Ohio Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Stephen Rhoades commander of Special Troops Command pins the Purple Heart medal on Staff Sgt. Aaron Futrell April 10, 2022, during a ceremony at the Army Aviation Support Facility in North Canton, Ohio. (Ohio National Guard)
(NEW YORK) — Traumatic brain injuries are quickly emerging as the signature wound of the U.S. war with Iran so far, echoing a pattern of post-9/11 wars, according to a U.S. official.
More than 200 U.S. troops have so far been wounded in the war, and at least 140 of those were TBI-related injuries, the U.S. official said. It’s a surge being driven by Iran’s reliance on one-way attack drones and the concussive blasts they deliver in strikes against American troops in countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Symptoms of TBI can be subtle at first but often linger for years, or even a lifetime, ranging from persistent headaches, fatigue, dizziness and vertigo, to more severe cognitive effects like memory loss, impaired decision-making and difficulty concentrating.
Veterans with TBIs are also nearly twice as likely to die by suicide compared to veterans without a diagnosed brain injury, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“If they’re near a blast, there should be no doubt they have a TBI,” Dr. Jayna Moceri-Brooks, who studies combat-related brain injuries, said. “You can’t escape from blast overpressure … symptoms can be debilitating.”
ABC News reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
TBIs have been widely seen as a signature wound of the post-9/11 wars, as insurgent tactics have relied on explosives to target U.S. troops. More than 460,000 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries between 2001 and 2023, according to VA data.
While such injuries have been suffered in warfare for generations, it wasn’t until 2011, nearly a decade into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the Army formally made TBIs eligible for the Purple Heart.
After Iran launched 15 ballistic missiles at U.S. forces at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq in January 2020, in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the first Trump administration initially said no troops had been injured.
That assessment was slowly revised by the administration, first minimizing the scope of the damage before ultimately acknowledging that 110 service members had been wounded, most suffering traumatic brain injuries, the kind of blast-related wounds that can carry lasting, life-altering effects.
In the years since the attack, Staff Sgt. Aaron Futrell, 44, who served in the Ohio Army National Guard, who was near one of the missile strikes at Al Asad, has wrestled with a cascade of lingering symptoms. What were once daily, debilitating migraines have only recently subsided to once or twice a week with treatment through the VA. He still deals with memory lapses, describing his cognition at times as “buffering like a YouTube video,” struggling mid-sentence to find the right words.
The first year after his injury proved especially grueling. Futrell said he was often overcome by extreme fatigue, going straight to bed after work and feeling as though he “lost a year” of his life. He was medically discharged from the Guard, where he served in aviation operations, and was given a high disability compensation rating from the VA.
Even routine settings can present challenges. Loud, echoing environments, like his son’s school, can trigger headaches, at times forcing him to sit out events from his car.
“I limit myself to some places,” Futrell said. “It’s learning what places might trigger headaches or be stress-inducing.”
The toll extends beyond his own health. “It has been a huge strain on my family and me,” he said. “I don’t look disabled. I can act like a normal individual. I’m good until I’m not.”
Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam is seen in a photo released by the city of Nampa, Idaho. (City of Nampa, Idaho)
(NAMPA, Idaho) — An Idaho mayor months into his first term died after experiencing a medical emergency during a town hall, in what officials called “a shock and a tragedy.”
Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam, 47, was attending a Treasure Valley Partnership town hall on Wednesday in nearby Eagle when he died, according to Eagle city officials.
Eagle Mayor Brad Pike, a former firefighter, and Eagle Police Chief Travis Ruby immediately went to his aid, officials said.
“911 was called, CPR was administered, EMS arrived promptly, but their efforts were, sadly, unsuccessful,” the city of Eagle said in a statement.
Nampa officials said Hogaboam “suffered a medical emergency.” ABC News has reached out to the Ada County Coroner’s Office for an update on his cause of death.
Hogaboam began serving in early January as the mayor of Nampa, located about 20 miles west of Boise and home to over 100,00 people — making it the third-largest city in Idaho.
He previously served as the Canyon County clerk; was chief of staff to the previous Nampa mayor, Debbie Kling; was elected a Nampa councilman; and briefly served as a substitute Idaho state senator in 2021, according to his city biography.
