Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Photo Courtesy: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Andrew Bailey, who serves as the Missouri attorney general, has been appointed as co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as our new FBI Co-Deputy Director,” according to Blanche’s post. “As Missouri’s Attorney General, he took on the swamp, fought weaponized government, and defended the Constitution. Now he is bringing that fight to DOJ.”
This marks the first time in FBI history that the agency has had two deputy directors. Last month, current Deputy Director Dan Bongino faced growing fallout over the Justice Department’s decision not to disclose any more records from its investigations into deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bongino was upset at the administration’s handling of the issue, according to sources.
“I am proud to announce I have accepted the role of Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bailey posted on X. “I extend my thanks to @POTUS and @AGPamBondi for the opportunity to serve in the mission to Make America Safe Again. I will protect America and uphold the Constitution.”
“The FBI, as the leading investigative body of the federal government under the Department of Justice, will always bring the greatest talent this country has to offer in order to accomplish the goals set forth when an overwhelming majority of American people elected President Donald J. Trump again. Andrew Bailey will be an integral part of this important mission and I look forward continued fight to save America together,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday evening.
(NEWS YORK) — A Michigan man was sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison for kidnapping and torturing a woman he stalked for more than a decade, in a case that highlighted the potentially devastating impact of stalking.
Christopher Thomas, 39, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, torture and aggravated stalking in December 2023, and was sentenced in 2024. The charges stemmed from a horrific October 2022 incident in which he kidnapped Samantha Stites and held her in a soundproof bunker he had constructed inside a storage unit.
“I wondered if I would see daylight again,” Stites said in her victim impact statement during sentencing. “I shook and sobbed after he raped me, I wasn’t sure he would stop.”
ABC News Studios’ “Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror,” a three-part series, is streaming in its entirety on Hulu and Disney+ from Tuesday, Aug. 19.
While Thomas was initially charged with criminal sexual conduct, those charges were later dropped as part of a plea agreement.
The case gained national attention due to its disturbing details, but also because Stites had previously sought protection from Thomas through the legal system. Just months before the kidnapping, her request for an ex parte — meaning the defendant was not present — personal protection order was denied.
The stalking began in 2011 when Stites was a college student at Grand Valley State University. Thomas, who is seven years older than Stites, began appearing at the same Christian group she attended. What started as seemingly innocent interactions quickly evolved into something more sinister.
“At first I think he is just lonely and for some reason finds me an approachable person to talk to,” Stites told ABC News. “And then at some point, it kind of changes.”
Despite Stites’ repeated rejections and clear boundaries, Thomas’s behavior escalated. He would appear at her workplace with flowers, show up at her sports practices and eventually began following her movements through GPS trackers he secretly placed on her vehicle and those of her friends.
“She felt sorry for him. So she was a little bit nice to him,” Charissa Hayden, Stites’ former roommate, told ABC News. “And he took that and he spun it into something it wasn’t and ran away with it.”
On Oct. 7, 2022, Thomas broke into Stites’ home early in the morning and kidnapped her. He had spent months preparing for this moment, building a soundproof room within a storage unit.
“He spent thousands of dollars on creating this box so he could spend time with Sam,” Detective Mike Matteucci of the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News. “And do God only knows what.”
Inside the bunker, Thomas revealed he had tracked Stites’ movements for over a year using GPS devices, showing her the tracking app on his phone. He told her she would be held for two weeks, showing her supplies he had gathered including food, water and a bucket for bathroom needs.
Stites, fearing for her life, strategically engaged him in conversation. When Thomas expressed fear about going to prison, Stites saw an opportunity. After nearly 14 hours in captivity, she convinced him to release her by promising not to report the crime. Once free, she immediately sought medical attention and reported the incident to authorities.
The investigation revealed Thomas had a prior conviction for stalking another woman. Kelli, whose last name was withheld for legal reasons, told ABC News she had obtained a protection order against Thomas in 2009 after he engaged in similar stalking behavior.
“I always knew that there would be somebody else,” Kelli said after being contacted by detectives investigating Stites’ case. “When they called me in 2022, there’s like this guilty feeling like he did do it to somebody else. I was right.”
During the sentencing, Judge Kevin Elsenheimer — who had denied Stites’ ex parte protection order request in July 2022, just three months before the kidnapping — acknowledged the severity of Thomas’s actions and his likelihood to reoffend.
