Healthcare workers walk outside the Ebola treatment centre in Beni, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (2019). (Photo by Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) – An Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the Ituri province in Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of the latest update, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, officials said.
Africa CDC said that preliminary lab results from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) have detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases.
The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after more than 40 deaths.
“Africa CDC is closely monitoring the situation and convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting today with the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and outbreak response efforts,” officials said in a statement Friday.
-ABC News’ Rashid Haddou contributed to this report
China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping feel “very similar on Iran” in wanting the war to end and prohibiting Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the two started their second day of meetings in their high-stakes summit.
“We did discuss Iran. We feel very similar in Iran. We want that to end. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the [Strait of Hormuz] opened. We’re closing it now. They closed it, and we closed it on top of them, but we want the straits open, and we want them to get it ended, because it’s a crazy thing,” Trump said at a photo opportunity before the two leaders had tea and a working lunch.
Trump said they had discussed a number of issues, “and I think we’re very much in agreement.” Representatives from China did not offer further comment on what was discussed in the meetings.
He also said the two leaders “made some fantastic trade deals.”
Before Friday’s meeting Trump met Xi to tour the gardens at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party leadership compound.
Xi said he picked the location “especially to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago.” Xi said Trump was interested to learn about the plants in the garden including the Chinese roses. Xi said he “agreed” to gift Trump seeds for those roses.
The meetings come amid some tension on the issue of Taiwan — an issue about which Xi issued a stark warning to the U.S. during the leaders’ first sit-down — and questions about the role of China in ending the war with Iran.
Trump was seeking to bolster international support amid a push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. war with Iran stretches on. China is Iran’s principal oil consumer.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, responding to inquiries to confirm whether Trump and Xi discussed Iran, sidestepped the question but reiterated China’s position that the ceasefire and negotiations should continue and that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened.
“There is no need to continue this war that should not have happened,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said. “Finding a solution earlier is beneficial to the United States and Iran, as well as to the countries in the region and even the whole world.”
“Since the door of dialogue is open, it should not be closed again,” the spokesperson said.
Trump and Xi also attended a state banquet earlier during the visit.
On the first day of the summit, the U.S. president was greeted with pomp and pageantry upon his arrival in Beijing and again before his bilateral meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People that lasted for more than two hours.
Regarding the issue of Taiwan, Xi said that if the issue of Taiwan is handled “improperly,” the two nations could “come into conflict,” according to China’s official state broadcaster Xinhua. However, Xi did say that if the issue is handled “properly,” “bilateral relations can remain generally stable.”
Tech and trade have also been key themes during the talks.
Trump said before the trip that he planned to ask Xi to “open up” the Chinese economy. CEOs Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, among others, traveled with the president to Beijing.
Trump said the business leaders joined him to “pay respects” to Xi.
“We asked the top 30 in the world. Every single one of them said ‘yes,’ and I didn’t want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top. And they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf,” Trump said.
The White House said one of Trump’s goals going into the summit with Xi is to secure purchasing agreements with China in the aerospace, agriculture and energy sectors and the CEOs traveled with the president to help push for that.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday that the U.S. expects China to buy tens of billions of dollars worth of American agricultural products in the next few years.
“We expect to also see an agreement for double-digit billion purchases … over the next three years, per year, coming out of this visit, and that’s more general, that’s aggregate, that’s not just soybeans, that’s everything else,” Greer told Bloomberg.
Greer didn’t provide any more specifics about the terms of the agreement he said the administration expects.
Before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Trump called Xi a “great leader” and touted their relationship.
“Such respect for China, the job you’ve done. You’re a great leader. I say it to everybody. You’re a great leader,” Trump said. “Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true. I always say the truth.”
“We’ve had a fantastic relationship. We’ve gotten along,” Trump said. “When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you, and you would call me, and whenever we had a problem — people don’t know — whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly, and we’re going to have a fantastic future together.”
Xi told Trump that China and the U.S. “both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.”
“We should be partners, not rivals,” he continued.” We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era.”
ABC News’ Karson Yiu, Mariam Khan, Michelle Stoddart and Kevin Shalvey contributed to this report.
: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks at a press conference with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on April 29, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Almost a third of the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus — 19 of its 62 members — are at risk of losing their seats through the 2028 election cycle as Republicans in southern states where they control the legislature move swiftly to redraw congressional maps less than two weeks after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The mid-decade redistricting push is a continuation of an effort that began in 2025 and that President Donald Trump has encouraged in hopes of increasing the likelihood that the GOP will retain control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections.