“He hopes to utilize his experience and knowledge to advocate for transparent and efficient governance that is responsive and accountable to the citizens,” his bio, which he wrote, noted.
Hogaboam was a husband, father and grandfather who was “committed to a vision for Nampa where families thrive in a community where citizens are proud to live, work, eat, play, and worship,” his bio stated.
He was an avid reader, baseball fan and lover of sushi and Korean food, his bio said.
“We ask the community to please keep his family and loved ones in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Nama city officials said in a statement. “As we begin to mourn this unbelievable loss, please provide grace while we navigate the loss of not only our Mayor, but also our friend.”
Eagle city officials said Hogaboam “lived as an example of integrity and civil service.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Thursday ordered the lowering of U.S. and Idaho flags at the state Capitol building and state buildings in Canyon County in honor of Hogaboam, calling his sudden death a “tremendous loss.”
“Rick served with a genuine heart for public service and an unwavering commitment to the people of Nampa,” Little said in a statement. “He cared deeply about his community and worked every day to make it stronger and better for those he served.”
The city of Nampa was holding an emergency council meeting on Thursday in the wake of Hogaboam’s death to discuss maintaining city operations and the process for appointing a new mayor.
Actor Marlon Wayans and actress Keke Palmer arrives at the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ‘Dance Flick’ held at the Arclight theaters on May 20, 2009, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Marlon Wayans and Keke Palmer will star in a new romantic buddy action-comedy, Ride or Die, which has just been acquired by Lionsgate.
Wayans will take on the role of robbery detective Martin Banks, while Palmer will play Tami Moore, “a consummate professional narcotics detective and unapologetic butt-kicker,” according to Deadline. “Sparks and bullets fly when these opposites are partnered to track down a billion-dollar cache of deadly opioids stolen from the vault of a multinational pharmaceutical company that threaten to flood the streets of Chicago.”
Wayans describes the film as When Harry Met Sally with guns, according to Deadline. It’s also being promoted as the “first romantic buddy-cop action comedy.”
Wayans co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Alvarez.
The news of Ride or Die arrives as Wayans promotes the latest installment of Scary Movie, premiering in theaters on June 5, as well as his Wild Child Tour, for which tickets are now available.
Palmer, meanwhile, continues work on her podcast; on Tuesday she dropped an episode featuring Niecy Nash-Betts. She also recently premiered the movie I Love Boosters at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. The film is set to be released on May 22.
Miley Cyrus performs on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (Disney/Randy Holmes)
Even though she’s sung them hundreds of times, Miley Cyrus does not, in fact, have an encyclopedic knowledge of her own song lyrics. She proves that in a new video for Variety, in which she attempts to identify lyrics from her own songs, as well as the ones she recorded as Hannah Montana.
There are some songs Miley knows right off the bat, like “This Is the Life,” which she says is her favorite Hannah Montana song. “It was the first song I ever cut as Hannah Montana, so now, 20 years later, that it’s still living its best life, that makes me happy.”
Miley also quickly identifies “The Best of Both Worlds,” but misses “He Could Be the One.” “Dude, you said these were easy. … What the hell?” Miley complains. “I don’t frickin’ remember this song.” She also failed to identify a line from Hannah Montana: The Movie.
She identifies “Rock Star,” but says it’s only because it’s the favorite song of Hannah Montana superfan Alex Cooper, who hosted the upcoming Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.
“See You Again” is an easy one for Miley to identify: It was her first single released under her own name. She strikes out with “Ordinary Girl,” but recovers with “Party in the U.S.A.” and “Hoedown Throwdown.”
Miley also identifies “Always Find Your Way Back Home”; her controversial-at-the-time Bangerz track “We Can’t Stop”; and “Nobody’s Perfect,” a Hannah song she loves. And of course, the whole thing ends with “The Climb.”
Of the years she spent as Hannah, Miley adds, “I couldn’t imagine any other destiny for me. It felt like a perfect fit of fate, exactly what I was made to do and built for.”
Lee Brice will release “When the Kingdom Comes” on April 3, ahead of the June 5 release of his album Sunriser.
