Boeing’s Starliner capsule is set to return to Earth unpiloted overnight Friday, marking the final chapter of a problematic test flight that has spanned 92 days instead of the planned one week. The spacecraft’s hatch was closed Thursday at 1:29 p.m. EDT, as astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner in June, remained aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The Starliner is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 6 p.m. EDT Friday, after which its braking rockets will fire for about 59 seconds to initiate re-entry. The capsule is expected to land just after midnight at White Sands, New Mexico, with Boeing and NASA recovery teams on standby.
While the Starliner returns home, Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the ISS until February, when they are scheduled to return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. By then, the astronauts will have spent 262 days in space.
During her final preparations aboard the Starliner, Williams remarked on the bittersweet moment of packing up the spacecraft. “We want to make sure she’s in good shape,” she said, adding that the team was doing their best to ensure a smooth landing.
Boeing initially expected Wilmore and Williams to be aboard the Starliner for its return to Earth, concluding the capsule’s first piloted test flight. However, after helium leaks were detected in the propulsion system and five maneuvering jets malfunctioned during the ship’s rendezvous with the ISS, Boeing and NASA faced critical decisions.
Despite extensive testing that led Boeing engineers to conclude the Starliner was safe for a crewed return, NASA disagreed. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free explained that Boeing and NASA viewed the risks differently, ultimately deciding there was too much uncertainty to bring the astronauts back aboard the Starliner.
The malfunctioning jets are crucial for maneuvering the spacecraft away from the space station and keeping it stable during its descent. Though more powerful thrusters are used for re-entry, the smaller reaction control jets ensure the capsule stays on the correct trajectory.
“Spaceflight is hard. The margins are thin,” said Norm Knight, director of flight operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “And we have to be right.”
After an eleventh-hour plea followed by hours of legal wrangling on Thursday, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax-related charges, avoiding a lengthy and potentially embarrassing trial for President Joe Biden’s son.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi accepted Hunter Biden’s guilty plea on all the tax-related charges he faced after being indicted in December. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Judge Scarsi said Hunter Biden faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.35 million.
“Do you agree that you committed every element of every crime alleged in the indictment?” Judge Scarsi asked.
“Yes,” Hunter Biden replied before pleading guilty to each count.
This development raised the possibility of a presidential pardon, despite President Biden’s previous assurance that he would not grant his son clemency.
Prosecutors had accused Hunter Biden in December of a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes while spending large sums on luxury items such as cars, clothing, and hotels.
Hunter Biden initially pleaded not guilty to a nine-count indictment, including six misdemeanor charges of failure to pay, one felony tax evasion charge, and two felony charges of filing false returns. However, on Thursday, just before jury selection was to begin, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, announced his intention to submit an “Alford plea.” This plea would allow Hunter Biden to plead guilty without acknowledging guilt for the underlying conduct, but prosecutors opposed this. Consequently, Hunter Biden entered a traditional guilty plea.
In pleading guilty, Hunter Biden avoided what could have been a grueling trial, during which his personal struggles and business ventures would have been scrutinized. Special counsel David Weiss’ office had planned to call over two dozen witnesses, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wife.
Hunter Biden, dressed in a dark suit, expressed understanding of the consequences of his plea in court. His attorney, Lowell, stated that Hunter Biden decided to plead guilty to protect his loved ones from unnecessary pain and humiliation. Lowell criticized the government’s case, likening it to issues faced by many Americans who file taxes late. He also suggested Hunter Biden was keeping his options for appeal open.
Hunter Biden’s 56-page indictment detailed his avoidance of paying taxes, with claims that he spent his money on drugs, escorts, luxury items, and failed to pay taxes despite having the means to do so. Though Hunter Biden eventually paid his back taxes with help from a third party, Judge Scarsi ruled this information irrelevant to the case.
Hunter Biden issued a statement following the hearing, expressing regret for the pain he caused his family and acknowledging that he had been clean and sober for more than five years.
Last June, Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor offenses for failing to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, but that deal fell apart during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. Later, Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony charges related to a firearm purchase while allegedly addicted to drugs. His sentencing for those charges is scheduled for Nov. 13.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Police in the Denver suburb of Aurora say a Venezuela street gang with a small presence in the city has not taken over a rundown apartment complex — yet the allegation continues to gain steam among conservatives and was amplified by former President Donald Trump in a Wednesday Fox News town hall where he said Venezuelans were “taking over the whole town.”