Republicans have argued that they are redrawing congressional maps to comply with the Supreme Court and that the districts that could be changed may still elect Black representatives to Congress.
A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus told ABC News that the group is coordinating with groups such as Elias Law Group and the Legal Defense Fund to challenge the GOP’s redistricting efforts.
The Supreme Court on Monday evening opened the door for Alabama to eliminate at least one of its majority-Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, potentially handing Republicans an additional House seat in the fight for control of the closely divided chamber.
Following Republicans’ redistricting efforts in the South in states like Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed a strong response, listing specific states without sharing specific actions.
“Over the next year or so, what you’re going to see in state after state are Democrats making clear that we are not going to unilaterally disarm,” Jeffries said.
“And as a result of that, in places like New York, New Jersey, Oregon, as well as Washington, in Colorado and, of course, in Illinois and Maryland, we’re going to take the steps necessary to ensure that in advance of the 2028 election, we have a decisive and overwhelming response.”
Alabama Rep. Shomari Figures, whose seat is now in jeopardy as a result of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling, said in a statement to ABC News that the decision “sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state.”
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri, whose seat was one of the first targeted by redistricting, said that the ongoing redistricting efforts are “trying to send us back to Reconstruction.”
Cleaver told ABC News that he is supportive of Jeffries’ stance of “maximum warfare” against GOP-led redistricting efforts, but he worries that “if we fight fire with fire, nothing would be left in the station but ash.”
Cleaver has held his seat for more than two decades and is running for reelection, but now says he has “no idea” what district he’s running in and that Democrats may need to redistrict in states like Illinois, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Colorado to fight back.
Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is also at risk of losing his seat if redistricting succeeds in South Carolina, took aim at a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that he said had enabled this sort of targeting of Black legislators, as well as actions by Trump that he said threaten American democracy.
“You know, this is whether or not you’re going to have a democracy. And that’s not a one-party thing, that’s not a one-person thing; that is, this country has come to grips with the fact that we are on the verge of a kleptocracy,” Clyburn said.
While CBC members have continued to push for the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Cleaver said that in the current Congress, the legislation “could not get a hearing in the United States of America right now.”
Last Thursday, Tennessee became the first state after the Supreme Court’s Louisiana ruling to officially redraw and pass a new map at the urging of the president, who called the state’s governor about the topic just one day after the ruling. And in one week, a new congressional map was created, presented and passed. The new map will give Republicans a chance to flip the state’s lone current Democratic-held, majority-Black district, which is primarily made up of Memphis.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday evening that opened the door for Alabama to eliminate at least one of its majority-Black districts before this year’s midterms, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has set new special primary elections for the affected districts in the state: the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th.
Louisiana and South Carolina are also working through their own redistricting process in hopes of delivering more House seats to the GOP ahead of November’s elections. In South Carolina, Republicans on Friday formally unveiled a new proposed congressional map that would redraw the district held by Clyburn.
But as Republicans look to add House seats, Black representation in Congress is at risk of dropping substantially over the next couple of years.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement to ABC News, “We are witnessing a return to Jim Crow. And anybody who is alarmed by these developments — as everybody should be — better be making a plan to vote in November to put an end to this madness while we still can.”
“This Supreme Court did not dismiss the case, so the litigation will certainly continue. My hope is that this is a temporary setback and that three-Republican appointed judges will again find what they found the first time: that the State of Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in drawing its congressional district lines,” Figures added.
ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim and Jeff Ballou contributed to this report
Spinner shark on the bottom of the ocean close to Male / Maldives (Cavan Images / Henn Photography/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Warming waters are attracting more swimmers and sharks alike to the Eastern seaboard — creating the perfect recipe for an increase of shark sightings along the coasts in the coming months, some shark experts told ABC News.
Scientists at the New England Aquarium in Boston urged the public to be vigilant and report shark sightings after the first white shark of the season was confirmed off Massachusetts on Sunday.
A dead grey seal with a visible wound found on Lucy Vincent Beach in Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, was consistent with the bite of a white shark, John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, said in a statement.
“This is just the beginning of white shark season in New England, and it serves as a good reminder to be mindful of the presence of these sharks in inshore waters,” Chisholm said. “Their numbers will continue to increase throughout the summer with peak activity occurring in the fall.”
A juvenile white shark was also seen off the coasts of New York and New Jersey last week. The female shark, named Nori, pinged a shark-tracking system. Scientists with the Global Shark Tracker program have been monitoring her movements as she makes her way up the East Coast.
