Police seeking mother of 2-year-old girl who died from suspected fentanyl exposure

(NEW YORK) — Firefighting teams battling the southern California Line Fire achieved 5% containment of the blaze Monday night, with 23,714 acres burned.

Cal Fire’s latest update on the wildfire in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles said 38,002 structures were threatened, though it noted there was so far no damage to buildings or any additional casualties beyond the three firefighters injured previously.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the California National Guard will support the ongoing response to the Line Fire, the cause of which is still unknown.

“We’re pouring resources into this incident aggressively by deploying more air and ground support through the California National Guard,” Newsom said in a statement. “This is on top of nearly 2,000 firefighters, nearly 200 engines, and air assets we already have tackling this fire. California stands with these communities and has their backs.”

Monday saw most fire activity in the north and east edges of the wildfire, Cal Fire said, adding, “The fire could remain active overnight as vegetation remains critically dry.”

“Stronger winds are predicted Tuesday which could help fire spread and contribute to longer range spotting. Mid-week cooling may moderate fire activity and increase fuel moistures,” Cal Fire said.

The fire — active since Sept. 5 — is burning in steep and rugged terrain, making access difficult, Cal Fire said. Firefighters, its update added, are working to build “control lines” to contain the blaze.

Evacuation orders are in place for 8,800 structures, with another 29,200 structures under evacuation warnings.

Four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for water bucket dropping operations and two C-130 aircraft with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems will be among the resources deployed by the National Guard, Newsom said.

There will also be 80 troops split into four 20-person hand crews and one military police company to assist the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department with traffic control in evacuated areas.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The bribery charge against New York Mayor Eric Adams is “extraordinarily vague” and brought by “zealous prosecutors” who spent years “casting about” for something to support a criminal case against the mayor, a defense attorney said Monday in a new court filing.

Federal prosecutors accused Adams of accepting more than $100,000 in airline upgrades and luxury hotel stays from Turkey and, in 2021, when a Turkish official told Adams it was “his turn,” Adams allegedly pressured the New York City Fire Department to rush a safety inspection of the new Turkish consulate in Manhattan.

Adams was arraigned on the charges on Friday. He pleaded not guilty one day after the indictment was unsealed.

The mayor’s attorney, Alex Spiro, argued on Monday that the alleged scheme “does not meet the definition of bribery” because the indictment does not say Adams agreed to perform any official act in exchange for the travel perks.

“Rather, it alleges only that while serving as Brooklyn Borough President — not Mayor or even Mayor-elect — he agreed generally to assist with the ‘operation’ or ‘regulation’ of a Turkish Consulate building in Manhattan, where he had no authority whatsoever,” Spiro wrote in a motion to dismiss the bribery count.

The defense suggested what Adams is accused of doing is routine, not criminal.

“That extraordinarily vague allegation encompasses a wide array of normal and perfectly lawful acts that any City official would undertake for the consulate of important foreign nation,” the motion said. “The three innocuous messages Adams allegedly sent to the Fire Commissioner here fall far short of the kind official act necessary for bribery.”

Adams has pleaded not guilty to all five counts he faces. He is due back in court on Wednesday.

Spiro said the other four counts should also be dismissed.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Attorneys for the voting machine company Smartmatic and the cable channel Newsmax argued at a hearing Monday over evidence and witnesses expected to be presented when Smartmatic’s defamation case against the news channel goes to trial later this month.

Smartmatic has accused Newsmax of publishing dozens of false reports claiming that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 election. Newsmax has argued, in part, that they were reporting on newsworthy claims of fraud.

Howard Cooper, an attorney for Newsmax, argued at Monday’s hearing that the news channel should be able to introduce videos of broadcast segments that he says rebut Smartmatic’s argument that “Newsmax took this position of election fraud [and] not calling the election” for winner Joe Biden.

“One of the ways that we can rebut that theory is by showing shows that were contrary to President Trump’s position,” Cooper said of former President Donald Trump, who falsely claimed there had been massive election fraud.

The two sides also argued over the inclusion of witnesses who would testify about whether Newsmax, in the course of its reporting, reached out to Smartmatic — or instead only reached out to Dominion, another voting machine company that was falsely accused of wrongdoing.

Dominion, in a separate case last year, reached a $787 million settlement with Fox News in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit.

Newsmax officials have said under oath that the company contacted or attempted to contact Smartmatic during its coverage of the election and its aftermath.

“We’re not disputing that Dominion and Smartmatic are not the same,” said an attorney for Newsmax. “Some of these Newsmax personnel did get to contact Dominion. It is relevant to the case. It’s relevant to their state of mind.”

“I’d love for you to make that argument if I’m on the other side,” Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said in response. “Here is the executive producer of this show, and he doesn’t know the difference between Exxon and Chevron.”

After a lengthy argument about other types of evidence the parties would like to introduce at the trial, the judge reviewed the potential witness list and emphasized the need for clear and concise jury instructions.

At one point during the hearing, an attorney for Newsmax requested permission to depose Smartmatic’s damages expert, arguing that the expert’s “reports and charts” on the damages have changed frequently.

“I would only add they were looking for somewhere, and we don’t know yet, between $400 and $600 million in this case,” an attorney for Newsmax said, criticizing “the idea that we would go to a trial without having a full opportunity to do an up-to-date examination of their damages expert.”

An attorney for Smartmatic pushed back, saying that Newsmax attorneys have previously deposed the expert and that “none of the information has changed.”

Judge Davis said he would rule soon on each of the motions.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 30 in Delaware.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.