Danville crime at 40-year low
Crime in Danville fell to a 40-year low in 2025, marking the sixth consecutive year of overall declines, according to…
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Video of Clintons’ depositions in House Epstein probe is released
(WASHINGTON) — Videos of the closed-door depositions of ex-President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released on Monday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The Republican-led committee questioned each of the Clintons individually last week in their hometown of Chappaqua, New York, as part of an inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
The deposition of Bill Clinton on Friday marked the first time a former president was compelled to testify before a congressional committee.
After being sworn in for his appearance, the former president acknowledged that the Oversight Committee’s desire to question him was justified while also distancing himself from Epstein.
“Through my brief acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein, though it ended years before his crimes came to light, and though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication of what was going on, I’m here to offer what little I know so I can do my part to prevent something like this from happening again,” Bill Clinton said.
“I think you should have called me. I did take those plane trips with him and you have a right to ask those questions,” he added.
He also criticized the Oversight Committee for subpoenaing and questioning Hillary Clinton, arguing she had nothing to do with Epstein.
“I have to just say one personal thing. Since Hillary came in yesterday, she had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” he said.
During her opening statement Thursday, Hillary Clinton argued that the committee was attempting to protect “one political party and one public official rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims.”
“You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican member showed up for Les Wexner’s deposition,” she said of the former Epstein associate. “This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors as well as inform the public who want to get to the bottom of this matter. ”
President Donald Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
“I don’t know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes, I never went to his offices. So it’s on the record numerous times,” Hillary Clinton told reporters after her closed-door session with the committee concluded Thursday.
In prepared opening remarks Clinton denied any knowledge of the crimes committed by Epstein, going on to say making his wife Hillary Clinton testify “was simply not right.”
In his statement as released, he stated that he would often say, “I do not recall” throughout his questioning because the events were “all a long time ago.”
“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” Clinton said, according to the statement.
Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and both deny having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.
Bill Clinton said in his opening statement that he had “no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing.”
Bill Clinton’s association with Epstein was first noted publicly in 2002 after reporters learned of the former president’s flight that year on Epstein’s jet for a humanitarian mission to multiple African nations.
In his statement as released, he stated that he would often say, “I do not recall” throughout his questioning because the events were “all a long time ago.”
“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” Clinton said, according to the statement.
Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and both deny having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.
Bill Clinton said in his opening statement that he had “no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing.”
Bill Clinton’s association with Epstein was first noted publicly in 2002 after reporters learned of the former president’s flight that year on Epstein’s jet for a humanitarian mission to multiple African nations.
None of the flight records from Epstein’s planes that have surfaced in litigation indicate that Clinton was ever aboard for a trip to Epstein’s island.
The Clintons were subpoenaed to appear under oath in front of the committee for a deposition in January, but failed to comply, arguing the subpoenas were without legal merit. Rather, they proposed a four-hour transcribed interview instead.
Following the Clintons’ refusal to appear, the Oversight Committee passed the contempt resolution with nine Democrats voting in favor of it, teeing it up for a full House vote.
At the last minute, just before the resolution was to be voted on in the House, the Clintons agreed to sit for a deposition, postponing further consideration of a contempt vote.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Pentagon, Trump warn more US troops likely to die in Iran operation
(WASHINGTON) — Additional American troops are being sent into the Middle East as the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its third day Monday, with senior Pentagon officials warning that the death toll of American troops will likely rise as the conflict widens across the region.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news briefing Monday that the war against Iran would not be swift and that more U.S. casualties should be expected. “We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses,” he said.
The warning echoed a stark message from President Donald Trump, who on Sunday on his social media platform, offered condolences to the families of fallen service members and braced the public for a higher death toll. “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is.”
U.S. troops have been under sustained pressure from Iranian retaliation, including a strike targeting the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and attacks on American bases in Kuwait, which serve as key logistics hubs and staging grounds.
So far, six U.S. troops have been killed in what sources tell ABC News was an Iranian strike on an American command center in Kuwait, and 18 service members have been wounded in the operation.
