Category: National

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration could be sanctioned by a federal judge later this week after lawyers with the Department of Justice advised a federal judge Tuesday evening that they will not make a top administration official available for sworn testimony.

U.S. District Judge Charles Alsup had sought to have the acting head of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Charles Ezell, testify on Thursday about the mass firing of probationary employees.

But the DOJ said Tuesday that they would not make Ezell available for testimony.

By making Ezell unavailable, DOJ attorneys also withdrew his sworn affidavit, a move that Judge Charles Alsup suggested would heavily increase the odds that the Trump administration loses the case, which involves the legality of firing thousands of probationary employees.

“Live testimony of Mr. Ezell is also not necessary, as a factual matter, because existing documentary evidence and briefing demonstrates that OPM is not directing agencies to terminate probationary employees,” DOJ lawyers argued.

A group of federal unions has alleged that Ezell lied in a sworn declaration that his office did not order the firing of probationary employees based on “performance or misconduct,” prompting Judge Alsup to order Ezell to testify in person and under oath in San Francisco on Thursday.

The Trump administration attempted to push back on the order — arguing in a filing Monday that the testimony raises “fundamental constitutional concerns.”

Judge Alsup late Monday denied their request to cancel the hearing.

“The problem here is that Acting Director Ezell submitted a sworn declaration in support of the defendant’s position but now refuses to appear to be cross examined or to be deposed,” Judge Alsup wrote in an order Monday night.

The plaintiffs allege that on Feb. 13, Ezell convened a phone call with the heads of federal agencies to direct them to terminate thousands of federal employees and “falsely state that the terminations are for performance reasons.”

In a sworn declaration last month, Ezell denied directing the terminations based on performance reasons, instead arguing that OPM only issued guidance to individual agencies about the need for probationary workers to “demonstrate why it is in the public interest” for the government to continue to employ them.

“OPM did not direct agencies to terminate any particular probationary employees based on performance or misconduct, and did not create a ‘mass termination program,’ as the plaintiffs in this matter described it,” Ezell wrote.

The groups challenging the firings in court say that was a lie, and Judge Alsup appeared inclined to agree during a court hearing last month.

“How could so much of the work force be amputated suddenly overnight? It’s so irregular and so widespread and so aberrant from the history of our country,” Judge Alsup said. “How could that all happen with each agency deciding on its own to do something so aberrational?”

“I don’t believe it,” said the judge. “I believe they were directed or ordered to do so by OPM in that telephone call. That’s the way the evidence points.”

The allegations about the mass firings comes as the Trump administration faces increased scrutiny about the role of the Department of Government Efficiency in reducing the size of the federal government. During a cabinet meeting last week, Trump told the heads of the federal agencies that they are in charge of making cuts to their own departments, rather than Elon Musk and DOGE.

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(BATON ROUGE, LA) — Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of a Southern University and A&M College student during an alleged hazing incident, police said Tuesday.

Caleb Wilson, a 20-year-old junior at the college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, died following an off-campus incident last month, school officials said.

Wilson collapsed after being punched in the chest multiple times while pledging to a fraternity, according to Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse.

A group of males dropped him off unresponsive at a local hospital and reported he collapsed after being struck in the chest while playing basketball at a city park, according to court filings. But upon investigation, officers learned that the incident actually occurred at a warehouse in Baton Rouge while he was pledging to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, according to Morse.

One suspect, 23-year-old Caleb McCray, turned himself in to the East Baton Rouge Parish prison last week with his attorney and has been charged with criminal hazing and manslaughter, Morse said.

Two additional suspects were arrested this week for criminal hazing, a felony, the Baton Rouge Police Department said Tuesday.

Kyle Thurman, 25, was arrested in Port Allen, Louisiana, on Monday by the U.S Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Baton Rouge Police Department’s Violent Crimes Apprehension Team, police said. He was extradited to Baton Rouge and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, police said. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Isaiah Smith, 28, turned himself in early Tuesday and was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, police said.

“A fair bond was set and his family are going through the process of bonding him,” his attorney, Franz Borghardt, said in a statement Tuesday evening to ABC News. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Wilson family in this time of mourning.”

The three suspects allegedly punched some of the pledges with boxing gloves while the students stood in a line during a meeting at a flooring company warehouse on Feb. 26, according to their arrest warrants. McCray is the only suspect specifically accused in the documents of punching Wilson.

