Most holiday shopping is behind us but now many Americans are headed to stores for another reason — to make returns.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimated that 17% of items purchased for the holidays will be returned this year. This comes as retailers enact stricter policies.
WASHINGTON — The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird.
President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle – familiar to many because of its white head, yellow beak and brown body – as the national bird.
The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, which is used in official documents, since 1782, when the design was finalized. The seal is made up of the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto “E Pluribus Unum” and a constellation of stars.
Congress that same year designated the bald eagle as the the national emblem, and its image appears in a host of places, ranging from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and U.S. currency, according to USA.gov.
But it had never been officially designated to be what many had just assumed it was – the national bird.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Tornado Watch is in effect until 7 p.m. for almost all of Southeast Texas on this ABC13 Weather Alert Day. Thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, including a few intense tornadoes of EF-2 strength or greater, are possible. Storms could also bring large hail up to golf ball size and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Widely scattered showers and storms will continue to track from west to east across the region. The strongest storms could produce hail, gusty winds and a brief tornado. Lots of thunder, lighting and heavy rain is also expected with these storms, where street and area flooding could be an isolated issue for the evening commute. The main storm threat should clear Houston by 6 pm with conditions quickly clearing later Thursday evening.
What do I need to know about the ABC13 Weather Alert for Thursday?
We have declared an ABC13 Weather Alert Day for Thursday ahead of another weather system that will bring strong to severe storms to Southeast Texas. The Storm Prediction Center has much of the region under an Enhanced risk for Thursday as storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes. There is even the chance for a tornado of EF2 strength or greater today in Houston and areas north and east of the city. Additionally, some instances of street flooding are also possible. A Tornado Watch is now in effect until 7 p.m. These storms will be gone by Thursday night but another storm system will move in Saturday and give us another chance for storms.
How’s the last weekend of 2024 shaping up?
After an active and stormy Christmas, the last weekend of 2024 looks much quieter. While we cant rule out a stray shower or storm, Saturday and Sunday will be partly cloudy and warm with afternoon high temperatures in the upper 70s.
What about New Year’s Eve?
Another holiday, another day to keep an eye on the forecast, but this time it’s for a cool down. A cold front is expected to move through New Year’s Eve. This isn’t expected to be a stormy front but it will send temperatures back down into chilly territory for the New Year.
Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check.
The IRS said it’s distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. People who missed one of the COVID stimulus payments or had received less than the full amount were able to claim the credit. But the IRS on Friday said it discovered many eligible taxpayers hadn’t done so.
“Looking at our internal data, we realized that one million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit when they were actually eligible,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement.
Here’s more about the unexpected cash this group of taxpayers will soon receive:
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What’s the likelihood I’ll receive a check?
Sorry, it’s probably pretty low. The IRS said most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments, formally known as Economic Impact Payments, have already received them.
The special payments announced by the IRS are being sent to those taxpayers who filed a 2021 tax return but left the data field for the Recovery Rebate Credit blank or they filled it out as $0 when they were actually eligible for the credit.
How will this work?
Eligible taxpayers don’t have to take any action. The payments will go out automatically this month and should arrive by direct deposit or check by late January 2025. They’ll be sent to the bank account listed on the taxpayer’s 2023 return or to the address IRS has on file.
Payments will vary but the maximum amount will be $1,400 per individual. The IRS has posted information online about eligibility and how the payment was calculated.
IRS plans to send separate letters to eligible taxpayers notifying them of the special payment.
What if I haven’t filed my 2021 tax return yet?
You still might be able to receive the money. However, taxpayers need to file a tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by the April 15, 2025 deadline, even if any income from a job, business or other source was minimal or nonexistent, according to IRS.
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How many rounds of COVID stimulus payments were there?
There were three rounds of payments to households impacted by the pandemic, totaling $814 billion. IRS based the amounts that taxpayers received on their income, tax filing status and number of children or qualifying dependents.
In March 2020, eligible individuals received up to $1,200 per income tax filer and $500 per child under the CARES Act. In December 2020, eligible individuals received up to $600 per income tax filer and $600 per child under the Consolidated Appropriations Act. In March 2021, eligible individuals received up to $1,400 per income tax filer and $1,400 per child under the American Rescue Plan Act.
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans.
The lawsuit filed in state district court in Lubbock and announced Sunday, argues the NCAA violates the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by promoting women’s sports that may include a transgender athlete. The law is designed to protect consumers from being misled or tricked into buying products or services that are not as advertised, the lawsuit said.
The Texas lawsuit is the latest attempt by conservative politicians to target transgender athletes and push the NCAA into banning them from competition. President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to stop trans athletes from competing.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the NCAA from allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports in Texas, or in sports that involve Texas programs. Or it wants the court to require the NCAA to stop marketing events as “women’s” sports if transgender athletes are allowed.