Jennifer Nettles will star in the new musical she wrote, Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo, this summer in New York City. Tickets are on sale now for the show’s June 28-July 26 run at Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Time is running out to see Rosanne Cash: Time Is a Mirror at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit will wrap up its nearly 16-month run on April 1.
Gabby Barrett previewed what’s ahead for her musically and picked up some accolades for a couple monster hits at the annual Warner Records luncheon during Country Radio Seminar this week in Nashville.
She performed “The Easy Part,” which she co-wrote with HARDY, and debuted an unreleased song, teasing that Chris Stapleton had previously had it on hold.
Afterward, the head of the label presented Gabby with two new RIAA certifications. Her three-week #1 “The Good Ones” is now quintuple Platinum, while her debut single, “I Hope,” is now nine-times Platinum.
So far, there’s no word on when more new music may be coming, though you can check out the recently released music video for “The Easy Part” now.
Sir Paul McCartney performs at The O2 Arena during his ‘Got Back’ world tour on December 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
A new documentary focuses on the 50-year search for Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner bass, and the first teaser has just been released.
McCartney: The Hunt for the Lost Bass, directed by Arthur Cary, is set to hit theaters in the U.K on April 2 and 4. According to the film’s description, the doc “tells the extraordinary story of this iconic instrument, and the fan powered quest to find it.”
McCartney purchased the bass in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961 and used it to write such Beatles classics as “Love Me Do” and “She Loves You.” It was initially believed to have last been seen in 1969 following the filming of Get Back. It was later revealed that it had actually been stolen in 1972 from a truck parked in Notting Hill, West London.
The Lost Bass Project launched a campaign to find McCartney’s bass in 2018, and the Beatle announced in February 2024 that he had it back in his possession.
The documentary features interviews with McCartney, his brother Mike McCartney, Elvis Costello and Klaus Voormann, along with journalists and fans who set out to find and restore the bass.
“It’s a story about fandom, creativity, love, loss, memory and the transformative power of music,” the description adds.
There’s no word on whether the documentary will be released in the U.S.
Kristen Stewart attends the Chanel and Charles Finch annual Pre-Oscar Dinner at the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel on March 14, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California. (Jon Kopaloff/WireImage via Getty Images)
Kristen Stewart is taking on the role of Sally Ride.
The actress will make her TV debut by portraying the famous astronaut in Prime Video’s upcoming limited series The Challenger, ABC Audio has confirmed.
The Challenger is created by Golden Globe winner Maggie Cohn. She also writes, executive produces and showruns the program, which is inspired by Meredith E. Bagby’s 2023 book The New Guys. James Hawes, who has worked on Slow Horses and Black Mirror, will direct and executive produce the show. Kyra Sedgwick, Stewart and Bagby also executive produce.
The series follows “the gripping story of one of the most defining moments in space history, both the unprecedented events leading up to the tragedy, and the shocking investigation that followed,” according to Prime Video.
“As the members of the 1986 Rogers Commission interrogate the complex inner workings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to find what, or who, was responsible for the Challenger’s doomed fate, the show explores Commission member Sally Ride’s personal journey,” its description continues. “We follow Sally, and the rest of the diverse Astronaut Class of ’78, through the ranks of the shuttle program, through initial recruitment and training, professional and personal highs and lows, until Sally’s historic glass ceiling moment as she becomes the first American woman in space.”
“There is no one better than Maggie Cohn to bring to life the complex story of the Challenger and the new class of astronauts recruited by NASA in the early 1970s, all through the eyes of an American hero, Sally Ride,” Sedgwick said in a press release.
Peter Friedlander, the head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, said, “Sally Ride’s courage and brilliance changed history, and we couldn’t imagine a more powerful actor to bring her story to life than Kristen Stewart.”
Flea at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Ser Baffo)
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is set to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The episode will air March 23 at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on NBC.
The performance comes ahead of Flea’s debut solo album, Honora, dropping on March 27. The record features Flea playing his signature instrument along with the trumpet, which he showcases on an instrumental cover of the Frank Ocean song “Thinkin Bout You.”
Honora also includes collaborations with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Nick Cave.
