Category: National

(WASHINGTON) — Buckley Carlson, a former Capitol Hill aide and the son of conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, is set to join Vice President JD Vance’s press office, sources tell ABC News.

The younger Carlson is set to serve as Vance’s deputy press secretary, sources said.

Buckley Carlson has worked as an aide on Capitol Hill since 2019, including most recently serving as deputy chief of staff to Republican Rep. Jim Banks.

He first joined Banks’ office in 2019 as a staff assistant before becoming communications director in 2021.

Earlier this month, Vance tapped several former employees to join his vice presidential staff in senior staff roles, including Jacob Reses, who is continuing to serve as his chief of staff.

Brian Gray, who served as Vance’s political director for his 2022 Senate campaign and state director for his Senate office, was tapped to be his deputy chief of staff.

Ben Moss will serve as Vance’s director of domestic policy after previously serving as Vance’s general counsel during his time in the Senate.

Andy Baker, a former foreign officer, was brought on to serve as Vance’s national security adviser.

Will Martin was made Vance’s communication director after previously serving as Vance’s communication director during his time in the Senate. Luke Schroeder, who previously served as press secretary for Vance’s Senate office, is now Vance’s deputy communications director. Both men also worked for Vance during the presidential campaign.

Taylor Van Kirk is Vance’s press secretary after previously working as the communications director for his 2022 Senate campaign and as his press secretary during the presidential campaign.

Vance’s director of operations is Abby Delahoyde, who previously held the same role under Vance when he was in the Senate. She also previously worked for Rep. Byron Donalds and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

Sean Cooksey, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission, also joined the vice president’s staff to serve as general counsel to Vance.

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(HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.) — A New York state trooper who claimed to have been shot in the line of duty in October is now facing criminal charges for having allegedly “staged” the shooting, according to officials.

Thomas Mascia, 27, surrendered to police Monday morning, a spokesperson for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office told ABC News. He faces charges of official misconduct, falsely reporting a crime and tampering with evidence.

Mascia’s parents, Dorothy and Thomas, also surrendered to police on charges of criminal possession of a firearm, according to the district attorney’s office. All three have been released on their own recognizance.

Mascia was on duty Oct. 30 in Hempstead when he “initiated a radio transmission for shots fired,” according to a felony complaint obtained by ABC News.

He then “claimed he was shot by the driver of a black Dodger Charger described as either a Black or dark-skinned Hispanic male.”

The complaint alleges Mascia actually “staged the scene of the shooting,” placing shell casings on the ground hours earlier.

He then allegedly “shot himself in the leg in another location before returning to the staged location” on the Southern State Parkway.

State police temporarily shut down the section of the parkway where Mascia claimed the incident occurred “in an effort to locate the non-existent shooters, causing alarm and inconvenience to the public,” the complaint states.

The complaint accuses Mascia of staging the shooting “for the benefit of gaining attention or sympathy for himself.”

An attorney representing Mascia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is expected to make his next court appearance Feb. 5.

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(LOS ANGELES) — Less than a week after a massive wildfire shut down California’s Interstate 5, a major freeway between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley, the traffic artery was closed again due to heavy snow, authorities said.

Both the southbound and northbound lanes of Interstate 5 remained closed Monday morning and the California Highway Patrol said there is no timeline on when it will be reopened.

A CHP spokesperson told ABC News heavy snow caused the closure of I-5 from Castiac, near where the Hughes Fire shut down the freeway on Wednesday. The stretch of I-5 is also known as “The Grapevine.”

The area, as well as other mountainous areas north of Los Angeles, was forecast to get six inches to a foot of snow.

The Hughes Fire, one of a series of major blazes that have devastated the Los Angeles metro region since Jan. 7, erupted on Wednesday near Castaic Lake reservoir, about 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The fire, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, grew quickly to more than 10,000 acres, prompting the mandatory evacuation of about 30,000 residents and putting another 20,000 on an evacuation watch.

More than 4,000 firefighters responded to the blaze, attacking it from the ground and air and preventing it from damaging any homes, officials said.

The Hughes Fire is one of four active fires still burning across Southern California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Hughes fire was 95% contained on Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.

A weekend storm brought much-needed rain to Southern California. But the first significant rain in the area since June 1 was also accompanied by threats of a different natural disaster. Overnight, a flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Malibu, where homes and businesses were destroyed by the Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes to devastate Los Angeles County this month.

Pacific Coast Highway west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles County was closed around 4:30 p.m. Sunday due to mudflows, officials said. Mudflows in the burn-scarred areas of fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades also caused the shutdown of several main roads in the area, including the northbound lanes of Sunset Boulevard, officials said.

As of Monday morning, parts of Los Angeles County had received 1.2 inches of rain. Downtown Los Angeles had gotten nearly a half-inch of rain and Santa Monica received almost an inch. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County got 1.75 inches of rain and Ventura County, south of Los Angeles, had received 1.36 inches.

An additional half an inch of rain is possible for parts of Southern California through Tuesday.

The rain was a welcomed sight to firefighters still battling active blazes in the region, including the Hughes Fire.

