HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The bodies of a teenage girl and her father were found during a search for two missing swimmers in the San Jacinto River, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Crews were called to the scene of a possible drowning at 1927 Gulf Pump Road in Crosby around 7 p.m. Sunday after a 38-year-old father and his 14-year-old daughter did not resurface from the water.
Overnight, dive teams recovered a body believed to be the 14-year-old girl, according to Gonzalez.
In an update Monday morning, Gonzalez said the body of an adult male, believed to be her father, was also recovered.
HCSO did not immediately release further details about what led up to the drownings.
EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Back in 2015, the film “Inside Out” journeyed beyond the surface to uncover the complex emotions of 11-year-old protagonist, Riley.
Fast forward to the 2024 sequel, “Inside Out 2.” We pick up as Riley turns 13 years old to explore what goes on in the teenage brain.
“New emotions are arriving on the scene. Her worlds about to get expanded, a construction crew has come in to expand headquarters,” shared Mark Nielsen, the “Inside Out 2” producer. “It’s time for her to kind of experience more of what teenagers are going to be going through and to be ready for it.”
ABC7’s Reggie Aqui ventured to the Pixar campus to get the inside scoop on the four-year process behind making the film.
“Anxiety…it all kind of started with her,” said Kelsey Mann, the film’s director. “It’s definitely something that I dealt with and deal with even now. I started in January of 2020, and even then, it was starting to be an issue in teenagers, especially, especially teenage girls, and then the pandemic hit.”
Mann added, “We had already kind of landed on anxiety being kind of the main new emotion, even before the pandemic, but even after we went through it, we just knew as an important story to tell.”
To ensure authenticity in the storytelling, the production team enlisted the help of nine teenagers.
“You may notice that none of us were ever 13 year old girls,” expressed Nielsen. “We thought this would be really helpful to see what teens right now think about the story we’re telling and get their reaction to it, so that we can make it as believable as possible.”
He added, “We picked nine girls from around the country that we met with for a period of three years, and showed them the movie every four months, and got there her notes and their feedback”
Based on the information gathered, new emotions were developed to encompass real life feelings and experiences felt by teens.
“It’s got heart. It’s got humor, but it’s got a real emotional depth that we’re proud of,” described Nielsen. “We want this to be meaningful to people and not just fun and entertaining. But it is fun and entertaining.”
Watch the video above for more information, and catch Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” in theaters June 14, 2024.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Emergency crews in Oregon rescued 28 people Friday after they were stuck for about half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park.
Portland Fire and Rescue said on the social platform X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the ride, but crews had been preparing to conduct a high-angle ropes rescue if necessary. All riders were being evacuated and medically evaluated, and there were no reports of injuries.
One rider with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to a hospital for further evaluation as a precaution, Oaks Amusement Park said in a statement posted on social media. Medics released all other passengers.
The ride, called AtmosFEAR, operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down.
Chris Ryan and his wife, from nearby Gresham, were at the park for his birthday. He told The Associated Press in a Facebook message that they had just been planning to ride AtmosFEAR when they saw it was stuck and heard people saying, “Oh my God, they are upside down.”
ROCHESTER HILLS, Michigan — Eight people were injured after a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families gathered to escape the summer heat Saturday, authorities said. Law enforcement tracked a suspect to a home, where the person died by suicide.
At least two of the victims were children, officials said. Authorities initially said they believed as many as 10 people had gunshot wounds from the shooting in Rochester Hills, but that number was lowered later on after they checked with area hospitals.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a suspect was contained in a home nearby, and law enforcement had it surrounded. Rochester police announced Saturday night that the person took their own life.
The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. at a city park featuring a recreation area with a non-slip surface where people can turn on sprays and fountains of water to play in. Bouchard said it the shooting appeared to be random, with the shooter driving up to the park, walking to the splash pad and firing as many as 28 times, stopping multiple times to reload.
A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered, the sheriff said.
Police cordoned off the scene of the shooting with tape, and dozens of yellow evidence markers lay on on the ground among colorful folding chairs.
In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene and asked people to avoid the area. Bouchard said it was safe for those sheltering in the park to head home.
It was not immediately clear if other people or weapons were inside the home with the possible suspect, Bouchard said, and law enforcement officials were trying to make contact with him.
The victims were taken to hospitals, and their conditions were not immediately known.
Police heard the 911 call reporting the shooting as it came in, Bouchard said, because the agency uses a service that simultaneously sends emergency calls to first responders. An officer was at the scene within two minutes, he said.
Rochester Hills is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old fatally shot four high school students.
