(WASHINGTON) — The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case is hearing arguments Friday on the former president’s effort to invalidate the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith.
The hearing is focused on a legal theory pushed by conservative legal critics of the special counsel, who has been overseeing the case against Trump since his appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022.
Trump pleaded not guilty last June to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after Smith said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back.
Trump has denied all charges and denounced the probe as a political witch hunt.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has set aside all of Friday for arguments on Trump’s motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that Smith’s appointment was unlawful — an issue other courts have largely rejected.
Friday’s arguments kick off a series of related hearings that will continue into next week.
On Monday Cannon will hear arguments on a motion brought by Trump challenging the funding of the special counsel’s office. The same day, Cannon will hear additional arguments over Smith’s request for a limited gag order limiting Trump’s rhetoric about law enforcement involved in the search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022.
Then on Tuesday the judge is scheduled to consider Trump’s request to throw out evidence gathered during that search, as well as testimony provided by Evan Corcoran, Trump’s former lead attorney who Smith has alleged Trump misled as part of Trump’s efforts to obstruct the government’s investigation.
The trial in the case had originally been scheduled to begin on May 20, but last month Cannon indefinitely postponed the trial’s start date pending the resolution of pretrial litigation, making it all but certain the case won’t go to trial before Election Day.
Ryan and Valerie Watson talk to “Good Morning America,” June 20, 2024. — ABC News
(PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands) — Ryan Watson, an American charged with bringing ammunition to Turks and Caicos, and who has remained on the islands since his arrest in April, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday in what he called the “most surreal experience” of his life.
Watson, a father of two from Oklahoma, was arrested on April 12 while returning with his wife from a trip to Turks and Caicos to celebrate several friends’ 40th birthdays. Four rounds of ammunition were found in his carry-on bag at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, police said.
Watson — who was among several Americans arrested in recent months under Turks and Caicos’ strict firearms ordinance — has said he didn’t realize he had the hunting ammunition in his bag and pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition. He was released on a $15,000 bond following his arrest but has remained on the islands amid the legal proceedings.
A day ahead of his sentencing, Watson told Good Morning America that he was feeling anxious but also hopeful that he may avoid any prison time and return to his family.
“Whatever tomorrow brings, we’ll get through it. But I pray that I get to go home tomorrow,” Watson told Good Morning America.
Since his arrest, two other American tourists who were also charged and detained on the islands after inadvertently traveling with ammunition have been able to return home. Last month, Tyler Wenrich was sentenced to time served and fined $9,000, while Bryan Hagerich was sentenced to a suspended 52-week sentence with a fine of $6,700. The court found there to be “exceptional circumstances” in their cases that made a mandatory 12-year prison sentence unjust and disproportionate to the crime committed.
Last week, the Turks and Caicos government approved a bill that amends a section of their firearms ordinance, clarifying that the court has more discretion in sentencing people convicted of violating the law when “exceptional circumstances” are found. Previously, the law allowed discretion for a lesser prison sentence than the mandatory 12-year minimum, though it still required the court to impose both a prison sentence and fine, according to the Turks and Caicos attorney general. Under the amended law, the court has the “widest possible breadth of discretion” and can impose either a fine, custodial sentence or both, the attorney general said in a statement.
Prosecutors argued during a presentencing hearing on Wednesday that the amended law should not apply to Watson’s case because the crime occurred prior to the amendment passing and said there should be no exceptional circumstances found.
Defense attorney Oliver Smith, meanwhile, said that Watson has taken responsibility for his actions, was carrying ammunition only used for hunting and detailed the toll Watson’s detainment has taken on patients in his work as a salesman for a medical device company and on his two children.
Watson said the recent amendment and sentences for Wenrich and Hagerich give him hope, though he added he has learned in the weeks since his arrest that he and his family have to “temper our expectations.”
“It’s still nerve-wracking regardless of how those outcomes were. There’s still a lot at stake,” he said. “I’ve definitely [got] a lot more hope and faith today than I did two months ago because two months ago the conversation was very different. Two months ago, it was, ‘This is a sure thing, and you’re going to jail for 12 years, no ifs, ands or buts.’ That was told to us and repeated to us over and over again from people here on the islands.”
