In this handout satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Melissa churns through the Caribbean Sea, captured at 15:20Z on October 28, 2025. NOAA via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — At first light on Wednesday, the coastal communities of southwestern Jamaica bore the devastation of being in the direct path of Hurricane Melissa, as images emerging from the area show numerous homes destroyed, vehicles overturned, power lines down and trees uprooted.
One of the hardest-hit areas appeared to be the town of Black River, where many homes and businesses were left in ruins by the powerful Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Wednesday. Twisted sheets of metal and busted concrete lay in ruins in the streets of the village, as first responders were seen in the footage weaving through downed power lines in search of survivors.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said his nation was “ravaged” by the hurricane’s 175 mph winds and torrential rain.
“I know many, especially those in the worst-affected parishes, are feeling disheartened,” Holness said in a social media post. “Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed, and your communities and towns no longer look the same.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Two federal prosecutors were informed Wednesday that they will be put on leave after filing a legal brief that described the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as being carried out by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters,” sources familiar with their removals told ABC News.
The two prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, were locked out of their government devices and informed Wednesday morning they will be placed on leave, just hours after they filed a sentencing memorandum in the case of Taylor Taranto, the sources said.
Taranto was pardoned by President Donald Trump over his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but faced a separate conviction for firearms and threat charges related to a June 2023 arrest near the home of former President Barack Obama where he was found in possession of two guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as a machete.
A day before Taranto’s arrest, he claimed he would use a car bomb to drive into the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
In their sentencing memorandum, Valdivia and White used only two sentences to detail Taranto’s involvement in the Jan. 6 attack.
“On January 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election,” the memorandum said. “Taranto was accused of participating in the riot in Washington, D.C., by entering the U.S. Capitol Building. After the riot, Taranto returned to his home in the State of Washington, where he promoted conspiracy theories about the events of January 6, 2021.”
It’s unclear if Valdivia or White were given a reason for their suspensions, though the moves come following months of turmoil in the Washington, D.C., U.S. attorney’s office where multiple career prosecutors faced removals or demotions related to their involvement in prosecuting the more than 1,500 defendants charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
It’s also not immediately clear how Valdivia and White’s suspensions could impact Taranto’s case or whether the Justice Department plans to alter its recommendation that he serve 27 months in prison related to his firearms and threats conviction.
Taranto is currently set to be sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge Wednesday that he cannot run for a third term, after previously declining to rule out the possibility.
“I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had, and, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run. So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Gyeongju, South Korea.
“I would say that if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad, but we have a lot of great people,” he added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that he does not “see the path” for Trump to seek a third term.
“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that,” Johnson said during a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Trump sidestepped questions about Johnson’s comments, instead touting his strong polling numbers.
“I don’t want to even talk about that because, you know, the sad thing is, I have my highest numbers that I’ve ever had,” Trump continued.
Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of serving a third term, despite being barred from doing so by the Constitution. The 22nd Amendment explicitly states that no person shall be elected president more than twice.
On Monday, Trump said he would “love to do it” when asked about a potential 2028 bid but Johnson, on Tuesday, said he doesn’t see a way forward when it comes to amending the Constitution.
“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that,” Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, said. “As you all know, to allow all the states to ratify what two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve. So I don’t, I don’t see the path for that, but I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal.”
On Monday, Trump appeared to rule out the prospect of running on the 2028 Republican ticket as vice president.
“Yeah, I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said. “I guess I think it’s too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It’s not — it wouldn’t be right.”
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea, the third stop on his Asia tour that will culminate in a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Trump touched down in Busan, South Korea, descending down Air Force One onto a red carpet flanked with Korean soldiers.
Trump greeted H.E. Hyun Cho, the foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, and a 21-gun salute followed. The band played a rendition of YMCA after the gun salute.
Trump then headed to the coastal city of Gyeongju for remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
There, the president addressed several key aspects of his Asia trip, including his upcoming meeting with Xi. Trump expressed his hope for a “grand deal” between Washington and Beijing.
