Washington Dulles International Airport is shown on May 22, 2026, in Dulles, Virginia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge ordered on Friday that a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old son from Ghana cannot spend another night at a Washington, D.C.-area airport where they have been detained for more than a week.
Anabella Gyasi arrived at Dulles International Airport on May 19 with a valid tourist visa to bring her son to the United States for medical treatment, and she had been detained in a holding room by Customs and Border Protection since then, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
ACLU-VA Executive Director Mary Bauer hailed the ruling, saying, “Today the court ordered in no uncertain terms that Ms. Gyasi and her son are not to spend another night in Dulles Airport.”
“Ms. Gyasi’s health and the viability of her pregnancy have both been endangered for more than a week as a result of the Trump administration’s dangerous and unlawful detention practices,” Bauer said, referring to the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
“While we’re relieved that Ms. Gyasi and her son will soon be free from this nightmare, no one should be subjected to the inhumane conditions they endured,” Bauer added.
Gyasi and her son were heading back to Ghana on Friday, a person familiar with the case told ABC News.
The ACLU filed a habeas petition for Gyasi and her son on Tuesday, alleging they are being detained “despite long-standing regulations and policies requiring that certain at-risk individuals, such as pregnant women and children, be released.” The petition also pointed to a court settlement that requires children to be transferred out of detention within 72 hours.
The 38-year-old mother first brought her son to the U.S. in 2024, when he was 2 years old, to see a specialist for physical abnormalities affecting both of his hands, according to the habeas petition. At that appointment, Gyasi was told her son was too young for corrective surgery.
Earlier this month, Gyasi scheduled a pre-operation appointment at a children’s hospital in Ohio and planned on traveling with the same tourist visa she had previously used, according to her lawyers.
A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that Gyasi was in CBP custody at Dulles and said she “will remain in custody pending her immigration hearing.”
The DHS spokesperson called the allegations about the conditions of her detention as “false.”
“Everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food,” DHS said.
A Virginia State Police car. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
(STAFFORD COUNTY, Va.) — Five people were killed and 44 were injured in a massive crash between a bus and multiple vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday morning, according to state authorities.
The accident unfolded at about 2:35 a.m. on I-95 south in Stafford County, about 45 miles south of Washington, D.C., the Virginia State Police said.
As traffic slowed for a work zone, a bus did not slow down and struck a Chevrolet Suburban, police said.
The bus then hit other cars, while the Suburban was forced into an Acura SUV and other cars, police said.
The Acura caught fire, police said. Four of the five people killed were in the Acura: a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts, police said.
The fifth victim killed, a 25-year-old woman, was in the Suburban, police said.
Forty-four people were taken to hospitals, including three with critical injuries, police said.
The bus — which was en route from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina –was carrying about 34 people, police said, noting that the bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, suffered injuries.
Charges are pending, police said.
The crash initially closed all lanes of I-95, Virginia’s Department of Transportation said, causing massive delays for the Friday commute. All lanes have since reopened.
A view of the highest mountain peak in North America. (Lance King/Getty Images)
(DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Ala.) — One of the four climbers who fell while ascending Mount McKinley in Alaska has been rescued from the 17,200-foot basin, according to the National Park Service.
The search for the remaining three climbers, who also fell while climbing Mount McKinley at 18,200 feet, is now a recovery mission, the NPS said.
The NPS said it does not know the status of the rescued survivor.
“Due to terrain and conditions at the site, a high-altitude helicopter was unable to land and instead conducted the evacuation using a long-line extraction. The climber was transported to the Kahiltna Base Camp and then transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance for transport to a hospital,” the NPS said Friday.
Mount McKinley — located in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve — is the tallest peak in North America, according to the NPS.
The climbers, part of a seven-member climbing team, fell in the vicinity of Denali Pass, according to the NPS.
The NPS received a report of the incident at around midnight Thursday after two other climbers were evacuated by helicopter from the mountain at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, as part of a separate incident, the NPS said.
Three members of the climbing team returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to their fallen partners, the NPS said.
The NPS said it is actively responding to the incident. Weather conditions on the mountain are improving and will soon enable helicopter operations, the NPS said.
The extent of the climbers’ injuries and their condition remains unknown, the NPS said.
(NEW YORK) — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged in the nonfatal shooting earlier this year of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis was arrested in Texas on Friday, more than a week after prosecutors announced the charges, officials in Minnesota said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with ABC News, Apr. 25, 2025. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi told members of the House Oversight Committee Friday that the Justice Department had released all the documents required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but that she did not lead every aspect of the process, according to a copy of her prepared opening statement.