In a statement, Paxton appeared to reference the recent controversy involving San Jose State women’s volleyball, where several opponents forfeited matches this season on grounds the Spartans had a transgender player.
A federal court last month refused to block the school from playing in the Mountain West Conference championship.
“When people watch a women’s volleyball game, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women, not biological males pretending to be something they are not,” Paxton said. “Radical ‘gender theory’ has no place in college sports.”
The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request.
Paxton accused the NCAA of “intentionally and knowingly jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of women” and turning women’s sports into “co-ed competitions.”
The NCAA does not track data on transgender athletes among the 544,000 currently competing on 19,000 teams at various levels across the country. NCAA President Charlie Baker testified in Congress earlier this monththat he was aware of fewer than 10 active NCAA athletes who identified as transgender.
“College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships,” the NCAA said in a statement Monday.
Brooke Slusser, the San Jose State volleyball co-captain who was among the group of players who sued the Mountain West Conference over her teammate’s participation, praised the Texas lawsuit on social media.
“Hey NCAA, just in case you haven’t realized yet this fight will just keep getting harder for you until you make a change!,” Slusser posted on X.
The NCAA established a policy in 2010 that requires trans athletes who were assigned male at birth to complete at least one year of testosterone suppression therapy before being eligible to compete on a women’s team.
Trans athletes who were assigned female at birth and transitioned to male can compete on a men’s team but if they have received testosterone treatment are ineligible to compete on a women’s team.
The athletes are required to meet their chosen sport’s standard for documented testosterone levels at various points during a season.
In 2022, the NCAA revised the policy in what the organization called an attempt to be aligned with national sports governing bodies. If a governing body does not have a trans athlete policy, then it scales up to the international federation that oversees the sport. If there is no international federation policy, previously established Olympic policy criteria would be followed
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A woman is spending the holidays in the Harris County Jail, accused of locking a 7-year-old girl in a dog cage underneath her Christmas tree.
Rose Anderson appeared before a Harris County Magistrate on Sunday, though the incident reportedly happened “on or around” Dec. 13.
Records show Anderson and the alleged victim are relatives.
Court documents state Anderson’s alleged motive was to “discipline” the little girl “for her behavior at school.”
In the documents, Houston police accuse Anderson of kicking the little girl while she was inside the cage.
Anderson also allegedly restrained the girl with zip ties while duct-taping her mouth.
The magistrate set Anderson’s bond at $10,000. She is charged with unlawful restraint.
Records show Anderson remained in the Harris County Jail on Sunday evening.
According to court documents, she is a single mother working three jobs.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — For a second straight season, the Houston Texans will be without Tank Dell to end the regular season and for the playoffs after the dynamic receiver suffered another major injury.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said in an update Monday afternoon that Dell dislocated his knee, tore his ACL and suffered other damage that will require surgery. He didn’t give a timeline for that procedure, just that it would be “soon.”
Dell sustained what coach Ryans called a “significant” knee injury on a 30-yard touchdown catch in Houston’s loss to Kansas City on Saturday.
Dell was hospitalized following the injury before being released and heading back to Houston.
This injury comes after Dell fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos last season and had surgery on it the following day.
“It’s tough to see guys get injured, the work that guys put in, how much they put their bodies on the line to play this game,” Ryans said Sunday. “It’s deeper than football. We are talking about real people who have real emotions and real feelings who are going through a tough time right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in that situation.”
The AFC South champion Texans will have to regroup quickly with a visit from the Ravens coming on Christmas Day. Dell’s injury is another blow to a team that was already missing Stefon Diggs after the four-time Pro Bowl receiver sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.
Dell ranks second on the team with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns behind Nico Collins, who has 909 yards receiving and six scores.
Tight end Dalton Schultz has 482 yards receiving and two touchdowns and running back Joe Mixon 291 yards receiving and a touchdown grab. But with Dell and Diggs out, the Texans are thin at receiver.
John Metchie, who has just 182 yards receiving this season, could fill in for Diggs this week, but his status is uncertain after he missed Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury.
“There is a chance John could be back,” Ryans said. “I think he’s progressing, so we’ll see where he ends up on Wednesday.”
Other options at the position are veteran Robert Woods, who has just 143 yards receiving this season, and Xavier Hutchinson, who nine catches.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of Dell’s closest friends, was distraught after Dell’s injury and remained upset after the game. He said it will be difficult for the team to bounce back after losing Dell to a serious injury again.
“It’s not easy to see your brother go down like that after dealing with a season-ending injury last year. So just gotta be there with him. I think everybody sees how hard I took it,” said Stroud, who was visibly upset and broke out in tears. “This is not the end for him. This is just another bump in the road.”
