A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to release Kilmar Abrego Garcia today.

Judge Paula Xinis said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement held him without a legal removal order. Xinis has ordered the Trump administration to provide a status update on his release by 5 p.m. Thursday.

Abrego-Garcia has been in U.S. custody after being returned by officials in El Salvador. He was deported on March 15 as the U.S. sent three planes from the U.S. to El Salvador, purporting that those on the planes were members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs. The deportations came after President Donald Trump enacted the Alien Enemies Act regarding the invasion of the United States by the Tren de Aragua.

PREVIOUS REPORTING | Judge to rule on whether to release Abrego Garcia from federal custody 

Immediately upon Abrego Garcias return to the U.S. from El Salvador, he was charged with human smuggling and conspiracy charges in Tennessee allegations he denies. He remained in custody in Tennessee until ordered released by the judge overseeing that case in August and returned to Maryland.

Just days later, however, Abrego Garcia was re-arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while appearing at a routine parole check-in appointment in Baltimore.

In August, it was revealed that the government offered to deport Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica a Spanish-speaking, Latin American nation but only if he agreed to plead guilty to the human smuggling charges he faces in Tennessee.

He refused, and ever since, the government has not included Costa Rica as an option for his removal.

"This inexplicable reluctance seemed at odds with continued detention for purposes of third-country removal," Xinis wrote in Thursday's order.

Originally from El Salvador, Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. without proper documentation in 2011. In 2019, after a lengthy legal process in the immigration court system, Abrego Garcias request for asylum was denied by an immigration judge. But he was issued an order of withholding of removal, a document that prevents his deportation to his home country because officials believed he faced a likelihood of torture or violence should he return there.

Federal health officials on Wednesday expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to recalled ByHeart baby formula to include all illnesses reported since the company began production in March 2022.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators cannot rule out the possibility that contamination might have affected all ByHeart formula products ever made.

The outbreak now includes at least 51 infants in 19 states. The new case definition includes any infant with botulism who was exposed to ByHeart formula at any time since the product's release, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent illness was reported on Dec. 1.

No deaths have been reported in the outbreak, which was announced Nov. 8.

Previously, health officials had said the outbreak included 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism reported in 18 states since August. That's when officials at California's Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program reported a rise in treatment of infants who had consumed ByHeart formula. Another 12 cases were identified with the expanded definition, including two that occurred in the original timeline and 10 that occurred from December 2023 through July 2025.

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ByHeart, a New York-based manufacturer of organic infant formula founded in 2016, recalled all its products sold in the U.S. on Nov. 11. The company, which accounts for about 1% of the U.S. infant formula market, had been selling about 200,000 cans of the product each month.

News that ByHeart products could have been contaminated for years was distressing to Andi Galindo, whose 5-week-old daughter, Rowan, was hospitalized in December 2023 with infant botulism after drinking the formula. Galindo, 36, of Redondo Beach, California, said she insisted on using ByHeart formula to supplement a low supply of breast milk because it was recommended by a lactation consultant as very natural, very gentle, very good for the babies."

That's a hard one, Galindo said. If there is proof that there were issues with their manufacturing and their plant all the way back from the beginning, that is a problem and they really need to be held accountable."

Amy Mazziotti, 43, of Burbank, California, said her then-5-month-old son, Hank, fell ill and was treated for botulism in March, weeks after he began drinking ByHeart. Being included in the investigation of the outbreak feels like a win for all of us, she said Wednesday.

Ive known in my gut from the beginning that ByHeart was the reason Hank got sick, and to see that these cases are now part of the investigation brings me to tears a mix of relief, gratitude and hope that the truth is finally being recognized, she said.

In a statement late Wednesday, ByHeart officials said the company is cooperating with federal officials to understand the full scope of related cases.

The new cases reported by CDC and FDA will help inform ByHearts investigation as we continue to seek the root cause of the contamination, the statement said.

Lab tests detected contamination

The FDA sent inspectors last month to ByHeart plants in Allerton, Iowa, and Portland, Oregon, where the formula is produced and packaged. The agency has released no results from those inspections.

The company previously reported that tests by an independent laboratory showed that 36 samples from three different lots contained the type of bacteria that can cause infant botulism.

We cannot rule out the risk that all ByHeart formula across all product lots may have been contaminated, the company wrote on its website last month.

Those results and discussions with the FDA led CDC officials to expand the outbreak, according to Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC scientist leading the investigation.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Half a million bottles of blood pressure drug recalled for high carcinogen levels

It looks like the contamination appeared to persist across all production runs, different lots, different raw material lots, Cope said. They couldn't isolate it to specific lots from a certain time period.

