National

DHS reverses decision to suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry due to shutdown

CLEAR with TSA PreCheck security line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Homeland Security has abruptly reversed a decision to temporarily suspend the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck and Global Entry programs due to what the agency described as lapse in funding.

Less than a day after the suspension order was announced by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the TSA said that PreCheck at the nation’s airports will remain open.

“At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public. As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement to ABC. 

The TSA added that courtesy escorts for members of Congress have been suspended and that those resources “can be directed towards keeping the flying public safe.”

For a few hours on Sunday morning, several airports, including Los Angeles International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport, reported TSA precheck closures.

Sources familiar with the issue told ABC News that airports are now being advised by the TSA that they can keep their precheck lanes open if they have enough staffing.

Earlier Sunday, Noem released a statement saying that the precheck service was being temporarily suspended.

“TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts,” Noem said in a statement.

The two programs, which allow expedited clearance processes for pre-vetted domestic and international travelers, were expected to be suspended starting at 6 a.m. ET Sunday, according to a DHS official. 

The initial plan called for DHS personnel assigned to these programs to be redirected to assist the broader traveling public, as travelers braced for longer lines to clear security.

The decision to suspend the programs came as an anticipated winter storm had already prompted the cancelation of more than 7,000 flights across the country. The decision and its quick reversal also comes just weeks before the spring break travel rush. 

In addition, Noem also announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will also halt “all non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters,” underscoring the impact of the upcoming winter storm.

Before the decision to suspend the PreCheck program was reversed, a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, immediately blasted the move.

“This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games,” Thompson said in a statement. “TSA PreCheck and Global Entry REDUCE airport lines and ease the burden on DHS staff who are working without pay because of Trump’s abuse of the Department and killing of American citizens,” he said.

“Trump and Kristi are making your lives harder — and your travel less safe — all on purpose because they know you don’t trust them. They pulled these games with FEMA disaster response last week, now this madness. They would rather force Americans to miss their travel waiting in long lines at the airport than stop Trump’s secret police from shooting our neighbors.”

U.S. Travel, a non-profit organization that represents the nation’s travel industry also expressed its “disappointment” and criticized the move in a post on X writing, “Travelers should be prioritized, not leveraged. Travel is the gateway to the American economy and Americans should not have their mobility, security or travel experience diminished because elected leaders fail to resolve their differences.”

The temporary suspension was first reported by the Washington Post. 

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National

Man shot, killed by Secret Service, local deputy outside of Mar-a-Lago, officials say

The shotgun and gas canister that were allegedly carried by 21-year-old man who was fatally shot, February 22, 2026, at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

(NEW YORK) — A man authorities alleged was carrying a shotgun and a gas canister was fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy sheriff early Sunday outside of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, according to the Secret Service.

The shooting unfolded around 1:30 a.m. local time near the north main gate of the estate, Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Miami field office, said at a news conference later Sunday.

“We want to be clear: the president of the United States was not in the state of Florida,” Barros said.

No “Secret Service protectees” were at the property at the time of the shooting, according to a statement from a Secret Service spokesperson earlier Sunday.

The FBI identified the man killed as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Moore County, North Carolina.

According to North Carolina state records, an individual named Austin Tucker Martin is listed as the founder of the business Fresh Sky Illustrations LLC. The business features various drawings of golf courses in North Carolina and is described on its website as “an artwork company that mainly focuses on bringing to life the hopeful feeling of being on a golf course.”

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at Sunday’s news conference outside of Mar-a-Lago that the individual was shot after he allegedly pointed the shotgun at the law enforcement officers.

Bradshaw said the man had made his way into the inner perimeter of Mar-a-Lago and that he was confronted by two Secret Service Agents and a deputy sheriff.

“They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun,” Bradshaw said.

He later held up a printed copy of photo he said showed the weapon and canister.

“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said of the alleged intruder.

“At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,” Bradshaw said, adding that the individual was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Fortunately, nobody was injured inside because of the quick action that was taken by the deputy and the Secret Service,” Bradshaw said.

Investigators are determining how many shots were fired in the incident and whether the alleged intruder fired a shot at the law enforcement officers, who were part of the security detail at Mar-a-Lago, Bradshaw said. He added that it wasn’t yet known whether the shotgun was loaded.

The FBI is spearheading the investigation, said Brett Skiles, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, adding that FBI personnel was on the scene collecting evidence.

A motive for the incident is unknown at this time, officials said.

Skiles asked residents living near Mar-a-Lago to check their exterior security cameras for footage from Saturday night into early Sunday morning for “anything that looks suspicious or out of place,” and to contact the FBI or the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office if they do.

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National

Investigators release photo of suspect in murder of 87-year-old at Maryland senior living facility

Police vehicles are seen outside of Chief J. Thomas Manger Public Safety Headquarters where Montgomery County Police Department 1st District is based in Gaithersburg, MD on September 02, 2022. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

(POTOMAC, Md.)– Investigators in Maryland have released a video of a person wanted in connection with the murder of an 87-year-old man known for his philanthropy and are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect whose face does not appear.

