President-elect Donald Trump on Monday confirmed he would declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.
Overnight, Trump responded to a social media post from Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, who said earlier this month there are reports the incoming administration is preparing such a declaration and to use “military assets” to deport the migrants.
Trump pledged to get started on mass deportations as soon as he enters office.
“On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out,” he said during a rally at Madison Square Garden in the closing days of the presidential race. “I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.”
Already, he’s tapped several immigration hard-liners to serve in key Cabinet positions. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was picked to be homeland security secretary, pending Senate confirmation. Former Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan was named “border czar.”
Homan previously discussed his vision for mass deportations, saying they would first concentrate on expelling criminals and national security threats. He didn’t rule out deporting families together.
Throughout the campaign, Trump vowed to mobilize the National Guard to assist with the deportation effort. Experts told ABC News such a move would mark a fundamental shift for the military, which does not normally engage with domestic law enforcement issues.
At times, Trump went further, suggesting thousands of troops from overseas be moved to the U.S.-Mexico border.
There are an estimated 11 million unauthorized migrants living in the U.S. without legal immigration status. Removing them could cost billions of dollars per year, according to estimates from the American Immigration Council.
Plus, mass deportations could have a broader economic impact by resulting in a loss of tax revenue and labor shortages.
ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz recently reported from California on the impact Trump’s immigration and mass deportations plans could have on the American agriculture industry.
“If you took away my workforce, you wouldn’t eat. If you go into the San Joaquin Valley and you start doing what you’re saying, it’s over. The country will stop, literally stop because the food system won’t move,” said Manuel Cunha Jr., the president of the Nisei Farmers League.
KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian strike on a nine-story building in the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine killed eight people and wounded dozens, an official said Sunday, as Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack described by officials as the largest in recent months.
Among the eight killed in Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia, were two children, said Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from the building.
The rescuers are checking every apartment looking for people who might be still in the damaged building.
“Every life destroyed by Russia is a big tragedy,” said Klymenko.
The drone and missile attack, which targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the winter.
Also Sunday, President Joe Biden authorized for the first time the use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after extensive lobbying by Ukrainian officials.
After extensive lobbying by Ukrainian officials, authorization from President Joe Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia w…Show more
The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer.
It is the second time the U.S. has permitted the use of Western weapons inside Russian territory within limits after permitting the use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia’s advance in Kharkiv region in May.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian defenses shot down 144 out of a total of 210 air targets, Ukraine’s air force reported later on Sunday.
“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children,” Zelenskyy said.
Two more people were killed in the Odesa region, where the attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, said local Gov. Oleh Kiper. Both victims were employees of Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, the company said hours later.
The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration, Serhii Popko.
One person was injured after the roof of a five-story residential building caught fire in Kyiv’s historic center, according to Popko.
A thermal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was “seriously damaged,” the company said.
Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster the country’s air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs.
Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports.
The operational command of Poland’s armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilized in Polish airspace because of the “massive” Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. The steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland’s border areas, it said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Sunday acknowledged carrying out a “mass” missile and drone attack on “critical energy infrastructure” in Ukraine, but claimed all targeted facilities were tied to Kyiv’s military industry.
Although Ukraine’s nuclear plants were not directly impacted, several electrical substations on which they depend suffered further damage, the U.N.’s nuclear energy watchdog said in a statement Sunday. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, only two of Ukraine’s nine operational reactors continue to generate power at full capacity.
Ukrainian drones strike Russia
A local journalist died Sunday as Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s embattled Kursk region, its Gov. Aleksei Smirnov reported.
Moscow’s forces have for months strained to dislodge Ukrainian troops from the southern province after a bold incursion in August that constituted the largest attack on Russia since World War II and saw battle-hardened Ukrainian units swiftly take hundreds of square miles (kilometers) of territory.
In Russia’s Belgorod province, near Ukraine, a man died on the spot after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on his car, local Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.
Another Ukrainian drone on Sunday targeted a drone factory in Izhevsk, deep inside Russia, according to anti-Kremlin Russian news channels on the Telegram messaging app. The regional leader, Aleksandr Brechalov, reported that a drone exploded near a factory in the city, blowing out windows but causing no serious damage. A man was briefly hospitalized with a head injury, Brechalov said.
The Thanksgiving travel period will see record-breaking numbers for those hitting both the roads and the skies, according to reports from several airlines and travel organizations.
American Automobile Association
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projected that 79.9 million travelers will head to destinations at least 50 miles from their homes over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which officially runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, 2024.
That would be an increase of 1.7 million people from 2023, and 2 million more than in 2019 (looking to pre-pandemic figures, in light of the global event’s impact on travel).
AAA projected that 71.7 million Americans will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an increase of 1.3 million compared to last year.
