking for ways to improve it so we can get more meals delivered,” the spokesperson added. “We are encouraged by our operations in the first week and the fact that we were able to provide nearly six million meals in first full week.”

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor, Guy Davies, Diaa Ostaz and Jordana Miller contributed to this report.

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3 plane crash survivors plucked from Atlantic Ocean at night after plane goes down off Florida coast

3 plane crash survivors plucked from Atlantic Ocean at night after plane goes down off Florida coast
3 plane crash survivors plucked from Atlantic Ocean at night after plane goes down off Florida coast
U.S. Customs and Border Protection

(INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FL) — Three people have been rescued from the Atlantic Ocean in the dark after their plane went down several miles offshore off the coast of Florida, officials said.

Officials from Air and Marine Operations, an operational component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, were alerted to a single-engine Cessna Skyhawk crashing down into the ocean on Sunday evening several miles offshore, according to a statement from of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday.

“During the evening of June 1, an AMO Fort Pierce Marine Unit was alerted by the Indian River Shores Police Department that a single-engine Cessna Skyhawk had crashed approximately 2 to 3 miles offshore,” officials said. “AMO crews immediately responded and arrived at the location, joining search and rescue efforts already underway by the U.S. Coast Guard, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Indian River Shores Police Department.”

An Indian River County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was able to locate three heat signatures in the water which led to a focused search of the area and, at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Sunday night, AMO Marine Interdiction Agents located two survivors before finding the third one shortly after and bringing him on board as well.

“The survivor identified himself as the pilot and confirmed that only three individuals had been aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash,” CBP officials said. “AMO agents assessed the pilot’s condition, monitoring his vitals and providing initial care as he reported severe rib pain. The pilot was transferred to the Coast Guard 45-foot vessel for Emergency Medical Technician evaluation.”

All three survivors were immediately taken to Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce for further medical treatment by local fire rescue personnel.

“AMO remains committed to protecting lives and supporting partner agencies in search and rescue efforts across the nation’s coastal regions,” officials said.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump’s funding bill

Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump’s funding bill
Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump’s funding bill
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(WASHINGTON) — No one elected her and you don’t hear much about her, but she’s about to be one of the most important people on Capitol Hill.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough can usually be seen perched atop the Senate dais, helping to make sure the Senate floor runs according to the rules. But she’s about to step into the role as arbiter of the Senate’s reconciliation package, where she’ll have the final say in whether a number of key provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act are in keeping with the Senate’s rules.

Senate Republicans want to make changes to the bill the House passed by a single vote and sent to them. But Senate rules could force a number of changes they find less desirable, too. A veto of any provision by MacDonough could mean major parts of the package are thrown to the wayside, so her rulings will be watched closely by Democrats and Republicans alike in the coming weeks.

MacDonough is responsible for making calls on whether the provisions in the bill are in keeping with the Byrd Rule, named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, who helped institute the rules governing budget reconciliation packages like President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”

MacDonough has been parliamentarian since 2012 after serving as senior assistant parliamentarian for 10 years. She is the first woman to fill the job since it was created in 1935.

She was called to make several rulings when Democrats used reconciliation to get then-President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 as well as the COVID relief package the year before. She also advised Chief Justice John Roberts during Trump’s impeachment trials.

The Byrd Rule

In order for the Senate to use the reconciliation process, which allows it to pass budget packages like this with a simple majority of votes instead of the usual 60 necessary to overcome the Senate’s filibuster, everything in the bill must follow the Byrd Rule.

In the Senate, the process of the Budget Committee reviewing the bill and the parliamentarian to make sure it’s up to snuff is sometimes referred to cheekily as the “Byrd Bath.”

So what are the rules?

The Byrd Rule bars the Senate from including any “extraneous provisions” in budget bills. Anything in the bill, according to the rule, should be necessary to implement the underlying budget resolution that Congress already passed.

Simply stated: If a policy provision doesn’t have an effect on the budget, it can’t be included. Even budget changes that are “merely incidental” to policy provisions are considered out of order.

Now, things are always a bit more complicated in the Senate. The Byrd rule also prohibits Congress from touching Social Security in a reconciliation bill, from increasing the deficit for a fiscal year beyond the period included in the bill, and more. But its basic form is this: everything in the bill must be related to the budget.

It may seem in the weeds, but this review process can have meaningful impacts on reconciliation bills. In the Democrat-backed “Build Back Better” package in 2022, for example, the parliamentarian struck a number of provisions Democrats wanted focused on immigration reform. Democrats ended up having to give up those provisions to pass their package under then-President Joe Biden.

Big policy agenda items that are critical to some Republicans in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could in theory be slashed out by the parliamentarian, so the process matters.

What does it mean for Trump’s megabill?

There are a number of provisions facing a tenuous path in the Senate because of the Byrd Rule.

Democrats are already vowing to fight policies they say are out of order.

“In the Senate, our committees have been working overtime to prepare for the Byrd Bath, targeting the litany of policies included in the Republican plan that are in clear violation of the reconciliation rules and in some cases, an assault on our very democracy,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter to his colleagues Sunday night.

We’ll ultimately have to wait for MacDonough to rule, but if it sounds like policy and not budget, it might be at risk.

Here are a few provisions in the House-passed bill that appear to be potentially at risk of being struck out by the parliamentarian. This is not an exhaustive list and doesn’t account for things that Senate Republicans might want to change or remove from the bill:

AI regulations: The House bill includes language that prohibits state and local governments from enforcing “any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems” over a 10-year period.

Federal court provisions: The bill creates a new requirement that could restrict how parties suing the federal government get relief in court. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, as recently as Friday suggested at a town hall, when pressed by a constituent about the provision, that it likely wouldn’t pass muster in the Byrd Bath. “I don’t see any argument that could ever be made that this affects mandatory spending or revenues, so I just don’t see that I don’t see that getting into the Senate bills,” Ernst said then.

Planned Parenthood funding ban: The House bill includes a provision that would ban Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood if it provides abortion services. The parliamentarian stripped a similar provision from a 2017 reconciliation package. It stands to reason she could rule similarly this go-round.

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