Smith held the title of dean of pledges and was in charge of the nine pledges at the time of the alleged hazing, according to the affidavit in his arrest warrant. He is accused of punching “at least one pledge” during the alleged hazing, according to the affidavit.

Thurman allegedly punched pledges in one group, while McCray is accused of punching pledges in another group that included Wilson, according to the affidavits in their arrest warrants. Both suspects are current members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the affidavits said.

McCray allegedly punched Wilson four times in the chest, at which point Wilson fell to the floor, becoming unresponsive and appearing to have a seizure, according to the affidavits.

Wilson was brought to a local hospital in a vehicle registered to Smith, according to the affidavits. Officers also identified Smith as the person seen on surveillance video removing an unresponsive Wilson from the car, according to the affidavits.

Following McCray’s arrest, his attorney said they are reviewing the facts of the case and are committed to ensuring that “due process is followed.”

“At this time, I have not been presented with any evidence to support such serious accusations,” his attorney, Phillip Robinson, said in a statement Friday. “I maintain my client’s innocence and urge the public to withhold rushing to judgment until all the evidence is heard.”

Wilson was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 27, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.

The cause of Wilson’s death has not yet been determined while awaiting the results of the additional forensic testing that was ordered by the pathologist, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed to ABC News on Friday.Additional suspects and arrests are possible, Morse said.

Southern University, a historically Black college and university, said it is cooperating with the criminal investigation. The school is also conducting an internal investigation into what led to Wilson’s death following reports of “unsanctioned off-campus activities” and will “take appropriate action” once completed.

“Hazing is a violation of the University’s rules and regulations as well as Louisiana law, and it will not be tolerated in any form at Southern University,” the school said.

Last week, the university said it had begun its student judiciary process for any alleged breaches of school policy amid its hazing investigation. It has also indefinitely banned membership intake for all student organizations in the wake of Wilson’s death.

Ricky Lewis, the highest-ranking national official in the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, previously said in a statement that they are “actively working to gather accurate information” amid the investigation by local authorities and “we fully support their efforts to seek the truth.”

A public memorial is scheduled to be held for Wilson at Southern University on Friday to “mourn this tremendous loss,” school officials said.

“He was a bright light in Jaguar Nation, a dedicated scholar, and a proud member of the world-renowned Human Jukebox,” Southern University Chancellor John Pierre said in a statement. “Caleb Wilson’s kindness, passion, and unwavering spirit left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The tariffs the Trump administration is imposing on Canada could disrupt the longstanding trade of electricity between the United States and its northern neighbor, effectively raising energy bills in multiple U.S. states.

President Donald Trump ignited a trade war on Canada and Mexico immediately upon taking office, announcing on Inauguration Day that he expected to place 25% tariffs on both countries. After weeks of back and forth, the trade war escalated further after Ontario slapped a 25% surcharge on electricity sent to the U.S. in response to Trumps’ tariffs.

The tariffs will likely have reverberations for Americans who use electricity imported by Canada, as the U.S. and Canada are each other’s largest energy trade partners, according to Washington, D.C.-based research institute Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The history of electricity trade between the U.S. and Canada

The U.S. and Canada have been trading electricity for more than a century — long enough to have established an integrated grid, which offers a sense of security for both countries’ energy needs, according to Ontario-based utilities association Electricity Canada.

The electricity interdependence between the two countries was borne out of complementary needs — Canadians tend to use more electricity in the winter for heating, while demand is higher in the U.S. during the summer for cooling, according to Electricity Canada. An integrated grid offers strategic balance and reliability for both countries. according to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).

The cumulative volume of energy trade between the U.S. and Canada has consistently risen year over year, according to the CSIS.

For the better part of the last two decades, the U.S. has imported “significantly more” electricity from Canada than it has exported, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The balance shifted in the fall of 2023, however, because severe drought significantly reduced the amount of hydropower generated in Canada.

In 2023, electricity exports from the U.S. to Canada were valued at about $1.1 billion and electricity imports from Canada to the U.S. were valued at $2.9 billion, according to the CER.

Tariffs could cause Americans’ electricity bills to increase

Since the integrated electricity system between the U.S. and Canada was built on the idea of tariff-free trade, introducing tariffs is “hugely disruptive” and will be felt by citizens of both countries, according to Electricity Canada.

