4 rescued, including child, after hunting party gets stuck on ice floe in Alaska: Coast Guard
A still from a U.S. Coast Guard video showing the rescue of four people who became trapped on an ice floe during a seal hunting expedition naer Chefornak, Alaska, on April 12, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard)
(ALASKA) — Four people, including a child, who got trapped on an ice floe during a seal hunting expedition in Alaska were safely rescued, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday, calling it one of the most “challenging missions” the helicopter crew has ever flown.
The daring rescue occurred early Sunday, approximately 10 miles west of Chefornak, a remote village in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region in southwestern Alaska.
Alaska State Troopers reported to the Coast Guard at 4:24 p.m. on Saturday that a “group of four people on a subsistence seal hunting expedition required assistance after being trapped on the ice for over 24 hours,” the Coast Guard said in a press release.
The group managed to free the 18-foot vessel overnight, but moving ice prevented it from reaching the shore, the Coast Guard said.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak reached the scene at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday, and all four people — three adults and one child — were safely hoisted aboard, according to the Coast Guard, which released video footage of the rescue.
The conditions at the time included 28-degree air temperature and 29 mph winds, the Coast Guard said.
The individuals were transported back to Chefornak with no reported injuries, the Coast Guard said.
“Our entire crew agreed this was one of the most challenging missions any of us had ever flown,” Lt. Cmdr. Alexis Chavarria-Aguilar, pilot-in-command for the helicopter, said in a statement. “We battled nearly every Alaska-centric aviation weather hazard imaginable, such as flying over 800 miles in near-zero visibility through mountainous terrain, blowing snow and icing conditions.”
“It was a long, difficult night, but I’m so proud of everyone involved who worked seamlessly together to bring four people home safely,” he added.
The Coast Guard noted that the hunting party had three forms of communication on their vessel — including satellite-based — which “greatly enhanced” the aircrew’s ability to find and rescue them.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents after arriving in New York City, January 3, 2026. Obtained by ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, made their initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday following their capture by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, with Maduro claiming, “I am innocent.”
Maduro told the court he is “still president of my country” and his attorney signaled they may try to assert Maduro is entitled to protection from prosecution as head of a sovereign state.
There are “issues about the legality of his military abduction,” his attorney Barry Pollack said.
Maduro and Flores — who are being held in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn — appeared in front of Judge Alvin Hellerstein at noon.
When he entered the courtroom, Maduro greeted the spectators, saying, “Buenos dias.” Maduro was escorted into the courtroom in shackles and orange jail slippers and sat two seats away from his wife.
The couple wore headphones to hear the court-provided interpreter.
When Maduro took his seat next to Pollack, he immediately began writing on a notepad. Flores sat next to her attorney, Mark Donnelly.
Maduro stood before the judge.
“Are you, sir, Nicolas Maduro Moros?” Hellerstein asked.
Maduro declared, through an interpreter, “I am the president of Venezuela.” He added, “I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” before the judge interrupted and told him there would be time later to challenge his custody.
Maduro then affirmed he is who the judge said he is.
Hellerstein read Maduro the standard rights.
Maduro said, through an interpreter, “I did not know of these rights. Your Honor is informing me of them now.”
“How do you plead to the indictment?” Hellerstein asked.
Maduro responded, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he believes Maduro is not the legitimate president of the country. That was also the position of the Biden administration, which offered a $25 million reward for his arrest in January 2025.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything mentioned here,” Maduro responded, through an interpreter, when asked to repeat his plea to the charges.
Hellerstein then turned to Maduro’s wife.
“I am Cilia Flores,” she said. “I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”
Hellerstein interjected, saying, “The purpose today is just to ask you who you are.” The judge then explained her rights to remain silent and to be represented by an attorney.
“Yes I understand and I’ve heard it,” Flores said.
Asked how she pleaded to the three counts of the indictment she faces. Flores responded, “Not guilty — completely innocent.”