Nori is the first tagged white shark to begin this season’s northward migration, according to the nonprofit OCEARCH.
“It’s very normal for us to see more sharks off the East Coast, especially as you move north in the summer compared to the winter, partially because they’re more likely to be there and partially because someone’s more likely to be watching,” Catherine Macdonald, director of the University of Miami’s Shark Research and Conservation Program, told ABC News.
Why there are more shark sightings in the summer months
The moment a swimmer sets foot in the ocean, they are in close proximity to a shark — even if they’re not necessarily in sight, according to marine biologists who spoke with ABC News.
At least 30 species of sharks are starting to make their northward seasonal migration up the Eastern seaboard after overwintering in southern waters, Joel Fodrie, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told ABC News.
As the waters begin to warm, they’re on the move to new areas to set up their strategies for hunting, Fodrie said.
Those recreating on the coastlines can expect to see different species of sharks, depending on where they are.
Of the sharks considered aggressive or a potential threat to humans, white sharks are commonly seen in the Northeast during the summer months — especially around Cape Cod — because their preferred prey, the grey seal, tends to congregate there, Bradley Wetherbee, a professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Rhode Island, told ABC News.
Tiger sharks bask in the warm Florida waters year-round, Mahmood Shivji, a shark biologist at the Save the Seas Foundation Shark Research Center at Nova Southeastern University, told ABC News.
Bull sharks are common in the Gulf and feed on large fish — often confusing humans for prey in those interactions, Wetherbee said.
A large presence of fish, mackerel or seals — all prey for sharks — could indicate that one is nearby, looking to feed. The presence of dolphins could also mean a shark is around, because the larger marine animals tend to feed on the same prey, Frodrie said.
There are also simply more opportunities to see sharks, the experts said.
Protections in the Atlantic have allowed shark populations to rebound in the waters off the U.S., while globally they are still being killed at high rates due to overfishing, Shivji said.
The existence of drones and advanced cameras — as well as social media — are making the presence of sharks more known than ever before, Frodrie added.
Swimmers should be vigilant, but don’t necessarily need to worry, experts say
An increase in shark presence in the north and mid-Atlantic is normal and isn’t anything to worry about, Macdonald said.
With the exceptions of the bolder species, sharks are scared of people and fairly easy to spook, Frodrie said.
“There’s more than 540 species of shark on the planet, and the vast majority of them rarely come into contact with people but wouldn’t be a threat to them even if they did,” Macdonald said.
Over the last 400 million years, sharks have evolved to detect things and sense their environment using their jaws, Wetherbee said. When they bite people, they are likely testing whether they are prey.
“No one wants to have a negative encounter, but it’s kind of a primordial fear,” Wetherbee said.
Sharks are a keystone species, and their presence can be a marker of a healing ecosystem, Macdonald said. They play a “huge role” in shaping the structure and function of ecosystems by moving nutrients around landscapes and helping control prey populations, she added.
“Marine ecosystems look really different in the absence of sharks, often in ways that we don’t want, so we don’t always appreciate them when we see them,” Macdonald said.
The public can report shark sightings through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, which provides information and push notifications on shark movements in the aim to help people and sharks coexist.
Sharks are not the biggest danger humans face at the beach
Shark bites on humans — especially fatal attacks — are rare, the data shows.
In 2025, there were 65 confirmed unprovoked shark bites on humans and 29 provoked bites — meaning the human initiated the interaction in some way, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.
On average, fewer than 10 people worldwide are killed by unprovoked shark attacks each year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. In 2025, there were 12 confirmed shark-related fatalities, nine of which were labeled as unprovoked.
Getting bitten by a shark is rare in itself, but victims of shark attacks have a 1 in 3.7 million chance of being killed by a shark.
All four shark experts ABC News spoke with pointed to rip currents as being the real danger swimmers face at the beach.
In the U.S. alone, there are more than 100 deaths annually that are attributed to rip currents, according to a scientific review of data provided to the United States Lifesaving Association.
“Supervision of kids in the ocean, awareness of rip currents and risks of drowning — all of that is a much greater risk to swim or safety than sharks will ever be,” Macdonald said.
Compared to the number of drownings at beaches, the odds of getting bitten by a shark are extremely low, the experts said.
“The numbers are so small, but it doesn’t do any good to tell people that, because if you’re out there, if you’re one of the ones that gets bitten … I’m sure it’s quite an ordeal,” Wetherbee said.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head. (U.S. Attorneys Office/District of Hawaii)
(MAUI, Hawaii) — A tourist on vacation in Maui has been arrested and charged for allegedly throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii.