However, drivers can expect to see lower gas prices this year compared to last year, according to AAA. Last year’s national average was $3.26 per gallon. With prices decreasing this Fall, AAA predicts the national average could drop below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, even before Thanksgiving travel begins.
Nearly 2.3 million people will also travel by bus, cruise, or train this Thanksgiving, according to AAA, which an increase of almost 9% from last year and 18% compared to 2019. This growth is largely driven by the rising popularity of cruises in the post-pandemic era, AAA explained.
When it comes to the friendly skies, AAA says that travelers are paying 3% more for domestic flights this Thanksgiving. International flight bookings have surged by 23%, partly due to a 5% decrease in international airfare, according to AAA.
The Top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations of 2024 share a common theme: warm weather. AAA data shows that the Top 3 domestic destinations are cities in Florida, while other top destinations include New York, California, Hawaii and Las Vegas.
Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean dominate the list, driven by interest in beach resorts, tourist attractions and river cruises, according to AAA.
Airlines for America
Airlines for America, a trade organization, said that airlines also expect an all-time high this year. It anticipates that more than 31 million passengers will fly on U.S. carriers over the given holiday period.
That’s compared to nearly 29 million passengers during the same period last year and 28 million in 2019.
People walk through Reagan Washington National Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023…Show more
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Airlines are preparing to accommodate the demand by flying an average of 2.8 million passengers daily – a 5% increase from 2023, according to A4A. To meet the surge, carriers are adding 150,000 more seats per day compared to last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, it said.
A4A expected that the busiest days for air travel will be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday, Dec. 1, each with over 3 million flyers per day projected.
Hopper also predicted that this Thanksgiving will be the busiest on record, with 36.5 million seats scheduled to depart between Nov. 23 and Dec. 3 – a 4.8% increase from the same period last year.
Hopper projected that the busiest day to travel will be Dec. 1. For those who need to return by Monday, Hopper recommends taking an early flight that morning instead of returning on Sunday, as it can save you around $175 per domestic ticket.
The busiest airports for the Thanksgiving travel period are Atlanta, Dallas Fort-Worth and Denver as they are each scheduled to serve between 1.5 to 2 million passengers, Hopper reported.
According to Hopper, hotel rates over the Thanksgiving week are averaging $213 per night, with some rates as low as $140 still available. In popular cities, the prices are slightly higher; for example, in New York city, the average rate per night is as high as $423 due to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This year’s popular Thanksgiving destinations are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago, according to Hopper. Internationally, the most popular destinations are Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Madrid, Bogota and Cancun.
Airlines, by the numbers
United Airlines has said that it expected its busiest Thanksgiving ever this year, with 6.2 million passengers expected to fly between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. Nearly 480,000 people per day will fly with United – about 30,000 more people per day than last year.
Delta Airlines projected that it will see its busiest on record, with 6.5 million passengers anticipated between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3. An average of 540,000 passengers are expected to fly each day during the 12-day travel period, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
American Airlines shared similar predictions, with 8.3 million passengers expected to fly on more than 77,000 flights between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. The airline said it expected to carry over 500,000 more travelers than last year – which, it added, translates to serving roughly 6.8 million Biscoff cookies to its passengers during the holiday period.
Its highest-travel day is expected to be Dec. 1: To handle the surge, American Airlines said it will be operating 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft as of approximately 10:45 a.m. CT, marking the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.
Tips for travelers flying to their Thanksgiving destinations
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest weeks of the year to travel, with packed airports, highways and hotels across the U.S.
For those hitting the skies, plan for longer lines at security and potential delays or cancellations, as the airports will be packed with larger schedules than usual.
Here are a few tips from experts to manage holiday crowds and disruptions:
– Book flights earlier in the day: Flights from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. are less likely to be delayed.
– Download the airline’s app and check your flight status before heading to the airport.
– Add trip protection.
– Choose direct flights to avoid missed connections due to flight delays and cancellations.
– Have flexible travel plans and try to build in a buffer day in case of delays or cancellations.
In the event you encounter any disruptions or issues, experts have also suggested that it is important to know your rights and options: Airlines are now required to provide 24/7 customer service via live chat or phone support. If your flight is canceled, contact an agent at the gate, by phone or through chat.
Federal regulations now mandate that airlines issue automatic refunds for domestic flights delayed over three hours and international flights delayed more than six hours. Additionally, if a passenger’s bag is delayed for more than 12 hours, they are eligible for a refund on their bag fees.
Passengers also have the right to request refunds on any unfulfilled ancillary services, like Wi-Fi access.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Hailed by his co-workers as a dedicated member of the Spring Branch ISD Police Department, 37-year-old Jose Torres’ death leaves a blank space for those who knew him.
On Friday, investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department said Torres was trimming trees in his front yard before he was supposed to pick up his wife and children from school.
One neighbor who spoke to ABC13 said she saw Torres shortly before he was discovered dead.
