U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday, killing 14 people.
“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth wrote on X, where he posted a video of the strikes.
The latest action brings the total number of people believed to have been killed to more than 50.
According to Hegseth, there was one survivor from Monday’s round of strikes.
“Regarding the survivor, USSOUTHCOM immediately initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols; Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue,” he wrote on X.
The strikes are part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. The U.S. military has now hit 10 alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The use of lethal force, however, has raised several legal questions.
In addition to the strikes, the U.S. last week ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its accompanying aircraft to the waters around Central and South America — a move designed to ratchet up pressure against the Venezuelan government.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Tylenol caplets are displayed on September 22, 2025 in San Anselmo, California. The Trump administration will reportedly link use of the painkiller acetaminophen during pregnancy to autism during a White House press conference today. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the makers of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, claiming that they deceptively marketed the over-the-counter medication to pregnant women despite alleged links to autism and other disorders.
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement on Tuesday. “These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets. … By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”
This is the first lawsuit from a state government since President Donald Trump claimed last month that Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of autism, despite limited evidence to suggest an association.
Johnson & Johnson sold the drug for decades and its consumer health division spinoff, Kenvue Inc., has been selling the drug since 2023.
In a statement, Kenvue pushed back on the attorney general’s claims, saying it is “deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children.”
“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives. High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated,” the statement read. “We will defend ourselves against these baseless claims and respond per the legal process. We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Amazon has announced that it will cut an estimated 14,000 jobs from its corporate workforce as it focuses on “reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources,” according to the company.
Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, announced the organizational changes on Tuesday, saying that those affected would be informed later in the day.
“Last year, [Amazon CEO Andy Jassy] posted a note about strengthening our culture and teams — explaining how we want to operate like the world’s largest startup, the importance of having the right structure to drive that level of speed and ownership, and the need to be set up to invent, collaborate, be connected, and deliver the absolute best for customers,” Galetti said in the announcement on Tuesday.
“The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs,” Galetti continued.
Galetti said that the people affected in the reduction of the estimated 14,000 roles — about 4% of their workforce of an estimated 350,000 people — would be supported in the coming weeks and months.
“We’re working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted, including offering most employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (the timing will vary some based on local laws), and our recruiting teams will prioritize internal candidates to help as many people as possible find new roles within Amazon,” Galetti said.
“For our teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we’ll offer them transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits, and more,” Galetti continued.
Amazon said that they would continue hiring in “key strategic areas while also finding additional places we can remove layers, increase ownership, and realize efficiency gains.”
“What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly,” said Galetti. “We’re convicted that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.”
“I don’t know of any other company with the breadth of Amazon, the number of exciting bold bets we’re making, and all the ways we can make customers lives better and easier around the world,” Galetti continued.
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is considering replacing senior field office leaders at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with leaders from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to multiple law enforcement officials.
The change would represent a shift by the administration to try and get more deportations, as the White House has been pushing for, according to law enforcement officials.
As many as 12 field office directors could be replaced by border patrol officials in the coming days, a law enforcement source told ABC News.
The field offices range from Los Angeles to Philadelphia — and all of this is spearheaded by Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Commander at Large Greg Bovino.
Bovino’s tactics have drawn the ire of at least one federal judge who called him to testify about potentially ignoring a court order.
Internally at DHS, Bovino has drawn praise from senior DHS leadership. It would also be a shift for ICE — which typically keeps promotions in-house.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted on X on Monday, saying, “This is one team, one fight. President Trump has a brilliant, tenacious team led by @Sec_Noem to deliver on the American people’s mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country.”
“As we said, we have no personnel changes to announce right now, but we remain laser focused on RESULTS and we will deliver,” McLaughlin added.
(NEW YORK) — When the tens of thousands of runners hit the streets this Sunday for the New York City Marathon, they’ll be competing in weather conditions a bit warmer than experts say is optimal for peak performance. While the “sweet spot” for competitive running varies by gender and ability, researchers believe the ideal marathon running conditions are somewhere between 39 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
But according to a new analysis by Climate Central, climate change is threatening the optimal conditions that help elite runners break world records and amateurs achieve their personal bests.
The report from the nonprofit science research group found that as our planet continues to warm due to human-amplified climate change, ideal marathon conditions will become increasingly rare for many events worldwide.
According to Climate Central’s research, 86% of the 221 global marathons reviewed are less likely to have ideal weather on race days by 2045 because of climate change. Of those races, all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors will be affected, including the famous New York City and Boston Marathons.