His wife, Valerie, told Good Morning America that the past two months have been a “roller coaster of emotions.”
“We want him home so bad. The kids and I have been missing him like crazy,” she said. “We’re ready for him to come back home to us. I’m trying so hard not to get my hopes up.”
Watson said the first thing he plans to do once he can go home is hug his children.
“I just want to help them get back to normal life for a moment,” he said. “I want to cook them some dinner.”
He said he also hopes to have a reunion with the other Americans, like Wenrich and Hagerich, who were charged under the law. The couple is also praying that Sharitta Grier — another American charged after ammunition was found in her luggage who remains on the islands released on bail amid court proceedings — is able to return home soon.
Watson, who spent Thursday with his wife donating bibles to a local church, said his faith has been the one thing that has gotten him through this ordeal.
“I just want to be a good conduit, I want to help others,” he said. “If we can make a difference in somebody else’s life, to help spread faith, then hey, it’s worth it. It’s been tough, but it’ll be worth it.”
Rescue crews work the scene where a couple drowned in a rip current while vacationing, June 20, 2024, in Hutchinson Island, Florida. — Marion County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook
(HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla.) — A Pennsylvania couple drowned in a rip current while on vacation in Florida with their six children, according to authorities.
The parents, 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Erica Wishard, were swimming on Hutchinson Island Thursday afternoon when the couple and two of their teenage children were swept out to sea by a rip current, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.
The teens were able to escape and they tried to rescue their parents, “but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Responders found Warter and Wishard and gave them CPR on shore, the sheriff’s office said. But the couple was declared dead at a hospital, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said its crisis intervention team deputy is helping the children as they wait for other family members to come meet them in Florida.
Martin County Fire Rescue said it will evaluate conditions Friday morning before deciding if the ocean will be open to the public.
A rip current, which flows out toward the ocean, can quickly pull a swimmer away from the shore. Rip currents usually reach a speed of 1 to 2 feet per second, but some can clock in at 8 feet per second, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A number of social media influencers have begun spreading misinformation and discouraging followers from using sunscreen, but experts say sunscreen is a vital tool in protecting your skin, the body’s largest organ, from cancer.
ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton joined “Good Morning America” on Friday to debunk some of the myths gaining traction online, some of which likely stem from past recalls of sunscreen contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen.
“If you look at a lot of the products that we put on every day, we might see a chemical called oxybenzone. That is very different from benzene, and there is no conclusive evidence that that is associated to an increased risk of cancer,” Sutton said.
Oxybenzone, the typical active ingredient in sunscreen, has caused concern among some social media influencers, but the compound can absorb harmful UVB radiation and some UVA radiation.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the U.S., and the American Cancer Society projects that in 2024, over 100,000 new cases of melanoma, or cancer of the skin, are expected to be diagnosed and more than 8,000 will die from it.
The benefits of sunscreen
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the regular use of sunscreen can help reduce the risk of invasive melanoma by about 70% and has secondary benefits too, such as helping to prevent wrinkles and skin pigment changes caused by ultraviolet radiation.
What to look for in sunscreen
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends people use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum protection, and water resistance. For children 6 months and older, parents and caregivers should help them apply kids sunscreen that also offers broad spectrum protection, water resistance and SPF of 30 or higher. Kids younger than 6 months should avoid direct sun exposure, wear light protective clothing and stay in shady areas.
“For kids, honestly at the end of the day, it’s whatever they’re going to keep on and be OK with reapplying. So, whatever method is best,” Sutton said.
“If you’re looking for good clothing, you want to look for that UPF signature that [indicates] that it protects against UV rays,” Sutton added.
Sunscreen is also now available in different formulations, from sprays and lotions to oils, but as a reminder, Sutton noted that sunscreen needs to be applied before any makeup.
