Trump set to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Trump set to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Trump set to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday is expected to posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop of his The American Comeback Tour, which invited college students to debate hot-button issues.

Trump was the first to announce later that day that Kirk had died, and the next day said he would be be awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he hailed the Turning Point USA founder “a giant of his generation.”

The ceremony comes after Trump returned back to Washington in the early hours of Tuesday morning from a trip to the Middle East to celebrate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that he helped broker.

Oct. 14 is Kirk’s birthday. He would have turned 32. The House and Senate previously approved a resolution to mark the date as a “National Day of Remembrance.”  

Trump said last Friday that he was coming back from overseas for Kirk, who called “a friend of mine, a friend of all of us.”

“It’s the greatest honor,” Trump said of the award. “And Erika, his beautiful wife, is going to be here, and a lot of people are gonna be here.”

The president and Erika Kirk shared a heartfelt moment on stage at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, where tens of thousands of people gathered to pay tribute to Kirk, a key ally to Trump and a friend to many inside his administration.

The two hugged after Trump’s closing remarks and after Erika Kirk said she’d forgiven her husband’s killer.

Kirk was influential in building Trump’s movement and was particularly influential among young conservatives. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more drew criticism from liberals and others.

At his memorial service, Trump and other leading conservative figures embraced Kirk as a “martyr.”

“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” Trump said at the time. “Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will let go through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”

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Powerful storm leaves over 130 displaced in Tempe, Arizona

Powerful storm leaves over 130 displaced in Tempe, Arizona
Powerful storm leaves over 130 displaced in Tempe, Arizona
Phoenix Zoo

A powerful “microburst and thunderstorm” pushed through Tempe, Arizona, leaving more than 130 people displaced Monday afternoon, officials said.

Several apartment buildings were “severely” damaged during the storm, according to the City of Tempe.

The storm, which began around 1 p.m. local time, lasted a little over three hours and knocked out power for at least 34,000 customers.

A microburst is described as “a small concentrated downburst that produces an outward burst of strong winds at or near the surface,” according to the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.

A microburst is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter, according to the National Weather Service.

As of 8 p.m. local time, a flood watch remains in effect in the area and 10,000 customers are still without power.

The Phoenix Zoo was heavily impacted by the storm that swept through the Phoenix Valley, sustaining damage in and around the zoo.

Despite many toppled trees and walkways being covered by downed objects, no animals, guests or staff were harmed, the Phoenix Zoo told ABC News.

The Zoo will be closed for the next two days as it focuses on cleanup and restoration efforts.

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Former student stabs 3 staff members, plants 2 pipe bombs in California attack: Police

Former student stabs 3 staff members, plants 2 pipe bombs in California attack: Police
Former student stabs 3 staff members, plants 2 pipe bombs in California attack: Police
KABC

(LOS ANGELES) — A former student at a school in California allegedly stabbed three staff members and planted two pipe bombs before being arrested, police said.

The Torrance Police Department is investigating the incident that occurred on Monday at approximately 8:15 a.m., when, they said, a former student from the Switzer Learning Center allegedly stabbed a total of three staff members and attempted to stab a fourth before fleeing the scene.

“Two of the victims were quickly transported to Harbor General Hospital and are currently receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries,” the Torrance Police Department said. “Third victim was treated on the scene by Torrance Fire Department.”

Following the incident, the suspect was taken into custody by law enforcement officials, which is when he told them that “he had placed two pipe bombs in the vicinity of 208 Street and Amapola Avenue,” according to the Torrance Police Department.

“Two devices were located, and they were determined to be incendiary devices, which were rendered safe by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad,” police said in a follow up statement later Monday. “Following a thorough investigation and assessment of the area, we are pleased to report that there is no ongoing threat to the public. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad completed its investigation and determined the area safe.”

Police did not reveal the name, age or potential motive of the attack but did say that their investigation is currently open and ongoing.

“The safety of our community is our top priority, and we appreciate the public’s cooperation during this ongoing investigation,” police said.

“The Torrance Police Department would like to thank the community and the media for its cooperation and understanding during this situation,” authorities continued. “The safety and security of our community members is our utmost priority, and we also appreciate the prompt response from all assisting agencies involved.”

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Trump implies Hamas given approval to act as police force for ‘a period of time’

Trump implies Hamas given approval to act as police force for ‘a period of time’
Trump implies Hamas given approval to act as police force for ‘a period of time’
Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal returns from Hamas captivity in Gaza. (Photo by Sharon Eilon/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — President Donald Trump implied Hamas has been given approval to act as a Palestinian police force in Gaza “for a period of time” in the wake of implementing phase one of the ceasefire agreement.

While en route to the Middle East early Monday aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question from a reporter about reports of Hamas rearming themselves.

“Well, they [Hamas] are standing because they do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” Trump said.

