WASHINGTON — The FBI director nominee Kash Patel was hit with what is believed to be a cyberattack emanating from Iran on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated his longtime ally Patel on Saturday after announcing he planned on firing FBI director Christopher Wray.
Patel has been a staunch supporter of Trump for years and served in his first administration in a number of roles.
“Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director,” said Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer.
“We want them [police] to do more,” Ramsey said during an appearance on Elizabeth Vargas Reports. “If they use the latest DNA technology, collaborate with labs, and use familial genealogy research—which successfully solves old cold cases—there’s a good chance we can solve it.”
Ramsey expressed frustration with the investigation, claiming authorities focused too heavily on him and his late wife, Patsy Ramsey, instead of pursuing other leads. “We were in the home. We think it’s horrible, but we accept that,” Ramsey said. “But don’t stop there. That was their conclusion.”
Geraldo Rivera Apologizes for Mock Trial
The investigation faced widespread scrutiny over the years. Recently, Geraldo Rivera apologized to John Ramsey for a televised mock trial that pointed fingers at the family.
Meanwhile, police in Boulder, Colorado, have confirmed they are pursuing fresh leads in the case.
The Case of JonBenét Ramsey
What Happened? On December 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey reported their daughter missing, telling police they found a ransom note in their home. Hours later, JonBenét was found dead in the basement, having been beaten and strangled.
The case drew national attention, partly because JonBenét competed in child beauty pageants, with some videos and photos sparking public controversy.
Theories and Investigation Initially, police and media focused on the Ramseys as suspects. However, alternative theories suggested an intruder entered the home while the family was out celebrating Christmas. Despite investigating multiple suspects over the years, no one has ever been charged.
Latest Developments in the JonBenét Case
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn recently responded to public interest, fueled by a Netflix documentary, with a video update: “We have thoroughly investigated multiple suspects over the years and continue to keep an open mind. Detectives are actively pursuing tips and regularly revisiting aspects of the case,” he said.
In 2023, progress was made when a task force was formed under the previous police chief, bringing together multiple agencies to reexamine evidence.
Hope for the Future John Ramsey remains optimistic that with advances in DNA technology and fresh perspectives, the truth about his daughter’s murder could finally come to light.
The woman, who is a legal resident of the United States, did not have valid documents to enter France, where she had previously applied for asylum.
She was scheduled to be on a flight to the U.S. on Saturday afternoon but French authorities removed her from the aircraft after she started screaming, according to an official.
“We are going to try to send her back again with a French escort,” the official said.
The woman was expected to be accompanied by six US marshals on Tuesday’s flight back to New York, authorities said.
Then, she was due to leave France on a flight at 2:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday, a Paris airport official told CNN.
She was onboard the plane when Delta refused to fly her, a Paris airport official has told CNN.
She was taken off the flight and put back into police custody and will remain in France temporarily.
The 57-year-old woman got past multiple security checkpoints at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and boarded a plane to Paris last week.
Delta Flight 264 took off from JFK Airport and landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris the next day with the stowaway, authorities said.
New video shows personnel attempting to restrain the unruly passenger on November 30.
In the video the woman can be heard saying she does not want to return to the United States, that she has “asylum against the United States,” and mentioning the Geneva Conventions.
“She kept on saying ‘I do not want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back to the USA,'” said Gary Treichler, who was on the flight with his family.
Police boarded the plane at the Paris airport, according to a video from a passenger that was shared on social media. “This is the captain. We’re just waiting for the police to come on board,” the pilot can be heard saying.
Daniel Velez, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration, said “an individual without a boarding pass” was screened at Kennedy and was not carrying any prohibited items.
“TSA takes any incidents that occur at any of our checkpoints nationwide seriously,” Velez said. “TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at JFK.”
The French National Police said Friday, “A passenger of Russian nationality was smuggled onto a flight from NY (JFK) to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle.”
The passenger “was refused entry to France for lack of a valid travel document (visa), and was placed in a waiting area for the time needed to return her to the United States as she held a valid US residence permit,” the National Police said in a statement.
A Delta spokesperson said in a statement, “Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security. That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end.”
A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Kennedy Airport, declined to comment.
Federal investigators are looking into how the woman breached several security points at JFK and slipped onto the plane without a boarding pass.
Inspectors from TSA are also preparing a civil case against the stowaway after reviewing airport security video from inside John F. Kennedy International Airport, agency spokesperson Alexa Lopez told CNN.
“The TSA will open civil cases against passengers when there’s evidence that procedures may have been violated,” Lopez said. The TSA cannot bring criminal charges, though it can refer them to the Justice Department.
Delta has not said how the woman was able to board the plane once she made it past the TSA checkpoint.
