Jacob Morley, the convicted murderer who escaped a Tennessee prison last month, has been taken into custody near Kansas City, Missouri, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday.

Morley had escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) announced on Oct. 26.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in Illinois, authorities responded to a report of a stolen vehicle on Tuesday morning, southwest of Marion, Illinois.

"Investigators subsequently determined that the vehicle, a white 2005 Ford pickup truck utilized as a farm vehicle, had been stolen by 28-year-old Tennessee prison escapee Jacob Allen Morley," the sheriff's office added.

The sheriff's office highlighted coordinated efforts with law enforcement partners resulting "in the apprehension of Jacob Allen Morley by the Missouri State Highway Patrol as he traveled through the Kansas City, Missouri, area."

The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed they took the suspect into custody in Carroll County, Missouri, near Norborne, Missouri, which sits about an hour east of Kansas City.

According to MSHP, authorities received information from the TBI that Morley may have been traveling through the state. After authorities located the vehicle using license plate cameras, the Kansas City Police Department followed the vehicle with a helicopter.

Morley was eventually taken into custody "without incident," according to MSHP.

According to TDOC, Morley was serving a life sentence for a conviction in Carter County, Tennessee, for crimes including first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.

"At approximately 11:30 p.m. on October 25, 2026, staff at NWCX confirmed Morley was unaccounted for and immediately conducted an emergency count and search of the facility," the agency said when it announced his escape on Oct. 26.

Security cameras "confirmed Morley breached the perimeter fence and exited the facility in his TDOC uniform," officials said.

After Morley allegedly stole a truck in Tennessee after his escape, the vehicle was found in Marion, Illinois, the TBI announced on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

After the stolen truck was recovered, little information emerged about Morley's whereabouts until his arrest on Tuesday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Two people were killed -- one of whom died in a vehicle -- and hundreds of others were rescued since Sunday as a storm brought severe flooding in Palm Bay, Florida, according to Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina.

The deceased victims have been identified by Florida officials as Joshua Bennett, 34, and Archie Richards, 78

Emergency crews rescued hundreds of people from flooded areas using boats and special high-water vehicles, Medina said in a press conference Tuesday.

Some homes suffered major damage. One family reported that 38 inches of water had filled their living room, Medina told reporters.

"That is devastation within our city," Medina said.

Officials warned that flooding could continue even after the rain stops because water may take several days to drain. They urged residents to stay away from flooded roads, fast-moving water and downed power lines.

Flooding has also affected other parts of Florida, including St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. State officials said they are working with local leaders to determine how much damage the storm caused.

A low-pressure system over the Gulf led to continuous onshore flow over the Florida peninsula on Sunday and Monday.

Up to 2 feet of rain fell in southern Brevard County on Sunday and Monday, leading to catastrophic flooding of streets, homes and businesses.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says it rescued more than 60 people in Brevard County on Monday.

Area schools have been closed and polling stations have been relocated, according to officials.

Persistent onshore flow will keep scattered showers along Florida's east coast on Tuesday, with additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, with locally 3 to 5 inches or more, possible.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins visited Palm Bay to see the damage and meet with families affected by the flooding. He thanked first responders and residents who helped their neighbors during the emergency.

"This is heartbreaking. When you talk to citizens who literally just moved here, from Louisiana, got set up, got settled — everything they own is wrecked. It’s a huge loss," Collins said.

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An avid runner stabbed while jogging less than a mile from her New York City home has died, WABC reported Tuesday, citing the runner's family.

Police told ABC News that Katie Suarez, 28, was stabbed in the neck Friday night while jogging along the Belt Parkway waterfront in Brooklyn, in what appears to be a random, "very violent" attack.

Suarez's family told WABC that she died Monday night. Police are still searching for the suspect.

She called her father around 8 p.m. Friday to tell him she was about a half mile from home, according to police. When she did not arrive back home, her parents went looking for her, and her father found her stabbed in the neck, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny.

Kenny described a brutal attack in an interview with ABC News on Monday, with a long blood trail of about 150 feet.

"It was a very, very large crime scene," Kenny said.   

Police said nothing appeared to have been taken from Suarez and there was no indication of sexual trauma.

"We believe it to be some sort of random attack at this time," Kenny said. "She was a very private person. For someone to know that she was going to be there at that exact time would be extraordinary for us to find out."

