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Tropical Storm Beryl forms over Atlantic, predicted to enter Caribbean as Cat 2 hurricane

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Tropical Storm Beryl forms over Atlantic, predicted to enter Caribbean as Cat 2 hurricane

June 29 Update

Tropical Storm Beryl is poised to become the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Beryl will impact the Lesser Antilles with hurricane force winds as it enters the Caribbean early next week, and anyone with travel plans in the Caribbean should stay weather aware through the week ahead. While models in the short term are in fairly good agreement about Beryl’s path into the Caribbean, the long-term outlook remains less certain. At this point it is unknown if the system will enter the Gulf of Mexico or continue west in to Central America.

Another tropical wave closer to home in the southwest Gulf has a 40% chance of development, but will move in to Mexico and will not impact Southeast Texas in any way.

June 28 10 p.m. Update

Tropical Depression Two is now Tropical Storm Beryl. Tropical watches will more than likely be issued for the Windward Islands on Saturday.

June 28 4 p.m. Update

Tropical Depression Two has formed over the central Atlantic, and the National Hurricane Center predicts it will be a category 2 hurricane as it moves into the Caribbean Sea on Monday. Anyone with plans to vacation in the Caribbean next week should pay close attention to the forecast in the days ahead. It is too soon at this time to know if it will ever impact the Gulf of Mexico, much less Texas, but if it ever were to impact Texas, it would likely be in the July 7th – July 9th window. We’ll keep you posted on its every move in the days ahead.

June 28

The tropics are looking more like late August than late June, with 3 areas of potential development we are currently monitoring. The greatest risk of development comes from Tropical Wave 95-L, which is in the open Atlantic and now has a 90% chance of becoming a tropical depression or named storm. It is likely to become “Beryl” over the next few days, and could end up being our first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season as it moves in to the Caribbean next week. Beyond that, models are showing a wide spread on where the storm could eventually head.

Close behind 95-L is another tropical wave following in its wake, though the odds for development on that system are at just 20%.

Lastly, closest to home is 94-L, which will be moving into the Southwest Gulf of Mexico. That system will gradually turn into Mexico and will not directly impact Southeast Texas.

June 27 Afternoon Update

Tropical Wave 95-L in the open Atlantic is becoming more organized today. The National Hurricane Center now gives it a 60% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next two days and an 80% chance of doing the same over the next week. Hurricane Hunters are now scheduled to investigate it starting on Sunday. It poses no immediate threat to Texas at this time, but it bears watching for now.

RADAR MAPS:

Southeast Texas

Houston

Harris County

Galveston County

Montgomery/Walker/San Jacinto/Polk/Grimes Counties

Fort Bend/Wharton/Colorado Counties

Brazoria/Matagorda Counties

During hurricane season, remain prepared and make sure you download our ABC13 Houston app!

This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.

Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias and Mark Consuelos join the new animated comedy ‘Primos.’

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Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias and Mark Consuelos join the new animated comedy ‘Primos.’

LOS ANGELES — Disney Channel just announced a new animated comedy called “Primos.” The series is based on Emmy Award-nominated Natasha Kline’s childhood experience of growing up in Southern California in a large, multicultural and blended Mexican American family.

“Primos” follows Tater Ramirez Humphrey, an eccentric girl with ambitious summer dreams. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when her family invites all 12 of her cousins to stay with them, leading to a summer of surprises and unforgettable adventures.

The cast features a wide variety of talent including Myrna Velasco as lead “Tater Ramirez Humphrey,” Melissa Villaseñor (Nellie Ramirez Humphrey), Cheech Marin (Pop), Liza Koshy (Serena), Mark Consuelos (Tío Ivan Ramirez), Gabriel Iglesias (Tío Gustavo) and many more.

DisneyNOW will launch a “Primos” personality-themed quick quiz so fans can find out which character they resemble most.

“Primos” premieres with two episodes on July 25 on Disney Channel. The first nine episodes will be available on Disney+ on July 26.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Disney+, Disney Channel, and ABC station.

Uncertified HISD teacher arrested for explicit video calls with 14-year-old student, police say

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Uncertified HISD teacher arrested for explicit video calls with 14-year-old student, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A former HISD middle school teacher was arrested Friday after police say he had a 14-year-old student perform sex acts on camera and fondled her in a parked car.

Dale Vanwright, 63, was a design teacher at Tanglewood Middle School when the crimes allegedly occurred.