The unsubstantiated allegation gained momentum following last month’s dissemination of video from a resident in the complex that showed armed men knocking on an apartment door, intensifying fears the Tren de Aragua gang was in control of the six-building complex
Aurora is a diverse city that has long grappled with crime and gangs, and police said they have so far linked 10 people to Tren de Aragua and arrested six of them, including the suspects in a July attempted homicide.
But in a visit to the apartments where the armed men were filmed, interim Aurora police chief Heather Morris said gang members had not taken over and weren’t collecting rent. The remarks came after Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said that “criminal elements” had taken over some unspecified buildings and were extorting residents.
In a Facebook post, Coffman said apartment manager CBZ Management told him that tenants were being forced to pay rent to gang members.
After residents held a news conference to speak out against the claims, Coffman, a Republican and former congressman, conceded he was “not sure where the truth is in all of this.” In an interview this week with Denver7 TV station, Coffman said the narrative that all of Aurora was unsafe was not true and harmful to the economic health of the rapidly growing city of more than 400,000 people.
Coffman wasn’t immediately available Thursday to speak about the situation.
Trump has sought to capitalize on concerns over immigration as he seeks a second term in November. At Wednesday night’s town hall, he repeated his call for mass deportations after overstating the gang situation in Aurora.
“Take a look at Aurora in Colorado, where Venezuelans are taking over the whole town, they’re taking over buildings, the whole town,” Trump said. “You saw it the other day they’re knocking down doors and occupying apartments of people.”
Among the nearly 1 million Venezuelan migrants who entered the U.S. in recent years were suspected gang members tied to police shootings, human trafficking and other crimes — yet there’s no evidence that the gang has set up an organizational structure in the U.S., Jeremy McDermott, the Colombia-based co-director of InSight Crime, told the Associated Press this summer. He published a recent report on Tren de Aragua’s expansion.
Many of the immigrants from Venezuela and other Latin American countries who live in the Aurora complex say there are no gangs there, and they are being unfairly painted as criminals.
They pinned blame on New York-based CBZ Management for refusing to take care of bedbugs, rodents and constant water leaks despite monthly rent costing $1,200 or more. They fear they will be evicted like residents last month in a nearby apartment complex also run by CBZ that city deemed uninhabitable.
“The only criminal here is the owner of the building,” Moises Didenot, who is from Venezuela, said Tuesday through a translator at a news conference in a dusty courtyard at the complex
He showed reporters some mice he recently caught on sticky traps in the basement apartment he shares with his wife and 11-year-old daughter. Only two of the burners on their stove work, their ceiling fan is missing a blade and as soon as they clean their bathtub, mold quickly creeps back, he said.
CBZ didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment, and phone numbers listed for two apartment buildings owned by CBZ in Aurora were disconnected.
Aurora officials said in an Aug. 30 social media post that they were taking the Venezuela gang’s presence seriously and indicated more arrests were expected. They also said they would “continue to address the problems that the absentee, out-of-state owners of these properties have allowed to fester unchecked.”
The video helping fuel the unsubstantiated allegation showed armed men, including one holding a long gun, climbing up the stairs and knocking on an apartment door. The former residents who filmed it told KDVR-TV it was taken before a shooting at the complex on Aug. 18 in which the victim later died.
An Aurora Police Department spokesperson, Sydney Edwards, said that police have been in possession of the video and seized evidence seen in it. She said she could not comment further about an ongoing investigation.
Aurora police have also announced a task force with local, state and federal enforcement agencies to specifically address concerns about Tren de Aragua and other criminal activity affecting migrant communities.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — An investigation is underway after a man was found dead in a Spring-area neighborhood.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the man was found dead with possible trauma in the 17400 block of Colony Creek Drive.
ABC13 video from the scene shows a large law enforcement presence in the neighborhood.
The investigation into the man’s death is ongoing. Initially, authorities believed the man may have been hit by a vehicle but added that his injuries were not consistent with that.
Authorities said they are looking into whether the man suffered a medical emergency or if he was attacked.
Deputies did not release a description or say if they were looking for a suspect.