Inspection documents showed that ByHeart had a history of problems with contamination.

In 2022, the year ByHeart started making formula, the company recalled five batches of infant formula after a sample at a packaging plant tested positive for a different germ, cronobacter sakazakii. In 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to the company detailing areas that still require corrective actions.

A ByHeart plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, was shut down in 2023 just before FDA inspectors found problems with mold, water leaks and insects, documents show.

Infant botulism is rare

Infant botulism is a rare disease that affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. Its caused when infants ingest botulism bacteria that produce spores that germinate in the intestines, creating a toxin that affects the nervous system. Babies are vulnerable until about age 1 because their gut microbiomes are not mature enough to fight the toxin.

Baby formula has previously been linked to sporadic cases of illness, but no known outbreaks of infant botulism tied to powdered formula have previously been confirmed, according to research studies.

Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop and can include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, drooping eyelids and a flat facial expression. Babies may feel floppy and can have problems swallowing or breathing.

The sole treatment for infant botulism is known as BabyBIG, an IV medication made from the pooled blood plasma of adults immunized against botulism. Californias infant botulism program developed the product and is the sole source worldwide.

The antibodies provided by BabyBIG are likely most effective for about a month, although they may continue circulating in the child's system for several months, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, an expert in pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Children's Hospital.

The risk to the infant is ongoing and the family should not be using this formula after it was recalled, Nachman said in an email.

Families of several babies treated for botulism after drinking ByHeart formula have sued the company. Lawsuits filed in federal courts allege that the formula they fed their children was defective and ByHeart was negligent in selling it. They seek financial payment for medical bills, emotional distress and other harm.

The Senate is expected to reject legislation on Thursday that would extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for millions of Americans. The subsidies expire Jan. 1, meaning many people who buy health insurance on ACA marketplaces could face steep cost increases at the start of the year.

As the Democrats' plan is expected to fail, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that Senators will vote on a proposal from Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Mike Crapo.

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The GOP-led "Health Care Freedom for Patients Act" proposes sending money directly to patients rather than insurance companies and lowering insurance premiums and health care costs. It also seeks to expand Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility, which is intended to help Americans cover out-of-pocket costs.

However, one part of the proposal that is likely to draw criticism from Democratic lawmaker, is that it calls for ending taxpayer-funded abortion or transgender services. The Republican plan also calls for reducing Medicaid funding to states that provide health insurance coverage to migrants who are in the country illegally and requires states to verify citizenship or immigration status before providing Medicaid coverage.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | You can now check 2026 Obamacare plan prices but costs could still rise

Up to this point, the lack of Republican consensus on health care has lingered, posing a political challenge as the 2026 midterm elections approach and swing district Republicans brace for possible political fallout if those ACA tax subsidies expire.

Residents packed up and prepared to flee rising rivers in western Washington state Wednesday as a new wave of heavy rain swept into a region still reeling from a storm that triggered rescues and road closures a day earlier.

In the Pacific Northwest, an atmospheric river was swelling rivers toward record levels, with major flooding expected in some areas including the Skagit River, a major agricultural valley north of Seattle. Dozens of vehicles were backed up at a sandbag-filling station in the town of Mount Vernon as authorities warned residents within the river's floodplain to be ready to evacuate.

Were preparing for what increasingly appears to be a worst-case scenario here," Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan said.

In the Mount Rainier foothills southeast of Seattle, Pierce County sheriffs deputies rescued people at an RV park in Orting, including helping one man in a Santa hat wade through waist-deep water. Part of the town was ordered to evacuate over concerns about the Puyallup Rivers extremely high levels and upstream levees.

A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos from Eastside Fire & Rescue showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water, including a car rammed into the metal barrier on the side of the road.

Officials also closed a mountainous section of U.S. 2 due to rocks, trees and mud. The state transportation department said there were no detours available and no estimated time for reopening.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Wednesday. Lives will be at stake in the coming days, he said.

Skagit County officials were preparing to evacuate 75,000 people, said Robert Ezelle, director of the Washington Military Department's emergency management division.

Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, said hundreds of Guard members will be sent to help communities.

Flooding rivers could break records

The Skagit River is expected to crest at roughly 47 feet (14.3 meters) in the mountain town of Concrete early Thursday, and roughly 41 feet (12 meters) in Mount Vernon early Friday.

Those are both record-setting forecasts by several feet, Skagit County officials said, adding that upriver communities should evacuate to high ground as soon as possible and that those living in the floodplain should be prepared to evacuate.

Flooding from the river long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in the county with some 35,000 residents. In decades past, residents would form sandbagging brigades when floods threatened, but businesses were often inundated. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

The city completed a floodwall in 2018 that helps protect the downtown. It passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels.