Court documents say the victim was dating one of Vanwright’s relatives, who happened to be a fellow Tanglewood student, at the time. (Eyewitness News isn’t saying how they’re related in order to protect the victim’s identity).

Police say the victim eventually began doing video calls with Vanwright after school.

In a February 2024 call, which court documents indicate appears to have been made from Vanwright’s cross-adorned northeast Houston home, he allegedly asked to victim to expose herself.

Prosecutors say he told the victim that if his relative couldn’t please her, he could help. He then allegedly had her perform a sex act on camera, saying he would hang up if his wife walked in.

Police say things escalated in May when he began fondling the victim in his parked car outside a west Houston store, urging her to ‘let him touch it.’

Investigators say the victim resisted and only got Vanwright to stop by reminding him they still had to pick up his relative from practice.

It’s unclear how the allegations came to light. The victim was interviewed earlier this month and charges weren’t brought until Thursday.

According to court documents, Vanwright lost his job at Tanglewood in March after being accused of kissing and hugging another 14-year-old student.

ABC13 asked HISD for comment, but hasn’t received one.

U.S. Department of Education investigates Katy ISD’s gender policy that led to trans student dropout

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U.S. Department of Education investigates Katy ISD’s gender policy that led to trans student dropout

KATY, Texas (KTRK) — Katy ISD’s controversial new gender policy requires parents to be notified if students identify themselves as transgender, and it’s impact is becoming clearer.

Kade Carter is a lot of things: a gamer, a musician, and a son.

But, the 17-year-old, who has won awards for his poetry and artwork, is a high school dropout.

“I miss a lot of my friends. I tried online school for a little bit. Not my style, too much ADHD, too much. Simply too much,” he laughed.

Kade is transgender.

“I think for a long time I had known that I wasn’t a girl and I just didn’t want to open that can of worms. I think a lot of my life I had been making excuses for myself, trying to not be who I was out of fear of what that meant for me because I saw how people were treated and I didn’t want to be treated like that. No one wants to be treated like that,” he said. “When I finally did, it wasn’t surprising. I knew that I was going to experience pushback and harassment, lots of harassment. The surprise was how good it felt to be authentic.”

When he was 14, a Mayde Creek high school freshman, he told his parents, friends, and some teachers.

They were all supportive.

Then, it all changed.

Last August, Katy ISD narrowly passed a controversial gender policy that requires district staff to inform parents if students identify themselves as transgender.

Students are required to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their sex assigned at birth.

Kade was one of nearly 100 people to take to the podium against the policy.

The board meeting was seven hours long.

“At the end of the night after everyone opened their hearts and told these people about the impacts of what they were going to do, they did it anyway,” he said.

The policy eventually passed by a 4 to 3 vote, with board members saying it informs parents and protects teachers.

Kade said he was stopped by his Spanish teacher the day after the policy passed,

“She held me up at the door, pointed at my legal name on the roster, and said, ‘We’re going back to this one now. Okay.’ And the way she said, ‘Okay,’ wasn’t a question. It was a statement. She was going to do this, and she did. And I walked out of class. I got up and left,” Kade explained.

Kade’s father began to worry about bullying and safety.

Less than a week later, he unenrolled Kade.

“People fear what they don’t understand. And do I think that some of the people who made my life a living hell are jumping up and down in satisfaction that they finally got rid of that one person they don’t like,” Kade said. “But, at the end of the day, I did it for my mental health, for my peace.”

After a year off school, Kade’s father hopes to enroll him in another school district to finish high school.

But, other school boards, including Conroe ISD’s board, are exploring passing similar policies, even as the U.S. Department of Education investigates whether the policy is discriminatory.

“I hope that other districts look at what happened to our district, see the pain that it’s been causing, and look at us and say, ‘I don’t want to be like that,” he said.

At 17, Kade is too young to vote.

But, there is one thing he can keep doing.

“Some things are worth the ridicule, and the threats, and the nonstop harassment,” he said. “And I think if anything is worth that, then being yourself is.”

Steve Bannon to report to prison on Monday after Supreme Court denies his request to delay sentence

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Steve Bannon to report to prison on Monday after Supreme Court denies his request to delay sentence

The U.S. Supreme Court Friday denied ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s request to remain out of prison while he continues to appeal his contempt of Congress conviction.

Bannon earlier this month was ordered by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence.

The U.S. Supreme Court Friday denied ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s request to remain out of prison while he continues to appeal his contempt of Congress conviction.

Bannon earlier this month was ordered by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence.

