JFK assassination files one step closer to possible public release
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(WASHINGTON) — The decades-long wait for the release of the government’s secret files on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy could be nearing an end, with word from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) that a plan to make the documents public has been delivered to the White House under an order from President Trump.
“In accordance with the President’s executive order, ODNI submitted its plan to the White House,” a spokesperson for the office said in a Friday afternoon statement to ABC News.
However, it remains unclear how soon thousands of assassination-related documents will actually be declassified. The executive order the president signed last month required only the delivery of a plan by Friday’s deadline “for the full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
Researchers and authors have expressed the hope that a national security establishment that has historically insisted on secrecy and dragged its heels for years on such requests from others would be spurred to fast action by Trump. But skepticism lingers among experts that any classified materials will be swiftly unredacted by officials at the CIA, FBI and other agencies.
“They face harder choices than Trump knew when he made this breezy proclamation,” author Jefferson Morley, founder of the website jfkfacts.org, told ABC News Friday. “How serious [Trump] was is going to be tested.”
Morley and other experts are particularly interested in having unfettered access to CIA documents regarding surveillance the spy agency conducted on Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Kennedy’s killing. The CIA first opened a file on Oswald following his attempted defection to the Soviet Union in 1959. In the months prior to the assassination, the agency tracked his visit to Mexico City, where he attempted to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba.
“If the Trump order is seriously implemented, we would get those files,” Morley said.
Congress voted in 1992 to have all of the government’s assassination-related documents declassified by 2017, a deadline that has been repeatedly extended by presidents Trump and Biden due to concerns raised by the national security agencies. Ongoing classification was necessary, they argued, to protect the names of agency employees, intelligence assets, sources and methods still in use by U.S. spies, as well as “still-classified covert action programs still in effect,” per a December 2022 CIA memo to the White House.
President Trump’s Jan. 23 order said he has determined that redactions are no longer “consistent with the public interest” and that “the release of these records is long overdue.”
Trump in that same order also requested a plan for the release of classified records related to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, with a deadline of early March.
The National Archives, which holds custody of the assassination-related records, said in a statement to ABC News Friday that it “looks forward to implementing the President’s direction in partnership with our agency partners.”
(CAPE CORAL, FL) — A 22-year-old social media influencer on TikTok with nearly 300,000 followers has been arrested after using fake barcodes to steal from Target and filming herself getting ready before the alleged theft, police say.
The Cape Coral Police Department in Florida responded to a Target branch located at 1890 NE Pine Island Road in Cape Coral last Wednesday regarding a past retail theft that occurred on Oct. 30, according to a statement from the Cape Coral Police Department.
“Loss Prevention at Target stated that on October 30, 2024, an unknown female entered the store and selected items listed for sale,” police said. “Once at the self-checkout register, the female suspect did not scan the items’ barcodes, instead scanning a false barcode with cheaper prices.”
In total, 16 items of miscellaneous household goods and clothing were stolen with a total retail value of $500.32, which was verified by officers via Target’s security cameras.
In an attempt to help identify the suspect through public assistance, the Cape Coral Police Department’s Facebook and Instagram accounts posted the female’s picture, describing her as appearing to be “approximately 20-35 years old, had long black hair, and was wearing a tan shirt, tan pants, and glasses.”
An anonymous caller who saw the post on social media subsequently contacted the police and gave the possible identification for the suspect as Marlena Velez and informed them of her social media profiles.
“Officers then found Marlena’s TikTok account, which documents her getting ready on October 30, 2024, in the same outfit and glasses and going to Target,” police said. “Marlena documents herself picking out items inside the store and placing them in her car after exiting the store. Marlena appears to be a content creator with almost 300,000 followers.”
Velez has since been arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail and charged with petit theft of less than $750.
(NEW YORK) — Authorities investigating the rash of recent burglaries at the homes of professional athletes have recovered a watch belonging to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in Providence, Rhode Island, sources familiar with the case told ABC News.
Kelce’s Leawood, Kansas, home was burglarized as the Chiefs were about to kick off Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints hours apart from a burglary at the home of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Police had not previously disclosed a watch was taken from Kelce but did confirm that $20,000 cash was stolen.
Police believe the athletes are being targeted based on their game schedules and are working to determine whether a crime ring is targeting them along with other luxury homeowners.
So far all of these thefts have occurred while nobody is home. There is a concern about what happens if the athlete or his/her family members are present, a security source told ABC News.
The burglars conduct extensive surveillance, sometimes posing as delivery men, maintenance workers or joggers to learn about residences, neighborhoods and security systems, according to an NFL memo obtained by ABC News.
One security source told ABC News the burglars appear to know what they’re looking for, where it is in the home and are in and out within 15 minutes.
(LOS ANGELES) — At least 24 people have died and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area.
Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 92,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.
Status of Palisades, Eaton fires
The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed about 5,000 structures. It’s covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 17% containment.
The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged around 7,000 structures. It’s burned over 14,000 acres and is at 35% containment.
Wind gusts reach 72 mph overnight
Dangerously high winds that could fuel wildfires are impacting the Los Angeles area Tuesday and Wednesday.