The attack occurred along the Shore Parkway Greenway near the city's Bath Beach and Bensonhurst neighborhoods in Brooklyn, according to police. There are no cameras in the area, and a canvass of the neighborhood has so far turned up no video, according to Kenny.

A license plate reader captured about 1,700 cars passing the area at the time of the attack, and detectives are hoping to isolate drivers with dash cameras that may have caught something, Kenny said.

The NYPD released a photo of Suarez while trying to find anyone who may have seen her on Friday. The photo shows Suarez, who has participated in city races before, wearing a T-shirt and bib for the Frozen Bonsai 5K in Prospect Park in March. She was not registered to compete in the New York City Marathon that was held Sunday.

Police asked anyone who may have seen her on Friday between 7:56 p.m. and 8:12 p.m. in the vicinity of the eastbound bike path along the Belt Parkway between Bay 8 Street and Bay 17 Street to come forward.

"We're looking for any interaction that she may have had alongside the pathway," Kenny said. "There's always fishermen out there. We're interviewing them."

Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to contact the NYPD at 1-800-577-8477.

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A family of four, including two young children, were among those killed when a Learjet slammed into a Florida roadway, according to a relative.

All nine people aboard the Bahamas-bound aircraft -- two crew members and seven passengers -- were killed in Sunday's catastrophic crash in Palm Beach County, authorities said.

Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp and their two young children -- Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2 -- were among those aboard the plane, according to Robinson's brother.

"Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever," Anthony Robinson said in an online statement while sharing a photo of the family. "Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return."

The co-pilot's stepfather also identified her to ABC News on Monday as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.

An official from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said it is too early for victims' identities to be officially released. The medical examiner's office is engaged in the "lengthy process" of DNA collection and assessment, officials said.

Plane may have been breaking up before crash: NTSB

The 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60 crashed after plummeting to the ground at 350 feet per second, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, creating a huge crater in a roadway.

The plane may have been breaking up before it hit the ground, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.

"We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact, and so some of this is yet to be determined. We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site," NTSB board member Tom Chapman said at an afternoon news conference in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Chapman said before beginning a rapid descent from 35,000 feet and making a Mayday emergency call to air traffic control, the aircraft's two-person crew reported they were experiencing icing on the aircraft and "moderate turbulence."

NTSB officials said they do not have precise numbers on the Learjet's airspeed, but said it was traveling at a high rate of speed before the crash.

Aircraft maintenance records showed there was a cockpit voice recorder installed on the jet, according to Chapman, but he said it's unclear if it was still onboard the aircraft during its final flight.

Photos and videos online showed a jet hitting the ground nose-first and bursting into a fireball. The impact of the crash left a crater near a shopping center.

Man injured on the ground

One man who was in a vehicle on the ground "immediately adjacent" to the crash site sustained a leg injury, according to NTSB investigator in charge Timothy Monville.

The jet crashed just before 1 p.m. ET near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue, in the Greenacres community of Palm Beach County, authorities said.

The crash prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people from 77 mobile homes in the area, county officials said following the NTSB briefing.

During Monday's news conference, Chapman gave a timeline of the air disaster, saying that weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation and that the turbulence the crew reported is "certainly a factor."

The Learjet, which belonged to Aurora Aviation, a private company doing business as Upper Jets, took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, around 10:37 a.m. ET on Sunday and was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, Chapman said, adding that the crew was in communication with air traffic control facilities along the flight route.

At 12:47 p.m. ET, the crew reported they were encountering "moderate turbulence" and "light clear ice" on the aircraft, which the crew said at the time was manageable, according to the NTSB.

While in contact with the Miami Air Route Traffic Center, the crew transmitted that they were at 35,000 feet and that the moderate turbulence was causing the aircraft to experience altitude deviations of about 700 feet, Chapman said. He said the crew also reported that the temperature outside the airplane was minus 47 degrees Celsius, or minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit.

Very soon after, the crew requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet, which was approved by FAA air traffic control, Chapman said. Less than 30 seconds later, a transmission from the airplane announced a descent, followed by a Mayday call.

"Less than 30 seconds later, the airplane transmitted, 'We are in an overspeed condition, descending...,' with the rest unintelligible," Chapman said. "Subsequent communications described that the airplane was descending rapidly and gave an altitude callout."

"Sadly, all aboard were lost," Chapman added.

Neither Monville nor Chapman could say whether the jet flew through an active thunderstorm prior to the aircraft's rapid descent and crash.

