Category: National

(EL PASO, Texas) — Flight restrictions put in place and then lifted for El Paso, Texas, by the Federal Aviation Administration were taken as a preemptive measure by the agency amid a potential operation by military drones in the area, a source told ABC News. 

The FAA said in a statement that there is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.

Hours after issuing the flight restrictions, the FAA published an updated statement saying the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso had been lifted.

“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones,” an administration official told ABC News. “The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”

The earlier notice said no flights could operate beginning early Wednesday within a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, including from the ground up to 17,999 feet. The restrictions will remain in effect until Feb. 21, the notice said. This excludes the Mexican airspace.

El Paso Airport authorities told ABC News in a statement, “The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance.”

The airport says airlines have been advised of the restrictions, and travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines on the latest flight information.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, described the notice as “unprecedented,” saying it “has resulted in significant concern within the community.”

“From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas,” Escobar said in a statement. “There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations.

The airspace has been defined as “national defense airspace,” according to the FAA. Pilots who violate these restrictions could be intercepted or detained for questioning by law enforcement. 

Failure to comply with these restrictions could result in the FAA imposing a civil penalty or revoking the pilot’s license. The federal government can also pursue criminal charges or even use “deadly force” against an aircraft if it poses an imminent security threat, according to the notice. 

ABC News has reached out to the FAA for additional information behind these restrictions as well as to airlines about disruptions to their operations. 

El Paso is home to one of the largest cargo facilities near the border, so these restrictions could have a significant impact on shipments as well. ABC News has also contacted air cargo carriers for any information.  

Escobar said her office has “urged the FAA to immediately lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area.”

“I will continue to make information public as I learn it,” she said.

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(EL PASO, Texas) — The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions over El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, prohibiting all flight operations there for the next 10 days for “special security reasons,” according to a notice.

The notice said no flights could operate beginning early Wednesday within a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, including from the ground up to 17,999 feet. The restrictions will remain in effect until Feb. 21, the notice said. This excludes the Mexican airspace.

El Paso Airport authorities told ABC News in a statement, “The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance.”

The airport says airlines have been advised of the restrictions, and travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines on the latest flight information.

The airspace has been defined as “national defense airspace,” according to the FAA. Pilots who violate these restrictions could be intercepted or detained for questioning by law enforcement.

Failure to comply with these restrictions could result in the FAA imposing a civil penalty or revoking the pilot’s license. The federal government can also pursue criminal charges or even use “deadly force” against an aircraft if it poses an imminent security threat, according to the notice.

ABC News has reached out to the FAA for additional information behind these restrictions as well as to airlines about disruptions to their operations.

El Paso is home to one of the largest cargo facilities near the border, so these restrictions could have a significant impact on shipments as well. ABC News has also contacted air cargo carriers for any information.  

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The National Parks Service (NPS) removed the rainbow flag that sat on a flagpole inside the Stonewall National Monument near Christopher Park in New York City’s Greenwich Village.

The site was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in June, 2016, becoming the first federal monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights.

The communications office for NPS, which is overseen by the Department of the Interior, confirmed the removal of the rainbow flag in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday morning. It said that, under federal guidance, “only the U.S. flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions.”

“Any changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance. Stonewall National Monument continues to preserve and interpret the site’s historic significance through exhibits and programs,” the statement continued.

The office of Interior Sec. Doug Burgum reiterated the sentiment in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, saying that federal policy governing flag displays “has been in place for decades,” and “recent guidance clarifies how that longstanding policy is applied consistently across NPS-managed sites.”

The pride flag inside the monument was permanently installed by NPS in 2021, and was the first pride flag to be flown over federally-funded land.

Steven Love Menendez, a New York-based advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who launched the movement for the permanent pride flag to be installed at the site in 2017, questioned the timing of its removal.

“It’s a targeted attack on the community, right? Because the flag was there. It’s not that they never gave permission for it to be erected. They did give permission for it to be erected, and now they’re using some legal language to try to make an excuse for taking it down,” Menendez said. “Why now? That’s the question the administration needs to answer. Why now? It was already up, and my response is, it’s solely based on hate.”

