DOJ to appeal judge’s order dismissing Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s human smuggling case

(NEW YORK) — The New England Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel, addressed the media Thursday after a series of photos were published allegedly showing him with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.

In his remarks, Vrabel said that his “actions don’t meet the standard I hold myself to” and his initial response to the pictures was an attempt to protect his family, saying that the photos showed an innocent interaction.

“I just know I’m going to take the necessary steps with the people I care about — that’s my family and this team,” said Vrabel.

Vrabel and Russini are both married to other people. Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14.

“I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30,” Russini wrote in her resignation letter. “I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

Vrabel declined to comment on the most recent photos, saying “my priorities are my family and this football team. In that order,” according to ESPN.

Vrabel did confirm at a news conference Tuesday that he has had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff, team officials and players following the initial publication of the photos.

It is not clear if the New England Patriots will discipline Vrabel but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN on Thursday that this is a team matter and does not fall under the league’s personal conduct policy.

“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being,” the team said in a statement. “Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.”

Vrabel confirmed that he will start seeking counseling, saying “I can only say that whatever my family needs, that’s what I’m going to provide,” Vrabel said.

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(NEW YORK) — Cold and snowy conditions dominated the winter season in the Northeast with much of the region experiencing its coldest winter in a decade or more, and several cities seeing their biggest snowfall in years. However, if you live in other parts of the country, this winter was very different.

Meteorological winter — December to February — was unseasonably warm across much of the contiguous U.S., ranking as the second-warmest winter on record since 1895, behind the 2023-24 season, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

While the Northeast faced persistent blasts of bitter cold and snow, exceptional winter warmth in the West nearly pushed the nation to a new all-time high for the season.

Nine states finished off with their warmest winter on record: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Dozens of cities in the West and Plains saw a top 5 warmest winter with cities such as Albuquerque, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City seeing their all-time warmest.

Dallas, Texas, recorded 16 days with high temperatures of at least 80°F, the highest seasonal total on record.

For much of the country, winter was not only exceptionally warm, but exceptionally dry, ranking as the driest winter in 45 years across the Lower 48. Much of the western United States entered the season already grappling with drought, and persistent warmth fueled the worst snow drought in decades across parts of the Rockies as more precipitation fell as rain instead of snow.

Drought on its own already stresses water supplies, agriculture, and ecosystems. But when winter fails to deliver significant mountain snow, those impacts can intensify, according to NOAA.

A persistent snow drought can trigger a cascade of hydrologic changes. Low snowpack and early snowmelt can affect vegetation, reduce surface and subsurface water storage and alter streamflow, all of which directly impact water management and planning across the West.

Snowmelt supplies a large share of the region’s water used by communities, agriculture, and ecosystems. In some states, up to about 75 percent of water supplies can come from melting snow, according to the USGS.

The Colorado River provides water for more than 40 million people and fuels hydropower resources in seven states: California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

Widespread, persistent drier-than-average conditions also impacted parts of the Heartland and Southeast, bringing drought expansion and intensification during the winter months. Multiple states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska, experienced one of their driest winters on record.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report released on March 5, more than half of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, an increase of about 10% from the beginning of February.

Florida is enduring its worst drought in 25 years, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, with a heightened risk of wildfires this spring as conditions worsen across the state.

All of Florida is currently experiencing some level of drought, with more than 70% of the state facing an extreme drought level 3 of 4, U.S. Drought Monitor data shows.

“We expect the drought to continue or even worsen in the next couple of months, as we are in the heart of peninsular Florida’s dry season that usually lasts until mid-May,” Florida State Climatologist David Zierden told ABC News. “Then the summer convective rains kick in and provide some relief.”

The National Interagency Fire Center says Florida faces an above-average risk of significant wildland fires throughout meteorological spring, which began on March 1. Dozens of counties across the state have issued burn bans due to the ongoing drought and elevated wildfire risk.

The worsening conditions are raising concerns beyond wildfires, including impacts to water supplies and agriculture.

“Four of the five Water Management districts have either voluntary or mandatory water restrictions limiting outdoor irrigation,” Zierden added. “Range and pasture for cattle is the agricultural commodity that is hit hardest right now.”

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(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Secret Service officers exchanged gunfire with an armed man near the White House property in Washington, D.C., on Monday, authorities said.

The suspect and a juvenile bystander were struck during the exchange of gunfire, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Michael Marx, according to multiple law enforcement sources. He has a Texas driver’s license and no obvious connection to Washington, and authorities are working to learn why he was in the city, sources said Tuesday.

Authorities are executing search warrants on his phone, digital media and other locations to try and determine if he posed any threat to specific individuals or entities, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, sources said.

The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. Monday near the National Mall, outside the perimeter of the White House complex, according to U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn.

A plainclothes Secret Service officer observed a “suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Quinn said during a press briefing.

Uniformed Secret Service police briefly followed the suspect and, upon making contact, he fled on foot and fired in the direction of the officers, Quinn said. 

The officers returned fire, striking the suspect, Quinn said. The suspect was transported to a hospital, according to Quinn. 

Marx was struck multiple times and remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition, sources said.

At least one bystander, a male juvenile, is believed to have been shot by the suspect and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Quinn. The victim is also being treated at a hospital, he said.

“Everything I’ve seen leads me to believe, and the investigators believe, he was struck by the suspect,” Quinn said.

Marx has not yet been charged.

The shooting comes over a week after an alleged assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

“Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out,” Quinn said.

Not long before the shooting occurred, Vance’s motorcade passed through the area, Quinn said. The suspect did not approach the motorcade, according to Quinn.

The use-of-force investigation will be conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, Quinn said.

The incident prompted a brief evacuation of the White House North Lawn.

ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr and Jack Date contributed to this report.

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