FILE - Steve Bannon appears in court in New York, Jan. 12, 2023.
FILE – Steve Bannon appears in court in New York, Jan. 12, 2023.Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool, File

After Bannon was sentenced, Nichols agreed to postpone the jail term while Bannon appealed the conviction.

He ordered Bannon to report to prison after the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Bannon’s conviction last month.

Bannon last Friday filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to remain out of prison.

The Supreme Court provided no vote breakdown in its decision to deny his request.

Humble teen who murdered mom and put her body in a trunk in 2022 sentenced to 40 years

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Humble teen who murdered mom and put her body in a trunk in 2022 sentenced to 40 years

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Humble teen who murdered his mother and drove across the country with her body in a trunk less than two years ago will spend the next 40 years in prison.

Now 19-year-old Tyler Roenz, who was 17 at the time of the killing, took a plea deal in Harris County.

Authorities say Tyler killed his mother, 49-year-old Michelle Roenz, while the two were at home on Oct. 13, 2022. He then put her body in the trunk of the family car, a black Mazda, and drove north.

After noticing their car was gone, Tyler’s father told investigators that his wife and son were missing. He also found a human tooth and blood inside their Humble home.

A CLEAR Alert prompted a frantic search for the mother and son, and detectives say they found suspicious charges on Michelle’s credit card out of Oklahoma and Kansas.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Missing Humble mom’s body was in car involved in chase with son driving, source tells ABC13

Authorities haven’t confirmed whether an Humble mom who disappeared Thursday is the body found three states away where her son was involved in a chase.

Shortly after, law enforcement were able to track Tyler using license plate readers as he drove through Oklahoma and Kansas.

A day following the murder, Tyler was arrested in Nebraska after leading troopers on a chase and crashing his car.

Michelle’s body was found stuffed in the trunk of the car and an autopsy report found she had been strangled and beaten.

Tyler was hospitalized from the crash and eventually released and extradited back to Texas.

He also plead guilty to tampering with evidence in exchange for a sentence of 20 years, which he will serve concurrently. Two other felonies were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Tyler must serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole and cannot appeal the convictions or prison sentences.

SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Supreme Court overturns 40-year-old Chevron case decision impacting regulatory authority

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Supreme Court overturns 40-year-old Chevron case decision impacting regulatory authority

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a 40-year-old decision that had made it easier for the federal government to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protections. This ruling marks a significant victory for business interests.

The court’s six conservative justices overturned the 1984 decision known as Chevron, a long-standing target of conservatives aiming to reduce regulatory power. The liberal justices dissented.

The case represents the court’s most definitive rejection of what critics of regulation call the administrative state. Billions of dollars could be affected by challenges resulting from this ruling. The Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer had warned that such a decision would cause an “unwarranted shock to the legal system.”

The Chevron decision allowed federal agencies to interpret unclear laws, a power critics argued should reside with judges. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, stated that “courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority.”

Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissent, argued that the decision undermines agency authority and ignores congressional intent. She described the decision as a further effort by the court to limit agency power, following a ruling just a day earlier that restricted the Securities and Exchange Commission’s anti-fraud capabilities.

The case originated from a challenge by Atlantic herring fishermen against a fee requirement upheld by lower courts using the Chevron decision. Business and conservative groups supported the fishermen, seeing an opportunity to further limit regulatory power.

The Supreme Court had not invoked Chevron since 2016, though lower courts continued to apply it. The original 1984 ruling had argued for judicial deference to agency expertise, a stance the current conservative majority has increasingly questioned.

In his opinion, Roberts challenged the idea that legal interpretation should defer to agency expertise, emphasizing the judicial department’s role. Kagan, however, argued that removing Chevron shifts control to courts over areas they are less knowledgeable about.

Fisherman Bill Bright praised the ruling, stating it would help protect the livelihoods of fishing families. The White House, meanwhile, criticized the decision as a backward step influenced by special interests.

Federal agencies and the Justice Department had already begun to rely less on Chevron in developing new regulations. Various advocacy groups and Democrats had urged the court to maintain the decision.

Environmental lawyer Sambhav Sankar warned that the ruling undermines the regulatory framework, giving corporations more power to challenge regulations and threatening the legitimacy of existing protections.

Business groups, including those from the gun, e-cigarette, farm, timber, and home-building sectors, supported the fishermen’s case. The fishermen argued that Congress never authorized regulators to impose the contested fee, a position the lower courts rejected using Chevron. The Supreme Court heard two cases on the issue, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused from one due to her involvement in an earlier stage.