After a tumultuous year at the DOJ that was largely defined by her controversial handling of the Epstein files, Bondi participated in a nearly four-hour closed-door interview with the House Oversight panel Friday.
“As the head of a large Department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself,” Bondi said, according to her prepared opening statement. “I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.”
Following her appearance, Bondi, in a social media post, disputed Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia’s claim that she “continues to push all of the investigation and the blame on Acting AG Todd Blanche.”
“NOT TRUE,” Bondi posted. “I praised Acting AG Blanche’s management of this Herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach and that he is an incredible Attorney General.”
The second Trump cabinet official to testify behind closed doors as part of the Oversight Committee’s yearlong Epstein probe, Bondi was expected to face questions about reneging on her promise to publicly release the DOJ’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which ultimately prompted Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act forcing the release of millions of documents.
As Bondi walked into the hearing room Friday morning, a group of Epstein survivors shouted, “Tell the truth.” She did not answer questions from reporters.
“Before we start today, I want to reiterate what I have said many times regarding the Department’s handling during my tenure as Attorney General of the voluminous materials that are now commonly known as the Epstein Files,” Bondi told the panel according to her prepared remarks. “To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.”
“There were redaction errors,” the former attorney general said. “But since day one of this process, this Department has been committed to accountability and transparency.”
Trump removed Bondi as attorney general in April after sources said he grew frustrated with her handling of the Epstein files and the unsuccessful prosecutions of his perceived political opponents.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump wrote on social media announcing her departure. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.”
Earlier this week, Axios reported that Trump had appointed Bondi to serve on an advisory panel on AI policy, tasked with coordinating cooperation between the government and tech leaders.
In an unusual arrangement, a DOJ spokesperson said that Bondi would be accompanied during Friday’s transcribed interview by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and other DOJ personnel, in order to “assist the Committee in understanding the Department’s role in implementing and complying with the Epstein Files Transparency Act during her tenure.”
“Because former Attorney General Bondi oversaw the Department at the time the Act was enacted and carried out, DOJ’s presence is solely to ensure accurate representation of Department processes, facilitate any necessary clarifications, and support a complete factual record for the Committee,” a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement earlier this week.
The DOJ originally sought to have Bondi avoid appearing by arguing that the subpoena the committee issued “no longer obligates her to appear” since she left the role of attorney general. Bondi ultimately agreed to testify voluntarily after the top Democrat on the committee introduced a resolution to hold her in contempt for failing to appear.
Shortly after beginning her tenure as attorney general last year, Bondi faced immediate pressure from Trump’s MAGA followers and others to begin releasing the DOJ’s files from its investigations of Epstein and his associates. Speaking to Fox News in February 2025, Bondi said Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review” and said the release of the files was a “directive by President Trump.”
However, when the DOJ released the “first phase” of the Epstein files that month — inviting, with great fanfare, conservative influencers to receive the files — it was determined that nearly every document released was already public. By July, the Department of Justice and FBI said in a joint memo that no further documents would be released, citing victim privacy and the assertion that the documents warranted no further investigations — a decision that sparked backlash from much of the MAGA base.
“To that end, while we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo said.
Bondi later defended her statement about Epstein’s client list by clarifying she was referring to the Epstein files generally along with other files released by the Trump administration, including documents related to JFK and MLK Jr. The DOJ/FBI memo also said that their review of the files “revealed no incriminating ‘client list'” and no evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.
Despite the memo stating that no further investigation was warranted, Trump in November ordered Bondi to investigate Epstein’s ties to Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats. At the time, Bondi said the DOJ would “pursue this with urgency and integrity” and assigned the matter to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan.
The Justice Department’s subsequent release of Epstein files following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act prompted bipartisan criticism when the DOJ improperly redacted files — both exposing victim identities while concealing other information — and declined to release millions of additional files by claiming they were duplicative, privileged or contained sensitive victim information.
Bondi’s deputy and successor, now-acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, acknowledged the release of sensitive victim information was “horrible” and “inexcusable.”
He said the DOJ is finished investigating Epstein.
“And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,” Blanche said in April.
An Amtrak passenger waits for his train at Penn Station April 2, 2004 in New York City. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A fire erupted on Amtrak work trains in a Hudson River tunnel between New York and New Jersey early Friday, suspending Penn Station service for NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road commuters.
LIRR service has since resumed, but the NJ Transit suspension into Penn Station is ongoing.
