Hate crimes, particularly against LGBTQ community, on the rise: FBI data
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(WASHINGTON) — Hate crimes motivated by gender-identity and sexual orientation rose from 2022 to 2023, according to FBI data, sparking concern among LGBTQ advocates about the potential impact of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation.
“Today’s abysmal FBI report highlights that it is still dangerous to be LGBTQ+ in this country,” said Brian K. Bond, CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG National. “Our LGBTQ+ loved ones need both our compassion and our action to make our communities safe and our laws inclusive, so every LGBTQ+ person can be safe, celebrated, affirmed and loved everywhere in the U.S.”
Though violent crime is down about 3% overall from 2022 to 2023, hate crimes are up across the U.S., according to the FBI’s statistics.
Sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most prevalent bias motivation in 2023, behind race/ethnicity and religion.
The FBI counted 2,936 incidents related to sexual-orientation and gender-identity bias in 2023 – up roughly 8.6% from about 2,700 in 2022.
Sexual orientation, excluding heterosexuality, was the motivation for 2,389 incidents in 2023 – up from about 2,188 in 2022, and about 1,300 in 2021, according to FBI data report.
The FBI report also shows gender identity-based incidents have been on the rise for several years, from 307 offenses in 2021, to 515 in 2022 to 547 in 2023.
“Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are and who we love,” said Kelley Robinson, the president of Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations.
Sexual orientation and gender identity-based incidents have made up a larger portion of recorded hate crimes as well, respectively making up 18.1% and 4.1% of hate crimes in 2023 compared to 15.7% and 3.6% in 2022.
Research has shown that people in the LGBTQ community have higher rates of hate crime victimization than non-LGBTQ people.
In June 2023, Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States, which is still in effect, citing an increasingly hostile environment and the record-breaking wave of legislation impacting the LGBTQ community.
The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 530 anti-LGBTQ bills and policies in the U.S. in the 2024 legislative session, including transgender care restrictions, school content restrictions, bans on changes to gender markers, and more. The vast majority of them — 343 bills — have been defeated.
“As hate targeting LGBTQ people continues to rise, we remain committed to pushing back on the dangerous narratives and extremist groups that are responsible for these attacks,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement to ABC News. “We must continue to uplift the voices of LGBTQ people and all others impacted by this violence.”
(HOUSTON) — Public hospitals in Texas will now be required to ask patients if they are in the U.S. legally and keep a record of the funds spent on illegal migrants after an executive order went into effect Friday.
Public hospitals are required to collect information regarding the “cost of medical care provided to illegal immigrants,” the number of inpatient discharges and the number of emergency visits, then submit that data to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on a quarterly basis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in an August statement announcing the measure.
While facilities must ask patients of their legal status, patients are not required to respond.
The new policy will also be enforced at hospitals enrolled in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and any other facilities identified by the commission.
The first submission is due on March 1, 2025, according to the governor’s office. The commission will then submit the total cost for medical care provided to illegal migrants to the governor, lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house on an annual basis beginning on Jan. 1, 2026.
Patients are to be told that the collection of this information will not affect patient care, according to the executive order. Federal law mandates patients be told their answers will not affect their medical care.
The executive order also states that the federal government “may and should be obligated to reimburse the state of Texas for the costs that its open border policies have imposed on Texans.”
“Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state,” Abbott said in the statement, though migrant encounters at the border began rising while Donald Trump was president in the months after April 2020 through the November election. “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.”
Immigration advocacy groups condemned the action as it went into place Friday.
“Abbott’s latest executive order — which takes effect today and goes against federal law — is a calculated attempt to drive immigrants into the shadows and make our communities fearful of being targeted in the very places we should feel safe. Going after immigrants in hospitals is just the first step towards enacting Trump’s Project 2025 agenda,” said Michelle Ming, political director of United We Dream Action, an advocacy group for immigrants.
ABC News’ Armando Garcia contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Two Russian military aircraft were detected Wednesday operating in the international airspace off of Alaska, NORAD said.
The aircraft were operating in airspace known as the Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, that stretches 150 miles from the coastline, an area where aircraft are asked to identify themselves.
“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” NORAD said. “This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”
The U.S. does not appear to have launched intercepting aircraft, with NORAD saying in a press release that the Russian aircraft were “detected and tracked.”
United States and Canadian fighter jets in July intercepted four Russian and Chinese bombers flying in international airspace near Alaska, officials said at the time.
NORAD did not identify what type of Russian aircraft were involved in Thursday’s incident.
(NEW YORK) — The Thanksgiving travel period will see record-breaking numbers for those hitting both the roads and the skies, according to reports from several airlines and travel organizations.
American Automobile Association
The American Automobile Association projected that 79.9 million travelers will head to destinations at least 50 miles from their homes over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which officially runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, 2024.