Robert Fuller Jr., 87, was found in his apartment at a senior living facility in Potomac, Maryland, on Feb. 14. He died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Montgomery County Police Department.

Fire and rescue responded to the Cogir of Potomac senior living facility at around 7:30 a.m. Fuller was found unresponsive in his apartment. Life saving measures were attempted, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Major crimes investigators were notified after responders saw trauma to the head. Investigators determined he was murdered, according to police.

Investigators were able to obtain the surveillance video showing a person on the senior living facility property around the time of the murder. The individual is a suspect in the murder, according to police.

Authorities have not been able to identify the suspect’s gender or race, saying the person shown in the video could be male or female, according to authorities. 

“Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the clothing worn by the individual, or who can identify any distinguishing characteristics, including the person’s gait, to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773- 5070 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County,” authorities said in a statement.

Fuller was known for his philanthropy after he donated $1.64 million to upgrade a high school’s athletic field in Maine, according to ABC affiliate WMTW in Portland, Maine. 

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National

Over 40 million Americans on alert for winter storm conditions over the weekend

People make their wy through the snow in Times Square in New York, January 23, 2016. (Gary Hershorn/Corbis via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A significant nor’easter is expected to march up the East Coast on Sunday into Monday, bringing significant snow for the I-95 corridor and placing New York City under a blizzard warning for the first time in nearly a decade, with the last one coming in March 2017.

As of Saturday morning, more than 40 million Americans are on alert for winter storm conditions beginning on Sunday and continuing into Monday.

The National Weather Service has upgraded southern Delaware, the Jersey Shore, all of New York City, Long Island and coastal Connecticut to a blizzard warning for increased confidence in snowfall of more than one foot and gusty winds that will likely cause blizzard conditions.

Coastal flood watches are also up from coastal Delaware to the Jersey Shore and Long Island to the coast of southern New England for minor to moderate coastal flooding during high tide.

As the forecast continues to become clearer, expect additional winter weather alerts to be issued over the next 24 hours across the Northeast.

While the exact snowfall totals and which locations will get the most precipitation from the storm remains uncertain, confidence has increased that the eastern seaboard will be dealing with a powerful coastal storm Sunday through late Monday that will bring significant snowfall, high winds and coastal flooding.

This coastal storm is expected to start taking shape over the coastal Carolinas on Sunday, bringing rain to the Mid-Atlantic and some scattered light to moderate snow from Northern Virginia up into Pennsylvania and into parts of New Jersey and New York come Sunday morning into the afternoon.

By late Sunday afternoon, the coastal storm will begin to quickly intensify off the coast of North Carolina and Virginia as it tracks to the Northeast and parallels the East Coast.

By early Monday morning, the storm is anticipated to bring heavy snow, strong wind gusts and coastal flooding across much of the coastal Northeast.

The Jersey Shore, Long Island, the southern coast of New England and Cape Cod could all see blizzard and whiteout conditions early Monday from the combination of heavy snow and very strong wind gusts.

By Monday evening, snow should begin to taper off almost completely for the Northeast except for New England which could still see intermittent precipitation.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

World news

Met Police ‘assessing’ if London airports played role in human trafficking tied to Epstein files

Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, December 19, 2025. (U.S. Justice Department)

(LONDON) — London police said Friday they are “assessing” whether the city’s airports played a role in human trafficking tied to the release of the U.S. Department of Justice’s files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Following the further release of millions of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, we are aware of the suggestion that London airports may have been used to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Friday. “We are assessing this information and are actively seeking further detail from law enforcement partners, including those in the United States.”

The Met Police’s statement comes after Essex Police said on Wednesday that they are also “assessing the information that has emerged in relation to private flights into and out of Stansted Airport following the publication of the US DoJ Epstein files.”

Met Police said that it had previously investigated sex trafficking allegations involving Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell has denied any knowledge of what Epstein was doing with women and girls at his various properties.

Based on guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service and U.S. authorities, “it was clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities outside the UK and perpetrators based overseas and therefore international authorities were best placed to progress these allegations,” Met Police said.

Met Police said it decided in 2016 not to conduct a full criminal investigation, a decision that was reviewed in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and remained unchanged.

Following the release of the Epstein materials, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he asked Met Police “urgently to re-examine their decision-making in their investigation and the subsequent reviews,” in a piece published in the New Statesman earlier this month. 

“The Epstein emails, which record the visas issued, payments made and transport organised for girls and women trafficked across the world, suggest a number of British girls were on 90 Epstein flights organised from UK airports on what was called his ‘Lolita Express,'” Brown wrote. “Among the many aspects that should sicken anyone looking at the emails is that 15 of these flights were given the go-ahead after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. How the flights were allowed to continue should have been fully investigated.”

Brown further wrote that the Epstein emails “tell us in graphic detail how Epstein was able to use Stansted Airport — he boasted how cheap the airport charges were compared to Paris — to fly in girls from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.” 