The ruling represents a significant shift in the balance of regulatory power, with far-reaching implications for federal agencies and their authority.

Jocelyn Nungaray’s murder prompts Abbott, Hidalgo to debate immigration policies

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Jocelyn Nungaray’s murder prompts Abbott, Hidalgo to debate immigration policies

HOUSTON (AP) — As 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, found dead in a north Houston creek last week, is laid to rest Thursday afternoon, her death continues to spark national outrage and has evolved into a dispute among Texas leaders over the nation’s immigration policies.

The latest public outcry came from the state’s top official, who condemned the leader of Texas’ largest county just one day before Nungaray’s funeral. On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo a “con artist,” referencing her remarks about the two Venezuelan-born men charged with capital murder for the Houston girl’s death. In her remarks at the commissioner’s court, Hidalgo pointed to former President Donald Trump and Republicans for failing to reach an agreement with Democrats. Both men were given $10 million bonds this week and are in custody. Harris County prosecutors are still determining if charges should be upgraded to the death penalty, a move Abbott has already suggested.

“What a con artist. The murderers crossed the border illegally with the Biden administration’s permission. They were set free to roam the country. Biden did NOTHING to detain these criminals. He is an accomplice to this crime. SECURE THE BORDER. PERIOD,” Abbott wrote on X.

Abbott’s response referenced an interview with Hidalgo on Tuesday, where she discussed the case, saying, “Evil happens regardless of immigration status.” She added, “When the former President decided that he did not want Biden to have a win on immigration, he told his party to pull out of that agreement. So blaming things on the current immigration policy is absolutely political, and it really breaks my heart that people would politicize the sadness of that tragedy.”

When reporters asked her if she believed Harris County is a “place where immigrants come because of lax enforcement of laws,” Hidalgo expressed her frustration that the case was being used to discuss immigration policy. “To me, it hurts even more that they’re being used as pawns in this fight over immigration that doesn’t even exist because Biden and McConnell agree it’s just that Trump won’t let them move it forward,” she added.

Afterward, FOX26 reporter Greg Groogan pressed Hidalgo further, asking if she was “politicizing” the case by pointing to the opposite party. Hidalgo responded, “I think I answered the question; this is about Jocelyn; this is about her family. Again, the Biden Administration reached an agreement with leader McConnell to address this, but this is not about immigration. I’m not going to feed into that.”

Hidalgo’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Nungaray’s death sent shockwaves across the nation due to its gruesome details. She was found in a bayou near her home on June 16 after sneaking out of her family’s apartment. Police said she walked to a convenience store, was on the phone with her boyfriend, and was later approached by two men asking for directions. Her body was found under a bridge on 400 Rankin Rd, where police said the men tied her, assaulted her, took off her pants, and then strangled her before dumping her body in the nearby creek.

Her funeral on Thursday is set to be attended by her family, the Houston community, and local elected officials, including Mayor John Whitmire.

Former Uvalde police chief indicted over response to Robb Elementary shooting

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Former Uvalde police chief indicted over response to Robb Elementary shooting

UVALDE, Texas — The former Uvalde schools police chief was indicted over his role in the slow police response to the 2022 massacre at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the local sheriff said Thursday.

Pete Arredondo was indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of felony child endangerment/abandonment and briefly booked into the county jail before he was released on bond, Uvalde Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told The Associated Press in a text message Thursday night.

The Uvalde Leader-News and the San Antonio Express-News reported that former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on multiple similar charges. The Uvalde Leader-News reported that District Attorney Christina Mitchell confirmed the indictment.

Mitchell did not return phone and email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Several family members of victims of the shooting did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

The indictments make Arredondo, who was the on-site commander during the attack, and Gonzales the first officers to face criminal charges in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. A scathing report by Texas lawmakers that examined the police response described Gonzales as one of the first officers to enter the building after the shooting began.

SEE ALSO: Nearly 2 years after the Uvalde shooting, who has been reprimanded and where investigations stand?

The indictments were kept under seal until the men were in custody. It was unclear when Arredondo’s indictment would be publicly released.

Over two years ago, an 18-year-old gunman opened fire in a fourth grade classroom, where he remained for more than 70 minutes before officers confronted and killed him. In total, 376 law enforcement officers massed at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, some waiting in the hallway outside the classroom, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle inside.