“I think we’re going to have a deal,” Trump said. “I think it’ll be a good deal for for both. And that’s really a great result.”
An agreement, Trump continued, would be beneficial for the broader region and “better than fighting and going through all sorts of problems, and, you know, no reason for it.”
Trump also lauded bilateral ties between the U.S. and South Korea, praising South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as “a terrific person.”
“The Republic of Korea is a cherished American friend and a close ally, and as we can see in this beautiful city, it’s truly one of the most remarkable nations anywhere on Earth,” Trump said.
Later, at an APEC leaders’ working dinner, Trump said the bilateral meetings were “tremendous” and produced a “pretty much finalized” trade deal with South Korea.
The president used his APEC address to tout his domestic and foreign economic strategies.
Trump said the tax cuts within the Big Beautiful Bill were a “tremendous success” for the return of manufacturing to America, and described himself as a president that “cuts through the red tape and excuses.”
Trump also celebrated Nvidia and TSMC for creating the first Blackwell AI Chip in the U.S. which he says is a chip “10 years advanced.”
The president claimed that his administration had secured upwards of $22 trillion in foreign investments coming into the U.S.
Trump said the figure included some $10 billion in investment by Japanese auto giant Toyota to build new car plants in “six or seven” states.
The president said the U.S. and South Korea would partner on ship building, referring to the Hanwha Group’s acquisition of the Philly Shipyard.
Trump added that his use of tariffs was “strengthening our alliances” and “also bringing peace to the world.”
“The only [deal] I didn’t do is Russia-Ukraine,” the president added. “But that’ll get done too. That’ll get done. I thought that was going to be an easy one because of my relationship with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin. He turned out to be a little different. But I think it’ll get done.”
Trump-Xi meeting on the horizon Trump’s most anticipated meeting on the three-country tour is with China’s Xi on Thursday, with a goal to end a month-long trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan, South Korea, according to the White House. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, citing a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, also reported on Wednesday that the meeting will occur in Busan on Thursday.
Trump expressed optimism on striking a deal with Xi, telling reporters on Air Force One that he thinks there will be a “successful transaction.”
“We’re going to have a great talk. I have a lot of respect for President Xi. I like him a lot. He likes me a lot,” Trump said as he flew to Japan. On Wednesday, the president said he expected the meeting with Xi to last for three or four hours.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, said the administration reached a “substantial framework” in tariff negotiations with Chinese counterparts ahead of Thursday.
“The president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100% tariffs if the Chinese imposed their rare earth global export controls, so I think we have averted that,” Bessent said, adding that the levies on Chinese goods would be avoided if the deal holds.
Bessent didn’t provide specifics on the framework, but suggested American soybean farmers would be happy. Farmers have been caught in the administration’s global tariff fight, particularly with China importing more soybeans than any other country, but currently buying none from the U.S.
“I believe, when the announcement of the deal with China is made public, that our soybean farmers will feel very good about what’s going on, both for this season and the coming seasons, for several years,” Bessent said.
Will Trump meet with Kim Jong Un? While in Asia, Trump has faced questions on whether he will try to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The two men met three times during Trump’s first term, and Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea.
“I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me. If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump said on Air Force One.
Trump even said he was open to possibly extending his trip, which is set to wrap on Thursday.
“I think the answer would be yeah. I would do that, sure,” Trump told reporters when asked if he’d stay in Asia longer to make such a meeting happen.
In Japan, Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had a photo spray with families of people who “were abducted by North Korea,” according to a White House official. There were about 20 people there, many holding photos of their loved ones taken by North Korea. Trump said he recognized some of the families from his visits during his first term.
Trump was then asked by a reporter whether he plans to discuss the abducted people with the North Korean leader, but Trump said that he has not yet spoken to Kim.
“We’re going to see what’s going on. We have not done anything. We’ve been so busy. We really haven’t, but we’ll be discussing it,” Trump said.
