(NEW YORK) -- Officials in Louisiana reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement on Tuesday evening with the family of Ronald Greene, sources told ABC News. Greene was a 49-year-old Black motorist who died on May 10, 2019, after an encounter with Louisiana State Police, where he was beaten and shocked with stun guns following a high-speed vehicle chase.

A spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday morning that a settlement, which was first reported by the Associated Press, has been reached over Greene's death, but said that the terms cannot be discussed since the negotiations are ongoing.

"LSP is unable to discuss the terms of the settlement at this time, as the process has not yet been finalized," LSP Public Affairs spokesperson Lt. Kate Stegall said.

Greene was pursued by police after failing to stop for an unspecified traffic violation, leading to a car chase near Monroe, Louisiana. Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, said that authorities initially told the family that Greene died when his car crashed into a tree, but body camera footage released amid public pressure nearly two years after his death showed his violent encounter with police.

The settlement would resolve a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed in May 2020 by Greene's family against the Louisiana State Police.

According to Louisiana state law, the settlement would need final approval from the state legislature before it is finalized.

Five Louisiana law enforcement officers initially faced state charges for their roles in Greene's deadly arrest, but several charges were dropped or reduced in this case.

Federal prosecutors informed Greene's family in January 2025 that the Department of Justice had declined to seek federal charges in this incident.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh.

The former attorney was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison for the murder convictions of his wife Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, 22. Both were found shot inside their home in 2021.

The Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Murdaugh must have a new trial, citing the actions of former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill, who has been charged with perjury, obstructing justice and misconduct in relation to the murder trial.

Murdaugh's attorneys contend that Hill tampered with the jury by "advising it not to believe Murdaugh's testimony and other defense evidence, pressuring it to reach a quick guilty verdict, misrepresenting information to the trial court in an attempt to have the court remove a juror she believed to favor the defense."

Murdaugh was also convicted on several financial crimes following the murder trial and is serving a 27-year sentence on state charges and a 40-year sentence on federal charges related to those crimes.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- A newly discovered asteroid will pass within about 56,000 miles of Earth on Monday, significantly closer than the distance between Earth and the moon.

There is no need to worry or cancel any plans, however. Current calculations show no evidence that the object will hit Earth.

The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains.

The asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, is likely between 50 and 100 feet across, according to estimates from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That estimate is based on how bright the object appears and how much light scientists think its surface reflects.

Astronomers are still working to better understand the asteroid’s orbit and physical characteristics. So far, the object has been tracked only 24 times over several days. While its trajectory is still being refined, current calculations show no impact risk.

The asteroid is considered an Apollo-class near-Earth object.

"These asteroids have an orbit that is larger than Earth's orbit around the Sun and their path crosses Earth's orbit," according to NASA.

The Virtual Telescope Project plans to stream the encounter live beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET on Monday.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DENVER) -- The fatal collision in which a Frontier Airlines jet struck a person on the runway at Denver International Airport was a suicide, according to the medical examiner.

The man, who died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott.

Mott was scientifically identified and police said they are talking to friends and family to better understand what had been going on in his life, the medical examiner said at a press conference Tuesday.

Mott was not an airport employee and no vehicle or bicycle was found nearby.  Investigators are still trying to understand what he was doing in the area, according to the medical examiner.

The runway where the incident occurred is about 2 miles away from the terminal and is very remote. Police have searched nearby farmland for any notes or items from him, but have not found anything, according to the medical examiner.

Denver International Airport officials said they have had fence jumpers before, but they are typically caught rather quickly. The airport got an intrusion alarm alert on Friday, but when they looked, they saw a pack of deer, which is common in the area. They could not see Mott, officials said.

It took 15 seconds for Mott to jump over the 8-foot fence with barbed wire. It took two minutes from that first moment for him to reach the runway and be hit, according to officials.

If you or someone you care about needs to talk, contact the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-273-8255.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday temporarily paused a lower court order that declared President Donald Trump's global 10% tariffs are unlawful. 

In an unsigned decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an administrative stay of last week's decision from the Court of International Trade. 

The move, effectively a brief legal time-out, will allow an appeals court panel time to consider equities on both sides of the dispute before considering whether or not to invalidate the tariffs while litigation continues.  