For elite male runners, the Tokyo Marathon currently offers the world’s best odds for ideal race-day conditions, but the Climate Central analysis found that it’s also facing the sharpest decline in the odds of perfect weather by 2045 as global temperatures rise.
This year’s Tokyo and Berlin marathons were hit by heat waves that Climate Central said were made two to three times more likely by climate change. Those heat waves pushed the race-day temperatures well above the window for peak performance. And by 2045, the chances of an ideal weather day for the Tokyo Marathon will decrease from 69% to 57% for the elite men. For Berlin, the odds go from 40% to 29% for the elite women.
Overall, from 2025 to 2045, for the elite men, the likelihood of optimal temperatures on race days declines in Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Berlin. For the elite woman, they are facing a reduced chance in London, New York, Chicago, Berlin and Sydney.
Climate Central notes that while elite female runners are “uniquely resilient, maintaining optimal performance at higher temperatures than elite men and other runner types,” ideal race-day conditions for these elite women athletes are still projected to decrease in the decades to come.
“Climate change has altered the marathon. Dehydration is a real risk, and simple miscalculations can end a race before it begins,” said Catherine Ndereba, a former Marathon World Record Holder, two-time World Marathon Champion, four-time Winner of Boston Marathon and two-time Winner of Chicago Marathon.
Ndereba added, “We’re not just training to run anymore; athletes have to adapt how they deal with the conditions, including in how they eat and hydrate.”
Climate Central recommends that race organizers consider starting the events closer to sunrise, but the organization stresses that only meaningful climate action and reducing the use of fossil fuels can safeguard marathons’ future.
The Library of Congress is seen on the second day of the federal government shutdown on October 2, 2025, in Washington D.C. Efforts to end the shutdown stalled as Democrats left Capitol Hill without reaching a funding agreement with President Donald Trump, while the White House warned of potential impacts on public sector jobs. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to uphold the president’s removal of the Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter from her influential post earlier this year inside the Library of Congress that oversees and enforces the United States’ copyright system.
The request is the latest appeal to the justices over President Donald Trump’s expansive view of presidential control over the federal government. Next month, the Supreme Court will consider the president’s ability to fire members of independent federal agencies without cause; early next year, it will also examine the president’s control over members of the Federal Reserve.
Under federal law, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by and reports to the Librarian of Congress, who in turn is appointed by the president for a 10-year term after confirmation by the Senate.
Trump fired the Biden-appointed Librarian Carla Hayden without cause shortly after taking office and replaced her on an acting basis with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche then removed Perlmutter.
Perlmutter alleges Blanche lacks the authority to remove her.
A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision ordered Perlmutter reinstated, concluding the offices of Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights are “legislative officers” not “executive officers” under the Constitution — both requiring congressional input.
The administration is asking the justices to overturn that decision — at least on an interim basis — and ultimately to take up the bigger legal questions surrounding the status of the Library of Congress and those who lead it.
Head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on April 09, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Following last week’s arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, the National Basketball Association on Monday said it’s undertaking a review of how the league can protect itself from sports betting and whether it’s doing enough to educate coaches, players and other personnel about the “dire risks” gambling could pose to their careers, according to an NBA league memo obtained by ABC News.
The memo, dated Monday and sent to all 30 teams from NBA general counsel Rick Buchanan and Dan Spillane, the NBA’s EVP of League Governance and Policy, said that the criminal cases against Billups, Rozier and more than two dozen other defendants “is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players and their fans.”
The memo also said the NBA is reviewing policies about injury reporting after Rozier allegedly faked an injury in a March 23, 2023, game, when he played with the Charlotte Hornets, after, according to investigators, giving advance notice to gamblers who made $200,000 in bets against his statistics.
“While the unusual betting [on the game] was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues,” the memo said.
Billups is among those charged last week in an alleged illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related alleged illegal gambling case. Billups has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy and both were immediately placed on leave by their teams, the NBA said.
Monday’s memo further said that the NBA is “exploring ways to enhance our existing internal and external integrity monitoring programs” including the use of “AI and other tools” to “identify betting activity of concern.”
“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors,” according to the memo.
(CALIFORNIA) — Populations of an invasive species of disease-carrying mosquitoes are continuing to spread throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, according to health officials.