But the city is on high alert. The historic river levels expected Friday could top the wall, and some are concerned that older levees could fail.

Weve seen our floodwall in action and we know it works to a large degree, said Ellen Gamson, executive director of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association. But the concern about that kind of pressure on the levy and dike system is real. It could potentially be catastrophic.

Gamson said many business owners were renting tables to place their inventory higher off the floor. Sheena Wilson, who owns a floral shop downtown, said she stacked sandbags by the doors and cleared items off the floor.

If the water comes in above table height Ive got bigger problems than my merchandise, she said.

Jake Lambly, 45, added sandbags, tested water pumps and moved valuables to the top floor of the home he shares with his 19-year-old son. Lambly said he was concerned about damage in his neighborhood, where people are just on the cusp of whether or not we can be homeowners."

This is my only asset, he said from his front porch. I got nothing else.

RELATED STORY | Families sue Camp Mystic, claiming negligence over deadly flash floods in Texas

Cities respond to flooding

Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the weather service in Seattle, described the atmospheric river soaking the region as a jet stream of moisture stretching across the Pacific Ocean with the nozzle pushing right along the coast of Oregon and Washington.

Authorities in Washington have knocked on doors to warn residents of imminent flooding in certain neighborhoods, and evacuated a mobile home park along the Snohomish River. The city of Snohomish issued an emergency proclamation, while workers in Auburn, south of Seattle, installed temporary flood control barriers along the White River.

Climate change has been linked to some intense rainfall. Scientists say that without specific study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general its responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday, Rademacher said. The pattern looks pretty unsettled going up to the holidays.

With the holiday season underway, people are once again deciding between a fresh-cut or artificial Christmas tree.

While both options fill living rooms, sustainability experts say one of them is far better for the environment and its not the one many people expect.

At Sullivan Hardware and Garden in Indianapolis, Christmas tree sales are already brisk.

We have a large seasonal business which includes fresh-cut Christmas trees and artificial trees, said Pat Sullivan, President of the hardware and garden store.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Christmas Tree Recycling Is A Good Alternative To Landfills

Millions of families buy a tree each year, but the environmental impact varies widely depending on whether they choose real or fake.

When looking at options, it sometimes seems like the more sustainable option is to get a fake tree that you can use for multiple years, but the real tree is actually the way to go, said Lizzie Hortviz, a sustainability expert and founder of Finch, a platform that educates consumers on sustainability.

Horvitz told the Scripps News Group that the carbon footprint of artificial trees is far heavier than most people realize.

Real Christmas trees typically carry an average carbon footprint of 3.5 kg of CO2, if disposed of through burning or wood chipping, she said. A two m artificial Christmas tree has a carbon footprint of around 40 kg, more than 10 times that of a real tree then, unfortunately, at the end of life, the only thing we can do is landfill them.

At Sullivan, both types of trees are popular, but this year, the store says fresh trees are stocked up again on their store shelves.

There's been a shortage of trees and fresh-cut for the last five years, and it's kind of coming to an end, Sullivan said. We're paying big dollars just to try to get trees, so the prices of fresh cut around town should either be stable or drop.

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The National Christmas Tree Association and the American Christmas Tree Association estimate the average fresh tree cost in 2024 was between $80 and $100. Artificial trees ranged from $85 to more than $1,000.

Beyond price, Horvitz says real trees offer environmental benefits long before they end up in someones home.

Christmas trees are also doing all that good tree stuff. They're absorbing carbon, they're providing wildlife habitat, etc., she said.

"The most important thing is that we support these Christmas tree farms, because for every tree purchased, farmers plant one to three seedlings in its place. So, this guarantees the future of green space and farmland, she added.

WATCH | Melania Trump welcomes 2025 White House Christmas tree

For those who prefer artificial trees, Horvitz says the key to sustainability is longevity.

If you have a fake tree and if you're really set on getting one, you should have it for a minimum of 10 years to get the best payoff, she said.

Experts even recommend using an artificial tree during the off-season to maximize its value. And when its time to toss a real tree, local pickup sites and drop-off options are widely available, often with help from farms or stores.

This story was originally published by Naja Woods with the

Scripps News Group in Indianapolis.

The U.S. stock market neared its all-time high after the Federal Reserve cut its main interest rate to bolster the job market, and hopes strengthened for more cuts to come in 2026.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% and ended just shy of its all-time high set in October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%.

The rate cut was widely expected, but investors said comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell may have been less harsh about closing off the possibility of future cuts than Wall Street had been bracing for.

Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they can boost the economy and goose prices for investments, even if they have the potential of making inflation worse.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said again on Wednesday that the central bank is in a difficult position, because the job market is facing downward pressure when inflation is facing upward pressure at the same time. That creates a dilemma for the Fed, which usually makes one of those problems worse in the short term when it tries to fix the other.

At the moment, though, Powell said for the first time in this rate-cutting campaign that interest rates are close to where they're pushing neither inflation nor the job market higher or lower. That should give the Fed time to hold and reassess what to do next with interest rates as more data comes in on the job market and on inflation.

We are well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves, Powell said. He also said no one at the Fed is expecting a hike to rates in their base case anytime soon.

After voting on Wednesday's cut of a quarter of a percentage point, Fed officials released projections for where they see the federal funds rate potentially ending 2026. The median member is penciling in one more cut by the end of next year, the same as three months earlier.

MORE ON RATES | Fed cuts interest rate for third time this year, signals only one cut in 2026

That projection is under the microscope because Fed officials had seemed unusually split about how much more help the economy may need from lower interest rates. With inflation remaining stubbornly above the Feds 2% target, some officials had been saying it was the bigger threat for the economy rather than the job market.

In Wednesday's vote, two Fed officials voted against the cut of a quarter percentage point because they saw no need to reduce rates now. Another official, meanwhile, voted against Wednesday's cut because he wanted a deeper reduction of half a percentage point.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged fell to 4.14% from 4.18% late Tuesday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, fell more and sank to 3.54% from 3.61%.

On Wall Street, GE Vernova flew 16.8% higher after the energy company raised its forecast for revenue by 2028, doubled its dividend and increased its program to buy back its own stock.

Palantir Technologies added 4.6% after saying the U.S. Navy will use its artificial-intelligence technology as part of a $448 million program.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store rose 3.9%. The restaurant chain caught up in a furor around its logo design reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected but also cut its forecast for revenue this fiscal year, as well as for an underlying measure of earnings.

On the losing end of Wall Street was GameStop, which fell 3.2% after reporting weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The video-game retailers profit topped forecasts, though.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia.

Burger chain In-N-Out is taking a stand against a viral craze and eliminating use of the number 67 for orders in its restaurants.

The change, first reported by People Magazine, came about a month ago in response to a nonsensical phrase that is particularly popular among teens and kids.

An employee for the restaurant told the outlet order number 67 has been pulled from its ticketing system.

67, pronounced "six-seven," traces uncertain roots to the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by rapper Skrilla, as well as to viral social media videos featuring the song and the phrase. References have spread to NBA and NFL players and throughout classrooms. An associated gesture involves holding one's hands out, empty palms up, and moving them alternately up and down.

67 is considered a meme, slang or an inside joke that can be referenced in multiple contexts, and as such does not have a precise definition. Dictionary.com itself calls the term a form of brainrot slang for a subgenre of mindless, meaningless, extremely online content.

RELATED STORY | What does 67 mean? Dictionary.com just made it the word of the year

Meanwhile, other restaurant competitors are capitalizing on the interest. Wendy's now offers a $0.67 frosty and Pizza Hut offers $0.67 wings.

The website for President Donald Trump's "Gold Card" immigration program has gone live, offering non-Americans the option to pay for a fast-track pathway to U.S. citizenship.

"Very excitingly for me and for the country, we've just launched the Trump Gold Card," the president announced Wednesday. "... It's somewhat like a Green Card, but with big advantages over a Green Card."

Foreign nationals can now pay $1 million plus a $15,000 processing fee for the Trump Gold Card, which grants them U.S. residency "in record time," the website states. Corporations, meanwhile, can also partake in the program by making a $2 million contribution and paying the $15,000 processing fee.

"All funds go to the United States government," President Trump said. "It could be a tremendous amount of money."

The Trump Corporate Gold Card will give foreign firms the ability to grant U.S. citizenship to employees and can be transferred from one employee to another for a 5% transfer fee, which covers the cost of a background check. The corporate option also requires a 1% annual maintenance fee.

WATCH | First look: Trump shows off 'gold card' that could provide pathway to citizenship

The program is similar to the existing EB-5 visa program, which the U.S. began in 1990 to encourage job creation by foreign investors.

"It will take in, we think, probably billions of dollars that will go to the Treasury of the United States, that will go to an account where we can do things positive for the country," President Trump said of the program. "So it'll be a great thing. We'll take in, I think, you know, billions of dollars. Many billions of dollars, even."

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said the Trump Gold Card system would replace the EB-5 visa program, emphasizing that all applicants would receive thorough vetting and revenue raised would be used to pay down the national debt. Lutnick said in March that as many as 1,000 of the cards had already been purchased so far.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro.