The court did not take any position on the merits of Trump's appeal and is still considering issuing a long-term stay pending appeal. 

The same court granted the Trump administration's request to stay last year's decision blocking Trump's first round of tariffs. 

Last week, a New York-based trade court concluded that the 10% -- imposed by Trump after the Supreme Court blocked his initial tariffs -- were similarly unlawful.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- The 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced Tuesday it will add a seventh moment of silence at this year's 25th commemoration ceremony to honor those who have died of illnesses related to their time at or near the World Trade Center site.

For the past 24 years, there have been six moments of silence: two to mark the times when the planes struck the World Trade Center towers; one to mark when a plane struck the Pentagon; one to mark when a plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and the two times the World Trade Center towers collapsed. The moments of silence are each followed by a bell toll.

This new, seventh moment of silence will be observed at the conclusion of the reading of the names and will be a permanent part of the annual ceremony.

The recognition comes as more than 9,000 people have now died from 9/11-related illnesses, approximately three times the number killed on Sept. 11, 2001, according to the World Trade Center Health Program. Cancer cases tied to exposure have skyrocketed from 3,200 in 2015 to nearly 53,000 in 2026.

"We’ve lost far too many to cancer, respiratory issues, and other 9/11-related illnesses," Dr. Kerry Kelly, former FDNY Chief Medical Officer and 9/11 Memorial & Museum Trustee, said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This new moment of silence is a fitting tribute to these heroes whose sacrifice, dedication, and commitment to public service will never be forgotten," Kelly said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke has died, the team confirmed on Tuesday. He was 29.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke," the team said in a statement on social media. "Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the great Memphis community will not be forgotten."

Clarke was found dead on Monday from a possible drug overdose in a home in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Police Department sources told ABC News. Narcotics were found at the scene and there is no evidence of foul play, sources told ABC News.

The athlete had been recently arrested in Arkansas for felony drug trafficking, possession of drugs and a pursuit, sources said.

The Canadian-American forward began playing in the NBA in 2019. He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and immediately traded to Memphis, where he had played ever since. He was named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team in his rookie season.

"As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon's family, friends and the Grizzlies organization."

Priority Sports, the agency that represented Clarke, said they are "beyond devastated" by his death.

"He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched. He was the greatest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family," the agency said in a statement. "Everyone loved BC, because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine. He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It's just impossible to put into words how much he'll be missed."

In college, Clarke played two seasons for the San Jose State Spartans before transferring to Gonzaga. During his junior season, he was named the West Coast Conference's Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first to win both honors in the same year in the conference's history.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SAN ANTONIO) -- Six people, including a teenager, were found dead inside a shipping container at a Texas rail yard near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said.

A seventh person who was found dead along train tracks in an area outside San Antonio is also believed to have been part of the same group in what is a suspected smuggling incident, authorities said.

The six bodies were discovered Sunday at the Union Pacific rail yard in Laredo, police said. An employee at the rail yard called police after discovering the bodies during a routine rail car inspection, police said.

The victims include a 14-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man from Honduras, as well as a 29-year-old woman and two men -- aged 45 and 56 -- from Mexico, according to the Webb County Medical Examiner's Office.

So far, the woman has been confirmed to have died from hyperthermia, according to the Webb County Medical Examiner's Office, which said it is "highly probable that hyperthermia was the cause of death for the entire group."

The body of the seventh person was found Monday afternoon near tracks in Bexar County, some 150 miles north of Laredo, according to authorities. The man, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, was carrying a Mexican voter registration card, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

"At this point, the prevailing theory is that he's a resident of Mexico that was among that group that was being smuggled into the country in one of these shipping containers," Salazar said during a press briefing on Monday.

It is unclear if the man had died while in the shipping container and his body was dumped, or if he died in a fall from the train, he said, noting that the medical examiner will be determining the cause and manner of death.

Salazar said the shipping containers can only be opened from the outside, and that sensors go off when they are opened.  

He said the train is believed to have originated in Del Rio, Texas, where the sensor did go off, presumably to load people on. The sensor went off again near where the body of the seventh person was found in Bexar County, he said.

