Category: National

(WASHINGTON) — In the wake of the “massive” strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel Saturday, members of Congress have begun weighing in — with Democrats demanding answers — and some calling for lawmakers to return to Washington to vote on resolutions that would check President Donald Trump’s power to wage war.

Republicans have so far praised President Donald Trump’s decision to undertake “massive combat operations” against Iran, with an eye towards liberating the Iranian people.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump’s most ardent supporters, said in a post on X “the end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us” and celebrated “freedom” for the Iranian people.

“My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more,” he said in another post. “The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to some members of the so-called Gang of 8 to notify them of the operation in Iran before it was underway, multiple congressional offices confirmed to ABC News.

Members of the Gang of 8 include the top bipartisan House and Senate leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees.

On Tuesday of this week, hours ahead of the president’s State of the Union address, Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe virtually briefed the Gang of 8 on Capitol Hill on Iran.

Immediately following the briefing, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters: “This is serious, and the administration has to make its case to the American people.”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican briefed ahead of the strikes in Iran, issued a statement providing a sense of why the president moved forward with the operation.

“Prior to the initiation of this action, in earnest diplomatic engagements with Iran, President Trump was very clear about his red line from the start and his expectations of Iran during these negotiations. Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to maintain a nuclear weapon or capabilities,” he said in a statement posted on X. “The safety and security of Americans and our allies are on the line.”

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, said he is praying for U.S. service members but emphasizes, “everything I have heard from the Administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame.”

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is calling on the Senate to return to Washington immediately to vote on a war powers resolution to check the president’s authority to wage war with Iran.

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” Kaine said in a statement.

“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” he added.

“The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,” he said.

It’s very unlikely Republican leadership will heed Kaine’s call to action.

Kaine’s war powers resolution is co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Senate Minority Leader Schumer. Earlier in the week, Kaine said he would push for a vote in the Senate as soon as next week.

Congressional Democrats announced they too will compel a vote on a war powers resolution relating to Iran next week. House Democratic leadership is expected to force a vote on the bipartisan war powers resolution.

Both efforts in the House and Senate will receive some bipartisan support, but it’s unclear if they will have enough votes to actually pass both chambers.

As strikes were underway on Saturday, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said that after the “Iranian regime has slaughtered thousands of its own people in recent days,” the attack on Iran should be a warning to despotic regimes.

“Tyrants and terrorists everywhere should take note: the world is watching. History is watching,” Mace wrote on X.

Notably Sen. John Fetterman, D.-Pa., said he believed Trump was making the right move.

“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” Fetterman wrote in an X post.

But other Democrats demanded an explanation for the strikes, like Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a veteran, who lamented the action.

“I lost friends in Iraq to an illegal war. Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people,” he wrote on X.

Others called for a full briefing and a vote on a proposed war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s power.Rep. Jared Moskowitz demanded a briefing.

“This is a serious moment that demands full transparency and congressional oversight,” Moskowitz, D-Fla., wrote on X.

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(NEW YORK) — Thirty more people have been charged in connection with an incident last month in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a service at a Minnesota church, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday.

“At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day,” Bondi said in a post on X after a superseding indictment in the case was unsealed. “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you.”

The Justice Department had previously charged nine others, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, for their alleged roles in the incident. Lemon and several others pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges earlier this month.

The incident unfolded on Jan. 18, when protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul. The protesters said one of the pastors is the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE field office. Protesters were heard chanting “Justice for Renee Good” inside the church, referencing the woman fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis in early January.

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

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(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice overnight restored a photo purportedly showing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visiting the private island of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to its trove of publicly released documents. 

On Thursday, a Department of Justice official acknowledged the photo was taken down as part of a “batch of files that were flagged for nudity” following the recent release of Epstein files.

The image itself did not contain nudity, and the restored version of the photo did not contain any new redactions. 

“The batch of thousands of images was pulled for review and is being uploaded with necessary redactions on a rolling basis. No files are being deleted,” the official said. 