Saturday’s shooting came at the end of the first full week of summer vacation for students attending Rochester Community schools.
Bouchard called it “a gut punch” for the county.
“We’ve gone through so many tragedies,” the sheriff said. “You know, we’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford. And, you know, now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on the social platform X that she was heartbroken to learn of the shooting and was in touch with local officials.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A search is underway for a suspect who allegedly shot a food delivery driver while he was on the job on Friday evening, according to the Houston Police Department.
Commander Kenneth Campbell said an Uber Eats driver was making a delivery at an apartment complex in the 16200 block of Imperial Valley Drive around 10 p.m.
Once the driver completed the delivery, the suspect reportedly walked up to him as he approached to get back in the car and shot the man in the chest.
Police said the man’s wife and child were inside the car when the shooting happened.
“The male returned to his car and went further down the street. Our officers actually met the complainant and found him right down the street. They started first aid using a chest seal,” Campbell said.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable, according to police.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 7-year-old boy has been pronounced dead, and his grandmother is hospitalized after a house fire on Houston’s south side on Saturday afternoon.
Houston firefighters were dispatched to the 3000 block of Friar Point at 3:30 p.m.
At the scene, fire crews reported finding the front of the house completely engulfed in flames, and heard the mother screaming for help.
Officials said a total of six people were in the house, a mother, grandmother, and four kids between the ages of 4 and 9 years old.
The 7-year-old boy reportedly died after succumbing to fire conditions.
The grandmother sustained second degree burns on her arms and legs, but is expected to be OK, officials said.
The rest of the family is said to be uninjured but shaken up from the incident.
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of fire and cause of death for the young boy.
One firefighter partially fell through the roof, but is OK, officials said.
LONDON — Britain put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ‘ first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
The annual event was also a show of stability by the monarchy after months in which both the king and Kate, wife of heir to the throne Prince William, have been sidelined by cancer treatment.
Kate announced Friday that she would attend the King’s Birthday Parade after making progress in her treatment. She disclosed in March that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified form of cancer.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said in a statement, adding that she faces “a few more months” of treatment.
The 42-year-old princess traveled in horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace down the grand avenue known as the Mall with her children George, 10, Charlotte, 9, and 6-year-old Louis. Bystanders cheered as they caught a glimpse of Kate, dressed in a white dress by designer Jenny Packham and wide-brimmed Philip Treacy hat.
She watched the ceremony with the children from the window of a building overlooking Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade ground in central London. Louis yawned broadly at one point in proceedings but mostly watched intently.
Kate was likely to join other members of the family on a Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast of military aircraft – and delight the crowds below. The princess has not made any public appearances since December.
Kate said in her statement that she is “not out of the woods yet” and officials stress that Saturday’s engagement does not herald a full return to public life.
Huge crowds turn out each June to watch the parade, also known as Trooping the Color, which begins with a procession involving horses, musicians and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial uniform from Buckingham Palace.
Prince William, in military dress uniform, rode on horseback for the ceremony, in which troops in ceremonial finery parade past the king with their regimental flag, or “color.” The display of precision marching and martial music stems from the days when a regiment’s flag was an essential rallying point in the fog of battle.
Charles, who also is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, traveled in a carriage with Queen Camilla, rather than on horseback as he did last year. The king inspected the troops from a dais on the parade ground, saluting as elite regiments of Foot Guards marched past.
Five regiments take it in turns to parade their color, and this year it was the turn of a company of the Irish Guards, which has Kate as its honorary colonel. The troops in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats were led onto the parade ground by their mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Seamus.
Charles, 75, disclosed his cancer in February, and has recently eased back into public duties. He attended commemorations last week for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on June 6, 1944.
In one of the many quirks of British royal convention, Saturday is not the king’s real birthday – that’s in November. Like his mother Queen Elizabeth II before him, Charles has an official birthday on the second Saturday in June. The date was chosen because the weather is generally good, though early sunshine on Saturday gave way to a blustery, rainy day in London.
The rain held off for most of the ceremony but began pelting down as the massed troops escorted the royal carriages back to Buckingham Palace, to cheers from soggy but enthusiastic crowds.
Kate Middleton says she is ‘making progress’ amid cancer treatment
Royal fans in raincoats and umbrellas had already gathered along the route several hours before start time, along with a smattering of anti-monarchist protesters chanting “Not my king.”
Spectators were treated to a display of pomp and precision involving 1,400 soldiers, 250 military musicians and more than 200 horses. The equine participants included Trojan, Tennyson, and Vanquish, three of the five military horses who sparked mayhem in April when they bolted and ran loose through central London.