Search for debris ongoing

Monville estimated that a debris field from the crash measured about one-half mile by four-tenths of a mile in size and was scattered among ball fields, businesses and houses.  

"We're finding debris, but haven't identified parts yet," said Monville, adding that NTSB investigators will be at the scene of the crash for several days collecting evidence.

Monville said the "biggest obstacle" investigators are likely to have is recovering wreckage from the huge crater the crash created. He said current weather conditions also are posing difficulty for investigators and that rainwater had seeped into the crater.

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A federal judge on Monday dismissed a false statements case against two former senior FBI agents accused of lying to Congress about past investigations of Hunter Biden.

In dismissing the case, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui delivered a scathing rebuke from the bench of current FBI and DOJ leadership, who he accused of seeking to impact the midterm elections.

"What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," the judge said in tossing the case against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides. 

The dismissal follows days of testimony in a series of rare public hearings Faruqui convened to determine whether the government's case against Floris and Benavides met the low bar of probable cause. 

Testimony from an FBI agent who led the case revealed it was initiated only after President Donald Trump held a July address in which he alleged there was widespread election fraud and corruption by the FBI under the Biden administration, and that the case was ordered directly by FBI Director Kash Patel. 

Prosecutors accused Floris and Benavides of lying to Congress when they were asked about federal investigations of Hunter Biden and the veracity of information allegedly found on his laptop -- but the case fell apart under scrutiny, with Judge Faruqui saying "there is simply nothing" that shows either agent intended to make false statements about the probes. 

"Without motive, without direct evidence, I have nothing," Faruqui said. 

Faruqui also faulted Patel, Attorney General Todd Blanche and D.C. U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro for their public statements maligning both Floris and Benavides despite the lack of evidence, and accused the DOJ of rushing to bring charges in advance of the midterms, in apparent violation of a longstanding department practice that limits taking overt investigative steps in politically sensitive investigations within 60 days of an election. 

"I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar," the judge said. "I will not lobotomize myself that way." 

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Faruqui said it was the first time in his history on the bench that he had ever made a finding that the government failed to reach the relatively low burden of establishing probable cause to bring charges -- which he said adds to mounting evidence that the Trump administration is unwilling to bring some of its more controversial prosecutions before grand juries. 

In what he described as a "slapdash job" by the government in seeking to bring charges against decorated former agents like Floris and Benavides, Faruqui said the flawed attempt to prosecute them and the messaging by top administration officials would likely deter qualified investigators from wanting to join the FBI -- and also potentially threatened Congress' ability to get valuable testimony from future witnesses. 

"This case is marketing material to discourage people from joining the FBI," Faruqui said, before questioning "what person in their right mind" would want to join the bureau after seeing what happened to Floris and Benavides. 

It's not immediately clear whether the government will seek to appeal Faruqui's ruling or if it will attempt to charge Floris and Benavides through other means, such as filing an amended complaint or seeking to indict them in D.C. or another district. 

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Lindsay Clancy is set to appear in a Massachusetts courtroom on Monday for a pivotal hearing that could determine the future of her triple murder case in the deaths of her children.

Two months after a deadlocked jury ended a lengthy trial this summer in a mistrial, the judge overseeing the case told prosecutors and defense lawyers he plans to discuss a future trial date during Monday’s hearing. 

“That’s my goal -- to get this thing tried to as soon as proper without sacrificing anyone's rights, anyone's position. But I don't want this thing to then just start to kind of get kicked down the road, punted, and go forward,” Judge William Sullivan said during September’s hearing. 

Neither side has firmly committed to retrying the case, saying they want to see how the judge rules on some post-trial motions before they decide their plans. Judge Sullivan plans to hear arguments on some of those issues during Monday's hearing, including Clancy's motion to dismiss the case and a request for a gag order ahead of a potential second trial.

Below are the three main issues set to come up during Monday's hearing.

Motion to dismiss 

Clancy's attorneys are asking Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case, arguing that he failed to fully investigate whether the holdout juror who forced the mistrial properly followed the court's instructions on the law. 

Attorneys Martin Weinberg and Kevin Reddington argue there was no need to declare a mistrial at that point, and that retrying the case after improperly ending the first trial would amount to double jeopardy. 

Prosecutors argued that Judge Sullivan "properly declared a mistrial" after the jury reported being deadlocked twice, and that investigating the holdout further "would have surely led to judicial coercion of that juror and the impermissible intrusion into the substance of the jury's private deliberations."