Some photos on the Department of Justice’s website are batched together into a single document, and the DOJ has said they are pulling documents on a rolling basis to make necessary redactions, such as for nudity or personally identifiable information.

The previously removed photo appears to show Epstein, Lutnick — dressed in a blue shirt and white shorts — and three other individuals near the southwest corner of Little Saint James, the private island owned by Epstein in the United States Virgin Islands. 

The Commerce Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The Department of Justice appears to have withdrawn the image from its public archive of Epstein documents sometime earlier this month, according to a saved version on the nonprofit site Wayback Machine. The removal prompted criticism from lawmakers including Representatives Ted Lieu, Thomas Massie, and Jimmy Gomez. 

“Dear @AGPamBondi: Why are you covering up this picture of Epstein’s friend Lutnick?” Lieu wrote on X. “And are you really so stupid you think deleting a picture after you’ve posted it on the internet will make it go away?”

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee earlier this month. Lutnick acknowledged that he visited Epstein’s island with his family during a vacation, though he initially claimed he distanced himself from Epstein in 2005.

Emails released by the Department of Justice earlier this month showed Lutnick’s wife coordinating with Epstein’s assistant to visit the island for lunch in December 2012.

“I did have lunch with him, as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies,” Lutnick told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee. 

Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, who broke from his party to push for the release of the Epstein files, called on the Department of Justice on Thursday to explain why the image was removed. 

“I’m sure there’s a good reason for this. DOJ needs to tell Congress who pulled this file down so we can ask them,” Massie wrote on X. 

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(SAN JOSE, Calif.) — An 18-year-old is facing charges for allegedly using a 3D printer to manufacture ghost guns in his bedroom, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office. 

Jacob Reyes allegedly had two working 3D weapon printers and 27 finished or almost finished guns in his room in San Jose, California. Some of the guns were modified to act as machine guns, and ammunition was found in the home, according to the DA’s office.

All of the weapons seized from Reyes’ bedroom, except one, were manufactured using the printers, the DA’s office said. 

Reyes was arraigned on Thursday on charges related to unlicensed manufacturing of firearms using a 3D printer and felony charges of possession of a machine gun, the DA’s office said. 

If convicted, he faces prison time, according to the DA’s office. 

“There is a black market of weapons thriving right under our noses,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Once again, the DA’s investigators and their law enforcement partners have taken off the streets an arsenal of untraceable, illegal, and deadly weapons.”

 

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(TUCSON, Ariz.) — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said video obtained by Fox News is part of the investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, though it is unclear whether it has any relevance to the case.

A ring camera 2.5 miles from Guthrie’s house captured a car going by around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, about the time police believe the 84-year-old was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home by an unknown suspect.

The FBI said it is aware of the footage.

The sheriff’s department has asked homeowners across Pima County to submit their home security footage. Investigators have canvassed an area within 2 miles of Guthrie’s home.

Investigators have had glimpses of vehicles from various cameras but, as yet, have not associated a particular vehicle to Guthrie’s kidnapping, sources familiar with the case told ABC News.

After a nearly month-long investigation, the FBI is preparing to turn over the house to the Guthrie family, the sources said. 

That signals the home is no longer considered a crime scene of evidentiary value, but the sheriff’s department will stick close.

The sheriff’s department said it “plans to maintain a patrol presence in the Guthrie neighborhood.”

Guthrie’s daughter, “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, announced on Tuesday a new $1 million reward for the recovery of her mom. The combined reward between the family and law enforcement now stands at $1.2 million.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.

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(EL PASO, Texas) — The Department of Defense mistakenly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone over El Paso, according to a statement from House representatives and a congressional aide.

Congress was briefed on the incident on Thursday, a source confirmed to ABC News.

The Federal Aviation Administration expanded its temporary flight restrictions over the Fort Hancock airspace in Texas, about 50 miles to the southeast of El Paso, which prohibits all flight operations there through June 24, due to “security” reasons. 

The location of the airspace restriction does not impact commercial flights, according to the FAA.

The Pentagon, CBP and the FAA released a joint statement in response to the incident.

