National News

(WASHINGTON) -- The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao on Wednesday demanding more information about the extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln amid the war with Iran and raising further questions about the Navy's ability to preserve service members' well-being while sustaining its current "operational tempo." In his letter, Sen. Richard Blumenthal noted the Lincoln has been deployed […]

Potential Tropical Cyclone - Forecast Tracker (ABC News) (NEW YORK) -- Tropical Storm Lala has formed in the central Pacific Ocean and is forecast to strengthen, possibly nearing hurricane strength, in the coming days as it approaches the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday.A hurricane watch was issued Thursday for the Big Island.The storm is currently about 680 miles east-southeast from Hilo, Hawaii, on the east coast of the Big […]

(NEW YORK) -- Amid floodwaters already up to the roofs of some homes and turning the streets of multiple cities into rushing rivers, Midwest residents are bracing for more severe storms on Thursday."When I looked out my window, I saw my fence floating past my window," Karlie Frey, a resident of hard-hit Cambridge City, Indiana, told ABC Indianapolis affiliate station WRTV.After being evacuated from her home on Wednesday via a rescue boat, […]

(NEW YORK) -- El Nino conditions continue to intensify and are likely to be very strong, resulting in a potentially historic event in the coming months that could significantly influence our weather, the hurricane season and global temperatures, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).The agency is now highly confident there will be a very strong El Nino during the upcoming Northern Hemisphere fall […]

Luigi Mangione attends a pretrial appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court on Aug. 11, 2026, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado-Pool/Getty Images) (NEW YORK) -- It's expected that a guilty plea will be announced in connection with the federal prosecution of Luigi Mangione during a conference scheduled for federal court Friday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.The sources caution that plans for the guilty plea are not final […]

A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein holds a copy of files on July 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Epstein survivors attempted to meet with Sen. Cornyn and Attorney General nominee Tod Blanch over the Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge on Thursday is set to press lawyers with the Department of Justice to explain why some materials from the Epstein files were […]

Powerball lottery tickets (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) A Powerball ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers in Wednesday night's drawing, winning an estimated $1.04 billion jackpot, according to the lottery organization.The winning numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and red Powerball 9.It's the largest Powerball jackpot so far this year, and the eight-largest Powerball jackpot in the game's history.The winner can top for the annuitized prize paid […]

Nick Reiner appears during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Chris Torres/Pool/Getty Images) (NEW YORK) -- Nick Reiner has been indicted on charges alleging he murdered his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, by means of lying in wait, prosecutors announced Wednesday.The indictment, which was returned on July 20 and unsealed Wednesday, charges Reiner with two counts of […]

(WASHINGTON) -- In his first news conference since his narrow confirmation as attorney general, Todd Blanche reiterated Wednesday that the Justice Department's "Anti-Weaponization Fund" will not be revived -- but suggested there could be other ways of compensating so-called "victims" of "weaponization."Blanche's comments, during a press conference on an unrelated criminal fraud matter, came after President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office earlier this week that the Anti-Weaponization Fund's future […]