"The fact that a sensor hit from here indicates someone opened that from outside," Salazar said. "Our belief at this point is that it was most likely smugglers, coyotes that opened it from the outside."

It is unclear if there were more people on the train who were successfully let out at that point, he said.

Salazar said the train continued on and was split up at a station, with half of it going to Houston and the other half to Laredo, where the six other people were found dead.

One of the people found dead in Laredo is believed to have contacted a relative on Saturday from inside the shipping container, saying in a message that "it was getting very, very hot, and that they were having some physical trouble as a result of it," Salazar said.

The relative, who lives in a different state, contacted police, and San Antonio officers were dispatched to a location several miles from where the body was found in Macdona and did not find anything, he said.

The Webb County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement Tuesday it is "working in close coordination with the Mexican Consulate to facilitate communication with the families of the deceased, ensure positive identification, and assist in the repatriation process as efficiently as possible."

Homeland Security Investigations and Texas Rangers are also investigating the incident, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Union Pacific said it is "saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate."

ABC News' Laura Romero contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) -- Two people were shot and left with life-threatening injuries after a gunman began shooting into traffic in Cambridge on Monday afternoon near Harvard University, according to officials.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press briefing after the incident that a gunman with an assault-style rifle was "actively firing in an erratic fashion at various vehicles."

The shooting occurred in the vicinity of Memorial Drive and River Street before 1:30 p.m.

A trooper and a civilian, a former Marine, fired their weapons and struck the gunman, who was later identified as Tyler Brown, multiple times, according to the DA. Brown is under arrest and is hospitalized, Ryan said.

Brown is now facing six new felony charges, including two for assault with intent to murder.

He was under probation supervision for a previous crime, according to the DA.

Brown was sentenced to five to six years in state prison and three years of probation in August 2021 after he fired at Boston Police. Brown pleaded guilty to eight charges, including armed assault with intent to murder and attempted assault and battery by means of discharging a firearm, according to a 2021 statement from the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.

Brown was also previously required to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, according to the DA's office.

Brown was also on probation at the time of the 2021 incident for a 2014 assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and witness intimidation conviction, according to the DA's office. He was sentenced to four to five years in state prison for violating his probation to be served concurrently.

The DA's office had recommended Brown be sentenced 10 to 12 years, criticizing the lower sentence.

"My office recommended a significant sentence for Mr. Brown given the nature of his offenses and the ​trauma and harm he inflicted. I am disappointed in the sentence that was imposed," then-District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a 2021 statement.

The two people who were struck by gunfire were in their vehicles at the time.

Aerial footage from ABC News' Boston affiliate WCVB showed the gunman being apprehended by police at the scene.

WCVB footage also showed a black Dodge sedan off the side of the road after an apparent crash.

A rifle was seen on the grass in the area, according to WCVB.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a statement that there is no ongoing threat to the public, but asked that residents "avoid the area to allow public safety personnel to do their work."

Lisa Schill, a witness to the shooting, told WCVB she was in a school van on the way to pick up kids at school. She said she left the van and began running from the incident on foot.

"I was running for my life," Schill told the publication.

ABC News' Chris Barry contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BALTIMORE) --  The federal government indicted two foreign companies Tuesday in connection with the cargo ship crash that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024.

Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a shoreside technical superintendent of the M/V Dali, the vessel involved in the crash, was also charged by federal prosecutors.

The Singapore-registered Dali was bound for Sri Lanka when it crashed into the Baltimore bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024, after the ship lost power twice. The boat knocked down a section of the bridge, and six construction workers who were on the span were killed.

The Justice Department alleges that the companies that operated the boat, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, and Nair engaged in "criminal conduct that not only destroyed the Key Bridge but brought the regional economy to its knees and claimed the lives of six Maryland residents,” according to the indictment.

The indictment says that the economic loss was at least $5 billion.

If the ship had been using the proper equipment, the crash could have been avoided, the DOJ said.

The companies along with Nair, an Indian national, allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali's four generators, according to the indictment.

However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout, the indictment said.

The indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge.

The DOJ alleged the defendants also lied to investigators when asked about what happened.