“As citizens of the state of Venezuela, you have the right to consult with consular officials,” Hellerstein informed Maduro and Flores.
“We understand it and we would like to have such consular visits,” Maduro said.
Maduro took notes during the proceeding and he asked the judge for permission to keep them.
Maduro and Flores did not ask for bail. The judge said he is open to receiving a bail application in the future, but the couple will otherwise remain detained at MDC-Brooklyn.
Donnelly said Flores was injured during the military operation and requested a medical briefing. A bruise was evident on Flores’ head.
“She sustained significant injuries. There’s worry she may have a fracture or severe bruising on her ribs,” Donnelly said.
As Maduro was being led from the courtroom, someone in the gallery stood and shouted in Spanish, in part, “You will pay in the name of Venezuela.”
Maduro stopped and responded in Spanish, “I am the elected president. I am a prisoner of war. I will be free.”
The next court date is set for March 17.
Before Monday’s hearing, dueling groups of protesters gathered across the street from the courthouse, One group held signs urging President Donald Trump to “Free President Maduro,” and the other supported of his capture.
Maduro and Flores are among six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment that accused them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for the last 25 years. Maduro has long denied all the allegations.
Maduro’s son, two high-ranking Venezuelan officials and an alleged leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang are the other defendants.
Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” in which Maduro and Flores were “captured and flown out of the Country.”
Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement. Members of Congress said the military, which sources said included the elite Delta Force, was in place to support that law enforcement operation.
In a move that alarmed some observers, Trump, who campaigned on “America First” and against foreign entanglements, said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified “period of time.”
He said a team comprised of some of his Cabinet officials along with a local team in Venezuela would be “running the country” because there is “nobody to take over.”
“We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money, use that money in Venezuela, and the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela,” Trump said.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro’s “kidnapping.”
Rodriguez demanded Maduro’s return and vowed to defend Venezuela against American aggression.
On Sunday, Rodriguez posted a statement to social media in which she appeared to soften her tone, inviting “the U.S. government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela.
The president said he had not yet spoken to Rodriguez. Asked if he wanted to, Trump said, “At the right time, I will.”
ABC News’ Meghan Mistry and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
Construction on the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building on March 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve will unveil on Wednesday its latest decision on interest rates, marking the first such move since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran drove up gasoline prices and risked a wider bout of inflation.
The elevated price increases coincide with a slowdown of economic growth, threatening to intensify an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation,” which poses difficulty for the Fed.
If the Fed opts to lower borrowing costs, it could spur growth but risk higher inflation. On the other hand, the choice to raise interest rates may slow price increases but raises the likelihood of a cooldown in economic performance.
Markets are expecting the Fed to hold interest rates steady. Investors peg the chances of interest rates being left unchanged at about 99%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.
The central bank maintained the current level of interest rates at its most recent meeting in January, ending a string of three consecutive quarter-point rate cuts.
The benchmark rate stands at a level between 3.5% and 3.75%. That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lackluster jobs report last week showed the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, which marked a reversal of fortunes for the labor market and erased most of the job gains recorded in 2026.
The unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% in January to 4.4% in February, the BLS said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.
A revised government report last week on gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at a sluggish annualized pace of 0.7% over the final three months of 2025.
Those economic headwinds helped set the conditions before the outbreak of war with Iran, which spiked oil prices and risked price increases for a host of diesel-fuel transported goods.
U.S. crude oil prices hovered at about $96 per barrel on Tuesday, soaring more than 50% since a month earlier.
Since the military conflict began, U.S. gas prices had gone up 81 cents to an average of $3.79 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to AAA.
The rate decision on Wednesday will also mark the first such move since a federal judge blocked Justice Department subpoenas to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors after determining the government “produced essentially zero evidence” to support a criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, according to an unsealed court opinion.
“A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning,” U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in his opinion on Friday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro blasted Boasberg as an “activist” judge and pledged to appeal his ruling.
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.