WATCH THE TAKEOVER

It's the Trump administrations latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. The U.S. has conducted a series of deadly military strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean on boats that the Republican administration has alleged are carrying drugs.

Weve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump said other things are happening, but did not offer additional details, saying he would speak more about it later.

The seizure was led by the U.S Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that the seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.

The Coast Guard members were taken to the oil tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships.

RELATED STORY | What's really behind the tension between the US and Venezuela?

Half of ship's oil is tied to Cuban importer

The official identified the seized tanker as the Skipper.

The ship departed Venezuela around Dec. 2 with about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half of it belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petrleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, that were provided on the condition of anonymity because the person did not have permission to share them.

The Skipper was previously known as the M/T Adisa, according to ship tracking data. The Adisa was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over accusations of belonging to a sophisticated network of shadow tankers that smuggled crude oil on behalf of Irans Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.

The network was reportedly run by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader, the U.S. Treasury Department said at the time.

Venezuela has the worlds largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day. Locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions, the state-owned oil company sells most of its output at a steep discount to refiners in China.

The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries as sanctions scared away more established traders. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination.

A day earlier, the U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American countrys airspace since the start of the administrations pressure campaign.

The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Trump has said land attacks are coming soon but has not offered any details on location.

Among the concessions the U.S. has made to Maduro during past negotiations was approval for oil giant Chevron Corp. to resume pumping and exporting Venezuelan oil. The corporations activities in the South American country resulted in a financial lifeline for Maduros government.

The Trump administration is making changes to official State Department documents, starting with the typeface used in government communications.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an order Tuesday requiring the State Department to stop using the Calibri font and return to Times New Roman for all official documents.

The move reverses a 2023 decision by the Biden administration to switch to Calibri based on recommendations from internal diversity and disability groups. According to a cable sent to U.S. diplomatic posts reported by The New York Times, the font change is intended to "restore decorum and professionalism to the department's written work."

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Calibri is considered more accessible for people with reading difficulties due to its simpler letter shapes and wider spacing between characters. Accessibility advocates had praised the Biden administration's adoption of the font for making government documents easier to read for individuals with dyslexia and other reading challenges.

The typeface change represents one of the early policy shifts as the new administration takes office and begins implementing changes across federal agencies.

WATCH: Marco Rubio praises President Trump for helping secure Gaza ceasefire during Cabinet meeting

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Major banks are sounding the alarm about a surge in scammers posing as bank employees to steal sensitive information or pressure customers into transferring their own money.

A Maryland man came close to losing $20,000, and the FBI says these attacks are getting more sophisticated with Account Takeover (ATO) fraud schemes. Orhan Suleiman doesn't normally answer phone calls from unfamiliar numbers, but last month, he did.

RELATED STORY | Expecting a package? Scammers are sending fake delivery alerts and even knocking on doors

The first thing this individual did was say he was from the Bank of America Security and Fraud Group, Suleiman said. And then he proceeded to recite two facts.

He says the caller shared details from two of his bank accounts.

And this caller mentioned both by quantity and the time the transfers occurred, and then proceeded to tell me that I was about to send or I had initiated a transfer of $20,000 to somebody. And we suspect that may be a fraud. And I said, Yeah, Im not aware of that. Well, weve stopped that, Suleiman recounted.

But the scammer claimed another $19,000 transfer was still pending and insisted Suleiman act immediately. This conversation unfolded while he was sitting in a doctors office waiting for an MRI.

Just as I log on, he says, go to the wire section to transmit money, Suleiman said. And Im thinking, why? And he said, start to put in, send it to so and so. At that point they called me in for the scan.

That interruption gave him a moment to think.

So after the scan, Im thinking about this. I said this is a scam, said Suleiman.

WATCH | How fake online retailers use social media platforms like TikTok to scam consumers

After his appointment, he drove to a local bank branch. The representative confirmed he didn't have any pending transactions and instructed him to change his passwords as soon as possible.

This holiday season, banks are warning customers about imposters, and the FBI has issued a new alert about account takeovers.

Weve had about 5,500 reported scams with losses of approximately $5.7 million in total, said Special Agent David Paniwozik of FBI Baltimore. Scammers use the spoofing and phishing because it works.

Paniwozik said scammers are now adding a twist to a familiar tactic. Instead of those normal CAPTCHA tests where you click on traffic lights or motorcycles, victims are asked to prove theyre human by pressing a series of keys on their keyboard.

Asking you to press Windows R, Control C, Control V, and then E, Paniwozik said. It says OK youve been verified, and what youre unknowingly doing is giving your computer a command to install malicious software.

Once installed, scammers can access bank accounts through saved logins.

Its usually the scammers who are always trying to get us on that sense of urgency, he said. Act now, act now, or else.