The horses were performing routine exercises near Buckingham Palace on April 24 when they became spooked by noise from a nearby building site and galloped loose through the capital’s streets, crashing into vehicles and causing chaos during the morning rush hour.
The army says the other two horses are recovering well and are also expected to return to duty.
Pat Sajak has officially passed his “Wheel of Fortune” hosting baton to Ryan Seacrest in a new promo for the long-running game show that touts Seacrest’s hosting debut this fall. Sajak signed off as “Wheel of Fortune” host after more than 40 years on June 7.
“I think what you’re going to enjoy most is meeting the players and getting to know the audience at home,” Sajak tells Seacrest in the video. “People love this show. They go and see us every day and spend a half hour with us and watch with the whole family.”
“You’re never going to find a better job, and you’re never going to find a better co-host,” Sajak added in reference to his longtime “Wheel of Fortune” partner Vanna White, who has extended her contract with the game show for two more years.
Sajak ended his 41 season run with “Wheel of Fortune” with a direct-to-camera address at the end of his final episode.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade, and I’ve always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family, fun, no social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing I hope, just a game,” Sajak said to viewers.
“But gradually it became more than that,” he continued, “a place where kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together, along with friends and neighbors and entire generations. What an honor to have played even a small part in all that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
Seacrest and White kick off “Wheel of Fortune” Season 42 in the fall.
“Just been calling and calling and calling the FEMA hotline. They’re really no help,” Snoddy said.
FEMA told Eyewitness News that the Texas Department of Health and Human Services is handling the payments. A call and email to the agency went unreturned Friday.
Meanwhile, at least one woman had no trouble getting FEMA money.
This week, Khalia Douglas pleaded guilty to filing eight fraudulent FEMA applications and a bunch of fraudulent PPP loan applications for herself and others.
The fraud totaled more than $500,000, although just over $350,000 was approved.
“People who are gaming the system, special place in – the downstairs place for those types of people,” Hale said.
Prosecutors say Douglas advertised what she was doing on Instagram and offered to do it for others for a fee.
“$100 upfront to process your application,” one post read.
A 2020 Department of Homeland Security audit found FEMA lost $3 billion to potential fraud from 2003 to 2018. That’s $200 million per year.
Houston, TX (AP) — Alex Jones, a notorious conspiracy theorist, has been mandated to liquidate his personal assets to pay $1.5 billion in damages for his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut.
The future of Jones’ Infowars media platform, which has been a financial powerhouse linking him to far-right figures, celebrities, and politicians, remains uncertain. On Friday, a federal bankruptcy judge ordered the asset liquidation and dismissed a separate bankruptcy case involving Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems.
Despite predicting the imminent end of Infowars before the hearing, Jones seemed optimistic afterwards. He called into an Infowars show, declaring, “The bizarre political attempts to hijack the operation have failed,” while smiling as he exited the courthouse.
The legal battle over Jones’ assets escalated after he and Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy in 2022. This filing came after defamation lawsuit judgments by Sandy Hook victims’ families awarded them more than $1.4 billion in Connecticut and $49 million in Texas.
Background on Alex Jones and Infowars
Alex Jones, a Texas native known for his gravelly voice and bombastic style, has propagated numerous conspiracy theories, including claims about the 9/11 attacks and a purported U.N. depopulation effort. Jones began his career on a public-access television channel in the 1990s and later started Infowars after being fired from a local radio station. His media empire grew significantly, employing 60 people by 2010, and is supported largely by sales of dietary supplements.
Despite the massive debt, both Jones and the lawyers for the Sandy Hook families anticipate that Infowars may eventually cease operations.
The Sandy Hook Controversy
Shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting, Jones falsely claimed it was a hoax. This led to years of harassment for the victims’ families by people who believed his lies. In response, the families filed lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas. Jones acknowledged in 2022 that the shooting was real and that his hoax claims were “irresponsible.”
Jones’ Financial Situation
Court filings reveal Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, with his $2.6 million Austin home and some other belongings protected from liquidation. He has also begun selling his Texas ranch and other assets. The families have a pending lawsuit in Texas accusing Jones of illegally hiding millions of dollars, which he denies.
Future Prospects for Infowars
The fate of Free Speech Systems and Infowars is unclear. The Sandy Hook families could request the bankruptcy court to liquidate the company as part of Jones’ personal case. A trustee appointed in Jones’ bankruptcy case now controls his assets, including Infowars.
Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the families, stated that Infowars is “soon-to-be defunct,” calling Friday “a good day” for the victims’ families. However, Jones remains defiant, saying, “I have not given up. I’m fighting.”