The Stonewall National Monument is located near the Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar in the neighborhood that was a safe haven for many in the LGBTQ+ community in the 1960s. The bar was raided by the NYPD in 1969, leading to riots that became known as the Stonewall Uprising, which is credited with kickstarting the modern LGBTQ+ movement. The NYPD publicly apologized for the raid in 2019.

“Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights. I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us. That we are stronger together. That out of many, we are one,” Obama said in 2016.

Menendez said that, during Pride Month in 2017, he got a permit from NPS to install a pride flag inside the monument and his request was granted. Once the month was over, he noted that the flag was taken down. Menendez said he was “very passionate” about people being able to see the pride flag when they visited the monument, so he petitioned NPS in 2017 for the installation of a permanent flag.

According to ABC station in New York City, WABC, NPS was expected to participate in a dedication ceremony for a permanent rainbow flag inside the monument on National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, 2017. But amid opposition from the Trump administration, NPS withdrew from the ceremony — a move that drew widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates, WABC reported.

At the dedication ceremony, the city of New York flew their own rainbow flag on city land outside the Stonewall National Monument and it wasn’t until 2021 when the Biden administration approved the permanent installation of a pride flag inside the monument on federal land. The city flag has remained in place, but the flag on federal land was removed by NPS this week.

“For me, [the rainbow flag] is a sense of pride and joy and celebration and victory for our community. … This flag represents our victory and our triumphs,” Menendez, who attended the 2017 ceremony, told ABC News on Tuesday. “[Removing] it feels like a slap in the face to the community, you know, a punch in the gut. They’re taking away our symbol of pride.”

The removal of the flag comes after President Donald Trump directed Sec. Burgum in a March 2025 executive order to remove “divisive” and “anti-American” content from museums and national parks.

Asked if the removal of the pride flag was in response to Trump’s order, NPS did not comment.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The National Parks Service (NPS) removed the rainbow flag that sat on a flagpole inside the Stonewall National Monument near Christopher Park in New York City’s Greenwich Village.

The site was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in June, 2016, becoming the first federal monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights.

The communications office for NPS, which is overseen by the Department of the Interior, confirmed the removal of the rainbow flag in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday morning. It said that, under federal guidance, “only the U.S. flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions.”

“Any changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance. Stonewall National Monument continues to preserve and interpret the site’s historic significance through exhibits and programs,” the statement continued.

The office of Interior Sec. Doug Burgum reiterated the sentiment in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, saying that federal policy governing flag displays “has been in place for decades,” and “recent guidance clarifies how that longstanding policy is applied consistently across NPS-managed sites.”

The pride flag inside the monument was permanently installed by NPS in 2021, and was the first pride flag to be flown over federally-funded land.

Steven Love Menendez, a New York-based advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who launched the movement for the permanent pride flag to be installed at the site in 2017, questioned the timing of its removal.

“It’s a targeted attack on the community, right? Because the flag was there. It’s not that they never gave permission for it to be erected. They did give permission for it to be erected, and now they’re using some legal language to try to make an excuse for taking it down,” Menendez said. “Why now? That’s the question the administration needs to answer. Why now? It was already up, and my response is, it’s solely based on hate.”

The Stonewall National Monument is located near the Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar in the neighborhood that was a safe haven for many in the LGBTQ+ community in the 1960s. The bar was raided by the NYPD in 1969, leading to riots that became known as the Stonewall Uprising, which is credited with kickstarting the modern LGBTQ+ movement. The NYPD publicly apologized for the raid in 2019.

“Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights. I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us. That we are stronger together. That out of many, we are one,” Obama said in 2016.

Menendez said that, during Pride Month in 2017, he got a permit from NPS to install a pride flag inside the monument and his request was granted. Once the month was over, he noted that the flag was taken down. Menendez said he was “very passionate” about people being able to see the pride flag when they visited the monument, so he petitioned NPS in 2017 for the installation of a permanent flag.

According to ABC station in New York City, WABC, NPS was expected to participate in a dedication ceremony for a permanent rainbow flag inside the monument on National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, 2017. But amid opposition from the Trump administration, NPS withdrew from the ceremony — a move that drew widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates, WABC reported.