“Today is another day in an impossibly painful journey,” state Rep. Joe Moody, who helped the state lawmakers investigation, posted on the social platform X. “The hurt for them will never subside. Today, I pray that there is justice and some sense of closure for them in this process rather than prolonged suffering.”

The office of a former attorney for Arredondo said they did not know whether the former chief has new representation. The AP could not immediately find a phone number to reach Gonzales.

Arredondo lost his job three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers faulted law enforcement with botching their response to the massacre.

Whether any officers would face criminal charges over their actions in Uvalde has been a question hanging over the city of 15,000 since the Texas Rangers completed their investigation and turned their findings over to prosecutors.

Mitchell’s office has also come under scrutiny. Uvalde city officials filed a lawsuit in 2022 that accused prosecutors of not being transparent and withholding records related to the shooting. Media outlets, including the AP, also sued Uvalde officials for withholding records requested under public information laws.

But body camera footage, investigations by journalists and damning government reports have laid bare how over the course of over an hour, a mass of officers went in and out of the school with weapons drawn but did not go inside the classroom where the shooting was taking place. The hundreds of officers at the scene included state police, Uvalde police, school officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents.

In their July 2022 report, Texas lawmakers faulted law enforcement at every level with failing “to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety.” The Justice Department released its own report in January that detailed “cascading failures” by police in waiting far too long to confront the gunman, acting with “no urgency” in establishing a command post and communicating inaccurate information to grieving families.

Uvalde remains divided between residents who say they want to move past the tragedy and others who still want answers and accountability. During the first mayoral race since the shooting, locals voted in a man who had served as mayor more than a decade ago over a mother who led calls for tougher gun laws after her daughter was killed in the attack.

Robb Elementary School is now permanently closed. The city broke ground on a new school in October 2023.

Fourth of July travel rush heats up with millions hitting the roads and skies

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Fourth of July travel rush heats up with millions hitting the roads and skies

NEW YORK (AP) — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and the travel rush is already heating up.

Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town for the holiday week, leading to busy roads, packed airports, and crowded train stations. Motor club AAA projects that around 70.9 million travelers will journey 50 miles or more from their homes over a nine-day Independence Day travel period, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen over 32 million individuals in airports from this Thursday through July 8, a 5.4% increase from last year’s numbers.

Best times to hit the road for July Fourth

Avoiding peak travel times can help ensure smoother travel. According to INRIX, a transportation data and insights provider, the best times to travel by car are in the morning. The worst times to drive on or around the holiday are generally between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to INRIX data published by AAA. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX.

July Fourth falls on a Thursday this year, and many travelers will likely take Friday, July 5, off to extend their trip into a four-day weekend. Drivers in large metro areas can expect the biggest delays on Wednesday, July 3, and Sunday, July 7, as travelers leave and return to town. The busiest car rental pickup days will be Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday before the holiday, AAA notes.

Airports expected to be busiest on Friday

Airports will be crowded all week long, but the TSA expects the most travelers on Friday. The agency anticipates screening more than 3 million individuals that day, surpassing its current record of just under 3 million, set last Sunday. “We expect this summer to be our busiest ever,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said, noting that travel typically peaks around Independence Day.

Last year, the busiest day for Fourth of July air travel was also the Friday before the holiday. If past trends hold, travel will likely be highest on the days before and after the Fourth, particularly closer to the weekend. In 2023, more than 2 million people were screened on the Fourth, which was a Tuesday, down from 2.88 million the Friday before.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Flights can be delayed or canceled for various reasons, from mechanical issues to major storms. If your flight is canceled, airlines are required to provide refunds, even if the cancellation is due to weather. Delays are trickier, as they typically need to meet certain criteria for relief, such as refunds or compensation. However, airlines often allow customers to switch to alternative flights at no cost if available.

In April, the Biden administration issued final rules requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. These rules will take effect over the next two years. The Department of Transportation has a website that shows each airline’s commitments for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.

Check your itinerary before leaving home

To avoid travel misery, check the status of your travel plans before heading out the door. Confirm if your flight, train, or bus ride is delayed, monitor traffic incidents that could disrupt your drive, and check weather forecasts for your entire travel path.

Additional travel tips

  • Leave early: With more people traveling during the holiday week, lines will be longer, and roads will be busier. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination or pass through airport security.
  • Monitor the weather: Check the weather for your entire travel route, not just your destination. Be prepared to reroute if necessary.
  • Be kind: Travel disruptions can be frustrating, but customer service agents are dealing with many issues during this busy period. Patience and respect can go a long way in getting the help you need.
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