The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on November 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A partial lockdown at the Pentagon implemented in response to a potential air quality issue has been lifted after no hazards were found, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokesman.
Portions of the Pentagon had gone into a shelter-in-place earlier Thursday, after officials locked down multiple floors and hallways in response to a potential air hazard situation, according to three officials.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement earlier that building monitoring systems detected an air-quality issue, prompting precautionary measures while officials work to determine the source and extent of the problem.
In an update Thursday, Parnell said subsequent testing “confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed.”
Sources told ABC News earlier that authorities were investigating what caused a sensor to alert for a potential hazardous air quality issue at the Pentagon. Additional testing occurred to verify whether there was any hazard or if the sensor was faulty, multiple sources said.
In a message sent to Pentagon employees earlier Thursday, employees in certain corridors on select floors were urged to remain in place while awaiting testing results, which it noted could take one to two hours.
The Arlington County Fire Department said its hazardous materials team had responded to the Pentagon in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat Team “during a hazardous materials incident.”
A protestor throws a rock at Police vehicles on Sandy Row on June 9, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
(BELFAST, Northern Ireland) — Extra officers from the U.K. are being deployed to Northern Ireland on Thursday following another night of violent unrest over an alleged knife attack by an immigrant suspect.
Scotland will send 90 officers to Northern Ireland to support an additional 200 officers from across the U.K. that were deployed to the region after protesters allegedly set fire to cars, properties and other outdoor objects, pelted cops with projectiles and harassed immigrant healthcare workers on Wednesday, according to investigators and local leaders.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said Thursday that 16 people have been arrested this week in connection with the back-to-back nightly protests in Belfast and other towns. They are looking for more suspects connected to the violent demonstrations.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told reporters that 12 officers were injured during Wednesday night’s incidents, including some who were allegedly struck by Molotov cocktails and other projectiles.
Officers had to use a water cannon to disperse some of the crowds.
“Our communities in Northern Ireland deserve to get their lives back to normal. Yesterday, businesses shut their doors, trains were not running and we saw schools closing early due to fear. This is the impact these thugs are having,” he said.
As the destruction and chaos continued on the streets, the family of the victim of Monday’s stabbing attack at the center of the riots pleaded for calmness and tolerance.
The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who is in stable condition following the attack, released a statement Wednesday saying they were “feeling disgusted” by the images of the violent protests.
“We want to make it absolutely clear that to do this in response is not supported by our family, and peaceful protest is only ever the way forward,” the family said.
A Sudanese immigrant allegedly attacked Ogilvie with a knife around 10:30 p.m. Monday near Kinnaird Avenue before he was subdued by nearby pedestrians and arrested by the police.
The victim “suffered serious injuries to his eyes and slash-wound injuries to his back and face,” police said.
The 30-year-old suspect was charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill. The investigation is ongoing.
The protests that have broken out since the attack have been pushing anti-immigrant rhetoric and have caused disturbances across Northern Ireland, according to the police.
In one incident on Wednesday, 20 masked protesters allegedly blocked the road and threw projectiles at officers and in another incident in Portadown, demonstrators attacked a property for hours, according to PSNI.
During the demonstrations, some protesters allegedly harassed immigrant healthcare workers who were on their way to and from their work, according to police.
UNISON Northern Ireland, the union representing healthcare workers, said in a statement it had received reports this week of workers being followed, stopped by people to check their identities and intimidated in their homes.
“They are care workers, nurses, classroom assistants and a host of other occupations delivering key public services. They are here because our government and public services invited them to fill the critical shortages in these vital services. The hypocrisy of those behind the hate campaign is stunning,” UNISON said in a statement Wednesday.
Henderson said he was meeting with UNISON members on Thursday and also shared his support for the healthcare workers.
“They are the backbone of our public service. They are caring for our family, friends and loved ones in our communities. We are here to support them. In the same way they support us,” he said.
Ogilvie’s family also expressed support for Northern Ireland’s immigrants and healthcare workers.
“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including from within our healthcare system and hospitality sector, and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility — do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values,” they said.
Outside of the unrest on the streets, police have also been working to combat a flood of misinformation about the knife attack and protests circulating on social media sites that are being promoted by anti-immigrant groups and figures.
Ogilvie’s family also condemned those who spread misinformation about the attack and protests.