“A lot of people will spray sunblock over their makeup. It only works if you rub it in. So unfortunately, that might be convenient, but that’s not effective. We’ve got to spray and rub in,” Sutton said.
(LONDON) — The Iberian Lynx has rebounded from “endangered” to “vulnerable,” a new study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Thursday.
The population of the rare wild cat has more than tripled since 2022 — growing from 648 in 2022 to a population estimated to be over 2,000 today, according to estimations by the IUCN.
Conservationists say it is the “greatest recovery” of a cat species ever achieved through conservation, the rebound coming following a two-decade-long conservation push.
“The significant recovery of the Iberian lynx demonstrates that even the most threatened species can be brought back from the brink of extinction,” Sarah Durant, Professor at Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology says in a statement sent to ABC News.
One major factor that scientists believe contributed to the dwindling Iberian lynx population is an at risk food supply.
Its main prey, the European rabbit, joined the lynx on the IUCN red list in 2008, being classified as near threatened but in 2018, they became officially classified as endangered. Their appearance on this list is due to consistent disease outbreaks within the rabbit population and, to combat the lynxes extinction, extensive efforts have been made focused on restoring the rabbit population on the Iberian Peninsula.
Secondary threats to both the lynx and the rabbits come from environmental degradation in their natural habitat, scientists say.
The IUCN says over 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain, with the wild cats occupying at least 3,320 square kilometers (1,281 square miles) today, an exponential increase from 449 square kilometers in 2005.
The Iberian lynx, also known as lynx pardinus, is a wild cat commonly found in southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean forests of the Iberian Peninsula.
The rare cats are known for their characteristic pointed ears and spotted fur and Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, Coordinator of the LIFE Lynx-Connect project, has called their rebound the “greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation”
“This success is the result of committed collaboration between public bodies, scientific institutions, NGOs, private companies, and community members including local landowners, farmers, gamekeepers and hunters, and the financial and logistical support of the European Union LIFE project,” said Ortiz.
“Through committed, science-based conservation action and provides hope for those working to protect wildlife across the globe,” Durant said.
A JetBlue passenger puts his carry-on luggage into an overhead compartment January 28, 2022 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. — Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Many travelers are taking tips from TikTok packing carry-on bags as efficiently as possible to avoid checked baggage fees, and while some airlines still charge for smaller roll aboard suitcases depending on your fare class, JetBlue just announced plans to drop the fee entirely.
Starting September 6, all JetBlue customers, including Blue Basic fares, will receive one free carry-on bag in addition to one small personal item, the airline announced this week.
Previously, customers who purchased a Blue Basic fare and wanted to bring a carry-on bag would need to buy another fare option or purchase an Even More Space seat.
“Carry-on bags are an important part of travel to customers, and when presented with a choice between JetBlue’s award-winning service and another carrier’s basic offering, we want JetBlue to be the easy winner,” JetBlue president Marty St. George said in a statement. “We’re always looking for ways to evolve our offering in response to customer preferences. This is a win-win as we improve the customer experience and keep JetBlue competitive in our industry.”
This comes on the heels of major airlines, including Delta, United and American updating pricing structures on checked bags, during a time when airfare is expected to increase due to a combination of inflation, jet fuel costs and a backlog of new plane orders.
As more travelers look for ways to save at each leg of the journey, the decision from JetBlue ensures fare variety with reasonable accommodations at no additional cost for every type of customer.
“As flying becomes cheaper and more accessible for a spectrum of customers, a one-size-fits-all offering no longer works,” St. George added. “Whether a customer prefers more included benefits, or they shop solely on price, our fare options coupled with our great onboard service, makes JetBlue the best choice. No matter what fare a customer prefers, we provide clear and transparent information on what that selection includes.”
Blue Basic customers remain the final boarding group, and those fares are subject to a cancellation fee that does not apply to any other fares.
(NEW YORK) — Few modern-day structural mysteries have garnered as much international fascination as the tall, mirrored monolith columns that have appeared in seemingly random locations since 2020.
Reminiscent of the prehistoric Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, but rooted in Millennium-era fictional lore, monoliths are long vertical metal slabs, each approximately 10 to 12 feet tall.
