Multiple incendiary devices found at Tesla dealership in Texas: Police
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(AUSTIN, Texas) — Multiple incendiary devices were found at a Tesla dealership in Austin, Texas, on Monday morning, according to the Austin Police Department.
Officers located the “suspicious devices” after responding to a Tesla dealership on U.S. Route 183 just after 8 a.m. local time and called the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad to investigate, police said in a statement.
The devices were determined to be incendiary and were “taken into police custody without incident,” officials said.
Police said it is an ongoing investigation, and had no further information to release at this time.
Recent attacks aimed at Tesla dealerships, vehicles and charging stations have been reported in Las Vegas; Seattle; Kansas City, Missouri; and Charleston, South Carolina, as well as other cities across the United States since Tesla CEO Elon Musk began his role with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
In a public announcement Friday evening, the FBI said incidents targeting Teslas have been recorded in at least nine states since January, including arson, gunfire and graffiti.
“These criminal actions appear to have been conducted by lone offenders, and all known incidents occurred at night,” the FBI said in the public service announcement. “Individuals require little planning to use rudimentary tactics, such as improvised incendiary devices and firearms, and may perceive these attacks as victimless property crimes.”
The FBI urged the public to be vigilant and to look out for suspicious activity in areas around Tesla dealerships.
The aircraft went down in the frigid Potomac River, breaking into multiple pieces. The flight — which had departed from Wichita, Kansas — was approaching Reagan National Airport at the time of the collision, officials said. There were no survivors in the crash, officials said.
There were 64 passengers aboard the plane, and three Army soldiers in the helicopter, according to officials.
Among those lost in the crash were 14 people who were returning home from a national figure skating development camp in Wichita, according to Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and executive director for the Skating Club of Boston.
“Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 or 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family,” Zeghibe said in a statement.
Here’s what we know about the victims so far:
Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova
Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, a married couple, were killed in the crash, according to the Skating Club of Boston.
Naumov and Shishkova, who were figure skating coaches, were world champions in pairs competition in 1994.
They joined the club in 2017, Zeghibe said.
Jinna Han and Jin Han
Jinna Han, a figure skater, and Jin Han, her mother, were killed in the crash, according to the Skating Club of Boston.
Spencer Lane and Christine Lane
Skater Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine Lane, were among the victims, the Skating Club of Boston said.
Doug Lane, Spencer’s father and Christine’s husband, told WCVB he and his wife adopted Spencer from South Korea.
Spencer Lane, 16, “just had amazing athletic abilities,” and once he got interested in something, “you couldn’t stop him,” his father said.
The teen decided to try skating three years ago after seeing Nathan Chen in the Olympics and “committed himself to it,” his dad said.
Christine Lane, 49, who worked as a graphic designer, was “such a beautiful person” who “just connected with everyone,” he said. She had just gotten her real estate license, and was also a talented quilter and volunteered at a local animal rescue, he added.
His wife would “do everything for her children, including fly to Wichita, Kansas, for a week,” Doug Lane said. “She just gave parenting her all.”
Alexandr Kirsanov
Alexandr Kirsanov was a coach of two of the youth ice skaters on board, his wife, Natalya Gudin, told ABC News.
“I lost everything,” Gudin said. “I lost my husband, I lost my students, I lost my friends.”
Gudin said Kirsanov traveled with two youth skaters to attend a development camp in Kansas this week. Gudin, who also coaches students with her husband in Delaware, said she stayed home to be with their other skaters.
She last spoke with her husband as he boarded the flight on Wednesday, she said.
“I need my husband back,” Gudin said. “I need his body back.”
Samuel Lilley
Samuel Lilley, the first officer on board American Airlines Flight 5342, recently got engaged, his sister, Tiffany Gibson, told ABC News.
“He was an amazing person. He loved people. He loved adventure. He loved traveling. He was excited. He was young. He was so young, and he was excited about life and his future and getting a dog and a house and kids. And it’s just, this is just tragic,” she said.
Samuel Lilley’s former brother-in-law, Greg Gibson, remembered him for his passion for flying and willingness to help others.
Samuel Lilley died on the same flight path his father, Timothy Lilley, flew for years. Timothy Lilley flew Black Hawk helicopters for the Army, transporting passengers over the Potomac River from his base in Virginia.
“We were stationed in Virginia, and [Timothy Lilley] flew that same route back and forth to the Pentagon, over and over and over again until he retired,” Tiffany Gibson said.
Ryan O’Hara
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp identified one of the victims as Ryan O’Hara.
Kemp offered his condolences to the family of both O’Hara and Lilley, who he said were both from Georgia.
“Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their lives were cut so unexpectedly short,” he said in an X post. “Marty, the girls, and I ask that all Georgians join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”
Ian Epstein
The family of Ian Epstein, the flight attendant onboard American Airlines Flight 5342, is remembering him as a cherished father, husband, brother and stepfather.
“Ian Epstein was full of life. He loved being a flight attendant because he truly enjoyed traveling and meeting new people. But his true love was his family. He was a father, a stepfather, a husband and a brother! He will be truly missed. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and support we’ve received, but at this time we would ask for privacy as we process and grieve our loss,” his family said in a statement.
Wendy Jo Shaffer
The family of one victim, Wendy Jo Shaffer, confirmed she had been on the plane.
“We are devastated. Words cannot truly express what Wendy Jo meant as a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife and most importantly, a mother. The family is requesting privacy at this time,” the family said in a statement.
Brielle and Justyna Beyer
Brielle Beyer, 12, and her mother, 42-year-old Justyna, were both killed in the crash, according to Andy Beyer, Brielle’s father and Justyna’s husband.
Andrew is left with the couple’s 6-year-old son, he said.
Andy Beyer said his wife and daughter were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.
Brielle was a member of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia and beat cancer when she was just 4 months old.
“She was just such a fighter in everything she did,” Andy Beyer said of his daughter, in an interview with ABC News. “She just lived life to the fullest with everything.”
He added, “She was so proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made … Making that team was one of her life goals. And she achieved it. And she was just so, so proud of herself.”
He remembered his daughter’s passion and beautiful singing voice.
“She just lit up the house with her wonderful voice,” he said.
Andy Beyer said his wife and daughter had been away for six days for the figure skating camp.
“I missed them… Figure skating at that level, it’s a lifestyle,” he said. “It’s a full family commitment.”
Elizabeth Keys
Elizabeth Keys was a Washington-based attorney who caught an early flight home to go on a date for her birthday with her long-term boyfriend David, who remembered Elizabeth for being the person who always “pushed you to be the best version of yourself.”
Sean Kay
Sean Kay was traveling with his skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov after attending the U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp. His death was confirmed in a statement by Delaware Sen. Chris Coons.
Angela Yang
Angela Yang was traveling with her skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov after attending the U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp. Her death was confirmed in a statement by Delaware Sen. Chris Coons.
Casey Crafton
Casey Crafton was a father to three sons and husband from Salem, Connecticut. His death was confirmed in a statement by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
Grace Maxwell
Grace Maxwell was an engineering student from Wichita, Kansas who was aboard American Airlines 5432, according to a statement from Cedarville University.
University president Thomas White described Grace as a “thoughtful, quiet student leader” who helped teach other undergraduates about engineering.
She recently signed up to create a hand-stabilizing device to help a disabled child feed himself without assistance from others.
“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” said Tim Norman, her adviser.
Olivia Ter
Olivia Ter, 12, was a treasured member of the Tucker Road Ice Rink in Fort Washington, Maryland, who inspired her peers and coaches, according to a statement from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
She was one of four elite skaters from her region to attend the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, and earned praise for her ” talent, determination and sportsmanship.”
“The impact of Olivia’s life will continue to resonate in our youth sports community, and she will be sorely missed,” stated Bill Tyler, director of the commission’s Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Kiah Duggins
Kiah Duggins was a civil rights attorney and an incoming Howard University professor.
Duggins was a Wichita, Kansas, native and attended Wichita State University, received a Fulbright grant, attended law school at Harvard and worked as a civil rights attorney.
In the fall, Duggins was planning to begin teaching as a professor at Howard University School of Law.
“As a civil rights lawyer, she dedicated her career to fighting against unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C,” a statement from the university said.
Duggins worked to challenge police misconduct, fight cash bail policies, and pursued prison industrial complex abolition, according to her professional biography. She also was a White House intern during the administration of former President Barack Obama.
Lindsey Fields
Lindsey Fields, the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, was flying from Wichita to D.C. to “advocate for excellence in life science education,” according to the organization.
She was a professor and biology department chair at Butler Community College in Kansas, where she taught anatomy and physiology.
She loved to garden and had a keen interest in wildlife, including restoring native prairie plants, according to her professional biography.
“This is a tremendous loss,” the National Association of Biology Teachers said in a statement. “Please keep Lindsey, the other victims, and their families in your hearts.”
Donna Smojice Livingston, Peter Livingston, Everly Livingston and Alydia Livingston
Donna Smojice Livingston, her husband Peter Livingston, and their daughters Everly Livingston and Alydia Livingston all died in the crash, according to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Everly and Alydia were the famed duo behind the “Ice Skating Sisters” Instagram account, and their last photo depicted them near the ice in Wichita.