The judge pointed to Thomas’s jail conversations with his mother as evidence of his obsession, noting that Thomas admitted “nothing would have mattered, that nothing would have stopped you from doing what you were going to do.”
If Thomas is ever released, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor for the remainder of his life.
“Justice is a funny thing. It doesn’t necessarily come in the form of prison years,” Stites said. “I can’t ever go back to before I was kidnapped. And that’s something I had to grieve. But knowing that I’m finally turning the page on this and that I should feel safe with him off the street and that I am protected meant a lot. I felt free.”
According to court documents, the case prompted changes in how courts handle protection orders in Michigan. New policies require referees — who consider PPO applications and make a referral to the judge on what to do — to examine any prior PPOs before making recommendations to the court.
According to national statistics presented in the case, one in three women will be stalked in their lifetime.
“I want other women, whether they’ve been stalked or sexually assaulted or not believed, I want them to see my story and think things can change,” Stites said.
In this Feb. 27, 2025, file photo, signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium, in Seminole, Texas. Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images, FILE
(TEXAS) — A measles outbreak in Texas that infected more than 700 people has officially been declared over, state health officials announced on Monday.
Health officials declared the outbreak over after more than 42 days without a new case, a cut-off based on the time between when a person is exposed to when they get sick.
In late January, a cluster of cases was reported in western Texas near Gaines County — near the border with New Mexico — which had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state.
A total of 762 cases were recorded with more than two-thirds of infections among children, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Nearly 100 people were hospitalized.
“I want to highlight the tireless work of the public health professionals across the state who contributed to the containment of one of the most contagious viruses,” Dr. Jennifer Shuford, commissioner of the DSHS, said in a press release. “We arrived at this point through a comprehensive outbreak response that included testing, vaccination, disease monitoring and educating the public about measles through awareness campaigns.”
Texas health officials warned that the state is likely to experience additional cases this year given ongoing outbreaks in other parts of the U.S. and the world.
“The end of this outbreak is certainly encouraging, but measles remains one of the most contagious viruses we face, and continued vigilance is critical given ongoing outbreaks both in the U.S. and globally,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and ABC News medical contributor.
Nationally, over 1,350 cases of measles have been reported across at least 40 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the highest number of measles cases seen in the U.S. since 1992.
The virus was declared eliminated by health officials in 2000 after a full year of no continuous spread, but declining vaccination rates have led to a growing number of outbreaks annually, experts say. An estimated 92% of cases nationally this year are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.
“Vaccination rates in many communities remain far too low, leaving large pockets of children vulnerable to measles and other preventable diseases — and that’s why we’re likely to continue seeing outbreaks,” Brownstein said.
The 2024-2025 school year had a record number of non-medical vaccine exemptions, with an estimated 286,000 kindergarteners attending school without documentation of receiving the shot that protects against measles, according to CDC data.
“Measles isn’t happening in isolation — we’re seeing a broader resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, from pertussis to polio threats, which underscores the urgent need to maintain high vaccination coverage and public trust in immunization,” Brownstein added.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for children in the U.S. to receive after their first birthday, followed by a second dose in between ages four and six. Two doses of the vaccine have been shown to be 97% effective against infection.
The entrance to the state-managed immigration detention center dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Florida Everglades on August 03, 2025 in Ochopee, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(MIAMI) — A federal judge appeared skeptical about a lawsuit challenging the temporary detention facility in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” during a court hearing on Monday, despite plaintiffs’ claims that the Trump administration and the state of Florida have run “roughshod over constitutional concerns” in their rush to build the controversial facility.
A group of detainees at the facility is asking U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Armando Ruiz II, a Trump appointee, to issue an order that would require authorities to expand legal access at the controversial facility, where the detainees say they lack a standard way to communicate with their attorneys, and that they are being held without any formal criminal or immigration charges against them, making it challenging, if not impossible, for them to seek release on bond.
Judge Ruiz told plaintiffs’ lawyers that their lawsuit might need to be transferred to a different court, remarking that the case suffers from a “breakdown” over venue. The judge also struggled to articulate how he could craft an order that would remedy the concerns raised by the detainees.
While legal access at the facility has improved since the facility’s early days, lawyers for the detainees argued that their clients still lack a consistent way to contact their lawyers confidentially.