RELATED STORY | Small prizes, big risk: How fake sweepstakes emails are stealing money and data

The FBI says cybercriminals are also buying online ads to promote fake bank websites that look identical to the real thing. They steal your login information and once theyre in, they can quickly move your money into crypto wallets and even change your password to lock you out.

Investigators say you should turn on two-factor authentication on every account that offers it and never turn it off.

If you've been targeted or scammed, contact your bank immediately. Ask for a reversal and a hold-harmless or letter of indemnity. Acting quickly could limit or even prevent financial losses.

And the FBI wants you to report these attempts to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

This story was originally published by Mallory Sofastaii with the

Scripps News Group in Baltimore.

Self-driving Waymo taxis have gone viral for negative reasons involving the death of a beloved San Francisco bodega cat and pulling an illegal U-turn in front of police who were unable to issue a ticket to a nonexistent driver.

But this week, the self-driving taxis are the bearer of happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo.

The mother was on her way to the University of California, San Francisco medical center Monday when she delivered inside the robotaxi, said a Waymo spokesperson in a statement Wednesday. The company said its rider support team detected "unusual activity" inside the vehicle and called to check on the rider as well as alert 911.

RELATED STORY | Waymo self-driving car gets pulled over by police for an illegal U-turn

Waymo, which is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet, declined to elaborate on how the vehicle knew something was amiss.

The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital ahead of emergency services. Jess Berthold, a UCSF spokesperson, confirmed the mother and child were brought to the hospital. She said the mother was not available for interviews.

Waymo said the vehicle was taken out of service for cleaning after the ride. While still rare, this was not the first baby delivered in one of its taxis, the company said.

RELATED STORY | Viral Waymo crashes put driverless cars in the spotlight

"We're proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young," the company said.

The driverless taxis have surged in popularity even as they court higher scrutiny. Riders can take them on freeways and interstates around San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

In September, a Waymo pulled a U-turn in front of a sign telling drivers not to do that, and social media users dumped on the San Bruno Police because state law prohibited officers from ticketing the car. In October, a popular tabby cat named Kit Kat known to pad around its Mission District neighborhood was crushed to death by a Waymo.

RELATED STORY | Waymo driverless taxi kills beloved bodega cat, KitKat, in San Francisco

A Utah man detained by ICE agents during his final green card interview is now the subject of serious allegations that his attorney denies.

In a post on X, the Department of Homeland Security claimed Jair Celis was a child abuser.

Celis attorney says the agency is referring to an incident that occurred when both Celis and his then-girlfriend were under 18. Immigration attorney Adam Crayk said the young couple had a consensual relationship and that the matter was resolved in juvenile court.

Crayk insists juvenile proceedings are sealed and cannot be disclosed publicly, especially not on social media.

A kid from Utah, who's now 29, has been married, has a wife, child, doing everything the right way, has had the government commit libel because they've gone to something and used juvenile proceedings, which are not discoverable, cannot be used and are now being published, and he's been labeled as something that he's simply not, Crayk said.

RELATED STORY | Mother of White House press secretarys nephew released from ICE custody

He added that juvenile proceedings are not criminal in nature and that charging documents show Celis has no criminal history something he argues should not affect his ability to obtain a green card.

Crayk said Tuesday night that the legal team has already reached out to several firms to join a potential libel suit against the Department of Homeland Security.

The allegations surfaced days after Celis and his wife, Lexi, went to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for his final green card interview. During the meeting, Celis was asked to step into another room, where two ICE agents were waiting, his attorneys told the Scripps News Group.

The agents did not mention the allegations cited in the DHS post. Instead, they claimed Celis had overstayed his visa.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Zohran Mamdani tells immigrant New Yorkers about their right not to comply with ICE

That's a legitimate reason," said attorney Andy Armstrong. "It's not that it's an illegitimate detention. It's just we have not seen it right at the very last minute when we have a client that's about to get over the finish line of getting a green card, and instead, he gets detained.

After his arrest, Celis was taken to an ICE facility in Arizona.

He didn't have an opportunity to speak to his wife. And so after they had taken him away, then I went and spoke to his wife, and had to tell her exactly what happened. And she was quite distraught. Obviously, that's the last thing that in her mind she thought would happen," Armstrong said.

This story was originally published by the Scripps News Group station in Salt Lake City.

Jennifer Shah, a former star on "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," has been moved from a federal prison into a community confinement program after serving less than half of her sentence for defrauding thousands of people.

A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed that Shah was transferred Wednesday morning from the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas to the program overseen by the Phoenix Residential Reentry Management Office. The transfer means that Shah is either being held in home confinement or in a halfway house. Her projected release date is Aug. 30, 2026.