Texas Could Face Extreme Cold Event Similar to Winter Storm Uri
This winter, Texas may experience extreme cold comparable to Winter Storm Uri, which caused the state’s power grid to collapse in February 2021. According to a recent analysis by ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), there is an 80% chance of rolling blackouts if Texas faces a storm on par with Uri.
During a December 3 presentation to ERCOT’s board of directors, Chris Coleman, ERCOT’s supervisor of operational forecasting, warned that Texas is in a weather pattern that could support such an event. While this winter is expected to be warmer overall, Coleman noted an increased likelihood of cold extremes.
“I don’t have a specific probability to give, but I’d compare this to a ‘cold extreme watch,’ like a tornado watch,” Coleman said. “Whether it impacts Texas, the East Coast, or Central Asia is still uncertain.”
ERCOT’s Preparedness and Risks
ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas acknowledged a slightly higher risk of grid issues this winter due to increasing power demand. The grid recorded a peak winter demand of 78,349 megawatts in January, driven by population growth and other factors.
In a report released in November, ERCOT projected a nearly 50% chance of rolling blackouts if Texas experienced December 2022-like conditions and an 80% chance if a storm like Uri struck. However, Vegas emphasized that the grid has improved significantly since 2021, thanks to a weatherization program and nearly 3,000 inspections conducted over the past three years.
“We’ve made significant changes to lower the risk profile of the ERCOT grid, especially in winter,” Vegas said. “Still, outages can occur due to mechanical failures or other factors unrelated to weatherization.”
Lessons from Winter Storm Uri
Winter Storm Uri claimed 246 lives across Texas, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in the state’s history. The storm overwhelmed the power grid, leaving millions without electricity or water in freezing temperatures. Bexar County recorded the fourth-highest fatality rate in the state.
Coleman reiterated that even during mild winters, periods of extreme cold can occur. “The more I analyze this winter, the more cold potential I see,” he said. “It’s like a tornado watch—it doesn’t guarantee a storm but highlights the need for vigilance.”
Looking Ahead
ERCOT officials are urging Texans to stay prepared for potential extreme weather events this winter. While the grid has improved, the possibility of blackouts remains if a storm similar to Uri occurs.
The deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was declared over on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NOTE:The video is from a previous report.
In total, 104 people reported falling ill across 14 states with about one-third of them being hospitalized, according to the CDC.
The true number of people who got sick was likely much higher because many people recover from E. coli without medical care and are never tested, the CDC noted.
Americans between ages 1 and 88 were affected in the outbreak, according to he CDC. Colorado had the greatest number of cases with at least 30 people falling ill. The state also reported one death.
A pair of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers and fries are shown in this photograph, in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.
AP Photo/Richard Drew
An outbreak notice was first released by the CDC in late October. Evidence from health officials’ investigation at the time showed that slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders were a likely source of contamination.
Nearly all the people who fell ill and were interviewed by health officials reported eating at McDonald’s and the overwhelming majority remembered eating a menu item that contained the fresh, slivered onions, according to the CDC.
The fast food chain’s distributor of the onions, Taylor Farms, initiated a voluntary recall of the onions in late October. McDonald’s stopped using the ingredient and removed the Quarter Pounder entirely off the menu in a dozen states.
The latest reported illness was on Oct 21. All the confirmed cases occurred before the onions were recalled and the ingredient was taken off of the McDonald’s menu at some locations, according to health officials.
The fast-food chain is no longer serving the recalled onions and there “does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday. The agency also noted that its investigation is now closed.
McDonald’s North America chief Impact officer Michael Gonda and chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña shared a message on Tuesday, saying the announcements from the CDC and FDA provide “certainty and validation” that the outbreak is over and the risk to the public has remained low since late October.
While the issue had been fully contained — and any contaminated product associated with this issue had been removed from our supply chain as of Oct. 22, 2024 — it can now be classified as “closed” and remediated,” the message read, in part.
HOUSTON, Texas — The NFL has suspended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair three games for his hit Sunday to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, announced the suspension Tuesday, adding that the league deemed the hit “unacceptable” and that Al-Shaair’s “continued disregard” for rules governing player safety “will not be tolerated.”
Al-Shaair was ejected in the second quarter of Houston’s victory Sunday over Jacksonville after his violent blow to the sliding Lawrence’s face mask caused the star quarterback to suffer a concussion.
“You were involved in a play that the (NFL) considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules,” Runyan wrote Tuesday. “Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide…You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact.”
Lawrence clenched both fists after the hit — movements consistent with what’s referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury. He was on the ground for several minutes as teammates came to his defense and mobbed Al-Shaair.
Runyan said in his letter that Al-Shaair “proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask,” and also added that after being ejected, the six-year veteran “removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone.”
Last week, Al-Shaair was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard. He also was fined $11,817 earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,” Runyan wrote. “Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.”
On Monday, the new Enron launched its website, paid for a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle, published at least two billboards, and produced a gauzy promotional video touting the company.