Stansted Airport, located some 30 miles northeast of central London, was where “women were transferred from one Epstein plane to another,” Brown wrote, adding that “women arriving on private planes into Britain would not need British visas.”

Brown also cited a BBC investigation into Epstein’s private planes published late last year that found that from the early 1990s to 2018, nearly 90 flights linked to Epstein had arrived or departed from UK airports — including some that had British women on board who alleged abuse by Epstein. 

“It seems the authorities never knew what was happening: evidence the BBC has uncovered shows incomplete flight logs, with unnamed passengers simply labelled as ‘female,'” Brown wrote. “To this day, the names of many of the male passengers are unknown because their names were withheld. In short, British authorities had little or no idea who was being trafficked through our country, and for whom other than Epstein.”

In the wake of the Epstein files release, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III — was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released after 11 hours and has not been charged.

In late 2010, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to share sensitive information stemming from his role as the U.K. trade envoy with Epstein, emails released by the U.S. DOJ suggest.

His arrest follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between him and Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.

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National

Suspect dead, ongoing ‘counter terrorism’ investigation into power substation attack

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks during a press conference, Feb. 20, 2026. ( Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

(NEVADA) — Authorities in Nevada are investigating a “counter terrorism incident” involving a man who allegedly tried to ram a vehicle into an L.A. power and water facility near Boulder City, Nevada, Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

The suspect was identified by authorities as Dawson Maloney, 23, of Albany, New York. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference Friday.

Authorities said they recovered firearms and explosive materials in Maloney’s hotel room.

The incident began unfolding at around 10 a.m. local time Friday, a 911 caller reported a vehicle crashing through a secured gate at the power substation. The caller reported that the suspect appeared deceased and shots were heard after the crash, according to McMahill.

At the press conference, investigators showed videos of a vehicle driving up to the facility before ramming through the gate. The vehicle was stopped when it ran into large industrial wire reels, McMahill said.

The suspect allegedly traveled from New York with the intent to cause chaos, according to a source. Maloney was reported missing from Albany and made contact with his family just before the attempted ramming, according to McMahill.

“The suspect had made multiple statements referencing self harm and alluding to committing an act that would place him ‘on the news.’ In a message to his mother, the suspect referred to himself as a ‘dead terrorist son’ and stated he felt he had an obligation to carry out his act,” McMahill said.

The suspect was also discovered to be wearing soft body armor at the time of the incident, McMahill said.

“These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident,” McMahill said.

Through license plate reader data, investigators determined the suspect drove from New York to Nevada in a rental vehicle, according to McMahill.

Investigators believe he rented a vehicle on Feb. 12 then departed the area sometime around Feb. 14, crossing the country to Boulder City, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto.

While executing a search at the suspect’s hotel, investigators found books with extremist ideologies “including right and left wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacy and anti-government ideology,” McMahill said.

“We also recovered explosive materials and components to include thermite, ammonium nitrate, magnesium ribbon, metal pipes and gasoline,” McMahill said.

Investigators found multiple firearms found in the vehicle that rammed into the gate including two shotguns, an AR-style pistol, numerous loaded AR magazines, a box of shotgun shells and two flame throwers, according to McMahill.

There was no indication of any damage to the facility and there is no threat to the community, according to officials.

Investigators have not yet determined the suspect’s motivation behind the attack.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

World news

Government will consider removing former Prince Andrew from line of succession

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen returning after leaving police custody, following his arrest on February 19, 2026 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

(LONDON) — The U.K. Government will consider introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession once the police investigation has concluded, ABC News learned Friday.

Andrew is currently 8th in line to the throne.

Investigations continued Friday after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III — was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation.

Police confirmed that searches being conducted in Norfolk have now concluded, while searches in Berkshire remain underway and that Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged. The former prince was pictured returning to Sandringham in Norfolk on Thursday night.

In a statement on Thursday, Thames Valley Police said it had “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”

There have been no senior royals arrested in recent history.

Under United Kingdom law, an arrest requires police to have reasonable grounds to suspect an offense has taken place and reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary to arrest the person in question.

In a statement issued on Thursday, King Charles III said, “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation,” Charles added.

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”

Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between Andrew and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.

In late 2010, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to share sensitive information stemming from his role as the U.K. trade envoy with Jeffrey Epstein, who had just months earlier completed his sentence in Florida for solicitation of a minor into prostitution, emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice suggest.

Emails sent by Mountbatten-Windsor show the former prince passing along what he described as “confidential information” stemming from his government role to Epstein. Other emails sent by his former liaison suggest that Mountbatten-Windsor discussed Epstein’s connections in his personal dealings.

“It’s undoubtedly a threat to the monarchy,” ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson said Thursday of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, noting the historic and “seismic” nature of a police raid taking place at a royal estate.

“I think some people, many people, younger people included, will argue, what is the point of an institution that’s unelected when you’ve got criminality, or potential criminality, actually unfolding like this and members of the royal family being arrested and cautioned … to give evidence under oath in an interview?” Jobson said on “Good Morning America.” “It’s shocking.”

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