Lytvynchuk was filmed walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui on May 5, tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as Lani, as she pushed a floating log close to the shoreline, according to prosecutors.
Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock and threw it directly at Lani’s head, prosecutors said. The rock narrowly missed Lani’s nose, causing her to rear up out of the water, according to prosecutors.
Witnesses told investigators the rock was “the size of a coconut,” according to court documents.
Another witness told investigators the seal “clearly seemed hurt,” but Lytvynchuk did not check on the welfare of the animal before walking away, according to court documents.
Witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk, informing him they had contacted law enforcement. Lytvynchuk allegedly responded that he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” before walking away, prosecutors said.
Witnesses reported that Lani remained “largely immobile for an extended period of time after the incident,” causing concern over her welfare, according to prosecutors.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani,” U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement.
If sentenced, Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge and supervised release, prosecutors said.
Lytvynchuk was arrested on Wednesday and is currently in custody. He is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing on Thursday.
Court records do not list an attorney for Lytvynchuk.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an event on advancing health care affordability in the Oval Office of the White House, April 23, 2026 in Washington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — One of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top public affairs spokespeople resigned from his post over the FDA’s fruit-flavored e-cigarettes authorization and its potential impact on minors, according to a resignation letter to President Donald Trump reviewed by ABC News.
In the letter, Richard Danker, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, accuses senior agency officials in Kennedy’s immediate office of approving e-cigarette flavors that would allegedly expose children to “nicotine addiction, lung damage, and a higher risk of cancer.”
Danker also said the vape authorization “undermines” the department’s recent guidance document related to youth risks of flavored nicotine, according to the letter.
He thanked Trump for the “honor of a lifetime” to serve in both presidential administrations. Danker’s work portfolio includes economic regulatory roles, including a senior advisor position at the Department of Treasury during the first Trump administration. Danker hadn’t worked in healthcare prior to his time at HHS.
The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again movement has touted its focus on combatting chronic disease and improving children’s health. In a statement to ABC News, an HHS spokesperson said Kennedy is advancing the MAHA agenda to confront the chronic disease epidemic head-on.
“Political appointees are here to execute that mission with urgency, discipline, and focus,” according to the spokesperson.
“Individuals who lose sight of the mission and the responsibility they were entrusted with are free to move on from the agency. HHS remains fully committed to delivering results for the American people,” the spokesperson said.
Danker provided ABC News with a copy of the resignation letter, but did not provide further comment.
The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
The news comes as former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary left office after clashing with the White House over pressure from Trump to authorize the flavored vapes, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The issue has raised concerns with Makary, pediatrician groups and advocacy organizations about the potential impact on minors, ABC News reported.
The FDA approved four new devices made by Glas, including classic menthol, fresh menthol, gold, and sapphire pods. “Gold” is mango-flavored and “sapphire” is blueberry-flavored.
While the FDA said on its website last week that it continues to prioritize the removal of illicit vapes — including those that target minors — the approval of a flavored vape represents a significant shift for the agency.
Makary told ABC News’ Linsey Davis in July, “There is not an approved vaping product in the United States that has one of these cutie-fruity flavors.”
A view of the dome of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(LEBANON, Pa.) — A Pennsylvania man who allegedly had a “hit list” and threatened to shoot Democratic state legislators in online posts has been charged with making terroristic threats, court records show.
Adam Berryhill, 42, of Lebanon, allegedly made “politically violent posts” on his X account that included a “hit list,” according to Pennsylvania State Police.
“The posts also included a picture of a firearm and made mention of a ‘Memorial Day Operation,'” state police said in an incident report.
Between April 7 and April 22, Berryhill allegedly posted “hit lists” and claimed to “‘start shooting’ multiple elected officials” in posts on X, according to the criminal complaint.
The 20 victims in the case identified by police in the report are all Democratic members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
The investigation began on April 28, when a state trooper tasked with conducting regular safety and security checks on McClinton “was alerted to several concerning social media posts” involving her and other state legislators made by an X account named “Pennsylvania Militia,” according to the complaint.
One post on April 7 stated, “I’ll approach every legal avenue and when they all fail I start shootings,” and then listed the names of 18 elected officials, according to the complaint.
Five days later, the account posted, “Can’t wait for the Memorial Day operation,” according to the complaint.