Both American and Canadian consumers and businesses can expect to pay more for electricity, the association said.

On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a 25% surcharge on electricity from Ontario to the U.S. Customers in states that import the most electricity from Ontario — like Minnesota, Michigan and New York — could see higher prices as a result.

Ford said during a press conference on Monday that he would “not back down” until the tariffs are abolished “once and for all.”

“Believe me when I say I do not want to do this,” Ford said. “I feel terrible for the American people who didn’t start this trade war.”

Ford suspended the surcharge on Tuesday after a “productive conservation about the economic relationship between the United States and Canada,” he wrote on a statement posted to X.

Other states that are top importers of Canadian electricity include California, Nevada, Arizona, North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, according to the CSIS.

The amount of electricity imported from Canada is a small portion of the overall power supply in the U.S., but the transmission connections are an important component of markets in northern states, according to the EIA.

On Tuesday, Trump imposed another round of tariffs on Canadian steal and aluminum products in response to Ontario’s surcharge on electricity.

Trump also announced that he planned to declare a national emergency in the regions of the U.S. impacted by the surcharge but did not provide any specifics on actions the government might take.

ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Max Zahn contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Fourteen members of Congress have signed a letter demanding the release of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, despite being a legal permanent resident.

Khalil was detained on Saturday after two plainclothes Department of Homeland Security agents entered Columbia student housing and detained Khalil without presenting a warrant or any filed charges, according to the letter.

Khalil is a legal permanent resident and is married to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, according to the letter.

The 14 members of Congress — including “Squad” members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. — called Khalil’s detention an “attempt to criminalize political protest” and a “direct assault on freedom of speech.”

“Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime. As the Trump Administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader and negotiator for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Columbia University’s campus,” the members of Congress wrote in a letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The members of Congress, all Democrats, also called Khalil’s detention an act of “anti-Palestinian racism intended to silence the Palestine solidarity movement in this country.”

The ICE agents who arrested Khalil at his home first said that the State Department had revoked his student visa. After being informed by Khalil’s attorney that he was a permanent resident with a green card, the ICE agents said that his green card was being revoked instead, according to the letter.

The agents also threatened to arrest Khalil’s pregnant wife, according to the letter.

“DHS initially informed them he was being held in Elizabeth New Jersey, but his wife attempted to visit the facility on Sunday only to learn that he was not there. DHS refused to provide additional information on his location to his attorney or spouse,” the letter said.

Shortly after his arrest, Khalil was transferred to an ICE facility in central Louisiana.

“Khalil’s constitutional rights have been violated. He has been denied meaningful access to counsel and any visitation from his family. This is absolutely unacceptable — and illegal,” the letter said.

A federal judge has blocked Khalil’s removal while weighing a petition challenging his arrest.

The Trump administration said it has the authority to remove Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve, or are adversarial to the foreign policy and the national security interests of the United States of America,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. “Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation’s finest universities and colleges and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists.”

Baher Azmy, one of Khalil’s lawyers, called his client’s alleged alignment with Hamas “false and preposterous.”

“Setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they’re engaged in,” Azmy told ABC News on Monday.

Khalil completed his program at the university in December and expects to graduate in May, according to the habeas corpus petition filed by his lawyer.

Leavitt also said Tuesday that more arrests will come and added Columbia University is “refusing to help” DHS in identifying other individuals.

“I also know that Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-Hamas activity and they are refusing to help DHS identify those individuals on campus,” Leavitt said.

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(WASHINGTON) —  The National Transportation Safety Board chairman called for immediate changes at Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, saying the current helicopter routes around the airport “pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety.”

Chairman Jennifer Homendy said the NTSB is recommending that the Federal Aviation Administration permanently ban helicopter operations near Reagan when runways 15 and 33 are in use.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has “restricted helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River at DCA until March 31,” Homendy said at a news conference Tuesday. “And I want to commend him for that and commend the work of the FAA to also take swift action.”

However, “as that deadline nears, we remain concerned about the significant potential for future midair collision at DCA,” she said.

Homendy outlined a history of close calls at Reagan and offered a solution as the NTSB continues to the investigate the devastating crash between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people on board both aircraft.

The crash happened on the night of Jan. 29 when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people on board, was about to land at Reagan (DCA). The three soldiers on the helicopter were conducting an annual training flight and night vision goggle check ride for one of the pilots at the time when the two aircraft collided. Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.