"For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any individual, including reasons for transfers or release plans, nor do we specify an individual's specific location while in community confinement," BOP spokesperson Emery Nelson wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

Shah, 52, was sentenced in 2023 to 6 1/2 years in prison for defrauding people in a telemarketing scam that stretched nearly a decade. At the time, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman said she was the most culpable of more than 30 defendants accused of participating in the nationwide fraud targeting people who were often vulnerable, older or unsophisticated electronically. The fraud involved bogus services that were promoted as enabling people to make substantial amounts of money through online businesses.

RELATED STORY | Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to Texas prison amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein case

Shah pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in July 2022, and during her sentencing she apologized to the "innocent people" she said she'd hurt and pledged to pay $6.5 million in restitution and forfeiture once she is released from prison.

Prosecutors said she used profits from the fraud to live a life of luxury that included living in a nearly 10,000-square-foot mansion in Utah dubbed "Shah Ski Chalet," an apartment in midtown Manhattan and leasing a Porsche Panamera. The government said she also seemed to mock the charges against her by claiming that the "only thing I'm guilty of is being Shah-mazing" and then she profited from it by marketing "Justice for Jen" merchandise after her arrest.

At the sentencing, Shah apologized and said the proceeds from the merchandise would go toward victims.

"I alone am responsible for my terrible decisions. It was all my fault and all my wrongdoing," Shah said, later continuing, "I wish I could have stood outside myself and seen the harm I was causing and changed course. I am profoundly and deeply sorry."

Uber is rolling out new features for travelers this holiday season, including kiosks in select airports that allow customers to book rides without using their phones.

International visitors without local data plans or travelers without the Uber app will be able to book rides at the kiosks. The first kiosk is now operating at LaGuardia Airports Terminal C.

Travelers can walk up to the kiosk, enter their destination and receive a paper receipt with trip details.

RELATED STORY | Uber to launch program that lets female riders and drivers in the US avoid being paired with men

Uber is also expanding its shuttle service to Newark Liberty International Airport. All three major New York-area airports now offer Uber Shuttle service.

For a limited time, fares to and from Newark will be under $15.

The company is also adding a lock-screen feature for iPhone users that makes it easier to tip drivers.

Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death at his home in Santa Monica, California, and his son was arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said Tuesday.

Officers responded to a 911 call Monday night reporting an assault in progress at the residence in the coastal city west of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the Santa Monica Police Department.

They found Sykes, 71, inside with critical stab wounds. Paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene, police said.

The victim's son, 31-year-old Micah Sykes, was at the home and taken into custody without incident, police said. It wasn't immediately known if he has an attorney.

Police recovered a weapon and the investigation was ongoing.

Jubilant Sykes was nominated for best classical album at the 2010 Grammy Awards for "Bernstein: Mass," in which he performed the Celebrant role.

He appeared in the 1990 Metropolitan Opera production of "The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess" in the role of Jake.

A Los Angeles native, Sykes was a baritone who was praised as charismatic in a 2008 New York Times review of "Mass."

He told NPR in 2002 that he felt comfortable singing every genre of music, from pop to opera.

"My singing is like breathing it's an extension of me. I don't think of it is extraordinary. It's my passion," he told NPR in a 2002 interview.

Sykes was artistic advisor for Orchestra Santa Monica, and he sang in and narrated some of the group's performances, the organization said in a statement.

"Jubilant was a true inspirationhis artistry, generosity, and kindness touched countless lives," said Roger Kalia, Orchestra Santa Monica's music director.

Ukraine is expected to give its latest peace proposals to U.S. negotiators Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day ahead of his urgent talks with leaders and officials from about 30 other countries supporting Kyiv's effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms.

As tension builds around a U.S. push for a settlement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to President Donald Trump by phone Wednesday, according to officials.

Negotiations are at a critical moment, the European leaders said in official statements.

RELATED STORY | Trump calls European leaders 'weak' as Zelenskyy meets with key allies

Washingtons goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russias full-scale invasion in 2022 is reducing Kyivs room for maneuvering. Zelenskyy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to compromise, even as Moscow shows no public sign of budging from its demands.

Ukraines European allies are backing Zelenskys effort to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks, as well as accommodating Europes defense interests.

The French government said Ukraines allies dubbed the Coalition of the Willing will discuss the negotiations Thursday by video. Zelenskyy said it would include those countries leaders.

We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. And its not easy, but nevertheless we will do it, he said late Tuesday.

Zelenskyy said discussions with the U.S. were scheduled later Wednesday to focus on a document detailing plans for Ukraines postwar reconstruction and economic development. Also, Ukraine is finalizing work on a separate, 20-point framework for ending the war. Zelenskyy said Kyiv expects to submit that document to Washington soon.