That would be an increase of 1.7 million people from 2023, and 2 million more than in 2019 (looking to pre-pandemic figures, in light of the global event’s impact on travel).
AAA projected that 71.7 million Americans will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an increase of 1.3 million compared to last year.
However, drivers can expect to see lower gas prices this year compared to last year, according to AAA. Last year’s national average was $3.26 per gallon. With prices decreasing this Fall, AAA predicts the national average could drop below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, even before Thanksgiving travel begins.
Nearly 2.3 million people will also travel by bus, cruise, or train this Thanksgiving, according to AAA, which an increase of almost 9% from last year and 18% compared to 2019. This growth is largely driven by the rising popularity of cruises in the post-pandemic era, AAA explained.
When it comes to the friendly skies, AAA says that travelers are paying 3% more for domestic flights this Thanksgiving. International flight bookings have surged by 23%, partly due to a 5% decrease in international airfare, according to AAA.
The Top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations of 2024 share a common theme: warm weather. AAA data shows that the Top 3 domestic destinations are cities in Florida, while other top destinations include New York, California, Hawaii and Las Vegas.
Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean dominate the list, driven by interest in beach resorts, tourist attractions and river cruises, according to AAA.
Airlines for America
Airlines for America, a trade organization, said that airlines also expect an all-time high this year. It anticipates that more than 31 million passengers will fly on U.S. carriers over the given holiday period.
That’s compared to nearly 29 million passengers during the same period last year and 28 million in 2019.
Airlines are preparing to accommodate the demand by flying an average of 2.8 million passengers daily — a 5% increase from 2023, according to A4A. To meet the surge, carriers are adding 150,000 more seats per day compared to last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, it said.
A4A expected that the busiest days for air travel will be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday, Dec. 1, each with over 3 million flyers per day projected.
Hopper
Hopper also predicted that this Thanksgiving will be the busiest on record, with 36.5 million seats scheduled to depart between Nov. 23 and Dec. 3 — a 4.8% increase from the same period last year.
Hopper projected that the busiest day to travel will be Dec. 1. For those who need to return by Monday, Hopper recommends taking an early flight that morning instead of returning on Sunday, as it can save you around $175 per domestic ticket.
The busiest airports for the Thanksgiving travel period are Atlanta, Dallas Fort-Worth and Denver as they are each scheduled to serve between 1.5 to 2 million passengers, Hopper reported.
According to Hopper, hotel rates over the Thanksgiving week are averaging $213 per night, with some rates as low as $140 still available. In popular cities, the prices are slightly higher; for example, in New York city, the average rate per night is as high as $423 due to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This year’s popular Thanksgiving destinations are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago, according to Hopper. Internationally, the most popular destinations are Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Madrid, Bogota and Cancun.
Airlines, by the numbers
United Airlines has said that it expected its busiest Thanksgiving ever this year, with 6.2 million passengers expected to fly between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. Nearly 480,000 people per day will fly with United — about 30,000 more people per day than last year.
Delta Airlines projected that it will see its busiest on record, with 6.5 million passengers anticipated between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3. An average of 540,000 passengers are expected to fly each day during the 12-day travel period, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
American Airlines shared similar predictions, with 8.3 million passengers expected to fly on more than 77,000 flights between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. The airline said it expected to carry over 500,000 more travelers than last year — which, it added, translates to serving roughly 6.8 million Biscoff cookies to its passengers during the holiday period.
Its highest-travel day is expected to be Dec. 1: To handle the surge, American Airlines said it will be operating 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft as of approximately 10:45 a.m. CT, marking the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.
Tips for travelers flying to their Thanksgiving destinations
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest weeks of the year to travel, with packed airports, highways and hotels across the U.S.
For those hitting the skies, plan for longer lines at security and potential delays or cancellations, as the airports will be packed with larger schedules than usual.
Here are a few tips from experts to manage holiday crowds and disruptions:
Book flights earlier in the day: Flights from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. are less likely to be delayed.
Download the airline’s app and check your flight status before heading to the airport.
Add trip protection.
Choose direct flights to avoid missed connections due to flight delays and cancellations.
Have flexible travel plans and try to build in a buffer day in case of delays or cancellations.
In the event you encounter any disruptions or issues, experts have also suggested that it is important to know your rights and options: Airlines are now required to provide 24/7 customer service via live chat or phone support. If your flight is canceled, contact an agent at the gate, by phone or through chat.
Federal regulations now mandate that airlines issue automatic refunds for domestic flights delayed over three hours and international flights delayed more than six hours. Additionally, if a passenger’s bag is delayed for more than 12 hours, they are eligible for a refund on their bag fees.
Passengers also have the right to request refunds on any unfulfilled ancillary services, like Wi-Fi access.