Between October 2021 and December 2024, there were 944,179 commercial operations at Reagan, Homendy said. During that time, there were 15,214 close proximity events between commercial airplanes and helicopters, she said.

Encounters between helicopters and commercial aircraft near Reagan show that, from 2011 through 2024, a vast majority of reported events occurred on approach to landing, she said.

Homendy said last month that there was no indication the helicopter crew involved in the January crash could tell there was an impending collision.

The soldiers may have had “bad data” on the altitude from their altimeter, as the pilots had differing altitudes in the seconds before the crash, Homendy said. One helicopter pilot thought they were at 400 feet and the other thought they were at 300 feet.

The transmission from the tower that instructed the helicopter to go behind the plane may not have been heard by the crew because the pilot may have keyed her radio at the same second and stepped on the transmission from ATC, the NTSB added.

The Black Hawk crew was likely wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, Homendy said.

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

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(AUSTIN, Texas) — A homicide investigation is underway after a reporter for InfoWars, the website run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, was shot dead outside his apartment complex in Austin, Texas, according to police.

The victim, Jamie White, 36, was found lying on the ground in the parking lot around 11:56 p.m. Sunday, Austin police said. Infowars is based in Austin.

The suspects may have been burglarizing White’s car when White interrupted them, police said.

The suspects fled the scene after the shooting, police said.

Jones wrote on X, “We pledge that Jamie’s tragic death will not be in vain, and those responsible for this senseless violence will be brought to justice.”

Anyone with information about this shooting should call police at 512-974-TIPS, or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.

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(TROY, Mich.) — Three people have been charged with second-degree murder after a 5-year-old boy was killed when a hyperbaric chamber exploded at a medical facility in Michigan earlier this year, officials announced Tuesday.

Thomas Cooper died on Jan. 31 in the incident at the Oxford Center in Troy, officials said.

The chamber contained 100% oxygen, making it extremely flammable, Lt. Keith Young of the Detroit Fire Department said at the time.

The owner of the Oxford Center, Tamela Peterson, and two other employees of the facility, have now been charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.

They also face an alternative charge of involuntary manslaughter. Nessel said a jury will ultimately decide if the state has enough evidence to prove the murder charge.

The operator of the hyperbaric chamber also faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter, Nessel said.

“Due to many failures by men and women who would call themselves medical professionals — and wanton or willful disregard for the likelihood that their actions would cause the death of a patient — 5-year-old Thomas Cooper was killed,” Nessel said at a press briefing.

The Oxford Center said it has been cooperating with multiple investigations into the “tragic accident” and is “disappointed” in the decision to file charges.

“The timing of these charges is surprising, as the typical protocol after a fire-related accident has not yet been completed,” the Oxford Center said in a statement. “There are still outstanding questions about how this occurred. Yet, the Attorney General’s office proceeded to pursue charges without those answers.”

“Our highest priority every day is the safety and wellbeing of the children and families we serve, which continues during this process,” the statement added.

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

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(NEW YORK) — Gusty winds, low humidity and dry conditions are expected to produce elevated fire danger in parts of the Southwest and Northeast on Tuesday following wildfires that erupted on New York’s Long Island over the weekend and in the Carolinas last week.

Red flag alerts were already in effect Tuesday morning for West Texas and southern New Mexico, where wind gusts are forecast to reach 40 mph and relative humidity is expected to plummet to as low as 5%. Combined with critically dry conditions on the ground, forecasters are warning of the potential of fast-moving wildfires.

“Any fires that develop may rapidly increase in size and intensity, move quickly, and be very difficult to control,” the National Weather Service office for Austin and San Antonio said in a forecast on Tuesday.

In the Northeast, elevated fire danger is forecast Tuesday for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and parts of southern New York. Winds gusts of up to 30 mph in the high-risk areas of the Northeast and the relative humidity is expected to fall to 30%.

Mild to above average temperatures are forecast to continue through this week across the eastern half of the country.

Daily record high temperatures are possible in Houston on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures are expected to get up to the mid-80s in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to reach the lower 80s on Friday.

The new fire danger warnings came even as firefighters continue to mop up from a series of brush fires that erupted on Saturday in New York’s Long Island.