Trump talks trade with Japan’s new prime minister — first woman to serve in role
Trump visited with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Monday after landing in Tokyo. On Tuesday, Trump met with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi, a conservative, is the country’s first woman to serve as prime minister. Trump congratulated her on her election victory earlier this month, calling it “incredible news” for Japan. Takaichi is a protege of the late Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump developed a close diplomatic relationship during his first term.
Trump and Takaichi talked trade, with Japan’s previous leadership having agreed to a $550 billion investment in the U.S. in exchange for a 15% tariff rate, as well as security.
“Now both Japan and the United States have developed the greatest alliance in the world, and together with you, Japan is ready to contribute towards peace and stability,” Takaichi said during the meeting.
The prime minister noted that Japan will gift the U.S. with 250 cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., in honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that during their bilateral meeting, Takaichi told the president that she nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize and presented the papers to him.
The leaders also held a signing ceremony for an implementation of the trade deal that the nations struck. The agreement they signed “confirmed their strong commitment to implementing this GREAT DEAL,” the agreement read. Later, the White House released a fact-sheet detailing some of the investments.
Trump and Takaichi also signed the framework for an agreement to “support the supply of raw and processed critical minerals and rare earths crucial to the domestic industries of the United States and Japan.” The agreement comes as Trump has been working to shore up rare earths deals with nations after China slapped strict export controls on the key minerals causing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
At a dinner with business leaders in Tokyo, Trump said Japan is opening its market up more to US goods and discussed some of the joint ventures the U.S. is taking part in with Japan, including shipbuilding, semiconductors and critical minerals.
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday will set the level of its benchmark interest rate, adjusting a major policy lever for the first time since a government shutdown sharply restricted the release of gold-standard federal data about the economy.
In a rare exception, the U.S. government issued an inflation report last week showing a continued acceleration of price increases, which may complicate the Fed’s effort to revive a flagging labor market.
In recent months, inflation has picked up while hiring has slowed, posing a risk of an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation.”
The economic conditions have put the Federal Reserve in a bind. If the Fed raises interest rates as a means of protecting against tariff-induced inflation, it risks tipping the economy into a downturn. On the other hand, if the Fed lowers rates to stimulate the economy in the face of a hiring slowdown, it threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.
Last month, the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate a quarter of a percentage point, opting for its first interest rate cut this year in an effort to revive the labor market. The federal funds rate stands between 4% and 4.25%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.
Policymakers are widely expected to make an additional quarter-point cut on Wednesday, according to CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.
“It’s a challenging situation when our goals are in tension like this,” Powell said last month, but he added that the balance of risks had shifted toward greater concern over sluggish hiring.
The posture delivers a policy shift long-sought by President Donald Trump, though the size of the anticipated rate cut will all but certainly fall short of Trump’s desired outcome.
Last month, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, projected two additional quarter-point rate cuts over the remainder of the year. By contrast, Trump has called for rate cuts totaling as much as 3 percentage points.
Trump has carried out a pressure campaign at the Fed with little precedent.
In recent months, Trump moved to fire one member of the Fed’s board of governors and secure Senate confirmation for another. Both officials were among the 12 policymakers who cast votes on last month’s interest-rate decision, though their status remained uncertain days before the Fed meeting. They both stand poised to cast votes again on Wednesday.
Stephen Miran, a top White House economic advisor who joined the Fed last month, cast the lone vote in favor of a larger half-point rate cut.
Trump attempted to fire board member Lisa Cook, who sued Trump over her attempted ouster, saying the decision violated her legal protections as an employee at the independent federal agency. Trump said he removed Cook over mortgage fraud allegations against her.
Federal law allows the president to remove a member of the Fed board “for cause,” though no president has attempted such a removal in the 112-year history of the central bank.
Last month, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Fed to let Cook continue serving in her role as a governor of the Federal Reserve System as her lawsuit moves through the courts.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica early Tuesday afternoon as a Category 5 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph — the most powerful hurricane to strike the Caribbean island nation and one of the strongest on record in the Atlantic Basin.