Aedes aegypti — known for its capability to transmit diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika — were detected in San Jose near Kelley Park, the County of Santa Clara Vector Control District announced on Friday.
This is the first time A. aegypti was found in that particular area of San Jose, Taylor Kelly, the scientific-technical services manager of the Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control District, told ABC News.
“This year in particular, we’ve had so many detections throughout new parts of the county,” Kelly said.
In the U.S., A. aegypti is typically found in the South, Southwest and Puerto Rico. It is also commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including countries in Africa, Asia and southern Europe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The species was first detected in California in 2013 and has been detected throughout 27 counties since — especially in Southern California and the Central Valley, according to the California Department of Public Health. Earlier this month, Los Angeles County reported its first case of locally acquired dengue for the 2025 mosquito season — with A. aegypti the likely culprit, Kelly said.
Populations have been spreading steadily throughout Northern California since the spring, according to health officials. A. aegypti, in particular, has the ability to “move with people,” whether it be following them into their car or home or breeding in extremely small containers.
In Santa Clara County, it appears A. aegypti has become established, Kelly said.
“I do think it’s something that residents are going to be notice because of the nuisance biting,” she said.
The species has been linked to local transmission of the dengue virus in California, according to the California Department of Health.
Climate change may be playing a role in the spread of mosquito populations and vector-borne diseases all over the world, as the insects thrive in warm and humid conditions, according to the World Mosquito Program. Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time, leaving Antarctica as the only region in the world where the insect does not reside.
In California, climate has likely played a “very important role,” but other factors have likely facilitated the spread in the Bay Area, such as a developed resistance to insecticides, Kelly said.
A. aegypti is characterized by the white bands on its legs, white spots on the body and stripes on the upper body. They are “aggressive daytime biters,” according to Santa Clara County.
In addition, A. aegypti can lay eggs in container-like flowerpots, pet bowls and backyards, which can exacerbate the spread, officials said, urging residents to dump any standing water in their yards and scrub out containers that could catch rainfall.
“Everybody should dump and drain any standing water on their property at least once a week,” Kelly said.
The species can pose as a “top public health threat,” said Roberto Barrera, lead entomologist at the CDC’s Dengue Branch.
“These tiny troublemakers are responsible for spreading viruses that affect millions of people,” Barrera said in a statement.
California health officials have encouraged residents to report bites that happen during the day immediately and to document and send photos of mosquitoes that have black and white stripes.
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, the second stop on his Asia tour that will culminate in a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
Trump visited with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Monday after landing in Tokyo.
On Tuesday in Japan, or late Monday eastern time, Trump will meet with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi, a conservative, is the country’s first woman to service 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 are set to talk 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.
But Trump’s most anticipated meeting on the three-country tour is with China’s Xi on Thursday, with a goal to end a monthslong trade war between the world’s two largest economics.
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.
Trump’s 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.
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.
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.
(NEW YORK) — Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting Tuesday in Tokyo with U.S. President Donald Trump will be a major test for the new leader.
She’s a hardline conservative and the first woman to serve as prime minister of Japan. Takaichi is a protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and will likely lean into her ties with him to build rapport and chemistry with Trump. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, had a famously close relationship with Trump.
Geopolitical experts, including Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, note that Takaichi is politically aligned with Trump on key issues, including immigration and defense. Bremmer even expects her meeting with Trump to go “exceptionally well” — even predicting that she will endorse Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
For Takaichi, trade will be front and center. Japan managed to strike a lower tariff rate than other countries at 15 percent. But in return it has pledged to invest $550 billion in the U.S. That’s a staggering amount, equal to more than one-tenth of Japan’s economy.
Under the agreement, the U.S. has broad discretion over how those funds are allocated, raising concerns in Tokyo about how and where that money will ultimately be used.
Takaichi is also expected to raise concerns about China’s expanding military and economic influence in Asia while seeking Trump to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to its economic and military alliance with Japan.
Takaichi, 64, defeated four other candidates to succeed outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned in September after poor election results, as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). During a runoff in an intraparty vote by the LDP, Takaichi won 185 votes, beating Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who received 156 votes.
She is the first first woman to head the party, which has dominated Japanese politics since its founding in 1955.
She was elected prime minister by Japan’s parliament last week.
First elected to parliament in 1993, Takaichi has served as minister of economic security, internal affairs and gender equality.
She has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration.
Takaichi played drums in a heavy metal band in college and lists scuba diving, playing musical instruments, martial arts and watching baseball as hobbies.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