“The Court's decision to conduct a limited individual inquiry of each juror and then instruct the collective jury on reasonable doubt - made after carefully considering counsels' proposed alternatives -- was a proper exercise of the Court's discretion,” prosecutors wrote. 

Attorneys with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office also argued the foreperson’s notes about the deadlock did not allege a “personal issue, bias, or extraneous influence attributable to the dissenting juror.” 

The holdout juror -- who identified himself as Michael Péguy Desronvil -- said in statements and an interview following the trial that he had no doubts about her guilt. 

“How methodical I thought Lindsey was in the execution of the children, so that was really big for me,” he told Fox News. “The thought process that goes behind and to fulfill the commitment of doing that. I thought it was um, it was um, it was uh logical.”

Judge Sullivan will also hear arguments Monday about the defense’s request to further investigate the holdout juror, including by reviewing court documents and his cell phone records. Last month, Judge Sullivan denied a request to hold an evidentiary hearing about the holdout. 

“This Court concludes that any further judicial inquiry is inappropriate, given the mandate that the court must not delve into a juror's subjective reasoning, thought process, view of the case, or relationship to the other jurors, and must not inquire into the jury's deliberative content, collective thought process, or any disagreement among the jury,” Judge Sullivan wrote. 

Request for a gag order 

Judge Sullivan will also hear arguments about a request by prosecutors to impose a gag order, which they argue is necessary to "prevent the carnival atmosphere" from the first trial. 

“Restraints on any further extrajudicial statements are necessary in this case to protect the integrity and fairness of the judicial system,” they wrote. 

Ahead of a potential second trial, prosecutors said the gag order would “prevent any further pollution of any potential jury venire as well as subsequent witness testimony.”

Defense lawyers pushed back on the request and argued that the concerns raised by prosecutors were speculative. 

“It offers no evidence that any prospective juror has been exposed to, or affected by, anything counsel has said. Invoking an important interest is not enough to justify such an order. And if a future venire were already ‘inevitably tainted,’ silencing counsel now could not cure it,” wrote defense attorney Laura McConnell. “The harm the government fears is purely speculative. There is no venire, no jury, and no trial date.”

While gag orders are sometimes imposed during high-profile trials, the defense argued that prosecutors did not meet the high legal bar needed to justify the request. 

“The government bears a heavy burden to justify such an order. It offers no evidence. There is no jury, and it is unknown whether one will ever be impaneled. There is no trial date. The Motion should be denied,” McConnell wrote. 

Future trial date 

Judge Sullivan concluded Clancy's last appearance in court by telling both sides to "be prepared to talk about picking a trial date" during Monday's hearing. 

“I think it's important that this case move forward if it has to move forward,” Sullivan said during the Sept. 29 hearing. “Why don't we just pick a trial date that will get this case moving?” 

In a rare moment of agreement, both Reddington and prosecutors told the judge that they would rather wait until he resolves the post-trial motions before they agree to a new date. 

“We'd rather defer until you make your rulings and then any appellate arguments are presented, rather than pick a trial date,” Reddington said. 

Following the hearing, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said outside court that his office is still evaluating whether to retry the case. 

“We're doing a very thorough review right now, and we're going to continue to do our job to make sure that we do what's best for the interests of justice and the interests of those three children,” he said. 

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Four people were killed in three apparently unrelated shootings across the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas late on Halloween night, police said, adding that a suspect had been taken into custody and at least one other was being sought.

"The detectives and officers are still trying to put everything together to understand exactly what happened on each scene and to see if anything is related," Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux said during a press conference on Sunday. "At this time, we have no information that they are related, but we're still doing an investigation to try to figure that out at this time."

Comeaux said at least 15 people had been injured in the shootings, but that number could rise as some people had transported themselves to nearby hospitals.

The first shooting began at about 12:20 a.m. near the 2600 block of Elm Street, followed less than an hour later at about 1:05 a.m. by a shooting on the 2600 block of Main Street, police said. The third began at about 1:35 a.m. on the 200 block of S. Crowdus Street.

Dallas Police sources told ABC News' Dallas–Fort Worth affiliate WFAA that at one location a man allegedly said he was going to "start shooting." At least three people were killed at that location, the source said.

Such violence "is always unacceptable in our city," Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said in a statement.

"Public safety must always remain our top priority and we must continue to explore strategies to ensure that Deep Ellum can be a safe gathering place in our city," Johnson added.

Johnson and Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert both said the victims and their families would be in their thoughts.