"This indictment is the first step in our efforts to hold those accountable who caused the tragic deaths of six people and catastrophic damage to our region," U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland said in a DOJ statement. "The safety of our residents, ports, and infrastructure is of utmost importance to the prosperity of the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland will continue to pursue those who commit crimes that jeopardize those interests."

Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. issued a statement Tuesday saying it was "deeply disappointed" in the prosecutors' actions and defended itself citing the NTSB investigation.

"The NTSB’s findings, together with the substantial evidence Synergy Marine has produced to the government in the investigation, clearly refutes any allegations of wrongdoing by the DALI crew," Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy, said in a statement.

Wilson also questioned the indictment's timing as it came a month before a civil trial against the company was slated to commence.

The company said that it "will defend against these allegations with vigor and remains committed to pursuing all legal avenues."

-ABC News' Sam Sweeny contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DENVER) -- The fatal collision in which a Frontier Airlines jet struck a person on the runway at Denver International Airport was a suicide, according to the medical examiner.

The man, who died of multiple injuries, has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.) -- A judge overseeing Tiger Woods' driving under the influence case is permitting prosecutors to get access to the golfer's medication records.

No one was injured in Woods' rollover car crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, in March, Martin County officials said. Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.

Woods did not appear at Tuesday's hearing, but his lawyers argued for a protective order, saying the golf legend's medication records should not be open to the public and should only be given to limited people involved in the case, like the prosecution and law enforcement, according to ABC West Palm Beach affiliate WPBF.

The prosecution conceded that Woods has a right to privacy from the general public, WPBF reported.

The judge approved the state's request for the subpoenas and also approved the defense's request for the protective order, permitting the medication records to be released, but restricting who gets access to them, WPBF reported.

The March 27 accident unfolded when Woods tried to pass a truck in front of him, authorities said. Woods clipped the back of the truck's trailer, causing the golfer's SUV to tip on its side, authorities said.

Two hydrocodone pills were found in Woods' pants pocket, the probable cause affidavit said. A breathalyzer showed no alcohol in his system, but Woods refused to take a urine test, which is used to detect drugs or medication, authorities said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that members of the media "should not be surprised" if they receive subpoenas for information related to their sources on stories pertaining to national security-sensitive matters, following a Wall Street Journal report that the outlet received subpoenas stemming from its coverage of the war in Iran. 

"Prosecuting leakers who share our nation's secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration," Blanche said. "Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material."

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the outlet received subpoenas back in March related to a Feb. 23 article that reported on military officials' warnings to President Donald Trump of the risks of carrying out military action against Iran. 

Trump, according to the Journal, later personally urged Blanche to more aggressively pursue leaks related to the war -- at one point sliding him a list of articles with a sticky note on it reading, "Treason."

A Justice Department spokesperson, in a statement to ABC News, said, "In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States."

Blanche previously had said in a news conference that the DOJ would be moving forward with directly targeting reporters with subpoenas, alarming media outlets and First Amendment advocates who have noted the move is a break with recent precedent. 

The Justice Department under the Biden administration had previously implemented strict guidelines for when prosecutors could use compulsory legal action to target reporters, framing such moves as the last resort when U.S. national security is imperiled.

Then-Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded those guidelines last year.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- U.S. household debt, including mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and student loans, reached an all-time high of $18.8 trillion in the first three months of the year, according to new data Tuesday from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The increase in overall debt was driven by higher balances on mortgages and auto loans.

Student loan debt slightly decreased to $1.66 trillion. However, many borrowers are falling behind on their payments, with more than 10% of student loan balances now past due, nearing pre-pandemic levels, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said.

Credit card debt dipped by $25 billion during the first quarter of the year, with outstanding card balances at $1.25 trillion. Credit card debt is up by $70 billion over the past year.

On a call with reporters Tuesday morning, researchers at the New York Fed described Americans’ overall credit as “stable,” but noted there are weaknesses among younger consumers and lower-income households.

According to officials, mortgage balances are $13.2 trillion and auto debt stands at $1.69 trillion.

The record-high household debt comes amid rising inflation, which rose for a second consecutive month, government data on Tuesday showed. 

Prices rose 3.8% in April compared to a year earlier, marking an increase from a year-over-year inflation rate of 3.3% in the prior month. Annual inflation jumped to its highest level in three years, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SEATTLE) -- A student at the University of Washington in Seattle was found stabbed to death in a campus housing building, Seattle police said, and now authorities are searching for the killer.