Monoliths are believed to stem from Arthur C. Clarke’s “Space Odyssey” series and Stanley Kubruck’s 1968 famed sci-fi film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” where aliens used large, black monolith-shaped machines as a guide to monitor and control humans’ evolution.
However, the scores of monoliths that have appeared around the world since 2020 look slightly different from those Clarke and Kubrick imagined — opting for a metal, often stainless steel structure.
From Utah in the United States, Wales in the United Kingdom and as far as Romania in southeastern Europe, these often unexplained structures have left officials and Internet sleuths questioning their makers and intentions.
Below is a timeline of monolith appearances internationally since 2020.
Nov. 18, 2020: Utah The first unaccounted-for monolith appeared in Utah’s remote Red Rock Country on Nov. 18, 2020, during the height of the pandemic.
The Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau was working to conduct a count of big horn sheep in a portion of southeastern Utah when crew members “spotted an unusual object” and landed nearby to investigate further, according to a press release at the time.
The crew members discovered the metal monolith installed in the ground in a remote area of Red Rock, according to the release.
Just 10 days later, the monolith disappeared, with officials saying it was removed by an “unknown party.”
“We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the ‘monolith’ has been removed by an unknown party,” the Utah Bureau of Land Management wrote on X on Nov. 28, 2020.
A man named Andy Lewis later took credit for the removal, sharing a YouTube video of him and a small crew detaching the monolith from the rocks.
“We removed the Utah Monolith because there are clear precedents for how we share and standardize the use of our public lands, natural wildlife, native plants, fresh water sources, and human impacts upon them,” Lewis said in an interview at the time.
Despite Utah officials never specifically saying where the monolith was located, online detectives allegedly found it on satellite images dating back to 2016 and determined its GPS coordinates, according to Britain’s The Independent at the time.
Nov. 28, 2020: Romania On Nov. 27, 2020, just as the monolith was removed from its location in Utah, another monolith was discovered across the world in Romania.
The prism was found near an archaeological site outside of the city of Piatra Neamt, on the plateau of Bâtca Doamnei, officials said at the time.
Piatra Neamt Mayor Andrei Carabelea took to Facebook to joke about the mysterious monolith in Romania, “My guess is that some alien, cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents’ UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world. First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt. I am honored that they chose our city,” the mayor wrote.
Four days after it first appeared, the Romanian monolith disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived.
Dec. 2, 2020: California The streak of monolith appearances continued the exact day the column was removed in Romania — this time in California.
On Dec. 2, 2020, another monolith was discovered on Pine Mountain in Atascadero, a city in San Luis Obispo County in central California.
The 10-foot-tall and approximately 18-inch-wide monolith was found by hikers two miles up from the base of the mountain, according to local reports.
“I think it disappeared in Utah and landed right here in Atascadero,” hiker Blake Kuhn told ABC News’ Fresno affiliate at the time.
However, unlike the mysteries surrounding the other monoliths, the makers of the California column came forward to reveal themselves.
The four men who created and installed the third monolith are Travis Kenney, his father Randall Kenney, Wade McKenzie and Jared Riddle, they said in a statement.
“The purpose of this project was to create a positive and encouraging environment in a rather negative 2020, a year that has been plagued with health issues, political separation, and systemic racism,” Riddle said in an interview with Your Tango. “This event separated all of that!”
December 2020: Various locations After the Internet frenzy the string of back-to-back monoliths caused, several copycat monoliths started popping up around the world in Pittsburgh, Joshua Tree, Las Vegas, Boulder, Albuquerque, Russia, Colombia, Spain and more.
A Business Insider report in Dec. 2020 estimated there were 87 monolith sightings globally.
March 12, 2024: Wales Years after the initial monolith obsession died down, the tall, mysterious structure reemerged in Wales, United Kingdom, in 2024.
The 10-foot-tall silver monolith was discovered in Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales, by construction worker Craig Muir while he was out for his regular hike.