Trump mourned the American casualties again on Monday at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House.
“Today, we grieve for the four heroic American service members who have been killed in action and send our love and support to their families. In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people and a threat indeed it is.”
Meanwhile, three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down Sunday by Kuwait, a U.S. ally, U.S. Central Command confirmed Monday, adding that all six aircrew members ejected safely and are in stable condition. The U.S. aircraft were in “active combat” against Iranian aircraft, missiles and drones.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said an invasion of Iran with ground forces, which would demand a much greater surge of combat power beyond what’s already deployed, hasn’t been ruled out.
“We’ll go as far as we need to go to advance U.S. interests,” he told reporters.
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IAEA warns it ‘cannot rule out’ possible radiological release from Iran strikes
(VIENNA, Austria) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Monday that the possibility of radiological release due to U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran can’t be ruled out.
Speaking before the Board of Governors at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said there were no signs of strikes to Iran’s nuclear facilities or elevated radiation levels above the usual background levels detected in countries bordering Iran.
Rossi said that, currently, it doesn’t appear the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been damaged or hit.
“The IAEA has extensive knowledge of the nature and location of nuclear and radiological material in the region, and we have clear guidance for actions necessary in case an attack or an accident causes a radiological release, as well as the ability for hands-on help if it is required,” Rossi said.
“Let me underline that the situation today is very concerning,” he continued. “We cannot rule out a possible radiological release with serious consequences, including the necessity to evacuate areas as large or larger than major cities.”
Rossi said the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) has a team in place collecting information and assessing the situation, but the conflict has made communication difficult.
The IEC said it is continuing to try and connect with Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities, but with no response so far.
“Let me again recall past General Conference resolutions that state that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,” Rossi said.
He urged all parties to return to diplomacy and regulation to achieve the long-term assurance that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons.
President Donald Trump said over the weekend that a preemptive attack on Iran was justified by “imminent threats” from the Iranian guard, though he provided no evidence, and to topple the Iranian regime.
U.S. intelligence seemed to counter the president’s claims. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Iran is working on developing a missile capable of reaching the U.S. by 2035.
Last year, the U.S. bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites. Experts have said there are recent signs of Iran trying to rebuild its program and begin again enriching uranium, but that there was no evidence they were close to building a bomb.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
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Trump contradicts US intelligence on Iran, doesn’t address regime change as before
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Monday claimed the U.S. was “very nearly under threat” from Iran, contradicting U.S. intelligence assessments as he sought to justify his administration’s ongoing attack.
“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said at a medal of honor ceremony at the White House, marking his first public remarks on the military operation.
“Our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat,” Trump continued.
American intelligence agencies, however, believe Iran would not have had missiles capable of reaching the U.S. for another nine years, until 2035.
And sources confirmed to ABC News that Trump administration officials told congressional staff that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the United States interests.
The officials said there was more of a general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, sources told ABC News.
Still, Trump argued Iran would have “soon” had the capability to reach the American homeland and that “this was our last best chance to strike.”
“The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases, both local and overseas, and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America,” Trump said.
Trump, in Monday’s remarks, laid out U.S. objectives for the military campaign.
“Our objectives are clear,” Trump said. “First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis, and their capacity to produce brand new ones and pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their navy. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon … And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Trump notably did not address the issue of regime change after speaking extensively on leadership change over the weekend, as he called for Iranians to rise up and take over the government.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also shifted focus away from regime change in a press conference at the Pentagon earlier Monday, telling reporters the operation was not a “so-called regime-change war.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was killed in an attack launched by Israel and the United States.
Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl on Sunday that individuals that the U.S. had identified as potential leaders in a post-Khamenei Iran were also dead.
“The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,” Trump told ABC’s Karl. “It’s not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead.”
As for what’s next, Trump again promised not to drag the U.S. into prolonged foreign conflicts but said the operation will go on for as long as needed.
“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes. We will always, and we have right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it.”