The Palisades Fire, which started on Jan. 7 and exploded to over 23,000 acres, was 94% contained on Monday. The fire destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, including homes and businesses, and killed 11 people.

The Eaton Fire, which also broke out on Jan. 7 in Pasadena and Altadena, was 98% contained on Monday. The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed more than 9,400 structures, including homes and businesses, and was blamed for the deaths of 17 people.

The fourth active Southern California fire was the Border 2 Fire south of San Diego near the Mexico border. The blaze, which started Thursday afternoon, was 43% contained on Monday after burning more than 6,600 acres of wildland.

“Rainfall overnight and into the morning hours has led to a substantial decrease in fire activity,” Cal Fire said in an update Monday morning. “While not ending the possibility of fires in the long term, the saturation of grass and other light, flashy fuels will lessen the threat of the spread of the Border 2 Fire.”

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(TAMPA, Fla.) — One pedestrian was killed and several pedestrians and officers were hurt by a driver who allegedly drove into people in multiple intentional hit-and-runs in Tampa, Florida, Sunday night, police said.

“Tonight was a tragic night involving an extremely dangerous suspect” who was fatally shot by police, ending the “violent rampage,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said at a news conference.

The incidents began just before 8:30 p.m. when officers responded to a report of a driver blocking someone’s car at a Dollar General, Bercaw said.

The two drivers argued and eventually the victim left, the chief said. Then, the victim noticed the suspect was following him to his house, and the two drivers threw items at each other, Bercaw said.

The suspect then “reversed out, hitting the victim with the car twice,” the chief said. “While this was happening, a friend of the victim was firing at the suspect in an attempt to stop this violent act.”

That first victim was listed in stable condition, the chief said.

At 8:33 p.m., the suspect drove his white Honda in circles and then struck and killed a man in an apparently intentional act, police said.

The suspect fled and then struck another pedestrian, who survived, police said.

At 8:39 p.m., the suspect was seen driving toward pedestrians on a sidewalk, police said. The driver struck another man who was hospitalized with serious head injuries but is expected to be OK, Bercaw said.

At 10:16 p.m., another call came in reporting that the driver intentionally veered into people, striking another person, Bercaw said.

Police chased the suspect and eventually stopped his car, Bercaw said.

“The suspect was getting out of the car, reaching for what [officers] believed was a weapon, and then shots were fired,” Bercaw said. “The suspect did not survive.”

Three officers were injured in that incident; none of their injuries are life-threatening, Bercaw said.

The 47-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, had an “extensive violent criminal history” and was released from prison about two years ago, the chief said.

“This was a violent night,” the chief said.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the man who was killed,” he added.

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(YORK HARBOR, MAINE) — A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of New England on Monday morning with shaking felt in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and an hour away in Boston.

The quake was centered 10 kilometers southeast of York Harbor, Maine.

Homes and businesses in Concord, Massachusetts, reporting feeling the quake, according to local police.

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

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(NEW YORK) — Mayor Eric Adams of New York City will limit his public schedule this week, as he undergoes “routine” medical tests during a series of doctors’ appointments, an aide said.

“Over the last few days, Mayor Adams hasn’t been feeling his best,” Fabien Levy, the mayor’s spokesperson, said on social media late Sunday.

Levy asked for privacy for the mayor’s personal matters. Adams’ office “will continue to communicate in the unlikely event he is unable to fully discharge his duties on any particular day,” Levy said.

“New Yorkers can rest assured that their local government will continue to deliver for them every day as our committed workforce at City Hall, and more than 300,000 employees at dozens of city agencies, continue to show up on the most important issues,” Levy said.

Adams, 64, is expected to stand trial on federal corruption charges in April.

He was indicted in September and charged with five criminal counts, including wire fraud, bribery and solicitation of contribution from a foreign national. He pleaded not guilty.

Adams meet with President-elect Donald Trump prior to his inauguration earlier this month, according to his office.

“President Trump and I had a productive conversation about New York’s needs and what’s best for our city, and how the federal government can play a more helpful role in improving the lives of New Yorkers,” Adams said in a statement.

Adams said he and Trump “did not discuss my legal case.”

ABC News’ Claire Brinberg contributed to this report.

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(PHILADELPHIA) — Shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC championship game and their ticket to the Super Bowl on Sunday night, a car plowed into a crowd of revelers in Philadelphia.

Three people were left injured by the crash in the Spring Garden neighborhood, though none of the injuries was life-threatening, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

They were part of a large crowd that took to the streets after the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC championship game, sending them on to the Super Bowl.

The accident took place at approximately 9:30 p.m. near Center City, one of Philadelphia’s most storied neighborhoods and home to such historic attractions as the Liberty Bell.

Police said in a post on X that the incident did not appear to be intentional.

A person inside the vehicle was taken into custody for questioning, according to the PPD.

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(NEW YORK) — Tax filing season kicked off on Monday as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service began accepting completed tax forms.

Americans can file anytime before April 15. The IRS said earlier this month that it expects more than 140 million individual tax returns to be filed by that deadline.

Refunds are typically sent within 21 days, the agency says. For paper returns, the IRS says turnaround time can last more than four weeks.