“Oh you like posting hit lists? Here’s mine b——,” the account posted on April 22, listing four officials referred to as “gun grabbing communists,” according to the complaint.
“Conservatives need to stop b——- and whining on this platform. The solution I have is war,” the account posted on April 24, according to the complaint. “Learn the law and know when it’s your God given right to kill your authorities.”
That post also referenced Cody Balmer, who committed an arson attack at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s main residence in Harrisburg last year, according to the complaint.
An earlier post, on March 23, included what is believed to be an original photograph of a gun, “showing [Berryhill’s] possible access to a firearm as a means to carry out the threats,” the complaint stated.
Investigators linked the X account to Berryhill through email records and IP address data, according to the complaint. He was arrested on May 6 and charged with terroristic threats, authorities said.
“The statements made by Berryhill were not isolated or vague, but specific, targeted, and directed toward identifiable public officials, including Joanna McClinton and numerous members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly,” the complaint stated. “These communications included references to ‘hit lists,’ explicit threats of future shootings, and mention of a planned ‘Memorial Day operation,’ indicating premeditation and a potential timeline.”
Berryhill is being held on $250,000 bail. He waived his preliminary hearing, scheduled for Thursday, and his arraignment has been scheduled for June 11.
The Lebanon County Public Defender’s Office said his attorney is not making any statements at this time.
Gov. Shapiro said he has spoken with McClinton and Senate Leader Jay Costa about the threats against members of the state legislature.
“I told them that while these threats of political violence seek to intimidate and silence, my Administration will continue to do everything in our power to keep them safe and ensure their members can continue to make their voices heard as the people’s elected representatives,” Shapiro said in a statement Wednesday.
The leaders of the state legislature condemned the threats.
“These threats are extremely disturbing, not just to the members identified, but to all public figures who are contending with an increasingly hostile environment,” the leaders — McClinton, Costa, Majority Leader Matt Bradford and Republican Leader Jesse Topper — said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
“We condemn any threat against any of our colleagues who are faithfully serving their communities and pledge to support mental health care, intervention, and law enforcement funding that make our state safer,” the statement said.
The governor said that Pennsylvania State Police have implemented a new process to notify state legislators “immediately and directly of any and all threats of violence against them.”
Michael Banks, chief of the US Border Patrol, speaks during a news conference in Nogales, Arizona, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Michael Banks, the head of U.S. Border Patrol, is stepping down, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott confirmed on Thursday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The U.S. Capitol Building dome, on May 12, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Senators adopted a resolution by unanimous consent on Thursday to withhold their own pay during government shutdowns.
The legislation, which won’t take effect until after the November 2026 election, instructs the secretary of the Senate to place senators’ paychecks on hold during the duration of any future federal government shutdowns.
Those payments would be released to lawmakers only after the government reopens.
The Senate resolution does not need to be passed by the House or signed by President Donald Trump. While multiple similar House bills have been introduced, it’s unclear if legislation in the lower chamber will pass.
The measure in the Senate was introduced by Republican John Kennedy and advanced in a unanimous 99-0 vote on Wednesday.
“Take your brain with you, because this is about shared sacrifice. This is about putting our money where our mouth is,” Sen. Kennedy said on the Senate floor ahead of Wednesday’s vote.
Kennedy’s resolution comes after federal workers faced a historic 43-day government shutdown late last year caused by a deadlock between parties over Affordable Care Act subsidies.
During that time, approximately 670,000 federal workers were furloughed, 60,000 workers outside the federal government lost their jobs and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients lost out on benefits all while members of Congress continued to get paid — highlighting the disparity of financial pain endured by members of Congress and the people they serve.
Calls for withholding pay from members of Congress continued to grow this year during the record 75-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Transportation Security Administration agents, Coast Guard members and other department employees went without pay as a stalemate played out on Capitol Hill over immigration enforcement funding and oversight reforms.
A Beechcraft C90 King Air (Marko Hannula/Getty Images)
(RUIDOSO, N.M.) — All four people on board a small medical plane were killed when the flight crashed near Ruidoso, New Mexico, early Thursday, according to a local official.
The Beechcraft King Air 90 had departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it crashed around 4 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“All four individuals have been confirmed deceased at the scene,” Jason Burns, the manager of Lincoln County, where the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport is located, said at a news conference.
The crash was in a remote, wooded area, according to FlightRadar24. Fire officials, law enforcement and other agencies responded to a fire associated with the crash in the Capitan Mountain area, Burns said.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives,” Burns said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, the FAA said.