“I was going to work, and my van makes a little noise when I reverse, so we kind of stared at each other for a little. He was trimming the trees, and I was going to work,” neighbor Lissette Acosta said.
Court documents alleged that during that yard work, Torres’ nephew through marriage, 22-year-old Antonino Guzman, came over. Torres helped raise Guzman for 6 years as if he were his own.
At some point, the two went inside, and investigators said that’s when Guzman shot Torres multiple times in the face, killing him.
Law enforcement said that when Torres failed to pick up his family from school, they got a ride home with a family member and discovered Torres dead.
Acosta said she and her mother heard their screams.
“(My mother) says it’s because the mom came to her, and she was crying saying, ‘They killed my little baby,’ and she hugged my mom, so my mom started crying too,” Acosta said.
Guzman was arrested on Sunday morning without incident.
ABC13 was told a piece of home surveillance video pointed authorities in the right direction.
“The wife told law enforcement officers that the suspect has a gun, has anger control issues, and a foot ailment. The law enforcement officer located video from various sources showing the suspect as he was limping, fleeing from the complainant’s home,” the judge said in PC court.
After the arrest, investigators claim Guzman confessed the reason he did it.
“This witness was Mirandized, gave a statement to law enforcement officers, admitted to going to the complaining witness’s house and shooting the complaining witness with a firearm when the two were alone because he felt unloved and unwelcome,” the judge said.
Guzman was given a bond of $200,000. He is ordered to have no contact with the family if he does bond out.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities are investigating after human remains were found Saturday in a home in northeast Harris County, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Deputies responded to a residence in the 13300 block of Villagrove Drive.
The sheriff’s office says this was a home recently purchased, and the owner was cleaning it out when he found the remains.
Authorities say that someone was renting the home originally and was set to be evicted.
The renter was seen leaving the home about a couple of hours before it caught fire in late August, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators say that the human remains were there since the fire occurred. Additionally, the remains weren’t found at the time of the fire because there was a lot of debris, and the house was supposed to be vacant at the time of the arson.
As of now, the sheriff’s office doesn’t know where the renter of the home is at. Furthermore, investigators will have to track down the home’s original owner to help find him.
Oregon remained the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday after its close call at Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Alabama each jumped up two spots and Georgia returned to the top 10. LSU is unranked for the first time in two years.
The unbeaten Ducks are atop the AP Top 25 for the fifth straight week, passing Texas as the No. 1 team for the most polls this season. They received all 62 first-place votes for the third week in a row after scoring their fewest points in 37 games in the 16-13 win over Wisconsin.
Oregon also holds the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and will attempt to complete its first perfect regular season since 2010 when it hosts Washington in two weeks.
The Ducks were followed in the AP poll by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana for the second straight week. The top five could be due for a shakeup this week with Indiana visiting Ohio State for one of the most anticipated games of the season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee rounded out the top 10. Georgia got a three-rung promotion to No. 8 with its 31-17 win over Tennessee.
Mississippi, which was idle Saturday, rose one spot and Tennessee dropped four but stayed in the top 10.
The Big Ten again held four of the top five spots, and the Southeastern Conference had five of the top 10.
BYU’s 17-13 home loss to Kansas dropped the Cougars from No. 7 to No. 14 and put them in a first-place tie with Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes in the Big 12. The Buffs are No. 16.
A season-high four Group of Five teams are in the Top 25. No. 12 Boise State remains the highest ranked of those programs and first in line for the guaranteed playoff spot. No. 23 UNLV joins Boise State as Top 25 Mountain West teams. No. 18 Army and No. 20 Tulane give the American Athletic Conference two ranked teams as well.
LSU — which dropped to 6-4 following its third straight loss, 27-16 at Florida — is out of the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 16, 2022. The Tigers were ranked in 36 straight polls.
ADVERTISEMENT
Poll points
Oregon’s win over Wisconsin was its third by three points or fewer this season. The Ducks’ 16 points were their fewest since a 49-3 loss to Georgia in their 2022 opener.
Tulane went from No. 25 to No. 20 for the week’s biggest promotion. The Green Wave’s 35-0 win at Navy marked their first shutout of a conference opponent since 1960 and set up a matchup with No. 18 Army in the AAC championship game on Dec. 6.
No. 16 Colorado has its highest ranking since it was No. 11 on Dec. 4, 2016, and No. 19 South Carolina has its highest since it was No. 13 on Sept. 21, 2014.
ADVERTISEMENT
In and out
No. 21 Arizona State is in the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 10, 2021. The Sun Devils (8-2), who are coming off a win at Kansas State, have their most victories since 2021.
No. 22 Iowa State, which beat Cincinnati after two straight losses, is back following a one-week absence.
No. 23 UNLV, which was ranked for one week after a 4-0 start, has won four of its last five.
No. 24 Illinois makes its eighth appearance in the Top 25 this season, its most since 2001.