“If you know anything at all about the attack, or saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, please go to the police and stop sharing false information on social media, as it is deeply distressing,” they said.
Henderson urged the public to heed the family’s request.
“They could not be more clear that violence is not in Stephen’s name,” he said.
Workers wearing protective visit a patient in an isolation unit an Ebola treatment center on June 2, 2026 in Monigi, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Daniel Buuma/Getty Images)
(GENEVA) — The World Health Organization said on Thursday that the risk of Ebola transmission in Europe and World Cup host countries is low as the tournament gets ready to kick off across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said in a statement that there are currently no Ebola cases in North America or Europe amid an outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The DRC has recorded 676 confirmed cases as of Thursday morning, according to DRC’s minister of health. In Uganda, there are 19 confirmed cases — many of them travel-related — and two deaths, the country’s health officials said.
Kluge made reference to an Ebola patient who was treated in the European Region after being evacuated from the outbreak region.
An American physician, Dr. Peter Stafford, tested positive for Ebola after being exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital. Stafford, a medical missionary with the mission organization Serge, was transferred to Germany and treated at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital.
His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were also transferred to the same hospital, where they were monitored in quarantine for 21 days as high-risk contacts.
Last week, the family was released from the hospital after Dr. Peter Stafford had no symptoms for more than 72 hours and a negative result in repeated PCR tests, Serge said.
“There is no reason to change your plans. Travel as normal, stay informed and enjoy the tournament,” Kluge said.
Kluge said there are several reasons why the risk is low in other countries: most cases are in remote areas of the DRC, Ebola is not an airborne illness and it is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a sick person.
Additionally, screening is in place before travel is allowed from affected regions and people are only infectious once visibly ill, according to Kluge.
The CDC has temporarily restricted entry to the U.S. for certain travelers who were recently in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan. Currently, U.S. citizens and nationals may still enter but will undergo enhanced public health screenings.
Kludge said the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions, “though if you don’t have to travel to the affected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, it is safer not to.”
He added that it’s important to challenge the stigma associated with Ebola patients and those from affected regions or African communities.
“The spread of Ebola is not determined by nationality or ethnicity,” he said. “Stigma discourages people from seeking care and can make outbreaks harder to control. Stay informed, rely on trusted sources and treat others with understanding. With common sense and compassion, we can keep both people and the game safe.”
An exterior view of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility where suspect Vance Boelter is being held before court appearances on June 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Steven Garcia/Getty Images)
John and Yvette Hoffman sat in the front row of the federal courtroom as Boelter admitted to firing multiple shots at them, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
When Boelter admitted that he shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman several times and then put a gun to her head and killed her, sobs broke out in the courtroom, KSTP reported.
Boelter initially pleaded not guilty to six federal counts, including murder, attempted murder and stalking.
This week, a Justice Department spokesperson said federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty because a federal judge ruled earlier this year in an unrelated murder case that interstate stalking charges do not rise to the level to support a capital crime.
The crimes unfolded on June 14, 2025, when Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a police officer and fatally shot Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home.
That same day he allegedly drove to the home of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and shot the lawmaker and his wife, Yvette, and attempted to shoot their daughter, according to prosecutors.
Following the attacks, police said they found a notebook in Boelter’s abandoned, fake police car containing a list of elected officials who investigators suspect were targeted in a plot that the Minnesota U.S. attorney described at the time as the “stuff of nightmares.”
Prosecutors said Boelter traveled to the homes of two other state lawmakers only to find no one at those locations.
Boelter has also pleaded not guilty to state charges of murder and attempted murder.
The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on November 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon went into a shelter-in-place Thursday as officials locked down multiple floors and hallways in response to a potential air hazard situation, according to three officials.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said building monitoring systems detected an air-quality issue, prompting precautionary measures while officials work to determine the source and extent of the problem.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants. Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “The Department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area. Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants.”
The Arlington County Fire Department said its hazardous materials team responded to the Pentagon in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat Team “during a hazardous materials incident.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The U.S. Capitol on November 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The House on Thursday failed to pass a last-minute, short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire on Friday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Dangerously high temperatures and humidity are prompting heat advisories from the East Coast to the Midwest to the West Coast.