Trump continued that Palestinians are returning to buildings that have been destroyed, after two years of war, and “a lot of bad things can happen.”

“We want it to be safe. I think it’s going to be fine. Who knows? Who knows for sure?” he said. “But I think it’s going to be fine.”

ABC News has asked the White House for further comment and has not yet received a response.

The first phase of the U.S.-brokered peace deal went into effect on Friday, calling for the return of all living and dead hostages in Gaza in exchange for the release of scores of Palestinian prisoners and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.

While Trump’s overall 20-point peace plan proposal calls for the disarmament of Hamas and stipulates the militant group cannot play a role in the future governance of Gaza, these points are not covered by the initial phase of the agreement.

The final 20 remaining living hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, were returned to Israel on Monday as part of an exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, officials said.

On Monday, Trump said negotiations on phase two of the peace plan for Gaza had “started,” though he did not specify what that entailed.

“I mean, it started as far as we’re concerned,” Trump said during remarks in Egypt, where he attended a signing ceremony after addressing the Israeli Knesset earlier in the day. “Phase two has started. And, you know, the phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other. You’re gonna start cleaning up. You look at Gaza — it needs a lot of cleanup.”

ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.

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Alleged child sexual assault fugitive captured after 4 years on the run: Police

Alleged child sexual assault fugitive captured after 4 years on the run: Police
Alleged child sexual assault fugitive captured after 4 years on the run: Police
U.S. Marshals Service Denver

(DENVER) — An alleged child sexual assault fugitive has been taken into custody after more than four years on the run and a five-day manhunt in Colorado, according to officials.

Paul Sandoval, 62, was arrested just before 10:30 a.m. local time Sunday on Blanca Peak in Southeastern Colorado, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Sandoval was apprehended in a multi-agency manhunt comprised of more than 70 people from multiple federal, state and municipal agencies in Colorado and led by the U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force and the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service statement said.

Sandoval is wanted for felony sexual assault of a child and other charges, according to the statement.

“We want to express our gratitude and thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service and all of the other agencies involved that came to assist in this manhunt. We couldn’t have done it without their help,” Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson said in the statement.

In March 2021, Sandoval allegedly bound and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl in a shed on his property, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, and fled into the mountains after the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest that same month.

Sandoval was spotted in late August after allegedly breaking into a home and vehicle in Alamosa County, the statement said. He was spotted on surveillance devices placed in the area by law enforcement and was “confirmed to be armed with a rifle,” according to the statement.

Some 13 state and federal agencies participated in the ensuing manhunt for Sandoval, in addition to the U.S. Marshals Service, including local and state law enforcement, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, the statement said.

Sandoval is being held at the Alamosa County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned early Monday afternoon, according to the Colorado Courts and Probation website.

A spokesperson for the Alamosa County Jail declined to comment about Sandoval when contacted by ABC News, saying they were not authorized to do so.

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Trump, world leaders gather in Egypt for ceasefire deal signing with Netanyahu absent

Trump, world leaders gather in Egypt for ceasefire deal signing with Netanyahu absent
Trump, world leaders gather in Egypt for ceasefire deal signing with Netanyahu absent
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (l, CDU) is taking part in the Gaza summit chaired by Egypt’s President al-Sisi alongside US President Donald Trump. Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

(SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt) — President Donald Trump joined more than 20 world leaders in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday for talks on Gaza’s future with the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement underway.

Among those gathered for the summit were Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former prime minister Tony Blair, as well as officials from Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

The group posed for a family picture in front a sign that read “Peace 2025” before a signing ceremony on the agreement.

Trump is also set to deliver formal remarks in which he will tout the breakthrough as a turning point for the region.

“This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. Together, we have achieved the impossible,” Trump will say, according to excerpts of his speech released by the White House.

“All the momentum now is toward a great, glorious, and lasting peace,” he is expected to say. 

Noticeably absent from talks in Egypt, though, were representatives for Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office cited the Jewish holiday as the reason for his absence, despite him having been directly invited by President Trump.

Earlier Monday, Trump addressed Israel’s parliament, where he hailed a “new dawn in the Middle East” and declared the war in Gaza to be over despite challenges ahead in ensuring a lasting peace.

Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday and Israel freed Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement, with emotional scenes playing out in Tel Aviv and Gaza as families reunited.

But many questions remain about what comes next, including to what extent President Trump will be personally involved in shaping a post-war Gaza.

Trump said the second phase of his proposed peace plan is in progress, though didn’t provide much detail.

“Well, it started. I mean, it started as far as we’re concerned,” Trump said as he sat with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. “Phase two has started. And, you know, the phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other. You’re gonna start cleaning up. You look at Gaza it needs a lot of clean-up.”

The U.S. president also appeared to set his sights next on Iran, urging the country to use this opportunity to work with the administration on a nuclear deal.

“We are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and it’s going to happen,” Trump said during his speech at the Knesset.