At the dedication ceremony, the city of New York flew their own rainbow flag on city land outside the Stonewall National Monument and it wasn’t until 2021 when the Biden administration approved the permanent installation of a pride flag inside the monument on federal land. The city flag has remained in place, but the flag on federal land was removed by NPS this week.

“For me, [the rainbow flag] is a sense of pride and joy and celebration and victory for our community. … This flag represents our victory and our triumphs,” Menendez, who attended the 2017 ceremony, told ABC News on Tuesday. “[Removing] it feels like a slap in the face to the community, you know, a punch in the gut. They’re taking away our symbol of pride.”

The removal of the flag comes after President Donald Trump directed Sec. Burgum in a March 2025 executive order to remove “divisive” and “anti-American” content from museums and national parks.

Asked if the removal of the pride flag was in response to Trump’s order, NPS did not comment.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(TUCSON, Ariz.) — FBI Director Kash Patel has released images and video of an “armed individual” in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.

The images showed a masked man wearing gloves, a backpack and armed with a holstered handgun at the front door of Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson-area home around the time investigators suspect she was abducted on Feb. 1.

“[L]aw enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” Patel said in his post.

Savannah Guthrie posted the images to her Instagram account, with the message, “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”

Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday, Feb. 1, according to authorities. A Monday ransom deadline by persons claiming to be Guthrie’s abductors passed as the search for her continues.

Patel said the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s office worked with “private sector partners” in recent days to recover the video footage, which Patel said had been “lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors, including the removal of recording devices.”

“The video was recovered from residual data located in the backend systems,” Patel said. “Working with four partners – as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was briefed on the latest details in the case and was reviewing the video footage posted online by Patel.

“We’re just praying for the safety of Nancy Guthrie and that she will return home soon. And the President directed me to please encourage all Americans with any information to call the FBI, and we hope that this case will come to a positive resolution as soon as possible,” Leavitt said.

The latest development in the case came a day after Savannah Guthrie made an impassioned plea to the public to help solve her mother’s disappearance.

“We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help,” Savannah Guthrie said in an Instagram video, speaking directly to the camera. It was the fourth video that Guthrie and her two siblings had released on social media since their mother vanished.

The exact time of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is unclear. Her doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m., on Feb. 1, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. At 2:12 a.m., the camera software detected a person, and at 2:28 a.m., Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker app disconnected from her phone, which was left behind at her house, Nanos said.

Over the weekend, the Guthrie family received a demand for a bitcoin ransom by a Monday deadline by a party claiming to be Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings said they’d pay for their mother’s return.

“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said in an Instagram video over the weekend. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

After the ransom deadline passed Monday evening, the FBI released a statement, saying its agents continued to work around the clock on the case and that more were being sent to Arizona to assist in the investigation.

“The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time,” the FBI said in its statement.

The bureau added that additional personnel from FBI field offices nationwide would continue to be deployed to the Tucson area to work on the case

“We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams. But we still need the public’s help,” the FBI’s statement said. “Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home.”

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

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(WASHINGTON) — Federal authorities are expected to unseal the affidavit they filed in support of their search of a Fulton County, Georgia, election office last month, after a federal judge ordered the document be unsealed by the end of the day Tuesday.

FBI agents on Jan. 28 seized 700 boxes containing ballots and other materials associated with the 2020 election from the county’s  Elections Hub and Operations Center after obtaining a search warrant. President Donald Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that there was voter fraud in the 2020 election, specifically in Georgia, that contributed to his election loss.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee, a Trump nominee, on Sunday ordered the government to unseal the affidavit that was filed in support of the search warrant, subject to “the redaction of the names of non-governmental witnesses.”

In his ruling, Boulee noted that the government did not oppose the unsealing of the affidavit, which could provide more information on the search and the investigation that lead to it. 

The ruling came after Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts filed a motion seeking the unsealing of the affidavit, as well as the return of the election documents that were seized.

Pitts said in a statement he was “pleased” with the judge’s ruling.