Muir posted a video of the bizarre find on TikTok, saying, “I come up here most days, and I’ve never seen this before. Almost looks like a UFO just put it on the ground.”
June 17, 2024: Las Vegas This month, the monolith mystery continued when the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took to X to share two photos of the long, vertical slab of metal they said appeared on a hiking trail near Gass Peak on the northern side of the Las Vegas area.
“We see a lot of weird things when people go hiking like not being prepared for the weather, not bringing enough water… but check this out,” the department wrote alongside photos of the column.
In the photos, the tall, geometric figure reflects the rocky desert and perfectly aligns with the horizon.
A similar monolith appeared in downtown Las Vegas in December 2020, standing under the Fremont Street Experience canopy.
(NEW YORK) — “The heat is coming for everybody,” Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, said as one of the season’s earliest-onset heat waves scorches the United States.
As officials heed heat wave warnings across the country, forecasting what could become another hottest year on record, air conditioning units whirr and utility bills rise.
This week, dangerously high temperatures hit 14 states across the Midwest and Northeast, with New York City expecting a record-breaking, five-day heat wave with temperatures above 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
While air conditioning can certainly mitigate the dangers of extreme heat, experts say the threat of heat-related illnesses and death is present if you’re unable, even with AC, to maintain a cool enough room temperature to regulate your body’s temperature.
“Many people who die of extreme heat die inside their homes,” Jaime Madrigano, a public health researcher with Johns Hopkins University, told ABC News. “Many of those people are not adequately running air conditioning when they succumb to heat-related deaths”
In 2023, extreme heat was linked to over 11,000 deaths and approximately 120,000 emergency room visits in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Madrigano is continuing a study that began last summer in New Orleans, Louisiana, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that recruits participants to take temperature and humidity measurements inside their home, to see what daily heat levels they’re experiencing during the summer.
The researchers then use that data to analyze how those temperatures change throughout the day, as well as what health impacts related to sleep, mood and physical discomfort the participants are experiencing.
“Very blunt preliminary data can see that even with air conditioning, many people are not able to maintain what is a comfortable temperature in their home environment,” Madrigano said, adding a fourth of the participants recorded inside temperatures well over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Some barriers to adequate air conditioning include poorly functioning units and financial constraints that make it difficult to pay utility bills, according to Madrigano.
New Orleans broke heat records in 2023, with over 10 excessive heat alerts issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). The unrelenting summer saw triple-digit temperatures, with humidity that made the climate feel like it was over 115 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the government agency.
“It’s really important to recognize heat as a hazard,” Dr. Leah Schinasi, an environmental and occupational epidemiologist at Drexel University, told ABC News.
Schinasi’s work focuses on understanding the population health impacts of high ambient temperatures. She is currently leading a study analyzing the effect of indoor temperatures on mortality outcomes in older adults.
Heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke, occur when a person’s body temperature rises faster than the body can cool itself, and can damage the brain and other vital organs, according to the CDC. Early symptoms can include dizziness, headaches, nausea, weakness and fatigue, according to the agency.
The public health agency further notes that older adults, the very young, and people with chronic diseases and mental illnesses are at the highest risk of heat illnesses. However, prolonged exposure to extreme heat, as well as strenuous activity in extreme temperatures, can be detrimental to anyone.
While there is no national standard regarding at what temperature an AC unit needs to be set to ensure safety during a heat wave, the air conditioner manufacturer Carrier Global recommends setting your air conditioner at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which they say is “generally considered a comfortable indoor temperature for many people,” and “strikes a good balance between comfort and energy efficiency.”
When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep during the summer’s heat, the Cleveland Clinic recommends a cooler thermostat setting, between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
“As we know, many lower-income households do not have adequate access to air conditioning,” Schinasi said. “Even if they do have access, they’re often unable to afford to use it as much as needed because of the enhanced energy costs that come with using air conditioning,” Shinasi added, echoing Madrigano.
In May 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released results from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, which found that 88% of American households use some method of air conditioning, whether it’s central air or individual AC units. The survey also found that apartments were the housing type least likely to use AC equipment.