Trump reiterated that point as he took reporter questions alongside Egypt’s president.

“I think Iran will come along. They’ve been battered and bruised. You know, they need some help. They have big sanctions, as you know, tremendous sanctions. I’d love to take the sanctions off when they’re ready to talk,” Trump said.

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Impacts of government shutdown continue, next vote scheduled for Tuesday night

Impacts of government shutdown continue, next vote scheduled for Tuesday night
Impacts of government shutdown continue, next vote scheduled for Tuesday night
Vice President JD Vance speaks with ABC News while appearing on This Week, Oct. 12, 2025. ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — As the government shutdown continues and the impacts become more widespread, the Senate will not vote again on the clean funding bill until Tuesday night.

It is expected to fail for an eighth time.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, President Donald Trump announced that he ordered the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to pay some 2 million service members on Oct. 15 to avoid missing a paycheck as the shutdown drags on.

“The Department of War has identified approximately $8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year that will be used to issue mid month paychecks to service members in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15th. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the Department of War said in a statement on Sunday.

It remains unclear what would happen to future paychecks if the government shutdown were to continue for an extended period of time.

 Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News that “a lot” of that pay would come from income tax revenue, with some additional revenue from tariffs. 

 “Some of it will come from tightening the belts in other areas but, Maria, this is exactly right. A lot of this will come from incoming revenues to the Internal Revenue Service,” Vance said on Sunday. “Tariff revenue, but also income tax revenue that is going to make it possible for us to pay our troops.”

Trump’s tariffs are being challenged in court.

The Supreme Court will decide whether Trump’s sweeping global reciprocal tariffs are an illegal use of emergency authority granted by Congress – and whether tens of billions of dollars collected so far must be refunded.

 Vance touted Trump’s maneuvers to pay the military, saying the White House is confident in the legality of their actions.  

 “We’re doing some pretty non-conventional things, as President Trump often does, to ensure that our troops are able to get paid. We are confident we’ve identified the legal pathways in order to do this, but it’s really important for the president of the United States even though (Senate Minority Leader Chuck) Schumer has shut down the government, he doesn’t want our troops to suffer because of it, of course,” Vance said.

Last week, the White House followed through on its threat to lay off federal employees. Vance warned that “deeper” and “painful” cuts would happen the longer the shutdown goes.

Mass firings have hit the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hard.

The nation’s special education services have been significantly impacted after Friday’s mass layoffs within the Department of Education and it could have an immediate impact on children with disabilities, education department sources told ABC News.

 “Do people realize that this is happening to this population of vulnerable students?” one education department leader told ABC News.

Vance said on Sunday that the job cuts are legal.

“Of course, we always follow the law, and we always follow court cases, and we think that we have the authority to do what we need to do. I’m sure that some people will sue, and that will get figured out in court,” Vance told Fox News.

Trump said at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting that he’s going to be cutting “only” Democratic programs as a result of the shutdown. 

“And we’ll be making cuts that will be permanent, and we’re only going to cut Democrat programs. I hate to tell you, I guess that makes sense, but we’re only cutting Democrat programs, but we’re going to start that,” Trump said

Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought announced $8 billion in green energy projects had been canceled. The projects were in 16 states that voted for Democrats in the last election.

The impacts of the shutdown are also hitting popular attractions in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo were closed temporarily starting on Sunday.

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien spoke to one employee who may have to find another job and get by for now on the minimal savings he has.

“I need to support my family. I need to do anything to bring the money in the house…to pay the bills. You know, because bills, they can’t wait. Rent can’t wait. The mortgage can’t wait,” the worker told ABC News.

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Powerful nor’easter batters East Coast with heavy rain, strong winds: What you need to know about the forecast

Powerful nor’easter batters East Coast with heavy rain, strong winds: What you need to know about the forecast
Powerful nor’easter batters East Coast with heavy rain, strong winds: What you need to know about the forecast
ABC News

A coastal storm moving along the East Coast on Monday will continue to bring the threat of significant coastal flooding, strong to damaging winds and moderate to locally heavy rainfall.

Rain and wind will be dying down Monday morning in the Southeast, while the Northeast will see the worst impacts of the storm through midday.

Rain will become more scattered in the Northeast on Monday afternoon (with locally heavy rain possible at times), before it starts to move out overnight with only a few areas of sprinkles and light rain left for Tuesday morning.

Coastal flood warnings are in effect from North Carolina to Rhode Island, where moderate to locally major flood stages are possible Monday and may persist through Tuesday in some areas.

The worst of the flooding will be around high tide on Monday afternoon (mostly between noon and 3 p.m.), when strong onshore winds will bring water levels 1 to 3 feet above normal levels, leading to flooding and possible dune breaching.

Eight- to 15-foot breaking waves could lead to beach and coastal erosion in areas with coastal flood alerts.