“This reported engagement occurred when the Department of War employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace,” the statement said.

“The engagement took place far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity,” the statement went on to say. “These agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.”

The statement didn’t include specifics about the nature of the drone that was shot down but said: “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border.”

Congressional Democrats issued a statement criticizing the incident.

In the statement, ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said: “Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”

The statement, from Rick Larsen, D-Wash., André Carson, D-Ind. and Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called out the White House directly.

“We said MONTHS ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA was a short-sighted idea. Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” the members said.

The incident comes after the FAA’s abrupt shutdown of airspace over El Paso earlier this month.

Sources with direct knowledge told ABC News at the time that it came days after a laser was used by the Department of Homeland Security to shoot down an object in the vicinity of Fort Bliss. One of the sources said the object was a balloon.

The FAA imposed a surprise 10-day shutdown of airspace within a 10-mile radius of El Paso, halting all arrivals and departures at its airport for what it initially described only as “special security reasons.”

Within hours, the FAA rescinded the order. The Trump administration said the closing of airspace was related to the military neutralizing cartel drones, not a balloon.

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(NEW YORK) — A Columbia University student who was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents Thursday morning after the school claimed agents allegedly made “misrepresentations” to enter a dorm was released later in the day after New York City’s mayor spoke with the president.Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday afternoon that President Donald Trump informed him that the student, Elaina Aghayeva, would be “released immediately” after the mayor said he spoke with the president.

Previously, following the Mamdani’s meeting, 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 a.m. 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.

A statement from a DHS official identified Aghayeva as an Azerbajani native, and alleged her “student visa was terminated in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes.”

“The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS,” the statement further said.

The statement did not address the allegations that DHS agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building.

Mamdani, who met with Trump at the White House Thursday, posted a statement on social media in the afternoon in which he said he spoke with the president about the incident.

“In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” Mamdani said.

Aghayeva made a story on her Instagram page shortly after Mamdani’s announcement, in which she expressed gratitude for the support.

“I just got out a little while ago. I am safe and okay. In an uber (on the way) back home,” she said. “I am so sorry, but I am in complete shock over what happened.”

Aghayeva was seen by ABC News exiting a vehicle and entering building. She did not give a statement.

An attorney representing Aghayeva filed a petition in federal court Thursday asking a judge to order her release.

Carl Hurvich said in court documents that the student was unlawfully detained and was being held “without justification.”  

The habeas petition said agents “represented they were searching for a missing person to gain entry” and did not have a warrant for Aghayeva’s arrest. Hurvich requested a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from transferring Aghayeva outside of New York.  

Aghayeva is described in court documents as an undergrad student at Columbia’s School of General Studies pursuing a degree in neuroscience and political science. She entered the U.S. around 2016 on a visa, the filing says. 

Protests took place on the school’s campus on Thursday following the news of the student’s detention, but there were no reported incidents or arrests.

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

“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.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler echoed the governor’s statement.

“Law enforcement agents should not, under no circumstance, misrepresent their identity to gain entrance into a residence. These actions do not keep us safe, they only sow distrust and fear into our community. ICE is terrorizing our neighbors and ripping students from their homes,” Nadler said in a statement, in part. “We are doing everything in our power to help bring the student home.”

Thursday’s incident is not the first encounter between the Trump administration and Columbia.

Last year, pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and held for 104 days on immigration charges.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz issued an order on June 20 granting Khalil’s release on bail after determining that he presented neither a danger nor a flight risk and that extraordinary circumstances justified his temporary release while his habeas case proceeded.

The federal government has been appealing its case against Kahlil, a green card holder.

Columbia also reached a $200 million agreement with the Trump administration last July, after it threatened to remove federal funding over what it called Columbia’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”

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(CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, was briefly paused Thursday afternoon after a photo of her from inside the room was leaked, which is against committee rules.

The photo was posted by conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson who claimed it was provided by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.

ABC News confirmed that the deposition has resumed.