"Dallas Police officers were on the ground and able to respond immediately. Dallas Police will continue to investigate this incident and work to bring those responsible to justice," Tolbert said in a statement. "We will share additional information as it becomes available."

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A Learjet believed to be carrying nine people crashed on Sunday afternoon in Palm Beach County, Florida, after making a rapid dive of about 350 feet per second, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane, a 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60, crashed after taking off from Austin, Texas, and was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to the FAA.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, the FAA said.

Photos and videos online showed a jet hitting the ground nose-first and bursting into a fireball. The impact of the crash left a crater near a shopping center.

The jet crashed near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue, in the Greenacres community of Palm Beach County, authorities said.

There was no immediate word from authorities on deaths and injuries.

The plane went from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in a little over a minute, or roughly 350 feet per second, before it slammed into the ground, according to the FAA.

"Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press briefing on Sunday. "It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road."

"I think people will recognize this as a major tragedy," he said.

According to records, the plane belongs to a private company and has been used as a rental in the past.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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As parts of the Southwest are expected to endure another day of heavy rain and flash flooding on Sunday, a developing cross-country storm could produce a soggy Election Day across the central United States.

Flood watches remain in effect on Sunday across much of Arizona, portions of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, northwestern New Mexico and southern Nevada.

Over the weekend, parts of the Southwest have received 1 to 2 inches of rain, ramping up a flash-flooding threat.

A level 3 of 4 risk for flash flooding is forecast on Sunday across the region, including the cities of Flagstaff, Ariz., Cedar City, Utah, Durango, Colo., and Farmington, N.M. The Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are also at risk of flash flooding.

Cross-country storm track

The renewed flash-flood threat across the West and Southwest -- including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah -- is expected to be exacerbated by a cross-country storm system that will begin hitting the West on Sunday.

The town of Pagosa Springs, Colo., was being evacuated on Sunday ahead of potentially historic flooding of the San Juan River, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office. Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect Sunday afternoon, about a week after the San Juan River spilled its banks and caused flooding in Pagosa Springs.

"The river is rising faster than originally anticipated and is now expected to crest higher than previously forecast," the sheriff's office said in a social media statement on Sunday.

The river, according to the sheriff's office, could crest as soon as 6 p.m. local time on Sunday.

"Even if you are not currently in a mandatory evacuation area, we strongly encourage anyone who does not feel safe where they are to move to higher ground NOW. Do not wait until conditions worsen," the sheriff's office said.

Colorado Emergency Management officials said in a social media statement on Sunday that the San Juan River is expected to rise to historic levels.

"To put the forecast into perspective, during the devastating 1911 flood that wiped out most of what existed as the town of Pagosa at that time, the San Juan River crested at approximately 17.8 feet. The current forecast calls for the river to rise nearly 2 feet above that historic level."

Across Arizona, flash flooding and numerous road closures were being reported Sunday afternoon. Evacuation orders were also issued for parts of Sedona and Cedar Creek, Ariz., due to the rapidly rising floodwaters, including along Oak Creek in the area.

Sedona Fire posted an alert on their Facebook page, saying they were "calling in extra personnel to assist with an excessive amount of rescue operations in the area." The post included a video of homes being flooded and vehicles getting stuck in the rapidly rising waters.

White Mountain Apache Tribe, a federally recognized sovereign nation of about 15,000 members in east-central Arizona, also issued evacuation orders on Sunday afternoon.

Besides heavy rain, mountain snow is possible over the next few days across the higher elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada to central Rockies. However, it remains too early to tell how the cross-country storm will affect other parts of the country as it moves east.

The system is expected to sweep across the center of the country on Monday, bringing rainy weather to parts of the Plains and upper Midwest.

On Monday, scattered severe thunderstorms may develop across portions of the central and southern Plains by the late afternoon and evening hours. Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita, Kan., and Oklahoma are expected to be in the threat zone.

Severe thunderstorms moving across the Plains and upper Midwest could also be accompanied by potentially damaging wind gusts, large hail and tornadoes.

Early forecast for Election Day

On Tuesday, Election Day, unsettled weather will be focused over the center of the country and parts of the Gulf Coast. The East and West coasts will be mostly dry for Election Day.

Rain showers on Tuesday are expected to become widespread across portions of the central Plains and Midwest, with strong thunderstorms possible from East Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley.

Rain showers will become more widespread across portions of the central Plains and Midwest,

The cross-country storm could reach the East by Wednesday and Thursday as a weakened system, with possible scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area.

