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20-year-old woman found dead in Grand Canyon following multiday search: NPS
A 20-year-old woman was found dead following a multiday search in the Grand Canyon, marking the third reported death in the national park within a week, the National Park Service said. The body of Leticia A. Castillo, 20, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was located by park personnel below Twin Overlooks on Tuesday, NPS said. "Park rangers recovered the body which was located approximately 150 ft. below the rim," the NPS said in a press release Thursday. Her body was transported to the rim and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office.
FBI, in private meeting with Trump, revealed new details about his would-be assassin: Sources
In a private meeting with Donald Trump last week, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials offered the former president new, previously undisclosed details about the 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who came close to assassinating Trump at a rally last month, sources familiar with the meeting told ABC News. Over more than 90 minutes on Aug. 1, law enforcement officials described shooter Thomas Crooks as a strikingly intelligent man who scored higher than 1500 on his SAT pre-college exam, but who also may have been struggling for years with an undiagnosed disorder, said the sources, who were briefed on the meeting. Trump was told that, through interviews with Crooks' family and others who knew him, investigators learned that throughout high school, Crooks would routinely sway back and forth while standing at the bus stop -- but that Crooks never received any sort of formal diagnosis related to it, according to the sources. Sources said the law enforcement officials also told Trump that they are still unable to say exactly what motivated Crooks to target Trump at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
89-year-old hiker missing in Idaho
A search is underway for an 89-year-old hiker in Idaho who was last seen over a week ago when he was dropped off at a trailhead by a family member, according to the Custer County Sheriff's Office. Bing Olbum left from Hunter Creek Trailhead, part of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, on Aug. 1 and has not returned to the exit point of the Mcdonald Creek area, officials said. Olbum had five days of supplies with him, according to the sheriff's office. Olbum was reported missing to the sheriff's office on Aug. 6. Crews were out on the trail searching for him Friday, while helicopters were assisting with the search from the air, according to the sheriff's office.
Jan. 6 rioter who attacked numerous officers sentenced to 20 years
A California man convicted of carrying out some of the most extended and brutal assaults against police during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday. The 20-year prison term for David Dempsey, handed down by senior D.C. District Judge Royce Lamberth, marks the second longest sentence yet for a defendant convicted in connection with the Capitol assault. With several of Dempsey's victims from the Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police in attendance in the courtroom during the trial, prosecutors played multiple videos showing Dempsey at one of the most violent exchanges of the riot near the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol -- repeatedly striking, kicking, and throwing object after object at the police line trying to prevent the pro-Trump mob from swarming into the building. In one video clip, Dempsey repeatedly swung a stolen metal crutch down onto an officer's helmet, cracking the face shield.
Judge in Trump's election interference case grants extension sought by special counsel
The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's federal election interference case on Friday granted an extension requested by special counsel Jack Smith's office. Smith on Thursday requested a delay in responding to a scheduling order from U.S District Judge Tanya Chutkan, citing issues related to the Supreme Court's recent decision granting presidents immunity from prosecution for certain acts taken while in office. Smith's office said Thursday it continues "to assess the new precedent set forth last month" by the Supreme Court in tandem with "other Department of Justice components." A status report on the case that was initially due Friday is now officially moved to Aug. 30. A status conference that had been scheduled for Aug. 16 will now be Sept. 5.
Suspect ID'd in teen's 1996 murder, but he dies by suicide hours after police question him
A suspect was identified through DNA in the 1996 cold case murder of a 15-year-old girl in Montana. But the suspected killer won't go to trial because he died by suicide just hours after he was interviewed by police, authorities said. On Sept. 21, 1996, 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins was raped and suffocated in shallow water at the Gallatin River, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said. The case went unsolved for decades. A partial DNA profile from a hair found on Houchins' body was submitted to CODIS -- the nationwide law enforcement DNA database -- but no matches were found, the sheriff's office said Thursday.
Here's why mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level in more than a year
Mortgage rates this week dropped to their lowest level in more than a year, delivering some long-sought relief for homebuyers. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage stands at 6.47%, Freddie Mac said on Thursday. That figure marks a drop of more than a percentage point from a peak attained last year after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. The Fed has held interest rates steady at their highest level in two decades, however. So, why are mortgage rates plummeting? Experts who spoke to ABC News attributed the drop to a widely held expectation that the Fed will begin to cut interest rates at its next meeting in September. A weaker-than-expected jobs report last week bolstered those expectations, triggering a drop in yields for 10-year treasuries, which in turn sent mortgage rates plummeting, they added.
How to help survivors of the 2023 wildfires on Maui
Last year’s devastating wildfires on Maui were the deadliest in modern United States history, claiming over 100 lives. The fires also destroyed thousands of homes, businesses, and cultural and historical sites, particularly in and around the town of Lahaina, which was at one time the first capital of the sovereign Hawaiian Kingdom. Today, many residents continue on the long road to rebuilding their lives and communities. ABC News continues to help viewers get involved in recovery efforts for the survivors of last year’s wildfires on Maui.