The IRS is expanding a system that allows taxpayers to file directly with the agency, bypassing intermediary firms that often charge fees.

The initiative, Direct File, will be made available to taxpayers in 25 states, more than doubling from 12 states last year, the IRS said.

States newly offering Direct File include Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

For the first time, the Direct File program will feature a “data-import tool” that allows tax filers to automatically enter information available in their IRS account, the agency said. Direct File works on mobile phones, laptops, tablets or desktop computers, the IRS said.

Up to one in three Americans waits until the last minute to file their taxes, according to a 2021 survey by IPX 1031. That amounts to tens of millions of people.

Taxpayers can typically file an extension that lasts six months, meaning those who obtain an extension will be allowed to submit their tax forms without penalty until Oct. 15.

If a filer forgoes an extension and files late, the person risks additional fees for the tardy submission. The penalty amounts to 5% of the taxes owed for each month that the filing is late, up to a maximum of 25%.

Under such circumstances, the IRS mails a letter or notice alerting the filer of a late fee.

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(LOS ANGELES) — Even with flames still burning in parts of Los Angeles County, total insured losses from the wildfires this month are already estimated at more than $30 billion, according to Goldman Sachs.

The massive amount of damage dwarfs the previous record of $12 billion in insured losses caused by Northern California’s Camp Fire in 2018.

With over 15,000 structures already destroyed in the Palisades, Eaton and spate of smaller fires, according to state officials, some public insurance claim adjusters are warning that it may take years for claims to be resolved, and in some instances, homeowners may not have the coverage they thought they had.

A recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder of a 2021 wildfire in the state found that three-quarters of those who lost their homes were not fully covered for total losses.

As thousands of homeowners in Southern California file insurance claims to start the recovery process, they are meeting the one person who will determine how much the insurance company should pay for their loss — the insurance adjuster.

Each claimant is assigned an adjuster by the insurance company. It is the adjuster’s job to assess the damage, and in the case of the LA wildfires, prioritize the destroyed and severely damaged homes over those with minor damage.

California law requires that insurers immediately pay policyholders one-third of the estimated value of their belongings and a minimum of four months’ rent in the event they are completely displaced.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued a one-year moratorium preventing insurance companies from canceling or issuing nonrenewals for homeowners in the neighborhoods or adjoining ZIP codes affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

After the adjuster assesses the damage, they will determine how much the insurance company pays out for the claim.

Those who file may be given a settlement offer on the spot, but Amy Bach, executive director of the non-profit consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, tells ABC News that homeowners should resist the temptation to sign on the dotted line right away.

She recommends asking insurers for a copy of the policy and studying it for details about what level of coverage can apply.

“Give your insurance company a chance to do the right thing, but don’t be a pushover,” Bach said. “Understand reality — your insurer is a for-profit business, and you need to be pro-active to recover what you’re owed in full. Get informed on your rights and your insurer’s obligations and be politely assertive.”

Experts say if an insurer tells a homeowner that something is not covered, they should get a second opinion, including getting independent valuations of the replacement cost of the home and possessions.

“Chances are the insurer’s adjuster will use a software program to calculate what they owe you,” Bach said. “Computers don’t repair and rebuild homes — contractors and subcontractors do. So, it’s what they will charge that matters.”

If the homeowner disagrees with the insurance company’s assessment, they can appeal the decision and hire a public adjuster for a fee, according to Bach.

The public adjuster’s second opinion may help when negotiating with the insurance company, Bach added.

Public adjusters can be found through the California Department of Insurance website, and if homeowners are not being treated fairly — they can file a complaint for free with the same department.

Bach suggests keeping detailed notes of all conversations with the insurance company and adjuster including the dates and times of speaking, the names of those representatives, and a summary of what was said.

She also recommends sending a follow-up email after every conversation to document the progress.

Even if affected homeowners are insured, experts also recommend applying for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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(WEST PALM BEACH, FL) — A Florida man was arrested for allegedly making online threats to President Donald Trump, according to police.

Shannon Depararro Atkins, 46, was taken into custody on Friday following a traffic stop near his home in West Palm Beach, a short distance from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

Atkins had allegedly posted “violent rhetoric” about Trump on his Facebook account, West Palm Beach Police Department Chief Tony Araujo said during a press conference on Saturday.

At least one of the posts, which Araujo showed reporters, consisted of a meme relating to the assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024.

Police said Atkins admitted to writing the posts but said he had just been “joking.”

“Folks, this is not a joke. Nothing of that sort is a joke,” Araujo said.

Police said they became aware of the posts after another man, from Okeechobee, Florida, sent in a tip to the FBI.

Atkins was taken into custody without incident Friday night. He was found with cocaine on him, according to police.

It was not immediately clear if Atkins has retained an attorney. ABC News has reached out to him for comment.

Araujo said the U.S. Secret Service was notified of the arrest and is looking into it to determine if federal charges should be filed.

“In today’s climate, you really can’t say things like this,” Araujo said. “We have incident after incident, example after example, of when these threats become real, and we take these very seriously.”

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