ABC13 spoke to a woman who lives in the neighborhood and believes she recognizes the victim. She said her son was walking their foster dog at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, when he saw the police activity.
“There are a few of us who, every morning and every evening and afternoon, we are running, biking, walking our dogs — he was part of that community. He would be saying ‘Hi’ to whoever says ‘Hi,'” neighbor Diana Molina-Armijo said. “So he was definitely someone in the community who was social, active, senior citizen. It’s a shocker to hear this is happening.”
She said the man she believes is the victim normally runs in the street.
“Our sidewalks recently have been worked on, but not all of them,” Molina-Armijo said. “And there’s a lot of bumps on the sidewalk, so a lot of us, including myself, sometimes are walking on the street so that we’re not hurting our feet, our ankles, and our knees.”
Gonzalez asked anyone with information to please call HCSO at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers Houston at 713-222-TIPS.
CHICAGO — A woman in Illnois lost almost $1 million over several months to a scammer using the “pig butchering” technique.
Just as a farmer fattens up a pig for slaughter, in the scheme a scammer gains a victim’s trust over a long period of time, fattening them up, then goes in for the kill by stealing their life savings.
The FBI estimates the scams cost Americans nearly $4 billion in 2023 alone.
Erika DeMask had saved nearly $1 million in investment accounts; she is now in financial ruin.
“I had to tell my kids because they had no idea I had that kind of money,” she said.The video player is currently playing an ad.
In fact, she was forced to sell her Lombard, Illinois home and everything in it.
“This is my garage sale. The beginning of a mess,” DeMask said. “And it’s hard because a lot of the stuff; the glasses here belonged to my husband.”
Her husband passed away decades ago and recently DeMask met a man online.
“He said that he loved me,” she said. “Once he sent me a huge bouquet of flowers and the FBI said they were shocked that he did that.”
But the FBI said that tactic is just part of the fattening up stage.
“Fraudsters are going to fatten up the victims by putting more enticing the victims to put more money into an investment,” said James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “And then they’re going to slaughter them by walking away and stealing their money.”
DeMask said her scammer was both charming and convincing,
“He’s working on an oil rig and something broke down. Can I send him $20,000? And I said, ‘Whoa.’ I said, ‘You know what? I need to pray about this,'” she said. “The second time I sent $35,000. Then two weeks later, another $35,000. His pastor is sending him $250,000. Can I match it? Which was a dumb thing.”
Over time that money sent reached nearly $1 million. DeMask said the scammer told her she would get double her money back in his investments. Instead, she now owes money back to her bank; cash which she took from her home equity loan. She also must pay taxes on her investment withdrawals.
“There’s $400 left. That’s it, $400,” she said.
She and her son said the money was taken out and sent via cashier’s checks or wire transfers through Fifth Third Bank.
“She was sending $100,000, $300,000, $50,000 at a time, and it was never brought up and stopped and checked,” said Ed DeMask.
They said when they filed reports with the FBI and Secret Service, agents told them that bankers should have spotted unusual patterns.
“I kept transferring money from Fifth Third from the investment accounts, they never questioned, ‘Why are you closing this whole account?'” Erika DeMask said.
But in this letter to DeMask, Fifth Third said it asks a series of questions that the customer must answer before a wire transfer is sent and that her answers provided “did not raise concern for potential fraud.”
Fifth Third told the I-Team, “The Bank meets applicable Red Flags provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).”
The International Criminal Police Organization, or INTERPOL, said many of these crimes originate out of scam compounds in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
The FBI said if you wire money or crypto there is little chance you will get it back, but if you report it to the FBI quickly, there is some hope.
“Our recovery asset team has had tremendous success in the last several years and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for victims of,” Barnacle said.
Authorities were unable to recover DeMask’s losses, but she says what hurts more is letting go of her home, furniture, and other long-time memories, like a chalkboard built in the garage.
“This was here when we moved here and my grandson, Teddy, he’s the only one that ever wrote on there. And every time I looked at it, I have a hard time. A lot of things are going to be gone and its hard,” she said.
To avoid becoming a victim of a scammer, you should never send money to anyone you meet online, ever.