Suspected Trump rally shooter visited gun range dozens of times, senator says, as new footage emerges
The suspected shooter in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump visited a gun club dozens of times in the year leading up to the attack, including on holidays, according to records newly obtained by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, as dramatic body camera footage of the incident also emerges. Records obtained by Grassley's office and released Thursday show Thomas Matthew Crooks' "intense preparation in the months prior to his attempted assassination of the former president," Grassley's office said in a statement. The records were provided by the Clairton Sportsmen's Club Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, pursuant to a congressional request, Grassley's office said. The records released by Grassley's office show that since establishing a membership at the gun club on Aug. 10, 2023 -- less than a year before the July 13 assassination attempt -- Crooks visited the range a total of 43 times, including 20 times in his first four months of membership.
Special Counsel requests delay in response to scheduling order in Trump Jan. 6 case
Special Counsel Jack Smith's office requested a delay Thursday in responding to a scheduling order from the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's federal election subversion case, citing issues related to the Supreme Court's decision that granted presidents immunity from prosecution for certain acts taken while in office. In a joint status report filed Thursday evening, Smith's office said they continue "to assess the new precedent set forth last month" by the Supreme Court in tandem with "other Department of Justice components." "Although those consultations are well underway, the Government has not finalized its position on the most appropriate schedule for the parties to brief issues related to the decision," Smith's office said. "The Government therefore respectfully requests additional time to provide the Court with an informed proposal regarding the schedule for pretrial proceedings moving forward." The filing further notes former President Trump's team did not object to the Special Counsel's request for a three-week extension, which would also call off a status conference set for Friday of next week and reschedule it at District Judge Tanya Chutkan's choosing for any time "convenient" after the government's filing.
Maui wildfires force community to take action in year after fatal tragedy
The islands of Hawaii have been sold to travelers as a dream destination paradise, but the Maui wildfires pulled back the curtain on a complicated history and reality that few tourists see. In August 2023, wildfires on the island left 102 people dead and more than 2,000 properties destroyed, displacing more than 7,000 residents. It was the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history. The destruction forced open deep wounds in the community about housing, water rights and tourism. Within days of the fire, a new generation of leaders emerged to fight for their town, their community, and ultimately a more equitable future for all Hawaii. They call themselves Lahaina Strong.
Costco adds membership scanners upon entry to crack down on customers sharing cards
When customers walk in to shop at Costco Wholesale, they flash a membership card to an employee who typically gives a smile and a nod before they can glide their XL cart into the big box retailer. But now, the warehouse store is cracking down on its entry parameters to avoid non-members from slipping inside under a false pretense. The company has caught on to friends utilizing someone else's membership card to access the big box store, so to combat the issue, its adding a new system upon arrival. "Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse. Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner," Costco said in a statement online. "Guests must also be accompanied by a valid member for entry." The warehouse retailer said an attendant will be at the door to assist any customers with questions or concerns.
Helping hands in Hawaii: Beyond the poolside Mai Tai
On the southeast coast of O’ahu, a group of visitors from Renton, Washington, has arrived to volunteer with 808 Cleanups, a local organization working to remove invasive species from along the shoreline. "I could not come to Hawai'i, to the island of O’ahu, without giving back to the community," said first-time visitor Doris Martinez. "Today it's really about cleaning up all of these bushes here that are not native to the Hawaiian land, which is something that we learned this afternoon." Doris and her fellow travelers are participating in "regenerative tourism," when visitors give back to the community in some way. Efforts such as cleaning up a beach or reef, planting native plants, or helping to rebuild a fishpond are just a few of the ways that tourists can have a positive impact. Last August, deadly wildfires tore through Maui and laid bare the deep tensions that can exist between visitors and the local community, where some feel the tourism economy is prioritized over the well-being of area residents.
Three German tourists deface national park in paintball and slingshot shooting spree
Three tourists from Germany have been cited after going on a paintball shooting spree that defaced road signs, bathrooms and dumpsters throughout Joshua Tree National Park, officials said. On Sunday, a park ranger who was patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground at Joshua Tree National Park noticed “fresh yellow paintball splatter on structures and signs,” according to a statement from the National Park Service released on Thursday. “Law enforcement rangers were called to the campground to investigate further and found a slingshot in plain view inside a vehicle,” officials said. “After being questioned, the visitors admitted to firing paintballs with a compressed paintball gun, known as a paintball marker, and slingshots the night before.” Rangers subsequently searched the vehicle and recovered “three slingshots, a paintball marker, paintballs, and other related equipment as evidence,” park officials confirmed.
CosMc's is officially open: What to know about the McDonald's offshoot
CosMc's, a new small-format beverage-led concept from McDonald's, has officially opened in San Antonio, Texas. Starting Thursday, patrons in the Alamo City will be among the first to try the new "out-of-this-world beverage experience" from the McDonad's universe. "The extraterrestrial experience will continue August 10-11 for the CosMc's San Antonio official grand opening from 10 am - 4 pm where fans will have the opportunity to try free samples of menu items and receive exclusive merch for the first 100 customers each day," the company said in a press release. The first CosMc's restaurant features "an outdoor patio with eye-catching elements that come alive at dusk."
Debby live updates: Flash flooding, tornadoes target DC, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
Debby, which weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Thursday afternoon, is slamming the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast with heavy rain on Friday. Debby made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday and crawled up the East Coast all week. Here's how the news is developing: Debby’s rain totals
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