Two Amtrak work trains collided in the Hudson River tunnel at about 1:25 a.m., impacting the electrical system and igniting a fire, said Janno Lieber, head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
One NJ Transit passenger called the experience “frightening,” telling ABC News, “Someone yelled there was a fire on the track … there was a very loud explosion that shook the train and caused the lights to go out. We didn’t move for maybe 8 to 10 minutes.”
“I rely on NJ Transit to get to work, so I am now deeply concerned about how I will commute safely moving forward,” the New Jersey resident said.
Amtrak service is also impacted. Amtrak said trains south of Penn Station are suspended until at least noon while “lengthy delays” are expected north of Penn Station.
Cyclists ride on the Queensboro Bridge on May 13, 2020 in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Two people died in a collision between a rider on an electronic scooter and another on a bike on the bike path during the morning commute on a New York City bridge on Thursday.
Francis del Valle, 39, who was operating the scooter, and Dmytro Stechenko, 35, who was on a pedal bike, were heading in opposite directions on the Queensboro Bridge around 8:20 a.m. when they collided, according to police.
Both victims were rushed to New York Presbyterian-Queens, where they were pronounced dead.
Del Valle was driving the Blade GT II scooter, according to investigators, which sells for $1,700 and is advertised to go “zero to 53 [miles per hour] in 3.9 seconds.”
The electric stand-up scooter is illegal to operate on New York City streets because it can reach speeds of more than 50 miles per hour, in excess of what the city allows for e-mobility devices.
Following the incident, it appeared the NYPD was directing bicyclists to use the south outer roadway, according to investigators. That part of the bridge has been pedestrian-only since the bridge’s lanes were reallocated in May 2025.
The north outer roadway used to be shared by cyclists and pedestrians, but that was becoming too crowded and dangerous. Two dozen people were injured there between 2021 and 2025.
Rachel Huynh, a friend of del Valle, told WABC that he left behind a wife and two children.
“His wife is in bad shape, especially with the kids. I can’t imagine. He was a really great husband to her, and they’ve been going out to vacations, exploring the whole world,” she told WABC.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that the city is reviewing the crash and reiterated that fast e-scooters are illegal in the city.
“Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe, and the Mamdani administration will continue to work to remove these illegal devices from our streets and bring accountability to micromobility use,” the spokeswoman said.
Transportation safety groups also echoed the mayor’s office’s warning.
“Our thoughts are with their families, friends, and community. Crashes like these are entirely preventable. Scooters that travel this quickly have no place in our bike lanes,” Ben Furnas, the executive director of the non-profit Transportation Alternatives, said in a statement.
A view of the highest mountain peak in North America. (Lance King/Getty Images)
(DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Ala.) — A search and rescue mission is underway after four people fell while climbing Mount McKinley at 18,200 feet, according to the National Park Service.
Mount McKinley — located in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve — is the tallest peak in North America, according to the NPS.
The climbers, part of a seven-member climbing team, fell in the vicinity of Denali Pass, according to the NPS.
The NPS received a report of the incident at around midnight Thursday after two other climbers were evacuated by helicopter from the mountain at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, as part of a separate incident, the NPS said.
Three members of the climbing team returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to their fallen partners, the NPS said.
The NPS said it is actively responding to the incident. Weather conditions on the mountain are improving and will soon enable helicopter operations, the NPS said.
The extent of the climbers’ injuries and their condition remains unknown, the NPS said.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets guests during the Congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge in Virginia on Friday ordered a temporary freeze on any payments coming from the Trump administration’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as she considers arguments in a lawsuit brought by a former Jan. 6 prosecutor to block the fund permanently.
The order from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema specifically bars the administration “from taking any further action pursuant to the creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund,” including transfers of money or consideration of claims from individuals who may argue they are victims of political persecution.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A Virginia State Police car. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
(STAFFORD COUNTY, Va.) — Five people were killed and 34 were injured in a massive crash between a bus and six vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday morning, according to state authorities.
The accident unfolded at about 2:35 a.m. on I-95 south in Stafford County, about 45 miles south of Washington, D.C., the Virginia State Police said.
As traffic slowed for a work zone, a bus did not slow down and struck six vehicles, killing five people in the cars, police said.
Thirty-four people were taken to hospitals, including three with critical injuries, police said.
The crash initially closed all lanes of I-95, Virginia’s Department of Transportation said, causing massive delays for the Friday commute. Northbound lanes have since reopened.
Charges are pending, police said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