The storm is anticipated to bring catastrophic winds, rain, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica, where residents and tourists are sheltering in place.
But the island is no stranger to dealing with destructive storms. Several hurricanes over the past several decades have struck Jamaica, causing fatalities and billions of dollars of damage.
Hurricane Beryl: July 3, 2024 Hurricane Beryl — the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season — battered Jamaica when it passed just south of the island as a Category 4 storm.
Beryl slammed the island with up with 130 mph winds, between 8 inches and 12 inches of rainfall and a storm surge that sent ocean water rushing into coastal areas, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm ripped roofs off of buildings and sent several feet of floodwater onto roadways in low-lying areas.
At least four people died in Jamaica as a result of the storm, three due to freshwater flooding and one due to rain, while more than 1,000 people were evacuated to shelters, according to officials.
In the aftermath of the storm, about 60% of the island was without electricity, and 20% of the population lacked access to clean water due to the storm’s impact on the piped water network, according to a situation report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Healthcare on the island was also compromised, with 82 healthcare facilities reporting major damage. Minor damage was reported at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
Beryl’s damage was especially extensive in rural parts of Jamaica, where debris from destroyed homes littered the landscape and banana and coconut farms were severely damaged, according to the United Nations. An estimated 45,000 farmers were impacted, with $15.9 million in damage done to farming infrastructure that led to food shortages, according to the report.
The storm tallied about $995 million in damage to infrastructure, homes and in lost revenue, according to the National Hurricane Center. Beryl caused also caused a 1.1% drop in Jamaica’s GDP, according to the U.K.’s Centre for Disaster Protection.
Beryl was the strongest storm to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Dean in 2007, Rhea Pierre, disaster manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in the aftermath.
Hurricane Dean: Aug. 20, 2007 Hurricane Dean passed just south of Jamaica on Aug. 20, 2007, bringing powerful winds, heavy rains and storm surge to the region.
The storm was so strong that there are “few authoritative observations” for its passage over Jamaica because many of the instruments did not survive the storm, according to the NHC.
The weather station tower at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston was blown over the day before the storm passed the island, and numerous rain gouges were either blown over or washed away.
The highest rainfall report was 13.5 inches in Manchester Parish in West-Central Jamaica, according to the NHC.
The NHC estimates that Dean was a Category 3 hurricane when it impacted Jamaica, with maximum sustained winds of 111-129 mph, per the Saffir-Simpson scale. The most severe impacts were reported in the southeastern parishes of Clarendon, St. Catherine, Kingston and St. Andrew. About two-thirds of the homes that were completely destroyed or required major repairs were located in those parishes.
Agriculture was also significantly impacted, particularly the banana crops, according to the NHC.
Six people died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Dean, according to the University of West Indies.
The storm caused damage in all 13 of the island’s parishes, according to USAID. More than 3,120 homes were damaged, while a significant portion of the island’s farmland was also affected, with about 40% of the sugarcane crop, 75% of coffee trees and 100% of the banana crop impacted.
Hurricane Gilbert: Sept. 12, 1988
Before Melissa, Hurricane Gilbert was the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall on Jamaica.
The massive storm made landfall on the island’s east coast near Kingston around 1 p.m. on Sept. 12, 1988, as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The eye of the hurricane traversed the entire island, with its winds weakening only to 125 mph by the time is exited Jamaica’s western coast several hours later. The storm triggered a massive storm surge, mudslides and heavy rains that caused inland flash flooding, according to the NWS.
At least 45 deaths were attributed to Gilbert, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The eye of the hurricane traversed the entire island, with its winds weakening only to 125 mph by the time is exited Jamaica’s western coast several hours later. The storm triggered a massive storm surge, mudslides and heavy rains that caused inland flash flooding, according to the NWS.