“Fulton County will continue to pursue every legal option to seek the return of election records and to defend our elections from possible takeover,” Pitts said. “Even in the midst of this unprecedented legal action, we will not allow our staff to be deterred or distracted from preparations for the 2026 election, which will be once again free, fair, transparent and legally compliant.”

While the judge on Sunday ordered the release of the affidavit that was the basis for the search warrant, the warrant itself authorized the FBI to search for “All physical ballots from the 2020 General Election” in addition to tabulator tapes from voting machines and 2020 voter rolls, according to a copy of the warrant that was obtained by ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB following the raid.

The warrant said the material “constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offense.”

The warrant listed possible violations of two statutes — one which requires election records to be retained for a certain amount of time, and another which outlines criminal penalties for people, including election officials, who intimidate voters or to knowingly procure false votes or false voter registrations.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(TUCSON, Ariz.) — ABC News has confirmed that law enforcement will imminently release an image of a potential suspect in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.

Guthrie was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday, Feb. 1, according to authorities. A Monday ransom deadline by persons claiming to be Guthrie’s abductors passed as the search for her continues.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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(SUMTER COUNTY, Ga.) — Authorities are continuing the search for two murder suspects who escaped from a Georgia jail on Sunday.

Rickey Martin, 20, and Kentravious Holmes, 21, escaped Sumter County Jail at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The two inmates were also in custody on charges including aggravated assault and aggravated battery, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. 

Martin is 5 foot 4 inches and weighs 120 pounds. He is a Black male with un-twisted dreads, according to the sheriff’s office.

Holmes is 5 foot 8 inches in height and weighs 155 pounds. Holmes is a Black male with un-twisted dreads and multiple tattoos on his face and neck, including a “$” sign, a broken heart and “Baby Kay” over his right eye, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Anyone who sees either individual or has any information on their whereabouts, is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff’s Office directly at 229-924-4094.

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(CLARK COUNTY, Ohio) — Schools and county offices in Ohio’s Clark County received multiple bomb threats targeting the Haitian community on Monday, prompting classes in Springfield to be canceled for the day, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.

There is no credible threat to the public at this time, according to the FBI’s Cincinnati office, which said it is “aware of a number of hoax threats in Central Ohio.”

The emailed threats were directed at schools and public facilities, according to Springfield Mayor Rob Rue. County offices began receiving threats referencing pipe bombs around 7:45 a.m. Monday, DeWine said.

“These are threats that also referenced Haitians,” DeWine said during a press briefing on Monday. “The whole essence of the threats were the Haitians should be out, get rid of the Haitians.”

Duffel bags were found outside the Clark County Municipal Court and Public Safety Building in Springfield, DeWine said.

Police responded and no suspicious devices were found, according to Springfield Police Division Chief Allison Elliott. There are “no substantiated threats to the community,” the chief said in a statement.

The Springfield City School District said it is closing all buildings on Monday “out of an abundance of caution.”

“This is a despicable act,” DeWine said. “It’s caused kids to miss a whole day of school today.”

“We will do whatever we need to do to keep the schools open,” he later said.

Several streets that closed off in downtown Springfield have since reopened, officials said.

The governor said threats were also received in other parts of the state with “similar rhetoric,” but it’s unclear if they were from the same people. The threats were also emailed, according to Elliott.

The FBI is investigating. 

“While we have no information to indicate a credible threat, we are currently working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as soon as it comes to our attention,” the FBI Cincinnati said in a statement.

The region is no stranger to these kinds of threats. In September 2024, several bomb threats rattled Springfield after then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance doubled down on false claims that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating pets. 

These latest threats come as the Trump administration fights in court to end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians. 

Addressing Monday’s threats, Rue said the community “has faced a familiar situation that understandably caused concern.”

“I want to be clear, there is no immediate or credible threat to the public at this time,” Rue said in a statement. “These matters are being taken seriously and addressed with the highest level of caution and professionalism.” 

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(ROCKVILLE, Md.) — A student was shot inside a high school in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday, according to Montgomery County police.

One person is in custody in connection with the shooting at Thomas S. Wootton High School, police said.

The school is on lockdown, according to police. Rockville is about 20 miles north of Washington, D.C.

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