“The government has been in such a rush to build and detain people at the facility that it has run roughshod over constitutional concerns,” said ACLU attorney Eunice Cho. “The irreparable harm here is extraordinary.”
During the hearing, Judge Ruiz appeared receptive to the ongoing issues raised by the plaintiffs but acknowledged that the access issues were “a natural byproduct of a facility being stood up very quickly.”
ACLU attorneys said that at least one person was wrongly deported from the facility after failing to contact their lawyers, and claimed that a mentally disabled man was encouraged to sign a voluntary departure form without an attorney. They also claimed that one lawyer had to wait three weeks to contact their client.
According to Judge Ruiz, the improvements to the access have “narrowed” the lawsuit, but a “live controversy with the nature of access” continues.
He added that granting the relief requested by the detainees would be challenging, given that the issue is not about whether they have access to their attorneys, but the degree of their access.
“What am I going to put in an order?” he said. “You’d need to have some metric. It’s not necessarily that it can’t be done, but I think you can understand why crafting a scope of relief on the ground [is challenging].”
The judge noted that he might need to transfer the case out of the Southern District of Florida because the alleged legal claims stem directly from the facility in the Everglades, which is in the Middle District of Florida. Plaintiffs initially tried to tie the case to the Southern District of Florida by relying on the federal defendants based in Miami, rather than the state defendants who oversee running the detention center in the Everglades.
“That’s where the rubber hits the road,” Judge Ruiz said. “If I can get to the merits, I will. If I have to transfer, I will.”
Lawyers for the Trump administration encouraged Judge Ruiz to toss the case, arguing that the detainees are using their First Amendment claims to challenge “the decision of the attorney general of DHS to use the alligator Alcatraz as a detention facility.”
“I think the best argument they’re attempting to advance today on the federal side is that this is almost a Trojan horse [that] the First Amendment argument is all window dressing, that at its core, this is really attempting to challenge kind of the underlying immigration determinations or detention determinations being made,” Judge Ruiz said.
In court filings prior to the hearing, plaintiffs argued that “Alligator Alcatraz” exists in a legal “black hole” with no clearly defined immigration court to challenge their detentions, but the Trump administration recently designated the Krome North Service Processing Center near Miami as the immigration court with responsibility for the facility.
This is the second major lawsuit challenging the operation of “Alligator Alcatraz,” as another federal judge is considering blocking the use of the facility over environmental concerns.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, after a multi-day hearing earlier this month, issued a temporary restraining order blocking further construction at the facility, and is now considering a broader order barring use of the facility.
Powerball play tickets on display at Blue Bird Liquor in Hawthorne, CA, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — An estimated $605 million Powerball jackpot is up for grabs, with a cash option of $273.4 million, marking what could become the fifth jackpot win of 2025 and the largest prize of the year, according to the Powerball website.
The drawing on Monday will mark the 34th attempt since the last win on May 31, when a California ticket holder claimed a $204.5 million prize. Tonight’s jackpot stands as the largest potential win since April 2024, when an Oregon resident took home $1.3 billion, according to the North Carolina Lottery.
Tickets are available in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Players can purchase their $2 tickets at various locations, including gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and select airport terminals.
Despite the enticing jackpot, the odds remain daunting at 1 in 292.2 million for the top prize, though overall chances of winning any tier prize are better at 1 in 24.9. Players select five numbers from 1-69 for white balls and one number from 1-26 for the red Powerball, with random number options available.
The game offers eight additional prize tiers ranging from $4 to $1 million. Players can enhance non-jackpot winnings through “Powerplay” for an extra dollar, multiplying prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times. The 10X multiplier is only available for jackpots under $150 million, and the “Match 5” second-tier prize is capped at $2 million with Powerplay.
Some jurisdictions also offer “Double Play,” a $1 add-on feature providing a second chance to match numbers after each drawing.
Powerball drawings are conducted at 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, with live streaming available at Powerball.com.
In an aerial view, the Texas Capitol is seen on August 04, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Texas House Democrats confirmed on Monday morning that they are returning to Austin after a two-week standoff with Republicans over proposed congressional maps, potentially clearing the way for Republicans to approve changes that could net Republicans as many as five new House seats next year.
The Democrats did not confirm any specific action they plan to take on or off the House floor, but they say that they are going to build a “legal case against the discriminatory map”. The new maps are widely expected to be hit by lawsuits if they pass the legislature.