The highest wind gust recorded so far was 72 mph in the western San Gabriel Mountains, which is in northern LA County.
A 50 mph wind gust was recorded in Malibu Hills.
The gusty winds will spread from the mountains into the valleys and the canyons by Tuesday afternoon.
A slight break in the wind is expected Tuesday evening before the rough winds pick back up Wednesday morning.
The winds will stay strong into Wednesday afternoon and then finally begin to relax Wednesday night into Thursday.
‘Dangerous’ winds to pick up across Los Angeles, Ventura counties
A “particularly dangerous situation” with a red flag warning will go into effect in western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County on Tuesday, weather officials said, with winds threatening to further fuel historic Southern California wildfires.
The warning begins at 4 a.m. local time. Winds are forecast to gust between 45 mph to 70 mph, with relative humidity as low as 8%.
Winds overnight and early on Tuesday have been gusting up to 67 mph in the mountains near Los Angeles. The West San Gabriel Mountains have seen gusts up to 67 mph, with the Central Ventura County Valley hit about 66 mph.
The strongest gusts are expected Tuesday morning and early afternoon, which will then be followed by a break in the evening. More gusty winds are expected Wednesday morning.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Firefighters stop forward progress of Auto Fire
Firefighters stopped forward progress of the Auto Fire in Ventura County late Monday night, the Ventura County Fire Department said, with the blaze mapped at 55.7 acres with 0% containment.
Firefighting teams “remain on scene mopping up hotspots and working to increase containment,” the department said. “The fire was confined to the river bottom and no structures were threatened. The cause of the fire Is under investigation.”
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
LA mayor issues executive order to expedite rebuilding
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order late Monday that her office said “will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities” devastated by local wildfires.
“This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion,” Bass said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”
The order was issued as dangerous wind conditions threatened additional homes across the Southern California area.
“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response,” Bass said.
A mayor’s office press release said the executive order will coordinate debris removal from all impacted areas, expedite all building permit activity and take immediate action to make 1,400 units of housing available.
The order also set a one-week deadline for all city departments to list relief needed from state and federal authorities.
-ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog
More firefighting resources being deployed ahead of extreme fire weather
Additional firefighting resources will be allocated in advance of the extreme fire weather forecast this week in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday.
That includes more than 300 additional firefighting personnel and 135 engines — making for more than 15,000 personnel total and 1,900 fire engines, water tenders, aircraft and bulldozers combined in the ongoing fire response, the office said.
How the Palisades Village managed to survive the firestorm
The Palisades Village is largely unscathed amid the devastating Palisades Fire, even as buildings across the street burned to the ground.
That’s because the owners of the outdoor mall hired private tankers to fend off the flames as the fire encroached, ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman reports.
Tankers could be seen on Monday preparing for the next Santa Ana wind event forecast for this week.
Newsom proposes additional $2.5B in firestorm response
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that the state provide an additional $2.5 billion in funding for its firestorm response and recovery efforts.
Newsom signed a proclamation on Monday that expands the scope of the state legislature’s current special session “to further boost response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles,” his office said in a press release.
The governor is requesting $1 billion to go toward the emergency response, cleanup and recovery in the Los Angeles wildfires, as well as $1.5 billion in funding to prepare for the threats of firestorms and other natural disasters, according to the proclamation.
Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas said in a statement that the assembly members “are listening to their residents and will bring feedback to the discussion as we consider the Governor’s proposal.”
9 people charged with looting in Palisades, Eaton fires: DA
Nine people have been charged with looting in connection with the Palisades and Eaton fires, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.
“There have been certain people that we have given a warning to because we anticipated that this was half was going to happen, and these are the criminals,” Hochman said during a press briefing. “These are the people who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit.”
Among those charged are three people accused of stealing more than $200,000 in property in a burglary last week at a house in Mandeville Canyon during an “evacuation situation,” Hochman said.
A man has also been charged with arson in a fire that occurred in the city of Azusa on Friday, Hochman said.
Homeowners, renters sue utility company over Eaton Fire
Four separate lawsuits were filed Monday against Southern California Edison, a utility company in California, by homeowners and renters who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The lawsuits each allege the company failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment despite red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
-ABC News’ Laura Romero
Over 80,000 without power as red flag warnings expand
More than 80,000 customers in California are without power as Southern California Edison starts shutting off power in parts of Southern California ahead of the next wind event, which begins Tuesday.
Areas under a high risk for rapid fire growth have expanded.
Biden: ‘Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost’
President Joe Biden said in a new statement, “Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires.”
Biden said he continues to be “frequently briefed” on updates. He said he’s “directed our team to respond promptly to any request for additional federal firefighting assistance,” adding that his team is “laser-focused on helping survivors and we will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight as the winds are projected to increase.”
“To the brave firefighters and first responders working day and night to suppress these fires and save lives: our nation is grateful,” Biden said. “You represent the best of America and we are in your debt.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Areas for worst wind conditions this week
The National Weather Service has highlighted these three areas where officials believe there’s the highest chance for explosive fire growth this week. The Hurst Fire is in the highlighted area and the Palisades Fire is near the highlighted area.