The former first lady and former President Bill Clinton are participating in depositions as part of the committee’s probe into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In her opening statement Thursday before the pause, Hillary Clinton said that she had no involvement with Epstein or convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

“The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not,” Clinton said, according to a release of her opening statement.

Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she had no idea about Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal activity, saying she doesn’t “recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein.”

“I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that. Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes,” she said.

Hillary Clinton went after the Republican-led committee in her opening statement, saying “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 states, referencing the closer-door deposition of retail billionaire Leslie Wexner earlier this month, during which the Republican members were no-shows. During his deposition, Wexner claimed he never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity.

Digging in even more, the former first lady attacked the probe.

“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 the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter,” she said, not mentioning any particular public official by name.

Republican House Oversight Chairman James Comer said the deposition with the Clintons is an opportunity to ask them questions.

“No one is accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing,” Comer said Thursday morning ahead of Hillary Clinton’s testimony. “They’re going to have due process, but we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.”

Pressed on why the committee was adamant on subpoenaing Hillary Clinton, who has denied ever having any relationship with Epstein, Comer highlighted how there was a bipartisan effort to speak with the Clintons after Democrats also voted to subpoena the Clintons.

The committee first attempted to subpoena the Clintons in July of last year as Republicans demanded more information on the former president’s travels on Epstein’s private aircraft and what the committee called the “family’s past relationship” with Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as part of their probe into Epstein.

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.

David Kendall, the Clintons’ lawyer, argued that the couple has no information relevant to the committee’s investigation of the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, and should not be required to appear for in-person testimony. Kendall contended the Clintons should be permitted to provide the limited information they have to the committee in writing.

Comer had long threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they failed to appear before the committee, so when they didn’t, a contempt resolution was drafted and put to a vote. 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, before the resolution was brought for a full House vote, the Clintons agreed to sit for a deposition, postponing further consideration of a contempt vote.

Democrats on the committee said they hope this week’s testimonies from the Clintons spark Republican committee members to investigate more of Epstein’s ties to President Donald Trump and his Cabinet officials.

President Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has said that he cut off contact with his former friend more than 20 years ago.

“We will talk to any single person, whether that is a Democrat, a Republican, how much wealth they have, how powerful the position is, we want to talk to anyone. So we’re happy to be here, and we’re glad that both Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton are willing to talk to this committee,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Thursday.

This week’s interviews with committee investigators will be video recorded and transcribed in accordance with the House’s deposition rules.

Comer said the committee is “going to release the video as soon as everyone has approved it.”

While the Clintons have agreed to speak with the committee behind closed doors, they have still pushed for public hearings as part of the committee’s probe into Epstein.

“I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court by a Republican Party running scared,” Bill Clinton wrote in a lengthy post on X. “If they want answers, let’s stop the games & do this the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves what this is really about.”

Hillary Clinton has echoed her husband’s sentiments while also continuing to call for the full release of the Epstein files, which they have accused the Department of Justice of selectively releasing.

“It is something that needs to be totally transparent,” Hillary Clinton said during a panel appearance at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. “I’ve called for, many, many years, for everything to be put out there so people can not only see what is in them, but also — if appropriate — hold people accountable. We’ll see what happens.”

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. 

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(NEW YORK) — A New York City college professor has been placed on leave amid backlash over what the school called her “abhorrent remarks” during a public school district meeting.

Hunter College associate professor Allyson Friedman made the remarks during a NYC District 3 Community Education Council (CEC3) meeting earlier this month that she was virtually attending as a parent in the Manhattan district, the university confirmed.

While an unidentified eighth grade student spoke against the potential closing of her school, Friedman can be heard saying in a video of the meeting, “They’re just too dumb to know they’re in a bad school. … Apparently Martin Luther King said it. Like if you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back, you don’t have to tell them anymore.”

Friedman appeared to be referencing remarks made earlier in the meeting by District 3 interim acting superintendent Reginald Higgins, who had quoted the Black scholar Carter G. Woodson: “When you can control a man’s thinking, you do not have to send him to the back door, he will go without being told.”