The victim -- a 19-year-old transgender woman -- was found in a laundry room at about 10:10 p.m. Sunday, according to Seattle police.

"The circumstances leading up to the murder are under investigation," police said in a statement on Monday.

Police said "officers are actively searching for the suspect" and they described him as a "black male with a beard, 5'6-8" tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans." The university added the suspect is believed to be between the ages of 25 and 30 with a slim build and black hair.

The University of Washington issued an alert about the homicide at the Nordheim Court Apartments at 10:40 p.m. Sunday, saying, "If you are at Nordheim Court, stay indoors and lock doors and windows." Around 1 a.m., the university said that the residents no longer needed to stay inside.

UW President Robert J. Jones offered his condolences, saying in a statement, "There are no words that can express the profound loss of a student."

"While investigators have not yet identified a suspect or a motive, I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members," Jones said. "Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal. We are grateful to the Seattle Police Department homicide division for leading the investigation as they work to find the person responsible for this horrendous crime."

The police department said it urges anyone with information to call its Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

ABC News' Tristan Maglunog contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DENVER, Colo.) -- Passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight were forced to deplane at the gate Sunday evening in Denver after an ammunition magazine was found on the aircraft as it was preparing for departure, according to the airline. 

Frontier says preliminary investigation indicates the magazine belongs to a law enforcement officer who may have left it behind on a previous flight.

There were no injuries, officials said. All passengers were deplaned and rescreened out of precaution, and the plane also went through a security sweep, and nothing additional was recovered from the flight, according to the airline.

Flight 4765 was scheduled to travel from Denver to Phoenix. Due to the delay, the flight crew exceeded their duty time, and passengers were booked on another flight, which departed Monday morning, according to Frontier Airlines.  

TSA says it is aware of the incident, and the FBI is leading the investigation.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) -- A nonprofit organization is attempting to stop the Trump administration's repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, alleging that the plan "willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress."

The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit on Monday in D.C. federal court asking a judge to halt the renovations until the Trump administration gets approval from Congress.

"Every day that the resurfacing continues, the historic character of the Reflecting Pool is being further and fundamentally altered," the lawsuit alleged about the project, part of President Donald Trump's D.C. "beautification" efforts that include renovations to the White House East Wing and a planned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

Because the reflecting pool and its surrounding landscape are on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the National Mall Historic District, the lawsuit alleged that Trump administration should have gotten approval for the changes under the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

"This latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern -- epitomized most notably by the rush to destroy the East Wing of the White House -- in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress," the lawsuit alleged.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation is a D.C.-based nonprofit that maintains a database of cultural landscapes and advocates for the preservation of threatened landscape architecture.

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior defended the renovations, which includes repainting the pool "American Flag Blue" and installing a new filtration system.

"President Trump has done more to make our nation's capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country. The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations," the statement said.

The statement did not address whether the Trump administration sought any kind of approval for the project or if they plan to do so. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Beachgoers planning out their summer swims on the East Coast may take a moment to consider the yearly arrival of a famed ocean predator.

A juvenile white shark named Nori has been coasting its way north along the eastern seaboard and pinged a shark-tracking system off the coasts of New Jersey and New York last week.

According to OCEARCH, a nonprofit tracking shark movements, Nori is "the first tagged white shark on the Global Shark Tracker to begin this year's seasonal northward jump."

Nori, an eight-foot ten-inch female pinged the tracking system off the coast of south New Jersey on Tuesday night, again further north off the coast on Wednesday night, and by Friday night, the shark had pinged off the coast of Long Island around Southampton, New York, according to an OCEARCH map.

"Juvenile white sharks are not typically among the first sharks to begin this northward movement, making Nori's early migration particularly interesting to follow," OCEARCH senior data scientist John Tyminski said in a statement.

"The first sharks to move north are often the larger adults and subadults, possibly because their size allows them to tolerate colder waters more effectively," Tyminski added.

Nori was first tagged in Nova Scotia in October of last year, and had since traveled south to the coast of the Carolinas for the winter before making its move north this spring.