Also remember that financial institutions may allow you to add trusted contacts to your account so their bank can reach out to family members if there is suspicious activity.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — We continue our ABC13 Weather Watch Thursday for the possibility of flooding rains and gusty winds in our coastal counties. By the weekend we will be dry as our first taste of “Fall-ish” air blows in behind a cool front, but next week we will have to keep an eye on the Gulf as another tropical low spins up over the Bay of Campeche.
Due to the threat of heavy rain for our coastline on top of what’s already fallen over the last week, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for our coastal counties through 7 a.m. Friday. These counties could pick up between 3-6″ of rain on Thursday as heavy storms train one after another around the low over the Gulf.
Most of the rain will fall south of I-10 in the morning, but in the afternoon we’ll see an uptick of scattered heavy showers norther of I-10. Any heavy rain shower could drop a quick inch of rain leading to minor street flooding.
With the extra cloud cover and rain, temperatures should only top out in the mid to upper 80s for much of SE Texas.
GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The man accused of shooting and killing a deputy constable who was on his way to work with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office was charged with murder on Thursday.
The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office said they asked that the suspect, Athir Murady, be denied bail. He’s charged with the felony offense of evading arrest.
Video from Wednesday shows Murady being walked to the jail. He has visible facial injuries after reportedly being bitten by a police K-9 during his arrest.
ABC13 obtained new video showing Athir Murady being led to the Galveston County jail a day after he was pulled from the water in connection with a deputy’s murder.
Authorities say Murady got out of his own vehicle and ambushed Deputy Constable Maher Husseini while he sat in his SUV at a red light at Fondren Road and Richmond Avenue in southwest Houston on Tuesday afternoon.The video player is currently playing an ad.
Husseini was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sources tell ABC13 that Husseini had a camera in his car, which captured the killing. A Harris County prosecutor was in Galveston on Wednesday night to question the suspect.
Husseini’s funeral is being held on Thursday. He’s being remembered as an amazing human — someone who was loved and respected by many.
After the shooting, officials said Murady took off. He was captured, in part, thanks to an attentive Galveston deputy city marshal who was driving home when he spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect and called police.
Galveston police revealed that authorities might not have gotten to the suspect if it wasn’t for an eagle-eyed deputy city marshal who was heading home from work.
“I kind of watch it, and I kind of don’t want to watch it because I know what happened earlier in the day,” Sgt. Nick Yeley said. “We’re all family. We all wear a uniform. We’re all sisters and brothers in this, and when one of my brothers goes down, it hurts my heart, and I want to say his family is in our prayers. It’s hard for us.”
After he was spotted, Murady allegedly led deputies on a chase through a neighborhood, drove straight into Galveston Bay, and treaded water for about half an hour before being taken into custody 60 miles away from the initial shooting scene.
When a law enforcement boat finally got him out, police said he kept resisting, even after a police K-9 bit him.
Only on 13, the new video shows the gunfire at a busy intersection in southwest Houston. After the tragic shooting, the suspect was found 60 miles away in Galveston Bay.
So far, it’s unclear if the suspect and Husseini knew each other. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said that is part of the investigation.
Pct. 4 Constable Mark Herman said he promoted Husseini, who has been with the agency since 2021, a week ago.
Husseini’s brother told ABC13 he was married and leaves behind children.
“It’s too much. There’s total chaos in our communities and we got to get it fixed,” Herman said. “My mentality with law enforcement, and all of you know me, is to fight, fight, fight. The only thing these criminals understand is force.”
A public visitation and funeral service will be held for Husseini on Thursday at Masjid Alsalem Mosque, located at 16700 Old Louetta Rd. in Spring, beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Drivers in the area near Old Louetta Road at that time should prepare for a lot of traffic.
A condolence gathering will be held at the Arab American Cultural and Community Center at 10555 Stancliff Road in Houston from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The 2024 presidential debate is set for September 10 and will be hosted by ABC News.
On Wednesday, ABC News released rules for the highly anticipated event.
Officials say Harris and Trump both accepted the guidelines.