“No one knows what the hell this is,” quipped Dan Cogdell, famed Houston defense attorney who still keeps in touch with at least three former Enron executives he once represented.
When ABC13 showed him the newspaper advertisement, Cogdell immediately messaged his former clients, asking if they knew anything about it.
Meanwhile, the internet rumor mill is filled with speculation that it is all to prepare for a cryptocurrency product launch.
“I can’t imagine how rebranding or reutilizing the Enron name is going to lead to a Phoenix-like rise from the ashes for the company,” chuckled Cogdell. “I don’t see it. It’s got too much negative Karma associated with it.”
Still, there always seems to be a buyer when it comes to Enron.
The famed crooked E logo once graced the front of Enron’s headquarters and found a buyer in 2002.
In fact, Truman Pham remembers the day when his then-boss bought the infamous logo to put in his computer repair shop.
A former employee said that looking back, he estimates about 95% of employees had no idea about the accounting malfeas…Show more
“I had the check in my hand, and when the truck delivery came in, the boss told me, ‘You got to hand this check to the guy.’ So I had the check in my hand about $54,000,” Pham said.
The sign now sits behind the secretary’s desk at a chiropractor’s office.
It’s too heavy to move, and the computer company is no longer operating. But you can book a back adjustment while staring at the sign.
The neon lights also stopped working a few months ago.
Once ABC13 told him about the website, even Cogdell was begrudgingly intrigued on Monday.
That was enough for him to buy some merch for the new website during our interview.
“I’ve already ordered the puffer vest and some bumper stickers, so we’re going to find out. If it’s a ploy, it worked on me,” he laughed.
Eyewitness News emailed the new Enron for comment; a spokesperson replied that they would have an announcement in seven days.
SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) — Shots were fired outside an H-E-B in Sugar Land after an armored truck theft Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The Sugar Land Police Department confirmed the incident unfolding at the H-E-B on University Boulevard and Highway 6.
At about 12:10 p.m., police said a suspect stole a bag of cash from an armored truck and took off. That’s when SLPD said a security officer fired at the suspect vehicle at least twice, hitting it.
In an update, Sugar Land PD said two suspects are wanted after witnesses reported seeing two men where the vehicle was dropped off. Police said the suspect vehicle has been found.
Thre are no known injuries at this time.
SLPD said a search is underway for the two suspects.
People didn’t just fill their plates this Thanksgiving weekend — data shows they also filled their online shopping carts.
Black Friday online shopping this year set a new high, reaching $10.8 billion in sales, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks U.S. e-commerce data.
Shoppers walks past a Black Friday Deals sign in a Walmart in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
That’s more than double what online consumers spent on online shopping in 2017, when sales were just over $5 billion, according to Adobe.
The record pace of Black Friday buying followed record-setting online shopping on Thanksgiving itself, the analytics firm said. Consumers spent a record $6.1 billion online on Turkey Day — up nearly 9% compared to a year ago, according to Adobe.
What are people buying this Black Friday?
Spending on toys was a major driver of online Black Friday sales, according to Adobe, with overall toy sales up 622% compared to an average day earlier this fall. Sales of jewelry were up by 561%, appliances up by 476%, apparel up by 374$ and electronics up 334%.
Popular toys included included Harry Potter LEGO sets, “Wicked” toys, card and board games, Disney Princess toys and dolls and Cookeez Makery oven play sets. Gaming consoles, such the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch OLED and Meta Quest were also popular.
Other “hot sellers,” according to Adobe, were makeup and skin-care sets, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, smart watches, perfumes and espresso machines.
Increasingly, online shopping is happening on smaller screens. More than half of all online sales on Black Friday –about 55% — were on mobile screens, according to Adobe.
Overall, it appears people were more keen to shop online than to hit the stores in-person.
In another analysis of Black Friday spending, MasterCard said online retail sales rose 14.6% compared to last year, while in-store sales only inched up 0.7%.
One million additional people will have their toll tags switched over to the Harris County Toll Road Authority, or HCTRA, starting Monday as the system is taking over accounts for TxTag users.
That includes toll billing and customer service operations for customers in the Austin and Houston regions.
Austin
SH 130
SH 45 N
SH 45 SE
Mopac/Loop 1
Houston
Grand Parkway
Hwy. 249
TxDOT will also continue to own and maintain its toll roads in these areas.
According to the toll road authority, this change will help streamline payments, including more consistent billing and AutoPay.
All transitioned TxTag accounts will get the same 10% discount on all HCTRA toll roads for two-axle vehicles.
TxTag customers will be able to keep their same tag if the account is in good standing and functioning properly.
TxTag customers will need to create new online access and are encouraged to log on to HCTRA or download the EZ Tag app to confirm their accounts.
Nothing changes for drivers who already have an EZ Tag.