Jesse Pitcher, 30
Pitcher was one of five members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters killed in the crash, the union said. He was a member of UA Local 5.
“May God bless each of our fallen Brothers, and all those who knew and loved them,” the union said in a statement Friday.
Charles ‘Charlie’ McDaniel, 44
McDaniel was one of five members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters killed in the crash, the union said. He was a member of UA Local 602.
Jonathan Boyd, 40
Boyd was one of five members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters killed in the crash, the union said. He was a member of UA Local 602.
Michael ‘Mikey’ Stovall, 40
Stovall was one of five members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters killed in the crash, the union said. He was a member of UA Local 602.
Alexander ‘Alex’ Huffman, 34
Huffman was one of five members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters killed in the crash, the union said. He was a member of UA Local 602.
Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Many of the noncitizens who were deported pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act on Saturday did not have criminal records, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said in a sworn filing overnight.
In a sworn declaration, ICE Acting Field Office Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Robert Cerna argued that “the lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose” and “demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile.”
The declaration was included in the Trump administration’s recent motion to vacate Judge James Boasberg’s temporary restraining order blocking deportations pursuant to the AEA.
“While it is true that many of the [Tren de Aragua gang] members removed under the AEA do not have criminal records in the United States, that is because they have only been in the United States for a short period of time. The lack of a criminal record does not indicate they pose a limited threat,” Cerna said.
The admission that many of the men lacked criminal records – and were deported on the assumption that they might be terrorists – comes as top Trump administration officials insist that the men were violent criminals, with President Donald Trump labeling them “monsters.”
Cerna wrote that some of the men have been convicted or arrested for crimes including murder, assault, harassment, and drug offenses, writing that ICE personnel “carefully vetted each individual alien to ensure they were in fact members of TdA.”
To determine whether a noncitizen was a “member of TdA,” he said law enforcement allegedly used victim testimony, financial transactions, computer checks, and other “investigative techniques.”
“ICE did not simply rely on social media posts, photographs of the alien displaying gang-related hand gestures, or tattoos alone,” Cerna said.
According to Cerna, a review of ICE databases suggested that “numerous individuals removed” had been arrested or convicted outside of the U.S. At least five of the men were subject to INTERPOL notices for alleged crimes including rape, kidnapping, child, abduction, corruption, and possession of illegal firearms.
Cerna also noted that some of the men were arrested or encountered during federal law enforcement raids while they were in the U.S., though the declaration did not note if the men were ever charged or convicted for any crimes.
The identities and status of the deported men have not been disclosed by the Trump administration, making it unknown what portion of the over 200 noncitizens had criminal records in the U.S. or abroad.
Department of Justice lawyers said the judge’s temporary restraining orders “are an affront to the President’s broad constitutional and statutory authority to protect the United States from dangerous aliens who pose grave threats to the American people.
Judge Boasberg on Tuesday ordered the government to file under seal to the court by Wednesday at noon details regarding two aircraft that the administration did not return to the U.S. following the judge’s verbal order last week.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Another display of the northern lights could be visible this weekend in several U.S. states following a severe solar storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center forecast a planetary K-index — which characterizes the magnitude of geomagnetic storms – of five out of a scale of nine for Friday and Saturday, meaning that auroral activity would likely increase on those nights.
The states with the highest chances of seeing the auroras include Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Montana, according to NOAA.
Depending on the strength of the coronal mass ejection, states like South Dakota, Wisconsin and Maine could witness the northern lights as well — although the likelihood is lower.
The sun’s magnetic field is currently in its solar maximum, meaning an uptick in northern lights activity is expected over the next several months, as more sunspots with the intense magnetic activity are predicted to occur.
These sunspots can produce solar flares and coronal mass ejections that manifest in a dazzling light show when they reach Earth. Auroras occur when a blast of solar material and strong magnetic fields from the sun interact with the atoms and molecules in Earth’s outer atmosphere, according to NOAA. The interaction causes the atoms in Earth’s atmosphere to glow, creating a spectrum of color in the night sky.
It is difficult to predict the exact timing and location of northern lights viewing because of the distance of the sun — about 93 million miles away from Earth, according to NASA.
A citizen science platform called Aurorasaurus allows people to sign up for alerts that an aurora may be visible in their area. Users are also able to report back to the website about whether they saw an aurora, which helps the platform send alerts that the northern lights are being seen in real time.
The best times to view the northern lights are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA. Ensuring a dark setting is the best way to see the aurora. Getting away from light pollution, and even the bright light of a full moon, will also enhance the viewing experience.
Smartphone cameras are more sensitive to the array of colors presented by the auroras and can capture the northern lights while on night mode, even if they are not visible to the naked eye, according to NASA.