At least 45 deaths were attributed to Gilbert, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Gilbert damaged 40% of Jamaica’s agricultural fields and 95% of the island’s medical facilities, according to Hurricanes: Science and Society. Two of Jamaica’s hospitals were completely destroyed, while only two of those remaining escaped with minimal damage. In addition, about 50% of the island’s water supply was destroyed, including storage and distribution facilities.
More than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, as were hundreds of miles of roads and highways, The New York Times reported at the time.
The destruction amounted to an estimated $4 billion in damages to crops, buildings, roads, homes and other infrastructure, according to Hurricanes: Science and Society.
Jamaica Prime Minister Edward P. G. Seaga described Hurricane Gilbert at the time as “the worst disaster in our modern history.”
Hurricane Charlie: Aug. 17, 1951 The center of Hurricane Charlie skirted the southern coast of Jamaica on the night of Aug. 17, 1951, before it made landfall early the next morning as a strong Category 3 storm, bringing destructive winds to the entirety of the island, according to the NHC. The strongest winds at Kingston were measured at 110 mph.
Heavy rainfall that lingered after the hurricane passed caused landslides across the island, according to the University of West Indies.
Charlie was the deadliest storm of the 20th century to impact Jamaica, resulting in more than 150 deaths on the island, according to the NHC. About 2,000 people were homeless in the storm’s aftermath.
The hurricane caused about $50 million in property and crop damage to the island, according to the NHC. Banana farms, coconut plantations and citrus groves perished in the storm.
Considerable damage was also done to shipping in the Kingston Harbor, with five large vessels pushed ashore, according to the University of West Indies.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane — one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic basin.
After tearing across Jamaica on Tuesday, Melissa is now a Category 3 hurricane as it pounds Cuba on Wednesday morning.
Latest forecast: Melissa to pass Cuba, Bahamas on Wednesday As of 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Hurricane Melissa was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115 mph moving northeast across Cuba.
Melissa — the strongest hurricane on record to hit Jamaica — made landfall on Cuba early on Wednesday near the city of Chivirico in the southeastern province of Santiago de Cuba.
Melissa is forecast to move off the northern coast of Cuba on Wednesday morning as it heads towards the Bahamas. It is expected to pass through the Bahamas as a Category 2 storm in the afternoon. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas.
Rain totals could reach 25 inches for higher elevations in Cuba and 5 to 10 inches of rain is expected across the southeastern Bahamas.
Storm surge is still affecting the islands. Cuba is experiencing a surge of up to 12 feet along the southeast coast, with 5 to 8 feet of surge possible in the southeastern Bahamas through Wednesday.
As Melissa moves into the Atlantic Ocean, it is expected to pass close to Bermuda late on Thursday. The archipelago is under a Hurricane Watch.
(NEW YORK) — A crew dressed in neon construction vests stole a safe containing jewelry — valued at more than $3.2 million — from a home in Queens, New York, after breaking in through a back door, police said Tuesday.
The theft occurred on Oct. 16, just after 2 p.m., when the suspects entered the Jamaica Hills-area home.
Once inside, the thieves removed a safe and jewelry valued at about $3.2 million and then fled in a blue Hyundai Elantra, police said.
It is not clear whether the home was occupied at the time, but the NYPD said no injuries were reported in the incident.
Police said two sought individuals in connection with the break-in appear to be male and were last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants, black sneakers, a neon construction vest, a white construction hat, eye protective wear and were seen carrying black backpacks.
The third sought individual is described as a male and was last seen wearing a white hoodie sweater, black pants, gray sneakers, black gloves and seen operating and exiting a blue Hyundai Elantra.
The jewelry heist clad in construction gear came just days before a group of thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris, stealing $102 million worth of jewels, including crowns, necklaces, earrings and a diamond-encrusted brooch that once belonged to Emperor Napoleon and his wife.
On Oct. 19, two of the thieves dressed as construction workers used a cherry picker to get up to the second floor of the museum, where they cut through the window of the Apollo Gallery using angle grinders, authorities said.
