US attorney testifies that DOJ didn’t direct him to seek criminal charges against Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia (R) and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura (L) attend a prayer vigil before he enters a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, testifying Thursday at a hearing on whether the government is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, said that no one from the White House or the Department of Justice made the decision to seek an indictment against the Salvadoran native.

The hearing comes after the federal judge overseeing the case, Waverly Crenshaw Jr., canceled the trial in the case in December and wrote in a court order that there was enough evidence to hold a hearing on the question of vindictive prosecution after the Trump administration brought Abrego Garcia back from detention in El Salvador to face charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.

“Who decided to seek an indictment against Abrego Garcia” a government lawyer asked Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire during Thursday’s hearing.

“I did,” McGuire testified.

McGuire said that after reviewing the body cam footage of the 2022 traffic stop, “there were things” that were similar to other human smuggling cases, including the number of individuals in the car, the lack of luggage in the vehicle, and the fact that Abrego Garcia — who was the driver — “seemed to speak on behalf of everyone else.” Abrego Garcia was not charged at that time.

“This really looked like a human smuggling case to me,” McGuire testified.

When asked about his communications with DOJ leadership, McGuire said it was normal for him to be in contact with top officials because of the high-profile immigration case involving Abrego Garcia.

In response to questions about an email from a top DOJ official to McGuire stating that the case was a “top priority,” McGuire said DOJ leadership “always” wanted to stay updated on high-profile cases.

Earlier in Thursday’s hearing, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security said that she felt no pressure to bring charges.

Saoud stated that as she began her preliminary investigation and obtained the video of the traffic stop in the spring, “the case started getting stronger.”

When asked by a DOJ attorney whether she felt pressured by the government to move the case toward prosecution, Saoud said no.

“We’re not swayed by political attention or political posturing,” Saoud testified.

The government is currently blocked from deporting Abrego Garcia, who was released from immigration detention in December. In a separate case last week, a federal judge ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot re-detain him because his 90-day detention period had expired and the government lacked a viable plan for his deportation.

The Salvadoran native, who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported last March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he and his attorneys deny.

He was brought back to the U.S. in June to face the human smuggling charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.

After being released into the custody of his brother in Maryland pending trial, he was again detained by immigration authorities before being released in December.

February 26, 2026

Politics

Lawmakers praise their Black male teachers: ‘I would never be here’

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., conducts a news conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus during the House Democrats 2025 Issues Conference at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va., on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Gregory Meeks knows the pivotal role Black men can play in a young person’s life.

“In high school, my [Black] male teacher was Mr. Ozzie and he guided me, you know, through some difficult times and through good times,” Meeks, D-N.Y., told ABC News.

He praised Ozzie for giving him life advice and will never forget how his former teacher inspired him to pursue politics.

“He got me involved in student government at the time,” Meeks said, adding “Without the foundation, I would never be here.”

In interviews with ABC News over the last year, lawmakers across a broad spectrum discussed their relationship with the Black male figures who taught them during their formative years. Having a Black male — and a diverse group of educators — benefits “everyone,” not just Black students, according to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and education experts who spoke with ABC News.

However, less than 2% of all U.S. public school teachers are Black men, according to recent government data. It stems from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which ended racial segregation in America’s public schools and prompted a massive white resistance to the new law of the land.

Leslie T. Fenwick, author of “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership,” told ABC News that the resistance — by mostly white Southern politicians — helped cause the shortage of Black male educators, and Black educators as a whole were forced out in droves.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the latest data on Black male teachers are a “concerning statistic.” Still, the Louisiana native told ABC News that he had “many” Black male teachers over the years.

“One of my favorites was Mr. Tilmer Keels,” Johnson recalled. “He was our band director in middle school. He was such a great inspirational leader,” Johnson added.

Johnson, Meeks and their colleagues overwhelmingly described Black male teachers as supportive, encouraging, and provided positive images for young people.

“They [Black male educators] were very significant for me, and we need more than just one,” Meeks said. “I should be able to talk about three, four, five, six, seven, eight of them,” he added.