Missouri, Kansas State and Louisville joined LSU as teams knocked out of the rankings following losses.
Conference call
SEC — 7 (Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19).
Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 24).
Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 14, 16, 21, 22).
ACC — 3 (Nos. 11, 13, 17).
AAC — 2 (Nos. 18, 20).
Mountain West — 2 (Nos. 12, 23).
Pac-12 — 1 (No. 25).
Independent — 1 (No. 6).
Ranked vs. ranked
— No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State: The magnitude of this game has increased with each week as the Hoosiers have rolled through 10 straight unranked opponents. Just how good are the Hoosiers? Finally, we find out.
— No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State: The Sun Devils suddenly they control their destiny thanks to Kansas’ win over the previously unbeaten Cougars. A win here moves ASU into a tie with BYU for first or second place in the Big 12 and holding the tie-breaker for entry to the conference championship game.
— No. 18 Army vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, Yankee Stadium: This is the first time since 1958 that both teams are ranked entering their meeting. Notre Dame (9-1) has won 15 in a row in the series since Army (9-0) won that game in ’58
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under President Biden set a rule to raise the minimum annual salary threshold that makes an employee exempt, and therefore ineligible for overtime, to $58,656. The threshold was recently set at $43,888, which was enacted in July and was up from a 2019 Trump-era threshold of $35,568.
But the increases received pushback from the state of Texas and several businesspeople. The entities filed multiple lawsuits challenging the DOL rule, and U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan for the Eastern District of Texas wrote in his judgment Friday—as provided by Bloomberg—that the DOL “exceeded the authority delegated by Congress” in issuing the rule in July. Instead, Jordan wrote, the rules should be based on workers’ job duties rather than their salary.
Jordan, a University of Texas graduate who was appointed to the bench by President Trump in 2019, has set the minimum threshold for exemption back to the 2019 level of $35,568. The DOL did not immediately offer a statement.
When announcing the new rules in April, the DOL said it “conducted extensive engagement” with employees, employers and unions, among others, in coming up with the new thresholds
“This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid more for that time,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su in a press release. “Too often, lower-paid salaried workers are doing the same job as their hourly counterparts but are spending more time away from their families for no additional pay. That is unacceptable. The Biden-Harris administration is following through on our promise to raise the bar for workers who help lay the foundation for our economic prosperity.”
Ruling aside, it was widely believed that Trump, who will once again assume the office of the president in January, would have repealed at least some of the Biden administration’s work.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to carrots.
A total of 39 people have been infected with E. coli in 18 states.
Fifteen were hospitalized and one person died, according to the CDC.
Officials said organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms are linked to the outbreak.
Grimmway Farms recalled the implicated carrots. Multiple brands and sizes of bagged organic whole and baby carrots were recalled.
Illnesses have been reported in Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Minesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The outbreak may not be limited to the states shown in map. The true number of sick people is likely higher. Many recover…Show moreCDC
The company issued a voluntarily recall of the following products:
Baby Organic Carrots
-Best-if-used-by dates ranging from 9/11/2024 to 11/12/2024
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Country singer and Texas native Sundance Head is recovering after being shot in the stomach after an incident at his ranch, according to the singer’s camp.
The singer, who gained popularity after appearing on American Idol in 2007 and won ‘The Voice’ in 2016, was airlifted to a hospital in Tyler, Texas, on Friday.
Sundance Head’s wife, Misty, notified all fans on the singer’s Facebook page of his current condition. She said the bullet did not go far and that the singer, whose real name is Jason Head, wouldn’t need surgery.
“Doctor just called me. A bullet went in above his navel and lodged into his abdominal wall, missing all vital organs. He will not require surgery as they are not removing the bullet,” Sundance Head’s wife Misty said.
He has since been released, according to his wife.
Head’s agent, Trey Newman, sent out a release that said the 46-year-old singer from Porter, Texas, was hunting by himself at his ranch when he was shot.
Newman also says they are “100% positive” that the shooting was not self-inflicted and are awaiting further details on the incident.
DALLAS, Texas — A bullet struck the body of a Southwest Airlines airplane preparing for departure from a Dallas airport, forcing the cancellation of the Friday evening flight, the airline said.
No injuries were reported and law enforcement was contacted after the bullet struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck. At the time, the crew of Flight 2494 was preparing the plane for departure from Dallas Love Field Airport, Southwest said in a statement.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was “struck by gunfire near the cockpit” around 8:30 p.m. while taxiing before the flight to Indianapolis International Airport. The plane returned to the gate and the passengers exited, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The aircraft was removed from service, according to the airline, which said it would provide another flight for the passengers.
Dallas Love Field Airport said in a social media post that the Dallas Police Department responded and runway 13R/31L was closed, but reopened later Friday night with “minimal impact” on the facility’s operations.