Upon entering the gilded gallery, the thieves used power tools to cut into the glass cases to reach the precious jewels, investigators said.
The entire theft took about seven minutes, according to investigators, and the stolen jewelry remains missing.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with Jonathan Karl of ABC News. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is “deeply concerned” about remarks from President Donald Trump and his close allies about possibly seeking a third term in 2028.
Newsom, who is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender himself, was asked by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl if he takes such talk seriously.
“They’re not screwing around,” Newsom said.
Trump has mused several times about running for president again, including as recently as Monday, when he told reporters on Air Force One that he would “love to do it” despite it being barred by the Constitution.
The 22nd Amendment expressly forbids a president from being elected to office more than twice.
Last week, Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser and conservative media provocateur, said in an interview with The Economist that “there’s a plan” and Trump “is going to get a third term” though he didn’t share any details.
Here’s a transcript of the exchange between Newsom and Karl in the interview that will air on Wednesday in which Newsom talks about his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office in February.
KARL: “Bannon is talking Trump running again 2028 and you said Trump was talking about his fourth term?”
NEWSOM: “He was showing me a photo of — I turned around, he was at the Resolute [Desk], and he goes, ‘Look over there.’ I’m like, and I literally looked and I looked him. I’m like, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘Third term?’ He goes, ‘No, fourth.’ And it was FDR’s painting up on the wall. I’m like, here we go. I said, ‘We’re perfect little sheep, aren’t we?’ He’s laughing because we are. He knows exactly what we’re going to do. There’s a French, I don’t know what the, I can’t say it in French — poem that loosely says, ‘He pisses on the grasshoppers to hear them sing.’ And that’s Donald Trump.”
KARL: “So do you take that seriously? Do you think he is going to try to stay in office?”
NEWSOM: “What I’ve noticed, what we all have experienced, I hope we’re absorbing in our souls, because we’re talking about the soul of America, is, I don’t think he takes himself seriously, but he iterates. He throws things out. And he plays with it, and he sees how people react, and it manifests. Meaning, once a mind is stretched, it never goes back to its original form. And that’s my concern. The more we’re talking about this — and we need to be. Look at what he’s doing with masked agents. Look what he’s doing federalizing the Guard. Look what he’s doing to intimidate and voter suppression. Look what he’s going to do with the DOJ. Look what he’s trying to do to rig the elections: North Carolina, Missouri, down there, next Florida, not just in Texas. Look what he’s doing in terms of the $230 million that is, apparently, his from his DOJ. All the pardoning, all the this — this great grift, the biggest, most corrupt administration in history. Not just the $400 million plane, but the billion dollars of your tax money as we’re cutting food stamps to pay for the damn plane so he can take that toy home with his foundation when he’s 93 or whatever he’s done with his fourth or fifth term. I’m deeply concerned about it. And guys like Bannon, they’re not screwing around. They’re not screwing around.”
Isaiah Jamon Andrews in a police photo. (Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff)
(CONSTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif.) — Police are looking for a murder suspect who they say was accidentally released from a California jail.
Isaiah Jamon Andrews, 20, was mistakenly released from the Martinez Detention Facility, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in a press release Monday.
A native of Kent, Washington, Andrews was held in California on local charges, a juvenile warrant out of Sacramento and an arrest warrant for homicide in Seattle, per the sheriff’s office. He was intended to be extradited to a jail in Washington.
“After Sheriff’s Office staff realized Andrews had been released, we launched a search of the immediate area and confirmed that Andrews was no longer in the area. The search for Andrews is ongoing by the U.S. Marshals Service. Local law enforcement agencies have also been notified,” officials said in the press release.
“I think sometimes people forget that it is a criminal justice system. Cops, courts and corrections is kind of how I always remember it. And although we did our due diligence, the courts and that part of the system however did not,” Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes told ABC News’ San Francisco affiliate ABC 7.
Anyone with information about Andrews’ whereabouts can call (866) 846-3592 or email tips@so.cccounty.us.