Zelenskyy says he's ready for an election

After Trump called for a presidential election in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners can guarantee safe balloting during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered.

Zelenskyy's openness to an election was a response to comments by Trump in which he questioned Ukraines democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to stand before voters. Those comments echo similar remarks often made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | No compromise: Zelenskyy stands firm against U.S. push to give Russia territory

Zelenskyy said late Tuesday he is ready for an election but needs help from the U.S. and possibly Europe to ensure its security. He suggested Ukraine could hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met.

To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military how they would vote, Zelenskyy said. And the second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections.

Zelenskyy pointed out previously that balloting cant legally happen while martial law imposed due to Russias invasion is in place. He has also asked how a vote could occur when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombarded and almost 20% of the country is under Russian occupation.

Zelenskyy said he has asked lawmakers from his party to draw up legislative proposals allowing for an election while Ukraine is under martial law.

Ukrainians have on the whole supported Zelenskyys arguments, and have not clamored for an election. Under the law that is in force, Zelenskyys rule is legitimate.

Putin has repeatedly complained that Zelenskyy cant legitimately negotiate a peace settlement because his five-year term that began in 2019 has expired.

US seeks closer ties with Russia

A new U.S. national security strategy released Dec. 5 made clear that Trump wants to improve Washingtons relationship with Moscow and reestablish strategic stability with Russia. The document also portrays European allies as weak.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised Trumps role in the Ukraine peace effort, telling the upper house of parliament that Moscow appreciates his commitment to dialogue. Trump, Lavrov said, is the only Western leader who shows an understanding of the reasons that made war in Ukraine inevitable.

WATCH | A peace deal for Ukraine is taking shape, but critical details are still in the dark

Trumps peace efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

The initial U.S. proposal was heavily slanted toward Russias demands. To counter that, Zelenskyy has turned to his European supporters.

Zelenskyy met this week with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London, the heads of NATO and the European Union in Brussels, and then went to Rome to meet the Italian premier and Pope Leo XIV.

Military aid for Ukraine declines

Europes support is uneven, however, and that has meant a decrease in military aid since the Trump administration this year cut off supplies to Kyiv unless they were paid for by other NATO countries.

Foreign military help for Ukraine fell sharply over the summer, and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international help for Ukraine said Wednesday.

Average annual aid, mostly provided by the U.S. and Europe, was about $48.4 billion between 202224. But so far this year Ukraine has received just $37.8 billion, the Kiel Institute said.

This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have substantially increased their help for Ukraine, while Germany nearly tripled its average monthly allocations and France and the U.K. both more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.

On the other hand, it said, Spain recorded no new military aid for Kyiv in 2025 while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15% compared with 20222024.

The United States could begin requiring visitors to provide up to five years of their social media history under a new proposal that would significantly expand screening for international travelers.

The requirement would affect travelers from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Japan and South Korea. These visitors would need to provide their social media history when applying for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) travel authorization.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection published the proposal in the Federal Register, marking a potential major expansion of social media screening for international visitors.

RELATED STORY | Obese? Diabetic? New directive could deny visas for immigrants with certain health conditions

Critics are raising concerns about privacy implications and comparing the policy to authoritarian practices used by other governments.

The Visa Waiver Program currently allows citizens from 40 countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. Instead, they must receive approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization before their trip.

If implemented, the new requirement would represent one of the most extensive social media screening policies for international travel to the United States.

ICYMI | State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Former Chicago mayor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel is calling for the United States to restrict social media access for children 16 and younger.

When it comes to our adolescence, it's either going to be adults or the algorithms, Emanuel said in a post on X. One of them is going to raise the kids. And I think we need to help parents.

When it comes to our adolescents, its either going to be adults or the algorithms that raise our kids. No child under the age of 16 should have access to social media. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and others are too powerful, too addictive, too alluring and too often target our pic.twitter.com/O9XUz9nuR2

Rahm Emanuel (@RahmEmanuel) December 9, 2025

Emanuel, a Democrat, shared his stance after Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 1 million accounts had been deactivated across platforms including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat and Reddit.

RELATED STORY | What's the magic age? Kids who get smartphones too young face higher health risks, study says

Australias law places responsibility on tech companies, requiring them to take reasonable steps to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts. Companies that fail to comply face steep penalties, with fines up to $32 million for serious or repeated violations.

Supporters say the ban will shield children from addictive platforms and predatory algorithms designed to keep young users online. However, critics argue it could drive teens to less regulated, potentially riskier apps while limiting their ability to connect with peers and participate in online communities.