During Friedman’s remarks, other attendees could be seen reacting in shock and someone interrupts her to say, “What you’re saying is absolutely hearable here, you’ve got to stop.”

riedman has apologized for her remarks, which she said were taken out of context during an accidental unmute and did not truly reflect her own views.

“During a recent online CEC3 meeting, I was trying to explain the concept of systemic racism to my child by referencing an example of an obviously racist trope,” Friedman said in a statement to ABC News. “Due to an inadvertent unmute, only part of that conversation was captured. My complete comments make clear these abhorrent views are not my own, nor were they directed at any student or group. I fully support these courageous students in their efforts to stop school closures. However, I recognize these comments caused harm and pain, while that was not my intent I do truly apologize.”

Hunter College said earlier this week that it is “reviewing the situation under the university’s applicable conduct and nondiscrimination policies.” On Wednesday, Hunter College President Nancy Cantor updated that Friedman, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been placed on leave while the school investigates the incident.

“This painful incident unfolded at a meeting where Black History Month was being celebrated and the pernicious and enduring effects of anti-Black systemic racism were being discussed, especially with regard to the role of educational institutions in addressing them,” Cantor said in a statement. “Hunter has long embraced such a role, which requires constant vigilance to remain attentive and responsive to the ways in which we continually draw and redraw discriminatory social lines.”

ABC News has reached out to Friedman for comment on Thursday, following the update from Hunter.

CEC3 has condemned Friedman’s remarks as “racially offensive.”

“Regardless of intent, these comments were deeply harmful and wholly unacceptable,” CEC3 said in a draft statement. “That such remarks were made while a student was courageously offering public comment makes this incident even more troubling.”

New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels has also condemned her remarks, saying at an unrelated press briefing on Tuesday, “It was abhorrent to listen to. And our students deserve so much better.”

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(NEW YORK) — Stargazers will soon have an opportunity to view six planets in alignment in the night sky, according to NASA.

Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter will take part in a rare planetary parade on Saturday, the space agency said.

Planets are always on the move, so the viewing window will be brief. The best time to see the planets align will be just after sunset.

For the best view, astronomy guides recommend looking toward the western horizon about 30 minutes after sunset. This will give viewers the highest probability of spotting at least three planets at the same time, since Saturn, Mercury and Venus set in the west right after the sun.

The six planets will appear low in the western sky, with Mercury and Venus appearing the lowest and sinking below the horizon shortly after sunset, according to astronomers. Mercury and Venus are usually tricky to spot but will be visible on Saturday.

Saturn and Neptune will appear just above Mercury and Venus, while Jupiter and Uranus will appear a bit higher in the western sky, to the left of the others.

Viewers will need optical assistance via telescope or binoculars to see Uranus and Neptune, but the remaining four planets will be visible to the naked eye, NASA said.

Planets can sometimes appear “bunched together in the sky” because they orbit the sun in the same plane, known as the ecliptic, according to NASA. The planets will form a clear line along the ecliptic plane.

On the same day last year — Feb. 28, 2025 — seven planets were in alignment: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus.

NASA says these planetary alignments happen every few years. The last one was visible from Earth in August 2025.

This year’s parade of planets is one of the first notable astronomical events taking place in 2026, according to NASA.

A total lunar blood moon eclipse will be visible from North America on March 3, especially for viewers on the West Coast. This will be the first lunar eclipse visible in the Americas since 2025.

A rare blue moon — which signifies the rare occasion of having a second full moon in the same month — will take place on May 31.

From June 8 to 9, the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, will be in conjunction, appearing “only a pinky finger apart,” according to NASA.

The Perseids meteor shower, considered the best meteor shower of the year due to its swift and bright meteors, will be best seen from Aug. 12 to 13, during a darker sky courtesy of the new moon.

And the Geminids, the most reliable meteor shower of the year, will take place from Dec. 13 to 14.

A Christmas Eve supermoon — when a full moon is closest to the Earth — rounds out the most spectacular astronomical events in 2026, according to NASA.

ABC News’ Briana Alvarado contributed to this report.

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