Stroud said that he has talked to Dell.
“The easy answer is to tell you something to make everybody feel nice, but it’s not the truth right now,” Stroud said after the game. “The truth is that it’s not easy seeing your brother go down like that. (Sunday) we’ll have to get recovery, get ready for Wednesday because it’s another big-time opponent. The Ravens are a great team. It’ll be a playoff atmosphere on Christmas Day.”
What’s working Stroud distributed the ball well Saturday, completing passes to six different players. Dell led the way with six receptions for 98 yards and Collins had seven receptions for 60 yards while being double-teamed often.
With teams likely to place even more emphasis on stopping Collins with Dell out, Stroud will need to continue to spread the ball around against the Ravens.
What needs help The Texans continue to struggle in the red zone and converted just 1 of 3 opportunities Saturday. This comes after they were also 1 of 3 in a win over the Jaguars in Week 13 and converted just 2 of 4 chances in a loss to the Titans in Week 12.
“We had our opportunities, and it just comes down to as simple as guys being in the right spot,” Ryans said. “We just have to make the plays. We have to finish and that’s all it comes down to
Stock up LB Christian Harris had seventh tackles and a sack against the Chiefs in his second game of the season after missing the first 13 with a calf injury. His sack was Houston’s 46th of the season, which ties a franchise record that was set last season.
Stock down K Ka’imi Fairbairn missed an extra point Saturday. He’s been excellent from long range this season, making 13 field goals longer than 50 yards. But has struggled on shorter kicks, missing two from less than 30 yards before Saturday’s PAT miss.
Injuries S Jimmie Ward injured his foot Saturday. He’ll need surgery and miss the rest of the season, Ryans confirmed Monday. G Shaq Mason injured his knee against the Chiefs and will be week to week, Ryans said.
Key number 10 – Dell’s touchdown Saturday was the 10th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Andre Johnson for most TD catches by a Texans through their first two seasons.
Next steps The Texans look for their first win over Baltimore since 2014 after five consecutive wins by the Ravens, including a 34-10 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs last season.
Este lunes 23 de diciembre, los habitantes de Houston tendrán la oportunidad de disfrutar de una noche mágica llena de música, tradición y espíritu navideño con el espectáculo Merry-Achi Christmas, presentado por el reconocido Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández. La presentación, que tendrá lugar en el Jones Hall a las 7:30 p.m., promete ser una experiencia inolvidable con interpretaciones únicas de clásicos como El Niño del Tambor, Himno de la Alegría y un popurrí especial de El Cascanueces, todo al estilo mariachi.
En una entrevista exclusiva para Que Onda Magazine, el maestro ganador del Grammy, José Hernández, habló sobre la emoción de regresar a Houston después de casi 12 años y cerrar su gira navideña en esta vibrante ciudad.
“Merry-Achi Christmas para los paisanos de Houston va a ser un gran honor. Hemos visitado Houston antes, pero la última vez fue hace 12 años. Nos sentimos como en casa cuando vamos porque sabemos que hay una comunidad hispana muy entusiasta y amante de la música mexicana,” expresó Hernández.
Con 43 años al frente de Mariachi Sol de México, Hernández ha dedicado su vida a llevar la música tradicional mexicana a escenarios de todo el mundo, incluyendo presentaciones para cinco presidentes y 13 nominaciones al Grammy Latino.
“Me da mucha alegría y siento mucho orgullo poder continuar con una tradición que ha sido parte de mi familia por más de siete generaciones. Poder representar la música mexicana en un lugar tan especial como el Jones Hall es algo muy significativo para nosotros,” agregó el maestro.
El espectáculo Merry-Achi Christmas incluye una combinación única de canciones navideñas en español e inglés, además de homenajes a grandes figuras como Vicente Fernández y Juan Gabriel, y piezas clásicas como las de Chaikovski.
“Nuestro show es un viaje musical lleno de emoción. Las canciones rancheras, las piezas clásicas y los temas navideños se entrelazan para ofrecer una experiencia única que conecta profundamente con el público,” señaló Hernández.
Finalmente, el maestro compartió un mensaje especial para el público de Houston: “Van a ver a un grupo enamorado de la música mexicana y orgulloso de representar a nuestro México lindo y querido. Queremos que esta presentación enriquezca su temporada navideña y sea un momento para celebrar juntos.”
No te pierdas esta oportunidad única de disfrutar del talento y la pasión de José Hernández y su Mariachi Sol de México. Los boletos están disponibles en la taquilla del Jones Hall y en línea.
Nota: Esta presentación no incluye la participación de la Houston Symphony.
A federal regulator sued JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America on Friday, claiming the banks failed to protect hundreds of thousands of consumers from rampant fraud on the popular payments network Zelle, in violation of consumer financial laws.