Winds gusted up to 60 mph at Surf City, New Jersey, on Sunday night.

Wind alerts for coastal areas from New Jersey through New York, Connecticut and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, remain in effect Monday due to possible gusts up to 50 to 60 mph.

Rainfall on Monday will mostly be less than 1 inch for New Jersey and New York City, but Long Island, as well as the Hudson Valley up through Albany, could see 1 to 2 inches.

Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts are also expecting 1 to 2 inches of rain, but some areas of 2 to 3 inches are possible.

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2 hostages previously believed to be held alive not on list published by Hamas

2 hostages previously believed to be held alive not on list published by Hamas
2 hostages previously believed to be held alive not on list published by Hamas
ABC News

Bipin Joshi and Tamir Nimrodi, the two hostages whose fate in Gaza remained unknown, were not included on the list published by Hamas of the 20 living hostages expected to be released during Monday’s exchange of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held by Israel.

Neither Hamas nor Israel released statements saying the two were deceased.

In addition to some 1,200 Israelis killed on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas kidnapped 251 men and women during the terror attack. The majority were later released in hostage exchanges in the two years since then.

Of the 48 hostages who were still in Gaza at the time of the new ceasefire deal, 26 were confirmed dead by Israeli officials. Twenty others were believed to be alive at the time, with two people’s fates unknown.

Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese agriculture student who was in Israel to study, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim, according to The Times of Israel.

“We just want him back,” his sister said in August, according to the newspaper. “It’s too much for me and my family.”

Joshi was 22 years old when kidnapped, according to Nepal’s Kathmandu Post.

Joshi’s family released footage of Joshi on Wednesday they said was recovered by the Israel Defense Forces and shared with the family by Israeli intelligence officials. The footage was believed to have been filmed in November 2023.

It is unclear exactly when the IDF recovered the footage and shared it with the family. The family released a clip of the footage via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters on Wednesday.

“For many months, this footage was under strict censorship. Only recently were we granted permission to release it,” the Joshi family said in a statement with the video. “It is not easy for us to share it publicly, but we are in critical and historic days that will determine the fate of the 48 hostages, whether the living will return to their families and the deceased to a proper burial, or whether we will remain in pain without closure.”

Tamir Nimrodi was 18 years old when he was kidnapped barefoot and without his glasses, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Nimrodi, who had been serving with the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, was taken from a base near the Erez Crossing into the Gaza Strip, according to the Times of Israel

“He always said I was his best friend. … I pray for the chance to have moments with him again,” said his mom, Herut Nimrodi. “The emptiness in my heart is indescribable.”

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Trump touts ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ in Knesset speech

Trump touts ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ in Knesset speech
Trump touts ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ in Knesset speech
ABC News

In a speech to Israel’s parliament on a day when the country’s living 20 hostages were released as part of a ceasefire agreement he helped broker, President Donald Trump told the Knesset, “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”

“This will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, and change very much for the better,” Trump said.

In a sign of the warm welcome he was receiving, many in the audience were wearing MAGA-style hats that read “Trump The Peace President.”

“We gather on a day of profound joy, of soaring hope, of renewed faith — and above all, a day to give our deepest thanks to the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” he said.

“After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump said. “A land and a region that will live. God willing, in peace for all eternity.”

There was a disruption during Trump’s speech when it appeared at least one person in the audience shouted out and was quickly removed from the room. “That was very efficient,” Trump said after the interruption.

Trump received several standing ovations at the Knesset, where he was introduced by the speaker of Israel’s parliament as the “best friend Israel has ever had” in the White House — a sentiment echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“No American president has ever done more for Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close. It’s not really a match,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister said when Trump was elected, “overnight everything changed.”

“Mr. President, today, we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership and putting forward a proposal that got the backing of almost the entire world, a proposal that brings all our hostages home, a proposal that ends the war by achieving all our objectives, a proposal that opens the door to an historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region,” Netanyahu said. “Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.”

With Trump looking on smiling, Netanyahu announced he submitted Trump’s nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, Israel’s highest award. Earlier, the speaker of Israel’s parliament said he will be nominating Trump for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“As to that other prize, just a question time, you’ll get it,” Netanyahu said.

At the Knesset for Trump’s speech was his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, the latter having been involved in negotiations, as well as White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

The White House posted a short video of Trump and Netanyahu meeting with the families of hostages before his address.

After the speech, Trump was headed to an international “peace summit” in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt where he was to sign an agreement with more than 20 others leaders from around the world.

Netanyahu will not attend the summit, despite being invited by Trump.

“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation, but said that he would not be able to participate due to the proximity of the holiday,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength.”

Trump arrived earlier Monday at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where he was met by Netanyahu and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog.

The final 20 living hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, were returned to Israel on Monday, Israeli officials said, the first phase of an agreement that also called for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.

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