“We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape,” Democratic Caucus chair state Rep. Gene Wu said in a statement. “We’re returning to Texas more dangerous to Republicans’ plans than when we left.”
After the Texas state legislature began a second special legislative session on Friday and failed still to meet quorum, Republican legislators are expected to try for a quorum Monday and then to work to advance proposed new congressional maps, which will have to once again pass through the House’s redistricting committee and procedural votes.
Separately, in California, days after Gov. Gavin Newsom formally announced plans to get new congressional maps to go before voters in November in a counter to Texas, the state legislature will convene on Monday from recess and is set to rapidly work on passing legislation to get the maps on the ballot. Republicans and anti-gerrymandering advocates plan to protest and to call out what they say is an unfair process.
Stock image of police lights. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Ismael Mario Zambada García, the former drug lord and top leader of the Sinaloa cartel known as El Mayo, will plead guilty to federal drug charges brought by the United States Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, according to an entry on the court docket.
El Mayo is due in court next week for a conference that, according to the docket, is now a “change of plea” hearing.
Federal prosecutors said earlier this month they would not seek the death penalty for Zambada, who helped build the Sinaloa cartel from a regional group to a major smuggler of cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs into U.S., authorities have said.
He was charged with 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses and money laundering. It was not immediately clear to what charge or charges he would plead guilty.
Zambada was arrested in Texas last summer after arriving in a private plane with one of Joaquin Guzmán’s sons, Joaquín Guzmán López.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A Dominion Voting machine is seen during the last day of early voting in Gwinnett County, Georgia on November 1, 2024. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems has settled its defamation lawsuit against conservative media outlet Newsmax for $67 million, according to an SEC filing from the outlet.
It’s the latest settlement paid by a media outlet over its 2020 election coverage.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Hurricane Erin – The Fifth Named Storm Map/ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Erin, now a powerful Category 4 storm churning in the Caribbean, is not forecast to hit land, but it will bring large waves and dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.
Here’s the latest forecast:
Erin’s outer bands lashed the Caribbean this weekend, flooding Puerto Rico and leaving more than 60,000 customers on the island without power on Monday.
A tropical storm warning is in place for the Turks and Caicos Islands and part of the Bahamas, where winds could top 40 mph.
While Erin won’t hit the U.S., lifeguards along the East Coast are on alert for dangerous waves and rip currents this week.
On Monday and Tuesday, Erin will bring large waves reaching 6 feet to the East Coast. Waves over 6 feet are considered extremely dangerous for swimmers.
By Wednesday, those waves could reach 8 to 12 feet in northern Florida and from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
On Thursday, those 8- to-12-foot waves will remain in the Outer Banks and could also target New Jersey and Long Island beaches.
By Friday, waves are expected to weaken back to 6 feet as Erin takes a sharper turn away from the U.S.
Dangerous rip currents will also be widespread along the East Coast all week, and likely through the weekend, due to these unsettled waters.
(NEW YORK) — Two Utah police officers were killed and a third was injured along with his service dog when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at a home on Sunday night and were fired on by a suspect inside the residence, authorities said Monday morning.
The shooting unfolded in Tremonton, about 70 miles north of Salt Lake City, Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said at a news conference Monday.
Reyes said the suspect in the shooting, a resident of the home the officers were called to, was arrested and has been charged with aggravated murder. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
The suspect opened fire on the officers without warning as soon as a second person inside the home opened the front door for the officers, according to Brigham City police detective Crystal Beck.
“Upon arrival, they immediately began taking fire,” Beck said of the officers. “They requested additional units, and then stopped answering their radio.”
Reyes said the two Tremonton police officers died at the scene. Their names were not immediately released. A Box Elder County sheriff’s deputy and his service dog arrived at the scene as the shooting was going on and were fired on while they were still in their patrol vehicle.
Reyes said the wounded deputy was taken treated at a hospital and released. The officer’s service dog was taken to a veterinary clinic and was in good condition, Reyes said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Reyes said the shooting highlights the dangers officers face answering domestic disturbance calls.
“We don’t know what we’re walking into. They are one of the most dangerous events we can be dispatched on,” Reyes said. “These officers have been doing this. They took an oath to protect and serve their communities and that’s what they were doing, and they knew the dangers going into this and unfortunately they paid the ultimate price.”
No civilians were injured and there is no current threat to the public, officials said.