Debate Rules:
The video player is currently playing an ad.
javascript:false
The debate will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks
The two seated moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, will be the only people asking questions
A coin flip was held virtually on September 3 to determine podium placements and order of closing arguments; Trump won the coin toss and chose to select the order of statements. He will offer the last closing statement, and Harris selected the right podium on screen (stage left)
Candidates will be introduced by moderators
Candidates will enter upon introduction from opposite sides of the stage; the incumbent party will be introduced first
There will be no opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate
Candidates will stand behind the podiums for the duration of the debate
Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage
No topics or questions will be shared in advance
Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water
The video player is currently playing an ad.
javascript:false
Candidates will have two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses
Candidates’ microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate
Candidates will not be permitted to ask questions of each other
Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks
Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion
As the debate approaches, Harris and Trump are making their paths to the presidency clearer as their campaigns begin a two-month sprint to Election Day.
The candidates are largely focusing on swaying the undecided voters out there. Their campaigns will try to focus their messages on three familiar issues — the economy, immigration, and abortion — even in the midst of heated debates over character, culture, and democracy.
‘The ABC News Presidential Debate | Race for the White House’ will air September 10 at 9 p.m. It will air on ABC and stream on 24/7 streaming network ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of 90-year-old Navy veteran Nelson Beckett outside an assisted living facility in southwest Houston.
According to investigators, 21-year-old Kyliel Denzel Arceneauz was identified as the unknown suspect who assaulted Beckett before shooting him, stealing his car, and running over him as he fled the scene on Saturday afternoon.
Four people were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Another nine victims were taken to hospitals with injuries, the GBI said.
The suspect is alive and in custody, the GBI said. The suspect is a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Four people were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Senior Sergio Caldera, 17, said he was in chemistry class when he heard gunshots.
“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on. Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter,” Caldera told ABC News.
He said his teacher locked the door and the students ran to the back of the room. Caldera said they heard screams from outside as they “huddled up.”
Students are seen outside Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4, 2024.WSB
At some point, Caldera said someone pounded on his classroom door and shouted “open up!” multiple times. When the knocking stopped, Caldera said he heard more gunshots and screams.
He said his class later evacuated to the football field.
A grandmother was relieved to hear that her three grandchildren were safe after a school shooting in Winder, Georgia.
Kyson Stancion said he was in class when he heard gunshots and “heard police scream, telling somebody, ‘There’s a shooting going on, get down, get back in the classroom.'”
“I was scared because I’ve never been in a school shooting,” he told ABC News.
“Everybody was crying. My teacher tried to keep everybody safe,” he added.
Police are seen outside Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4, 2024.WSB
Apalachee High School was “cleared for dismissal” and all other Barrow County Schools are on a “soft lockdown,” the Barrow County School District said.
“The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office says this is for the safety of everyone right now. Please do not visit your child’s school at this time. We cannot release students during a lockdown,” the school district said in a statement. “We will let you know as soon as BCSO says it is all clear for dismissal.”
Winder is about 45 miles outside of Atlanta. The school enrolls about 1,900 students.
Authorities provide update on shooting at Apalachee High School
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the shooting, according to the White House.
“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed,” Biden said in a statement. “Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.”
The president highlighted his work to combat gun violence, including signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and launching the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. But he stressed that more must be done.
Police are seen outside Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4, 2024.WSB
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” Biden said. “We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring those who were tragically killed today back, but it will help prevent more tragic gun violence from ripping more families apart.”
Harris said at a campaign event in New Hampshire, “Our hearts are with all the students, the teachers and their families.”
Harris said at a campaign event in New Hampshire, “Our hearts are with all the students, the teachers and their families.”
“This is just a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies,” she said. “We have to end this epidemic of gun violence.”
“This is one of the many issues that’s at stake in this election,” Harris said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “I’m devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy. The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “I’m devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy. The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he is “heartbroken.”
“This is a day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will hug their children tighter this evening because of this painful event,” he said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with local, state, and federal partners to make any and all resources available to help this community on this incredibly difficult day and in the days to come.”
In Atlanta, authorities will “bolster patrols” around schools on Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement.
“My prayers are with the high school students, staff and families affected by the senseless act of violence in Winder,” Dickens said.
Hours since the latest mass shooting in the country, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer pushes back on whether mass shootings will be front and center in Congress.
So far in 2024 there have been 385 mass shootings as of September 4, including this latest one in Georgia, according to the ABC News data team.
This is Georgia’s 16th mass shooting so far this year.
This time last year there were 485 mass shootings.
The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one with four or more people injured or killed – not including the perpetrator – counted 656 Mass Shootings in 2023, 646 in 2022, 689 in 2021 and 610 in 2020.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