Richard Kahn, an accountant for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrives for a House Oversight Committee deposition about Epstein, in Rayburn building on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — In his opening statement to the House Oversight Committee, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime attorney Darren Indyke claimed that he had “no knowledge whatsoever” of the late financier’s crimes and categorically denied facilitating the sex trafficking of women.
“I’m left trying to explain what many people who knew Jeffrey Epstein have noted after his death: he led two entirely separate lives, his professional one and the other, a private, personal one that caused many others to suffer,” Indyke said on Thursday, according to his prepared remarks obtained by ABC News. “That I did not know what my client did in his private life may be difficult for some to believe, but it is true.”
Indyke addressed some of the allegations levied against him in civil lawsuits filed after Epstein’s death, including that he withdrew hundreds of thousands in cash for Epstein and coordinated sham marriages to keep victims in the United States.
According to Indyke, he never tried to “structure” cash withdrawals to avoid triggering an alert to the Treasury Department. He seemingly acknowledged that he did withdraw thousands for Epstein, arguing that the sex offender required large amounts of cash because he had trouble obtaining credit cards from major banks.
“For a person in Mr. Epstein’s financial position – with five multimillion-dollar residences staffed by dozens of employees and with an extensive travel itinerary – it did not strike me as unusual that Mr. Epstein’s business, household and personal needs required large amounts of cash on a regular basis,” he said. “I never believed that cash that I withdrew for Mr. Epstein and his staff was used by Mr. Epstein or his staff for any improper purposes.”
Indyke also said he never did “arrange, assist or facilitate any marriages between acquaintances of Mr. Epstein.” Multiple now-settled lawsuits alleged that he assisted with at least three marriages to keep Epstein’s victims in the United States.
“I did not consider it appropriate to interrogate anyone as to the reasons for their decisions to marry or the bona fides of their relationships,” Indyke said in his remarks.
Indyke claimed that he would have quit working for Epstein had he known about his abuse and trafficking of women and girls. According to Indyke, Epstein vowed to never commit another crime after his 2008 guilty plea.
“After he pled guilty in 2008 to procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution, Mr. Epstein appeared to me to be devastated and extremely contrite,” Indyke said. “He was adamant that he had no idea anyone involved was underage, and personally assured me he would never again let himself be in that position. I believed him, and I made the mistake of believing Mr. Epstein that he would not again commit a crime. I deeply regret doing so. Most importantly, I feel horrible for those women whom Mr. Epstein abused.”
Indyke served as Epstein’s longtime attorney since the mid-1990s.
As Epstein for years attempted to avoid scrutiny while orchestrating a notorious sex trafficking operation, Indyke — together with accountant Richard Kahn — allegedly helped him navigate legal issues and formed part of the financier’s inner circle. Indyke allegedly helped facilitate at least three sham marriages between Epstein’s victims and withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for Epstein, according to one lawsuit, and attested to Epstein’s character when he faced legal scrutiny.
“Knowing that they would earn millions of dollars in exchange for facilitating Epstein’s sex abuse and trafficking, Indyke and Kahn chose money and power over following the law,” alleged one lawsuit that Indyke and Kahn agreed to settle with no admission of wrongdoing.
Neither man has been charged with any crimes. They both deny any wrongdoing and say they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes while working for him.
The deposition Thursday comes as the House Oversight Committee attempts to zero in on members of Epstein’s inner circle to better understand how the disgraced financier was able to commit decades of crime with seeming impunity.
Following higher profile depositions of people like billionaire Leslie Wexner as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, the questioning of both Indyke and Kahn arguably presents the committee with their strongest opportunity to learn more about Epstein’s life and crimes.
“I was not aware of the nature or extent of Epstein’s abuse of so many women until after Epstein’s death,” Kahn told lawmakers last week, according to his prepared remarks. “However, it pains me to think, and I deeply regret, that I may have unknowingly assisted Epstein in any way.”
Executor of Epstein’s Trust
In a will signed two days before he was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell, Epstein named Kahn and Indyke as the co-executors of his estate and bequeathed them $25 million and $50 million, respectively. At the time of his death, Epstein’s estate was valued as much as $650 million. It was last valued at approximately $127 million, according to an October 2025 court filing, after paying out multiple settlements to Epstein’s victims.