Here’s the latest forecast:
In California’s Bay Area, a heat advisory is in effect Thursday in San Jose, Oakland and Freemont, with temperatures forecast to hit 103 degrees.
California’s Central Valley is also under a heat advisory for temperatures up to 105 degrees in Bakersfield and Fresno from Thursday to Saturday.
In the Midwest, heat advisories are in effect Thursday from Detroit to South Bend, Indiana, to Cleveland, where the heat index — what temperature it feels like — is expected to near 100 degrees.
And in the Northeast, a heat advisory spans a massive area from Burlington, Vermont, to Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday and Friday.
The heat index on Thursday could hit 99 degrees in New York City and 103 in Baltimore.
On Friday, the heat index is forecast to soar to 101 degrees in New York City, 104 degrees in Philadelphia, 102 in Washington, D.C., and 107 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Record highs are possible in New York, D.C. and Raleigh.
Commuters in the Northeast should also be prepared for severe thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Cattle roam a field, June 6, 2026, in La Pryor, Texas. The first case of the New World Screwworm parasite, since its eradication from the country in 1966, was reported in Zavala County’s La Pryor by the United States Department of Agriculture. (Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The detection of New World screwworm in cattle does not pose a risk to beef consumers, and humans are unlikely to become infected by the parasite themselves, experts told ABC News.
There have been a total of six cases of New World screwworm (NWS) detected among animals in the U.S. since the beginning of the month — in four cattle, one goat and a dog, according to the latest update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The goat was newly confirmed as the latest case to be infested with New World screwworm, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a press conference Monday.
The screwworm likely migrated from Mexico and Central America, Ben Weinheimer, president and CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, told ABC News. The U.S. closed the border to Mexican cattle coming into the country in 2024 as a result of the screwworm outbreak in the region, Derrell Peele, a livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, told ABC News.
Officials continue to investigate the case of the dog that they believe likely may have been infected in Mexico, Rollins said. The screwworm typically spreads by transport of either livestock or pets, Peele said.
The screwworm does not currently present a food safety issue, Rollins said, adding that there is “no need to panic.” A screwworm infection does not affect the meat, Peele said.
“These developments obviously represent a serious threat to our livestock and wildlife, but they haven’t caught us off guard,” Rollins said. “We have been tracking this pest for a long time, and we have fought before, and we will do so again.”
Americans can continue to feel confident about consuming beef safely, Dustin Pendell, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University and director of the Collaborating Center for the Economics of Animal Health, told ABC News.
The outbreak marks the first time the screwworm has been detected in the U.S. in decades. The USDA officially declared the screwworm eradicated from the U.S. in 1966 and successfully eliminated a small outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2017, which occurred primarily among endangered Key deer.
Screwworms infestations begin when a female fly lays eggs on open wounds or other parts of the body in live-warm-blooded animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The screwworm is “very treatable” if caught early, which allows the animals to be minimally impacted, Weinheimer said.
The USDA uses the sterile insect technique to treat for screwworm. The highly effective treatment involves sterilizing screwworm pupae — the immobile stage of the screwworm before metamorphosis — by exposing them to gamma radiation and then releasing them into the wild to mate with fertile females. The females then lay unfertilized eggs that never hatch, ending the reproductive cycle.
Millions of sterile flies have already been released in the affected area, USDA officials said.
State officials also apply containment protocols, including establishing quarantine zones, in order to contain infestations, Weinheimer said.
“You’ve seen this huge surge in response by the federal and state officials to stay on top of it as much as possible,” Weinheimer said.
Construction of a new sterile fly production facility is underway at Moore Air Base in Texas and is expected to be completed by November 2027, Rollins said. Once completed, along with other facilities, an estimated 500 million sterile flies will be released on a weekly basis.
Screwworms are actually a fly larva that burrows into and eats living flesh, unlike regular maggots that only feed on dead and decaying matter, according to the CDC.
Symptoms in animals could include a wound that has not healed or a wound that smells foul, Ann Hohenhaus, senior veterinarian and director of pet health information at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, told ABC News last week. White larva may also be visible within the skin lesions, Hohenhaus said.
Infected cattle may not feel well and may stop producing milk and gaining weight, Hohenhaus said. The parasite can also infect a herd quickly if treatment does not begin early enough, she added.
Infection in humans is not common, Hohenhaus said.