Bipartisan appreciation

There’s bipartisan support throughout Congress for these impactful teachers.

Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said teaching is one of the “most important” careers one can choose. Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny K. Davis, one of the oldest lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said his roles in public service include teaching.

Jonathan L. Jackson’s father, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson who passed away last week, served as a role model for Black youth across the nation. In the classroom, Jackson said he had at least two Black male teachers throughout high school who he said impacted his worldview.

“People need someone to look up to,” Jackson told ABC News. “That’s why we should be pushing specifically for more African American males in science, education, humanities, histories and all the other good things.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is also pushing to increase representation in the classroom.

“I’m an advocate for having more male teachers in general, but certainly Black male teachers,” he said, adding, “I think you need a picture of what you want to become in the world.”

Recruitment and retention

Over years of reporting, several Black male educators at public, charter and private pre-K-12 schools have told ABC News that they feel underappreciated and overstretched — with their numbers in the profession already small and appearing to dwindle, according to experts.

Today, 100 years after the first observance of what would become Black History Month, roughly three dozen Black males are serving in Congress. The ones who spoke to ABC News believe Black men deserve a space in the classroom.

Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education & Workforce Committee who grew up in the segregated South, doesn’t remember ever having a Black male teacher — from elementary school all the way through to when he earned his law degree from Boston College. He noted that teachers and coaches hold an important place in a child’s upbringing, stressing that there should be more Black male educators in schools.

Eric Duncan, the director for preschool-12th grade policy at the nonprofit organization The Education Trust, argued Congress holds the power to bolster the Black male educator through a multitude of levers that would incentivize them to stay in the profession, including scholarships, mortgage assistance, and teacher tax credits.

Duncan, a former social studies teacher, said Black male educators need to feel empowered. Their dismal numbers would improve if the legislative branch keeps level funding for teacher pipeline programs, he said.

“Congress has a role, I think, in continuing to appropriate those funds and continues to keep those programs for the teacher prep programs in the districts that are doing the hard work of trying to recruit and retain Black male educators in their schools,” he said.

“Artificial barriers” impeding progress

The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling had a crippling impact on the retention of Black male teachers.

More than 70 years after the resistance to the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, some lawmakers say they feel different factors of the teaching profession keep men out of the classroom, including credentialing and salaries.

Rep. John James, R-Mich., said he wishes there were more avenues for Black men to become teachers but “artificial barriers” are impeding their progress.

“The licensing and certification, the time and the money required, this erects artificial barriers to create mentors and role models, particularly for young Black men who don’t necessarily have that in their life,” James told ABC News.

Last session, multiple teacher salary bills introduced in the House and Senate never received a vote. Freshman Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala. said Congress has a collective obligation to address the problem.

“The salary piece of it is certainly a big thing, but we also got to get real about, you know, conditions in schools,” Figures said.

“How are we making the environment the best suitable for teachers to want to stay and remain in the classroom long term?”

February 26, 2026

National

Head of World Economic Forum resigns over ties to Epstein

World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, 2026. (Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Borge Brende stepped down as the head of the World Economic Forum Thursday following an independent review into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, marking the latest departure in a string of high-profile resignations by business and government leaders who were associated with the late sex offender.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

February 26, 2026

National

Columbia University student detained by Homeland Security agents in dorm, school says

Columbia University. (Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A Columbia University student was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents Thursday morning, after they allegedly made “misrepresentations” to enter a dorm, the school said.

Claire Shipman, the school’s acting president, sent a letter to the school community informing them that the DHS agents entered an unspecified dorm on the campus around 6:30 and detained the student.

“Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details,” she said.

DHS did not immediately return messages from ABC News for comment.

The school was “working to reach the family, and providing legal support,” the letter further said.

“It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access,” the letter said.

“If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety,” Shipman wrote. “Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement condemning the federal agents’ alleged actions.

“Let’s be clear about what happened: ICE agents didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence,” she said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

February 26, 2026

National

Cindy McCain to step down as head of the World Food Programme

Cindy McCain during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Cindy McCain will be stepping down as head of the United Nations World Food Programme to focus on her health, the humanitarian organization announced on Thursday.