As co-executors of Epstein’s estate, Indyke and Kahn recently agreed to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims that accused them of “facilitation, participation, and concealment of Epstein’s illegal conduct” for their own financial gain.
According to the lawsuit, both men helped “structure Epstein’s bank accounts and cash withdrawals to give Epstein and his associates access to large amounts of cash in furtherance of sex trafficking.”
“The Epstein Enterprise would not have existed for the duration it did and at its scope and scale, without the collaboration and support of others. No one, except perhaps Ghislaine Maxwell, was as essential and central to Epstein’s operation as these Defendants,” the lawsuit alleged.
The settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing and still needs to be approved by a judge. Though the lawsuit was brought against them personally, the $25-35 million settlement would be paid by Epstein’s estate, according to the settlement terms.
“Neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn socialized with Mr. Epstein, and both men reject as categorically false any suggestion that they knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr. Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that they were aware of his actions while they provided professional services to him,” an attorney for the men told ABC News in December.
Allegedly arranged sham marriages
In a lawsuit filed by government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Indyke and Kahn were alleged to have helped facilitate at least three sham marriages created to secure immigration status for some of Epstein’s victims, further securing control of the women and ensuring they could remain in the United States.
“The victims were coerced into participating in these arranged marriages, and understood that there would be consequences, including serious reputational and bodily harm, if they refused to enter a marriage or attempted to end it,” the complaint alleged.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in 2019 by an anonymous accuser, one woman alleged that Epstein’s longtime attorney — not explicitly named as Indyke in the lawsuit — helped prepare the legal paperwork for the marriage, going as far as arranging photographs “to give the appearance that the marriage was legitimate.”
“When the victim inquired about getting divorced … Indyke tried to talk her out of a divorce and threatened that she would lose Epstein’s protection,” a 2024 lawsuit alleged.
Files released earlier this year by the Department of Justice appeared to reference some of the marriages allegedly arranged by Indyke and Kahn.
“Good morning Jeffrey! We are going now to get marriage license,” an unidentified individual wrote Epstein in 2013. “She is asking if it’s possible to meet with you? Because she has some questions.”
Withdrawing thousands in cash
Court filings as well as documents released by the Department of Justice suggested that both Indyke and Kahn played integral roles in managing Epstein’s wealth and overseeing his regular expenses, including alleged payments to women.
According to the Virgin Islands lawsuit — which was settled by the Epstein estate with no admission of wrongdoing — Indyke and Kahn allegedly arranged payments from Epstein’s personal, corporate and nonprofits bank accounts to victims. That lawsuit alleged that Epstein — together with Kahn and Indyke — managed more than 140 different bank accounts.
According to documents released by the DOJ, Indyke served as an officer for many of the holding and shell companies related to Epstein’s real estate and financial holdings.
A 2020 settlement between Deutsche Bank and the New York state financial regulator also suggested that an attorney for Epstein — who sources told ABC News is Indyke — methodically withdrew cash for Epstein in a manner they said intentionally avoided scrutiny.
Limiting the withdrawals to $7,500 in cash — the maximum amount permitted and below the threshold to trigger concerns — Indyke allegedly withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars for Epstein over four years. While the transactions were below the $10,000 limit to trigger an alert to the Treasury Department, a report by New York State’s Department of Financial Services faulted Deutsche Bank for ignoring red flags about Epstein’s bank accounts.
Jail visits and a character reference
After securing a plea deal in Florida, Jeffrey Epstein was visited in jail frequently by Indyke, according to visitor logs maintained by the Palm Beach Sheriff. Indyke also helped secure a lenient work-release program for Epstein by vouching for his employment, allowing Epstein to leave the jail for up to 16 hours a day, ABC News reported in 2021.
Prior to Epstein’s plea deal, Indyke also attested to Epstein’s character. According to a letter sent from defense lawyers to prosecutors in Florida, Indyke vouched for Epstein’s character and claimed that Epstein provided financial and emotional support to his family.
“Although Jeffrey was adamant that we owed him nothing, Jeffery honored us by agreeing to be the godfather of our children,” the letter quoted Indyke.