In the federal civil complaint, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asserts that the banks rushed to get the peer-to-peer payments platform to market without effective safeguards against fraud and then, after consumers complained about being defrauded on the service, largely denied them relief.
“Shortly after Zelle’s launch, significant problems, including fraud being perpetrated on consumers using Zelle, quickly became apparent. But defendants did not take meaningful action to address these clear defects for years,” according to the complaint.
The CFPB claims that the banks violated federal consumer financial laws governing electric funds transfers, which require banks conduct “reasonable investigations” when consumers report transaction errors, and the agency’s prohibition on unfair acts or practices by failing to take steps to prevent and address fraud on Zelle. The agency seeks an unspecified amount of money to cover refunds, damages and penalties.
“Customers of the three banks named in today’s lawsuit have lost more than $870 million over the network’s seven-year existence due to these failures,” the CFPB said.
Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit is Early Warning Services, a fintech company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that operates Zelle. EWS is owned by seven U.S. banks, including JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Those three banks are the largest financial institutions on the Zelle network, accounting for 73% of activity on Zelle last year.
Bank of America said it strongly disagreed with the lawsuit, which it said would add “huge new costs” on banks and credit unions offering the free Zelle service to clients. It said more than 99.95% of transactions across the Zelle network go through without incident.
“When a client has an issue, we work directly with them,” the bank based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said.
In a statement, New York-based JPMorgan said the CPFB was “overreaching its authority by making banks accountable for criminals.”
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Early Warning called the lawsuit “legally and factually flawed.”
“Zelle leads the fight against scams and fraud and has industry-leading reimbursement policies that go above and beyond the law,” the company said.
Since its launch in 2017, Zelle has become one of the most widely used peer-to-peer payment networks in the U.S., with more than 143 million users. In the first half of 2024, Zelle users transferred $481 billion across more than 1.7 billion transactions, according to the CFPB.
MAGDEBURG, Germany — At least five people, including a 9-year-old, are now known to have been killed in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, German officials said Saturday. The four other victims killed in the attack were adults, according to police.
At least 200 more people were injured when a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city, around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin, according to Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff.
The Magdeburg Christmas market will be closed for the remainder of the season, police told reporters Saturday.
At least 41 of those injured in the attack are in serious condition, according to police. Their lives are still thought to be in danger, according to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
A suspect — a doctor from Saudi Arabia aged around 50 — was arrested, Haselhoff said. The man has lived in Germany since 2006. A rental car was used in the attack, the minister said.
He will be charged with 5 counts of murder and grievous bodily harm, according to police.
The first emergency call came in at 7:02 p.m. local time and the driver was stopped within three minutes of the attack, according to a police official. Police believe the suspect entered via the space left open for emergency vehicles to access the area.
Police believe the suspect acted alone.
The prosecutor said they are still clarifying the motive behind the attack, but said that it’s possibly linked to “dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia and how they’ve been treated in Germany,” but they will “need more time” to determine this.
Police said the suspect has undergone physical and psychological exams but police do not yet have the results.
At Magdeburg Cathedral, a huge crowd gathered on Saturday inside and outside for a memorial service to the victims. Attendees included the mayor, Sholz and first responders.
Elsewhere in the city, a smaller crowd held an anti-immigrant protest with a sign that said “Remigration” and waved German flags, as well as flags of Imperial Germany and ones reading “Homeland.”
U.S. law enforcement sources told ABC News that German authorities are treating the attack as a terrorist incident.
“We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured and to all those affected by this terrible incident,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Germany in grieving the loss of life. The United States is ready to provide assistance as recovery efforts continue and authorities investigate this horrible incident,” Miller’s statement continued.
Scholz offered his condolences to those affected. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” Scholz said in a statement. “We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.”
Friday’s ramming incident came almost exactly eight years after a similar terror attack at a Christmas market in the German capital. On Dec. 19, 2016, a man drove a truck into a crowd at a market in Berlin, killing 13 and injuring dozens.
U.S. law enforcement officials have warned of similar vehicle-ramming attacks on American soil, particularly over the festive season.
A joint threat assessment about New Year’s Eve in New York City’s Times Square, for example, noted the use of vehicle-ramming alone or in conjunction with other tactics “has become a recurring tactic employed by threat actors in the West.”
The NYPD, out of an abundance of caution, will surge resources to similar areas around the city, including Christmas markets, according to NYPD deputy commissioner for counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner.
“We know this is a very festive time, it is a busy time in the city, and we are going to make sure that all of our holiday markets, all of our holiday activities are protected by our counter weapons teams, by officers on patrol, all our counter-terrorism officers, our critical response command,” Weiner told ABC New York station WABC.