The financial burden of running air conditioning, however, is not considered in these figures, according to Madrigano. “Just because someone has air conditioning doesn’t mean they’re always running it, because they might be constrained due to really exorbitant utility bills or other financial constraints,” she said.
The average monthly residential power bill in the U.S. is projected to rise to $173 in June, July and August, which marks a 3% increase from summer 2023, according to the EIA.
“There are two worlds you can live in. You can live in a world where we subsidize air conditioning for poor people, or we’re simply going to normalize people suffering and high temperatures,” Dessler told ABC News, also noting that historically hot cities that are only getting hotter points to a global reality.
“When you look at Phoenix, Arizona, you see a future that the rest of the country is going to have to deal with,” Dessler said.
In July 2023, Phoenix endured a record-breaking streak of over a month with highs at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the NWS.
“Phoenix is a living laboratory for environmental heat research,” Ariane Middel, a professor in Arizona State University’s Urban Climate Research Center, told ABC News. “The hot temperatures we frequently experience in summers in the Southwest will be matched by heat waves in other regions that are not used to the heat, historically.”
One of Middel’s biggest concerns surrounding extreme heat is that lawmakers and citizens alike are not taking the threat seriously enough, as they might other climate-related perils.
“Heat is a silent killer. It’s the deadliest weather-related killer in the U.S., but it doesn’t leave a visible trace of destruction like a hurricane or tornado,” Middel further noted, adding, “All heat-related deaths are preventable in theory, but it becomes more difficult in practice.”
(EGYPT) — Around 600 Egyptians have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, a security source said, as authorities formed a crisis unit on Thursday to probe the deaths.
The Egyptian fatalities are part of at least 1,000 deaths reported from this year’s hajj pilgrimage from different countries due to extreme heat as temperatures soared past 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Most of the deaths occurred among unregistered pilgrims who did not have permits giving them access to air-conditioned tents and bus transfers between holy sites provided to authorized worshippers.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has ordered that a crisis unit headed by the prime minister investigate the deaths of the country’s pilgrims.
Egypt has not confirmed the total fatalities, but the cabinet said of the 50,752 officially registered pilgrims, 28 have died. Authorities said it was difficult to provide medical care for unregistered worshippers due to lack of information.
Egypt was coordinating with Saudi authorities to get an accurate inventory of the dead and missing and arrange for the transfer of bodies, the cabinet said in a statement.
Companies that had facilitated travel for unauthorized pilgrims would be investigated and penalized, it added.
Egyptian officials were visiting hospitals to obtain information about Egyptian pilgrims being treated or those who have passed away.
“There are large numbers of Egyptian citizens who are not registered in hajj databases, which requires double the effort and a longer time to search for missing people and find their relatives,” the cabinet said.
Videos posted on social media in recent days showed bodies of pilgrims scattered on the streets around the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Fatalities have also been confirmed by other countries with at least 183 having been confirmed dead by Indonesia, 68 by Jordan, 35 by Tunisia and 68 by India. Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran and Senegal also reported more deaths.
Hajj is one of the main pillars of Islam. Muslims who can afford it and are physically able are required to take part in it once in their life. It’s one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the world and over 1.8 million pilgrims were expected to take part in this year’s hajj, according to Saudi authorities.
(OKLAHOMA CITY) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Southwest Airlines plane descended to a dangerously low altitude as it made its approach to the Oklahoma City Airport just after midnight Thursday, according to the FAA.
An automated warning went off from the Minimum Safe Altitude Warning system at 12:05 a.m., prompting an air traffic controller to tell Southwest Airlines Flight 4069 that they had descended to a low altitude, nine miles from the runway at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, an FAA spokesperson said.
The plane passed over Yukon High School, dangerously low at roughly 625 feet, and at one point had descended to roughly 525 feet, according to FlightRadar24.
In a statement Thursday night, Southwest said it is in contact with the FAA “to understand and address any irregularities with the aircraft’s approach to the airport.”
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,” the company’s statement read.