People who have open wounds or small breaks in the skin — such as a scratch, insect bite or recent surgery scar — could be at increased risk of screwworm infection if they are in areas where the flies are present, according to the CDC.
Those who have open or unhealed wounds should see a physician should they believe they were exposed to the parasite, Hohenhaus said.
The outbreak is not expected to cause beef prices — which are already at an all-time high — to increase, the experts said.
The current drought conditions in the U.S. is making it difficult to expand herds because there isn’t enough grass available to feed on, Pendell said, adding that hay and other supplemental feeds increase costs even more.
In addition, geopolitical issues, such as the war in Iran, are causing fertilizer and fuel costs to increase, William Secor, a livestock economist at the University of Georgia, told ABC News.
“Cattle prices are going to continue to be high for quite a while because of these issues,” Pendell said.
However, the costs from the screwworm will be absorbed by producers, and consumers will likely not see any further price increases from the outbreak alone, Secor said.
ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
Crews have suspended the search for a missing 5-year-old girl who was swept away in the ocean in Laguna Beach, California. (KABC)
(LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.) — Crews have suspended the search for a missing 5-year-old girl who was swept away in the ocean in Laguna Beach, California, the Coast Guard said on Thursday, as the mayor called the situation “heartbreaking.”
The girl went missing at about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday near Treasure Island Beach, Laguna Beach officials said. She was with her mother and a sibling near the shoreline when the three of them were swept into the ocean by powerful water conditions, the city officials said.
Bystanders ran into the ocean and were able to rescue the mother and one of her children, but the 5-year-old remained missing, officials said.
The search and recovery effort continued on Wednesday, with rescuers working “under challenging and hazardous ocean conditions, including large surf, powerful currents, and limited underwater visibility,” city officials said.
The search ended Wednesday evening after rescuers worked more than 30 hours and covered more than 90 square miles, the Coast Guard announced.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the child’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Capt. Stacey Crecy, commander of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, said in a statement. “Suspending a search is an extremely difficult decision.”
“This is one of the most heartbreaking incidents I have witnessed during my time serving this community,” Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the young victim’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our Marine Safety, Fire, and Police personnel, as well as every agency that assisted in this effort,” the mayor added. “These men and women put themselves in harm’s way, entering the same dangerous ocean conditions in an attempt to bring this young girl home to her family.”
Convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony is seen in a mugshot released by Texas Department of Criminal Justice, June 10, 2026. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
(FRISCO, Texas) — Karmelo Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday.
In a one-page document filed with the court in Collin County, Texas, Anthony said he could not afford an attorney for the appeal and asked the court to appoint one.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice also released a new photo of Anthony, 19, in which he’s seen sporting a shaven head and wearing a sleeveless tunic.
He was transferred to the Wallace Pack Unit, a prison near Navasota, just outside of Houston, according to Texas officials, where he will begin his 35-year imprisonment sentence, as he is now in state custody.
Anthony was found guilty of murder over the fatal stabbing of Metcalf, another teen, at a high school track meet last year.
The deadly stabbing occurred at a Frisco Independent School District stadium on April 2, 2025, during a track and field competition involving multiple schools in the district.
Police said Metcalf, an 11th grader at Frisco Memorial High School, was stabbed during an altercation under his school’s tent in the stadium bleachers.
Witnesses told officers that the two got into an argument over Anthony, a then-17-year-old student at Frisco Centennial High School, being under Metcalf’s school tent during the rainy track meet, according to the arrest report.
Multiple current and former students recounted the incident during the trial.
One witness testified that Anthony was asked to leave the tent about 15 times. Some witnesses recalled Anthony saying, “Touch me and see what happens,” during the altercation. Another witness quoted Metcalf as telling Anthony, “I’m not going to fight you.”
Witnesses recounted that Metcalf shoved or nudged Anthony, who was sitting on the bleachers, before Anthony stabbed him with a pocket knife. The blade perforated Metcalf’s right ventricle, and he was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital.
Prosecutors called the stabbing “senseless” and “plain and simple murder,” while the defense argued that Anthony acted in self-defense.
The jury began deliberating midday Tuesday before reaching the guilty murder verdict in three hours, according to a court spokesperson. The jurors also could have considered manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years.
The same jury reached a decision on the sentence after several more hours of deliberation on Tuesday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