“Somebody said today, they said, ‘Oh, well, the president wants to do it really quickly, after that, he’ll get bored.’ I don’t get bored,” Trump added. “There’s nothing boring about this.”
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Taraji. P. Henson reacts to seeing herself on billboard for Broadway debut
Taraji P. Henson has been featured on many billboards, but the latest one promotes her upcoming Broadway debut. Taking to Instagram, she shared a video that pans across a billboard for the play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, featuring photos of her and Cedric the Entertainer. The video also includes backstage and behind-the-scenes shots.
“I need somebody to pinch me!!! BROADWAY!!!!!! This moment is so surreal. Thank you God!” she captioned the post. “The entire cast is beyond gifted and amazing, and I cannot wait for you all to come see this show.”
Directed by Debbie Allen, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone will play a 15-week engagement in the Barrymore Theatre beginning March 30. Taraji will take on the role of Bertha Holly, who runs a Pittsburgh boardinghouse with Cedric’s Seth Holly, providing shelter to Black travelers navigating uncertain paths in the aftermath of the Great Migration, according to Broadway.com.
Herald Loomis arrives with his young daughter, disrupting the stillness of their home, the play’s official website says. He searches for his lost wife and embarks on a journey of self-discovery after seven years of forced labor under Joe Turner, Broadway.com adds.
According to Cedric, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is “gonna be good!!!”
Tickets are currently on sale.
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Zendaya, Tom Holland are married, stylist claims
Zendaya and Tom Holland have tied the knot, according to stylist Law Roach.
The famed celebrity stylist behind many of Zendaya’s looks opened up on the Actor Awards red carpet on Sunday when asked about the couple’s seemingly impending marriage.
“The wedding has already happened. You missed it,” Roach said while speaking with Access Hollywood on the red carpet at the awards ceremony.
“Is that true?” asked the reporter, to which Roach responded, “It’s very true.”
ABC News has reached out to representatives for Zendaya and Holland.
The couple’s engagement was confirmed by People last year after Zendaya was photographed wearing a large diamond ring at the 2025 Golden Globes.
The celebrity couple met in 2016 while filming the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which Holland starred as the superhero and Zendaya starred as “MJ,” or Michelle Jones-Watson.
Holland seemed to indicate a romance with Zendaya in 2021, wishing her a happy birthday in an Instagram post.
“My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your [sic] up xxx,” wrote Holland in the post.
The photo showed Holland in full Spider-Man gear while Zendaya rested her chin on his shoulder and raised a camera to a mirror.
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Michael B. Jordan talks ‘Sinners’ recognition: ‘I don’t want it to end’
Michael B. Jordan had a big weekend, with wins at the NAACP Image Awards and the Actor Awards, and he doesn’t want it to end just yet.
After winning outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role for Sinners, which also took home outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, he told Extra he’s honored “to be acknowledged by our peers and other actors that we admire.”
“To get that love and that affection and be in this room has us all kind of speechless,” he said of the Sinners cast, noting he’s generally feeling “gratitude.” “It’s a special movie, special project. We’ve been through so much together as a cast and as individuals and, man, I just don’t want it to stop. I don’t want it to end. I want to continue to do this over and over and over again. So yeah, it feels good.”
While accepting his award at the Actor Awards, Michael thanked his mother for the role she played in his success. He told Extra that he wouldn’t be close to where he is now without her love and support, which made her the perfect date.
“There’s been so much in my career my mom wasn’t able to be with me in these spaces, you know,” he said. “So for her to join me on this run, it couldn’t happen any other way.”
We’ll find out if Michael will add an Oscar to his trophy slate on March 15, when the Academy Awards air on ABC
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Trump admin told congressional staff that intel suggested Iran wasn’t preparing to launch preemptive strike
(WASHINGTON) — Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings on Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the United States interests, four people familiar with the briefing told ABC News.
The officials said there was more of a general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, sources told ABC News.
The intel shared with staff appears to contradict some of President Donald Trump and the White House’s previous statements about Iran and the reasoning for attacking the country.