McCain, 71, suffered a mild stroke in October 2025, according to the organization. She plans to step down as the group’s executive director in three months, it said.

“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down as the Executive Director of the World Food Programme,” McCain said in a statement released through the organization. “Serving this incredible organization has been the honor of a lifetime.”

McCain, who is the widow of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, stepped away for several months following her stroke before returning in early January to the organization’s headquarters in Rome. She said she hoped to complete her five-year term “but my health has not recovered to a level that allows me to fully serve the enormous demands of this job.”

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make,” McCain said. “Over the past three years, we have delivered life-saving and life-changing assistance for millions of the world’s most vulnerable people — and this unwavering commitment will be more important than ever in the years to come.”

McCain has been serving since April 2023 as the executive director of the World Food Programme, which has a presence in more than 120 countries and over 20,000 staff worldwide.

“During her tenure she has driven several unprecedented changes to reform and scale the organization’s abilities including overhauling its global structure, streamlining its operations and processes, scaling innovative digital technologies, and diversifying its public and private partnership efforts,” the World Food Programme said in a press release.

McCain previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture for two years.

February 26, 2026

Business

US mortgage rates drop below 6% for the 1st time in nearly 4 years

In an aerial view, two-story single family homes line the streets of neighborhood on January 13, 2026 in Thousand Oaks, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped below 6% for the first time in nearly four years, according to new data from Freddie Mac.

Rates have been hovering around 6% this year and averaged 6.76% last February.

“For the first time in three and a half years, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped into the 5% range, falling even lower than last week’s milestone,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “This rate, combined with the improving availability of homes for sale, is meaningful and will drive more potential buyers into the market for spring homebuying season.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

February 26, 2026

National

Svetlana ‘the stowaway’ Dali allegedly snuck onto United flight at Newark airport: Sources

Booking photo for Svetlana Dali. (Niagara County Sheriff’s Office)

(NEWARK, N.J.) — Svetlana Dali is at it again.

Dali, who previously was convicted in Brooklyn federal court of being a stowaway on a Delta Air Lines flight out of New York’s JFK Airport to Paris, allegedly snuck onto a United flight at New Jersey’s Newark airport on Wednesday night, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The United flight landed in Milan and she is now in Italian custody, sources said.

United said in a statement, “Safety and security are our highest priorities. We are investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities.”

In November 2024, Dali went through security at JFK Airport, walked onto a Delta plane without a boarding pass and hid in the plane bathroom for several hours, according to prosecutors. When a flight attendant noticed, Dali faked vomiting to excuse her lengthy time in the bathroom, according to prosecutors.

After Dali was brought back from France to New York to face charges, she was released from custody. Dali allegedly cut off her ankle monitor and traveled to Buffalo, New York, where she tried to cross over the Peace Bridge into Canada.

In July 2025, the Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident was sentenced to time served for the New York-to-Paris flight.

Dali told the judge she snuck onto the flight to seek treatment because she said the U.S. military had poisoned her.

“My actions were directed toward only one purpose: to save my life,” Dali said through a Russian interpreter.

Two days before Dali stowed away on the Paris flight, she allegedly accessed a secure area of the departures terminal at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, prosecutors said. Earlier in 2024, customs agents found Dali hiding in a bathroom in a secure area of the Miami International Airport, prosecutors said.

February 26, 2026

Entertainment

‘Heated Rivalry’ season 2 expected to air in April 2027

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in ‘Heated Rivalry.’ (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)

Heated Rivalry is headed back to the cottage this summer.

Show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady told CBS Mornings Thursday that season 2 of the hit hockey romance is set to begin shooting in August and is expected to air in April 2027.

“There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, like, truly as soon as humanly possible,” Tierney, who’s currently writing the episodes, said.

“Like the best parts of this show, just enjoy the yearn,” Brady added.

The hugely popular show, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as rivals-to-lovers hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. Season 1 is available on HBO Max in the U.S.