The fires in Suffolk County, Long Island, ignited on Saturday amid northwest wind gusts of up to 45 mph and extremely dry vegetation.

At least four different fires broke out in Suffolk County, officials said. The fires quickly spread embers from Manorville to Eastport and into the publicly protected Pine Barrens region of West Hampton, officials said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and instituted a burn ban for Long Island, New York City and parts of the Hudson Valley.

The Long Island fires burned about 600 acres before officials reported Monday that the blazes were 100% contained. Two commercial structures were damaged in the fires. State and Army National Guard helicopters made water drops on the Long Island fires, which helped prevent the flames from reaching homes, officials said.

About 600 firefighters from more than 80 volunteer Suffolk County fire departments battled the blazes, officials said.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said Monday that the “operating theory” is that a fire was started at about 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday when a resident used cardboard to start a fire to make s’mores, a confection that includes toasted marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers.

The Long Island fires followed a rash of wildfires that ignited last week in South Carolina and North Carolina. Officials said 175 wildfires broke out near the border of both states, fueled by high winds and moderate drought conditions.

The fires in the Carolinas rapidly spread through the Carolina Forest in Horry County, South Carolina, burning over 2,000 acres and threatening the communities of Walkers Woods and Avalon, and reaching the edge of Myrtle Beach before being extinguished, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

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(WASHINGTON) — A Texas man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant and a passenger while on board an American Airlines flight earlier this month, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on March 5, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department contacted the FBI regarding a disturbance on American Airlines Flight 5574 traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. — the same flight path as the plane that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.

The suspect, Asterius Mutayoba Rulamka, had allegedly left his assigned seat during the flight and walked to the rear of the plane, where he “engaged with a flight attendant,” according to an FBI affidavit obtained by ABC News.

Rulamka then sat down in the back of the plane and began to yell profanities at the flight attendant, with passengers taking videos of the incident on their cellphones, according to the affidavit.

Upon noticing one passenger filming, Rulamka allegedly started to attack him, grabbing his arms and verbally berating him, the affidavit said. The suspect also removed the passenger’s hat and glasses and struck him “in the face near his left eye, causing bruising and a bloodshot eye,” the FBI said.

The defendant allegedly attempted to swing at the flight attendant he previously assaulted, but the attendant was able to move out of the way before being struck, sustaining a “small laceration to his finger and a broken fingernail” in the process, the affidavit said.

Rulamka then began running up and down the aisles of the cabin, but three passengers and the flight attendants were able to secure the suspect for landing in a seat near his original seat, the affidavit said.

When the flight was arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport, Rulamka allegedly made several statements, including that he “had come to D.C. to speak to President Trump,” the affidavit said.

Rulamka was asked why he wanted to meet with Trump, and he replied that he was “mad,” the affidavit said.

The FBI said Rulamka had a Texas driver’s license, but a criminal history check revealed that the Department of Homeland Security “encountered the defendant in 2014 as a non-immigrant overstay, and immigration proceedings are pending,” the affidavit said.

“On March 5, law enforcement responded to American Eagle Flight 5574 after its arrival in Washington, D.C. (DCA) due to a disruptive customer. We do not tolerate violence, and thank our team members for their professionalism,” American Airlines said in a statement to ABC News.

Rulamka has been charged with “assault by beating, striking and wounding, in violation of the Title 18 United States Code, Section 113(a)(4),” according to the affidavit. A hearing for Rulamka has been scheduled for March 13.

Attorney information was not immediately listed for Rulamka.

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(WASHINGTON) — Investigators will offer updates Tuesday in the probe into the devastating crash between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people on board both aircraft.

The crash happened on the night of Jan. 29 when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people on board, was about to land at Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The three soldiers on the helicopter were conducting an annual training flight and night vision goggle check ride for one of the pilots at the time when the two aircraft collided.

Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said last month that there was no indication the helicopter crew could tell there was an impending collision.

The soldiers may have had “bad data” on the altitude from their altimeter, as the pilots had differing altitudes in the seconds before the crash, Homendy said. One helicopter pilot thought they were at 400 feet and the other thought they were at 300 feet.

The transmission from the tower that instructed the helicopter to go behind the plane may not have been heard by the crew because the pilot may have keyed her radio at the same second and stepped on the transmission from ATC, the NTSB added.

The Black Hawk crew was likely wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, Homendy said.

The NTSB will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday.

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