Two Russian military aircraft detected off of Alaska, NORAD says
(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) — Steve Witkoff — a friend of, and donor to, former President Donald Trump — told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Tuesday that Secret Service agents protecting the Republican presidential nominee during Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt did “exactly what they’re supposed to do.”
Witkoff was with the former president at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when Secret Service agents fired several shots at would-be gunman Ryan Wesley Routh, who was allegedly concealed in a tree line 300 to 500 yards from the Republican presidential nominee.
“We were having a great day,” Witkoff said of the incident, during which Secret Service agents rushed Trump to a safe location.
He added that, after hearing the first shot, “I saw the Secret Service do exactly what they’re supposed to do, which was get right on top of the president.” There were “a whole bunch” of agents on top of Trump, Witkoff said.
“They did that job in an exemplary way,” he said. “I was almost mesmerized by everything that was happening.”
“In quick succession, there were four shots and then the Secret Service was whisking him out of there, getting him back to the club house, as he’s the first priority — he’s the protectee,” Witkoff said. “They were engaging in that corner on the sixth hole where evidently … this would-be assassin had put himself, had created a sort of lair there.”
Trump, he said, was “looking over” and “gesturing” to the area at which the Secret Service agents fired. As he was rushed away, the former president appeared “very concerned” about the friends and staffers with him on the course, Witkoff said.
“That’s all he was concerned about,” Witkoff said.
Routh, 58, lay in wait for Trump for nearly 12 hours, authorities said. Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe Jr. said the suspect did not fire any shots or have a line of sight on the former president at any time.
Secret Service agents spotted Routh’s gun barrel poking out from the tree line near the sixth green, authorities said. After they fired at the suspect, Routh fled leaving behind a digital camera, two bags including a backpack, and a loaded SKS-style 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope.
Routh was detained attempting to leave the area in a vehicle, a witness having reported his license plate number to police. He appeared in court on Monday and currently faces two felony gun charges.
Trump said during an online conversation on the platform X — formerly known as Twitter — that he “was with an agent and the agent did a fantastic job.” The former president posted to the Truth Social platform soon after the incident on Sunday: “I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!”
(NEW YORK) — As the embattled cliffside city of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to face indefinite utility shutoffs due to landslide risk, a neighboring Southern California community has lost gas services this week.
Officials from Rolling Hills, an adjacent city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, announced that SoCal Gas shut off services to 34 homes in the area on Monday.
Additionally, electricity company Southern California Edison announced 51 households are preparing to lose power indefinitely no later than Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Rolling Hills officials.
This means services could be shut off any time before Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. PT, according to officials who note the utility companies are responsible for notifying customers of their service status.
Mayor Leah Mirsch released a statement Monday, saying, “The safety and well-being of our residents remains the City’s top priority.”
“We are all impacted by the outages and are committed to holding the utility companies accountable – pushing them to implement solutions that will restore services both quickly and safely,” Mirsch added.
Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes as SoCal Gas and Southern California Edison shut off services to nearly 250 residences due to broken pipes and power lines causing hazards.
Residents in the growing landslide zone, which officials said earlier this month had spread about 680 acres over the past year, were advised to leave the area following the loss of vital power.
Photos show foundational damage to multi-million dollar properties and the surrounding roadways have become a reality amid the increasingly shifting landscape.
Newsom said land movement in the area has “significantly accelerated following severe storms in 2023 and 2024.”
Larry Chung, vice president of electric utility company Southern California Edison (SCE), said during a community meeting this month that there’s “no timeframe” for power restoration in the impacted areas due to the instability of the land.
“We can not predict how much the slide will accelerate in the coming weeks and months,” Chung said.
The Rancho Pales Verdes Peninsula is located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles.
“There is no playbook for an emergency like this one,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area, said at a news conference on Sept. 1. “We’re sparing no expense. This is bigger than Rancho Palos Verdes. This land movement is so gigantic and so damaging that one city should not have to bear the burden alone.”
Hahn said at the time the county committed $5 million to respond to the disaster.
It has not been announced if L.A. County’s funding and Newsom’s executive order will extend to the Rolling Hills community.
Charlie Raine, a Rolling Hills resident, told ABC News affiliate KABC-TV he’s worried about his elderly neighbors in the wake of the shutoffs.
“There’s a lot of people that are dealing with this, and it’s overwhelming for them,” he told the outlet. “I’m somewhat capable of doing this for myself, certainly, and I feel sort of obligated to help other people try and get through this.”
Rolling Hills officials said the Rotary Club of Palos Verdes Peninsula is organizing donation efforts for residents who have been affected by the landslide.
Generator and solar installation permits are being expedited to support alternative power solutions, according to officials.
(NEW YORK) — After nearly two and a half months of searching, law enforcement officials have arrested fugitive Joshua Zimmerman, who had been on the run since escaping from the DeSoto County Circuit Court Building in Mississippi on June 14.
The United States Marshals Service said Zimmerman was detained on Wednesday morning after an overnight standoff at the eatery at 2325 West Madison Street.
Marshals located Zimmerman at the restaurant in Chicago on Tuesday, authorities said, where he barricaded himself inside. The restaurant was then surrounded by the Chicago SWAT team.
The investigation into Zimmerman’s escape has been extensive, with contributions from federal, state and local agencies.
“We have been working diligently for 68 days, alongside various organizations, to bring this case to a close,” a DeSoto County spokesperson noted while the standoff was still ongoing. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we have intentionally kept details quiet to avoid spreading misinformation.”
Officials said they were focused on extradition plans and were hopeful for a resolution soon.
“We are eager to return Zimmerman to our detention facility so we can thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his escape,” the spokesperson said.
The high-profile case has garnered significant media attention, with major networks and public figures such as Dog the Bounty Hunter following the developments closely. The spokesperson acknowledged the broad interest in the case, saying, “This is a significant event, and we are committed to bringing it to a successful conclusion.”
Zimmerman was charged with murdering a woman in Houston, Texas, in 2023. He was arrested on Sept. 29, 2023, by law enforcement in Mississippi on separate felony charges, as reported last year by ABC News’ Houston station KTRK-TV.
The additional charges included attempted murder, armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and a charge in relation to the theft of a car.
Zimmerman escaped custody while being brought to the De Soto County courthouse for a hearing along with several other inmates.
De Soto County District Attorney Matthew Barton explained that Zimmerman was able to slip away from the group, change clothes and remove his shackles. Surveillance cameras recorded Zimmerman leaving the courthouse wearing khaki pants and a white shirt.