The president said in his video address announcing the strikes, “our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
On a call with reporters this weekend, senior Trump administration officials said there were indicators that Iranians could launch a preemptive attack against U.S. forces and allies in the region.
While Trump was meeting with military leaders this weekend, he spoke with ABC News about the general threat from the Iranian regime.
“I think there was a threat. Had we not done Midnight Hammer, which was one of the greatest things [this] country has ever done, we would’ve been faced with a nuclear weapon within a month — we would have been faced with a very powerful nuclear weapon within a month,” Trump said this weekend.
“And then they were trying to build back –not there because that area was obliterated, but they were working on another site despite the negotiations — which at some points were going very well,” Trump continued. “But in the end we didn’t think they were going to get there [in terms of negotiations]. And they would’ve had in a fairly short period of time some very fairly big nuclear capacity and we were not going to put up with that.”
During a press briefing Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the attack was a response to Iranian aggression against the U.S. over a number of years.
“We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult,” Hegseth said. “It took the 47th president, a fighter who always puts America first, to finally draw the line after 47 years of Iranian belligerence.”
The U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Israel on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier on Monday that 49 senior leaders were killed in the initial strikes.
Following the start of the U.S.-Israel operation, Iran launched retaliatory strikes with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and Gulf nations.
The conflict has resulted in at least four deaths of U.S. servicemembers so far, but military officials said Monday more deaths are expected.
“We expect to take additional losses,” Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing. “And, as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations.”
Caine did not specify a timeline, but said, “This is not a single overnight operation. The military objective … will take some time to achieve.”
Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the U.S. military is “knocking the crap” out of Iran — but the “big wave” is yet to come.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Trump told Tapper Monday morning.
CNN was the first to report on what the Trump admin told congressional staff.
–ABC News’ John Parkinson and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
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Teyana Taylor’s daughter Rue Rose steals the show on Actor Awards red carpet
Teyana Taylor was a nominee at the 2026 Actor Awards Sunday night, but her daughter Rue Rose Shumpert was the star of the show. Rue attended the event with Teyana and appeared to be ready for the spotlight, as she was captured fixing her mother’s dress, striking some poses and even performing a song from the movie Frozen.
She introduced herself in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “My name is Rue Rose, and my age is 5.” She asked if she could sing a song, before announcing, “I’m going to sing Frozen, but just in a different voice.”
After being met with applause from her mother, Rue asked to sing another song, and was told she and Teyana would “come back and sing.”
On Monday Teyana reflected on having Rue with her at the awards show, calling Rue “the most perfect date.”
“Rue Rose, thank you for choosing me to be your mama. You make every room brighter, every step lighter, every dream bigger. Bigger than fashion. Bigger than awards. This one felt like legacy,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sharing this night with you is a memory I’ll hold in my heart forever.”
She added that Rue “had a blastttttttt” turning the red carpet “upside down.” “I think it’s time for her sag card!!! lol,” she wrote
Teyana Taylor was a nominee at the 2026 Actor Awards Sunday night, but her daughter Rue Rose Shumpert was the star of the show. Rue attended the event with Teyana and appeared to be ready for the spotlight, as she was captured fixing her mother’s dress, striking some poses and even performing a song from the movie Frozen.
She introduced herself in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “My name is Rue Rose, and my age is 5.” She asked if she could sing a song, before announcing, “I’m going to sing Frozen, but just in a different voice.”
After being met with applause from her mother, Rue asked to sing another song, and was told she and Teyana would “come back and sing.”
On Monday Teyana reflected on having Rue with her at the awards show, calling Rue “the most perfect date.”
“Rue Rose, thank you for choosing me to be your mama. You make every room brighter, every step lighter, every dream bigger. Bigger than fashion. Bigger than awards. This one felt like legacy,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sharing this night with you is a memory I’ll hold in my heart forever.”
She added that Rue “had a blastttttttt” turning the red carpet “upside down.” “I think it’s time for her sag card!!! lol,” she wrote.
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