Severe weather, including risk of tornadoes, to impact South this weekend
via ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A moderate risk for severe weather is in place from eastern Texas through Louisiana and Mississippi and into Alabama on Saturday.
The risk for severe weather begins in Texas on Saturday morning and then charges east through the evening and into overnight.
The greatest risk will be for several strong and large long-tracked tornadoes, potentially EF3 or greater, according to the Storm Predication Center.
Other risk factors will be from large hail, damaging wind and flash flooding.
As for the rain, 2 inches to 4 inches of rain is expected in the South on Saturday from Texas to Alabama and Tennessee, with localized areas of 5 or more inches possible, leading to that flash flood risk.
This same storm complex will reach the Southeast on Sunday, leading to a severe threat there as well, although it is expected to be far less extreme than Saturday will be.
Strong to severe storms will be rolling through Georgia through the morning hours, as well as the Carolinas – where major hubs like Charlotte and Atlanta may see morning delays due to the storm.
The main threats will be from damaging wind and possible tornadoes on Sunday, though again, the threat is lower than on Saturday.
Virginia may also see strong to severe storms late morning and early afternoon.
This rain will reach Philadelphia to New York City early Monday morning but likely be gone by sunrise Monday. Boston, however, will have a rainy Monday morning.
(LOS ANGELES) — All raw whole milk and cream products produced by Raw Farm LLC that are still on store shelves are being voluntarily recalled following multiple detections of bird flu virus in the company’s milk and dairy supply within the past week, according to California public health officials.
Officials have also placed the farm under quarantine and suspended any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter, and cheese products produced on or after Nov. 27.
“Californians are strongly encouraged not to consume any raw milk or cream products in their possession or still on store shelves,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement on Tuesday. “Pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.”
No human bird flu cases associated with the product have been confirmed to date, officials said. Though, bird flu virus levels have been found at high levels in raw milk and health officials believe raw milk is infectious to humans.
“We are working towards resolving this political issue while being cooperative with our government regulatory agencies,” Raw Milk, which is based in Fresno, said in statement posted on its website.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has previously warned of the dangers of drinking raw milk, which does not undergo pasteurization — a process that kills viruses and bacteria.
“Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria,” according to the FDA. “This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous foodborne illnesses.”
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to finally book a dream vacation or put some points to good use and fly to a new destination, there are some travel requirements taking effect in 2025 that everyone should keep in mind.
REAL ID
Americans should make sure their identification is up to date sooner than later this winter, because starting May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enforce the use of REAL ID at airports and some federal facilities.
U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant in order to board domestic flights. Read more about the requirement here and see how to obtain your REAL ID on time.
Entering the UK with ETA
The expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program will impact U.S. and European travelers headed to the United Kingdom.
Starting Jan. 8, 2025, ETA registration will be required by inbound travelers so that UK authorities can screen visitors before arrival, which was modeled after the U.S.’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system in an effort to reduce potential security risks and make border entry more efficient.
The ETA, which costs approximately $13, is not a visa and does not replace any existing visa requirements.
Americans traveling to the U.K. on or after Jan. 8 can apply through the UK government’s official website here or use the ETA app.
The ETA is valid for multiple entries into the UK through a two-year period.
ETIAS entry and exit requirements
Though not yet operational, the European Union’s European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which has been postponed multiple times, is expected to take effect in May 2025.
U.S. passport holders who previously traveled to Europe without a visa will now need to apply for authorization through the ETIAS platform before visiting.
Once granted ETIAS travel authorization, travelers will be able to enter participating countries multiple times for short-term stays — usually up to 90 days — over a 180-day period. The ETIAS is valid for up to three years, but if your passport expires, a new ETIAS travel authorization will be required.
Read more about ETIAS requirements and how to apply here.
New protections for air travelers
Earlier this year, new federal regulations took effect that require airlines to make it easier for ticketed passengers to get their money back after flight cancellations or other significant changes.
Under the new Department of Transportation rules, travelers can easily receive automatic refunds if they opt not to take a rebooked flight, significant delays are clearly defined across all airlines, and travelers are eligible for refunds on bag fees if a bag is delayed for over 12 hours (or 15-30 hours for international flights), refunds on ancillary paid services that don’t work such as WiFi, and 24/7 live customer service support channels.
Click here to read more details on what’s new under the updated DOT airline rules.
Thomas Dickey, defense attorney for Luigi Mangione/ABC News
(NEW YORK) — The defense attorney representing Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, said he has seen “no evidence” linking his client to the killing, adding that “a lot of guns look the same.”
“I have not been made aware of any evidence that links the gun that was found on his person to the crime so these are things that we’re looking to see,” attorney Thomas Dickey told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.
“Today’s another day,” he added. “We’re looking forward to beginning our inquiry as to what evidence may or may not be out there.”
The attorney said Mangione is “taking it as well as he can.”
Mangione, 26, plans to challenge his extradition from Pennsylvania to New York, where he faces a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Thompson’s Dec. 4 outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel.
The Ivy League graduate was arrested on Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and charged in Pennsylvania for allegedly possessing an untraceable “ghost” gun.”
“He has constitutional rights and that’s what he’s doing” in challenging the interstate transfer, Dickey told reporters on Tuesday.
Police officials in New York have not said whether the gun recovered in Pennsylvania is considered a match for the one used in the killing last week, but said it looks similar and that it would undergo ballistic testing.
“A lot of guns look the same,” Dickey said on Wednesday. “If you brought a gun in and said, ‘Well, it looks like that,’ I don’t even know if that evidence would be admissible. So I would argue it wouldn’t be given much weight.”
He also cautioned that anyone speculating on the case should take the potential evidence “in its entirety,” not taking pieces of writing or other evidence “out of context.”
“People put out certain things, parts of different things,” he said. “I think any lawyer involved in this situation would want to see it all.”
Mangione plans to plead not guilty to the charges filed against him in Pennsylvania, Dickey said. A judge in Pennsylvania ordered Mangione held without bail on Tuesday.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it will seek a governor’s warrant to try to force Mangione’s extradition. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she’ll sign a request for the governor’s warrant “to ensure this individual is tried and held accountable.”
Dickey said he anticipates that Mangione would also plead not guilty to the second-degree murder charge in New York.
Mangione yelled to the press about “an insult to the intelligence of the American people” as he was physically dragged into the courthouse on Tuesday.
When Mangione was arrested on Monday, he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.
Mangione’s writings, obtained by ABC News, were addressed to the “Feds” and said, “I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
He claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, but ranks about No. 42 in life expectancy. He said UnitedHealthcare “has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit.”
Whether Mangione has a personal connection to UnitedHealthcare is unknown, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
A UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said in a statement that they hope the arrest “brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation.”
ABC News’ Peter Charalambous and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