The post from the nonprofit shared, "Nori's movement north from the staging areas off the Carolinas may signal that the larger seasonal migration of western North Atlantic white sharks is not too far off."

How to stay safe from sharks in the ocean this summer

As temperatures begin to rise and beachgoers flock to sandy shores this summer, swimmers can follow a few simple guidelines to take caution and reduce the risk of a shark attack.

In a website message, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says, "Humans assume risk whenever they enter any wild environment, whether on land or in the water. When in the ocean, part of this risk includes interacting with apex predators such as sharks."

The message continues explaining that although eliminating all risk is not possible, "people can modify their behavior to minimize potential interactions with sharks and reduce overall risk."

The department recommends "avoiding areas with seals," staying clear of areas with "schools of fish, splashing fish, or diving seabirds," keep swimming times during daytime hours and "avoid swimming at dusk, night, and dawn."

The department also recommends avoiding murky waters and listening to lifeguard and park staff instructions at all times.

"The vast majority of unprovoked incidents are the result of test bites, which occur when a shark misidentifies a human as their preferred prey," the site reads.

"There is no evidence which suggests that sharks in New York are intentionally pursuing or 'attacking' humans," the message finished.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) -- Attorneys representing the family of Florida State University shooting victim Tiru Chabba have filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and its artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT, alleging that the company could have done more to prevent the shooting.

The complaint, which was filed on Sunday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, also names the shooting suspect, Phoenix Ikner, as a defendant.

According to ChatGPT logs released by law enforcement in Florida, Ikner allegedly consulted ChatGPT as he planned the attack and asked pointed questions about gun operations and media coverage. He even consulted the platform about the busiest time on the FSU campus, according to the logs.

Chabba's family attorney, Bakari Sellers, said these messages date back about 18 months ago and include 16,000 different "disturbing chats."

"This is the same person who asked, you know, how can he become infamous? He asked about the Columbine shooting. He asked about what time should he go to campus? What time are most people going to be there?" Sellers said, describing the alleged messages that Ikner sent to ChatGPT.

"He literally utilized open AI and Chat GPT as his co-conspirator, utilized it as a resource to carry out mass murder,” Sellers added. "There was nothing in place to prevent that from happening and so lives were lost. That's the inherent danger, there has to be something in place to prevent that from happening."

Drew Pusateri, an OpenAI spokesperson, told ABC News in a statement: "Last year's mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime. After learning of the incident, we identified an account believed to be associated with the suspect and proactively shared this information with law enforcement. We continue to cooperate with authorities. In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity. ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes. We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise."

The lawsuit comes after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced last month that the Office of Statewide Prosecution launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT after prosecutors reviewed the chat logs.

"Florida is leading the way in cracking down on AI’s use in criminal behavior, and if ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder," Uthmeier said in a statement on April 21. "This criminal investigation will determine whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for ChatGPT’s actions in the shooting at Florida State University last year."

OpenAI did not respond to ABC News' request when asked about the probe by the attorney general.

The shooting, which took place on the FSU campus on April 17, 2025, injured six people and killed two people – Chabba and Robert Morales, both of whom worked for the university's dining services.

Ikner, whose trial is set for October 2026, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

ABC News' Luke Barr and Jeana Fermi contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) -- Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, pleaded not guilty on Monday to all counts.

Allen -- who is accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the April dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel -- faces four felony counts, including attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The armed 31-year-old was tackled by law enforcement after rushing through a security checkpoint at the hotel, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event, according to prosecutors. Allen allegedly wrote that administration officials were his targets, according to a criminal complaint.

Allen, who did not speak at all during Monday's hearing, wore an orange prison jumpsuit and was shackled around his hands and feet. He looked down at the ground when the charges against him were read.

Allen's defense attorneys said they might seek to have the entire U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia recused from the case, arguing they could potentially be a victim overseeing the prosecution.

Defense attorney Eugene Ohm argued that U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro's "very public" and "close" relationship with Trump -- who was the alleged intended target of the attack -- might also play a factor in potentially recusing herself.

Judge Trevor McFadden seemed to want to get clarity about what both Pirro and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's roles are in the prosecution.

The government has until May 22 to respond to the defense's motion.

Allen is due back in court on June 29.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.