In addition to yearning for season 2, fans will have to wait a little longer for Reid’s next book about the couple. Unrivaled, her seventh book in the series, was pushed back from a Sept. 29 release date to June 1, 2027.

To tide fans over, you can catch Storrie as he makes his debut hosting SNL this weekend. You’ll also soon be able to book a weekend at the Canadian cottage where the show filmed on Airbnb.

February 26, 2026

National

Memorial services for Rev. Jesse Jackson begin in Chicago as family calls for ‘unity’

Jesse Jackson poses for a portrait during the 55th Anniversary of Ben’s Chili Bowl on August 22, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

(CHICAGO) — Memorial services for Rev. Jesse Jackson began on Thursday in Chicago, where the late civil rights icon, Baptist minister and politician lay in repose at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition — the organization he founded in 1996 to fight for social justice.

Jackson’s family departed the Leaks and Sons Funeral Home on Thursday morning and their procession drove down Cottage Grove Avenue to reach Rainbow PUSH Coalition, where thousands are expected to pay their respects to the civil rights leader on Thursday and Friday.

“Jesse Jackson, Sr. changed the United States — and the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement on Wednesday. “We are deeply honored to know there are people from every walk of life who want to join us to pay their respects.”

Jackson, who died on Feb. 17 at the age of 84, experienced health issues over the past several years, including a battle with Parkinson’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disorder.

Jackson was born in Greenville, S.C. on Oct. 8, 1941 and will lie in honor at the South Carolina State House in Columbia on Monday. Afterwards, his body will be transported to Washington, D.C. for a formal funeral service on Wednesday, before returning to Chicago for “The People’s Celebration,” a public homegoing service on Friday, and a private final homegoing service on Saturday.

Jackson’s children honored their father’s legacy, reflecting on his 1984 and 1988 presidential runs and how he dedicated his career to advancing economic justice and building political power for Black Americans.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. called for unity in the Feb. 18 press conference ahead of his father’s funeral services.

“Do not bring your politics out of respect to Rev. Jesse Jackson and the life that he lived to these home going services,” he said. “Come respectful and come to say thank you, but these homegoing services are welcome to all Democrat, Republican, liberal and conservative, right wing, left wing, because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American.”

He asked people to “be respectful in the context of the extraordinary life” his father lived.

“Dad would have wanted us to have a great meeting to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together, and if his life becomes a turning point in our national political discourse, amen,” he said.

After Jackson’s death, civil rights icons, politicians and thought leaders across the U.S. shared tributes reflecting on the pioneering civil rights leader’s legacy.

In addition to the city of Chicago, governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and South Carolina ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Jackson. In announcing plans to lower the flags, governors highlighted the impact that Jackson made on the communities in each of those states.

“Jesse Jackson, Sr. marched beside Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil rights for all people. He traveled the world fighting economic and gender inequity. Until his last days, he fought for better healthcare, education, and peace in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, and beyond,” the Jackson family said in a statement on Wednesday. “I hope everyone who joins us to honor his legacy will also continue to champion these causes. That would be the best possible tribute and celebration they could offer.”

February 26, 2026

National

8-year-old Navajo Nation girl may have been struck and killed by a truck, FBI says

The FBI is looking for information about the death of 8-year-old Maleeka “Mollie” Boone in Coalmine, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. (FBI)

(NEW YORK) — An 8-year-old Navajo Nation girl who mysteriously died last month may have been struck and killed by a truck, the FBI said.

Maleeka “Mollie” Boone was “likely struck by a passing vehicle” and it’s possible the driver hit the 8-year-old “without realizing it,” the FBI in Phoenix announced on Wednesday.

The 8-year-old went missing on Jan. 15 in her neighborhood in Coalmine, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, the FBI said.

Mollie was playing late that afternoon and was walking home when authorities believe she was struck, according to the FBI. Her body was found the next morning.

The FBI said it’s looking for information about cars on Cedar Loop Road in the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority between 5:50 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 15. The driver may have been in a larger car, possibly a pickup truck, the FBI said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.

February 26, 2026

Author: admin