The extreme fire risk will last from 4 a.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday.
Winds could climb as high as 45 to 70 mph and humidity could be as low as 8 to 15%.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Crews finding remains in Altadena: Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he knows displaced residents want to return to their neighborhoods, but he warned, “we are in the third day of grid searching” in Altadena.
“It is a very grim task,” he said, noting that every day crews are finding people’s remains.
Twenty-three people have been reported missing: 17 from the Eaton Fire and six in the Malibu area, the sheriff said.
Severe fire conditions to continue through Wednesday
Severe fire weather conditions — high winds with low humidity — will continue through Wednesday, keeping the fire threat in all of Los Angeles County critical, LA Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned at a news conference.
Amid the “unprecedented disaster,” Marrone shared positive news that the Eaton Fire in Altadena didn’t grow at all on Sunday.
The Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed over 7,000 structures, Marrone said. He said damage inspections for dwellings are 26% completed.
The super scooper firefighting plane damaged by a drone last week has been repaired, Marrone said. Crews are waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to give the OK to send the plane back in the air.
Ukraine offers aid
Ukraine may send rescuers to help fight the devastating fires in California, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”
Firefighters from Mexico and Canada have also been deployed to California.
Edison International can’t rule out equipment role in wildfires, CEO says
Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, told “Good Morning America” on Monday that the company cannot yet rule the possibility that its energy infrastructure played a role in sparking wildfires now raging around Los Angeles.
Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison — a subsidiary of Edison International — infrastructure sites caused fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.
“You can’t rule out anything ever until you can get your eyes on the equipment,” Pizarro said.
“Typically, when there’s a spark created by equipment, we will see the electrical anomaly — we haven’t seen that,” Pizarro said of a possible incident involving Edison infrastructure and the Hurst Fire burning outside of San Fernando.
“That said, we have not been able to get close to the equipment,” he continued. “As soon as we can get close to it, we’ll inspect and be transparent with the public.”
“We may find something different,” Pizarro added.
Pizarro said Edison also recorded damage to equipment at the site of the Eaton Fire in the mountains north of Pasadena. “We don’t know whether the damage happened before or after the start of the fire,” he said.
Pizarro said that Edison International will be shutting off power to some California residents as a precaution amid red flag warnings.
“We have about 450,000 customers who we’ve warned they may need to have their power shut off,” Pizarro said.
High winds threaten explosive fire growth
Weather officials have issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County beginning on Tuesday at 4 a.m. into Wednesday at noon.
Winds are forecast to be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth.
A new Santa Ana wind event is forecast Monday through Wednesday with the strongest winds Tuesday into Wednesday.
On Monday morning and the rest of the day, winds will begin to pick up in the mountains and higher elevations, gusting 20 to 30 mph, locally as high as 50 mph.
By Tuesday morning at 4 a.m., when the “PDS” conditions begin, gusts in the mountains are expected to near 70 mph possibly and humidity could be as low as 8% for some of the area.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
68 arrested, many for burglary, in fire evacuation zones, police say
At least 68 people have been arrested in fire evacuation zones, according to law enforcement officials, as police work to secure devastated parts of Los Angeles and firefighters continue to battle wildfires.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it recorded 29 arrests — 25 in the Eaton Fire area north of Pasadena and four in the Palisades Fire area in western Los Angeles.
The Santa Monica Police Department reported 39 arrests in evacuated areas in its jurisdiction on Saturday night, including 10 for burglary and six for possession of burglary tools. None of those arrested lived in the area, the department said.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Forecast calls for ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ for fires, Newsom warns
Gov. Gavin Newsom warned late Sunday that the week was beginning with a forecast for a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for new wildfires, even as the firefight against the several fires still burning continued.
“Emergency responders are ready tonight. Pre-positioned firefighters and engines are spread around Southern California,” he said on social media. “Stay safe. Be ready to evacuate if you get the order.”
The warning, which comes from the National Weather Service, says that the fire risk is high in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties amid strong winds, a lack of recent rainfall and relatively low humidities. The warning begins Monday night and runs through Wednesday morning, the service said.
It’s is the fourth of its kind in three months, Newsom said. The first came ahead of the Mountain Fire in Ventura, which destroyed 243 structures. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which destroyed 20 structures.
And the third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which have now destroyed thousands of homes and structures, he said.
Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24
There have been at least 24 fire-related deaths in the Palisades and Eaton Fires, according to the latest tally from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.
The number of fatalities is expected to rise as officials continue to battle the dual fires.
According to the medical examiner, there have been 16 confirmed deaths linked to the Eaton Fire and eight fatalities due to the Palisades Fire.
Los Angeles Unified School District reopening some schools Monday
Los Angeles Unified School District announced some schools are reopening Monday, depending on the location of the institution and the weather conditions.
LAUSD said school principals will contact communities directly.
ABC News confirmed that some community members received calls on Sunday about schools reopening.
The district has over 1,500 schools serving roughly 600,000 students in grades K–12. Schools across the district have been closed due to fires since Thursday.