Separate system impacting parts of Florida

A separate system is expected to bring an elevated flash-flood risk to eastern Florida on Sunday and Monday.

Flash flooding could develop across parts of the Florida peninsula as rounds of heavy rain sweep across the region. Flood Watches have been issued from Miami to Cape Canaveral through Monday afternoon.

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The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of intentionally striking a man in Houston earlier this month is expected to surrender on Monday morning, his attorney, David Lindenmuth told ABC News. 

Mario Alberto Morales was indicted by a grand jury in Houston on a charge of second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Lindenmuth said Morales did not intend to strike Miguel Parra Hernandez when he was pursuing him and another person who were attempting to flee on foot on Oct. 10.

“It was an accident. It was nothing more than accident, but the DA to score political points right before elections decided to bring charges,” Lindenmuth said. 

At a press briefing on Friday, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare alleged that Morales' body-camera footage shows the officer "aggressively steered his vehicle" into Parra Hernandez.

The district attorney played graphic video from the officer's body-worn camera alongside surveillance footage of the incident during a press briefing.

The body-camera footage appears to show Morales behind the wheel, pursuing Parra Hernandez and another individual who are fleeing on foot. 

"Got a runner, got a runner," the officer can be heard saying. "On foot. Both of them."

Seconds later, the body camera footage shows the officer appearing to turn his steering wheel toward the left. Authorities say that’s when the vehicle struck Parra Hernandez and then came to a stop.

Morales is then seen approaching Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground crying in agony, and moving his leg.

When asked about the video, Lindenmuth said Morales had two detainees in the back seat and was trying to avoid striking a vehicle and did not intend to hit him. 

“Clearly there is contact but the contact wasn’t intentional. It wasn’t knowingly,” Lindenmuth said. “It was in reaction to him trying not to strike a vehicle.” 

Lindenmuth said Morales served in the army, was a paratrooper, and is a Christian pastor who does missionary work overseas. 

He said he believes the charges against his client are politically motivated.

“This is a good man, so why are you attacking his character and his background? You know why? When you don’t have evidence, you have to vilify somebody,” he said. “So he has to make him the boogeyman, a monster, because he knows he cannot prove intent because there was none.” 

Speaking at the press briefing, the DA told reporters: "I've reviewed hundreds of cases, some very similar to this. The evidence that we have in this case is as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated."

Attorney Kim Bruno, who's representing Parra Hernandez, her client suffered fractures and nerve damage and underwent surgery following the incident.

“All he wants is accountability,” Bruno said. “He wants assurance that this will not happen to anybody else. He is so sympathetic, and all he cares about are the other people. But he is the one in the bed suffering.”

Parra Hernandez is currently detained and remains in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility.

According to Lindenmuth, Morales is a former corrections officer who enlisted in the Army. 

Morales also worked as a detention and processing officer at the Port Isabel Detention Center and worked with DHS as an ICE contractor, Lindenmuth said. 

He joined ICE as a federal immigration officer in August 2025, Lindenmuth said. 

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A federal judge on Friday did not immediately rule on a request from attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey to throw out criminal allegations put forward by the Justice Department accusing him of allegedly mishandling classified information more than a decade ago. 

It's the third known effort by federal prosecutors to attempt to bring charges against Comey in the span of 13 months, after President Donald Trump issued a public demand for the Justice Department to act "now" to bring prosecutions against Comey and other perceived political foes.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden heard arguments for nearly two hours over whether the government improperly sought to extend the statute of limitations so they could charge Comey by filing a "criminal information" rather than an indictment, which requires sign-off from a grand jury. 

At one point in the arguments, the judge addressed the Justice Department's recent difficulties in convincing grand juries to approve charges in a growing number of cases, despite that previously being extraordinarily rare. 

"Turns out ham sandwiches are harder to indict these days," Judge McFadden said, referring to New York Judge Sol Wachtler's famous 1985 quote regarding how easy indictments are to attain.

It was unclear by the conclusion of the hearing whether McFadden would issue a ruling by next Thursday, which would technically be the last day for the government to seek a grand jury indictment against Comey, until the criminal information is dismissed under the Speedy Trial Act. 

But DOJ attorney Dustin Farahnak said that, as part of the government's active investigation, it has since uncovered evidence that could be included in the case as recently as April of 2017 -- which, if true, would extend the government's ability to potentially charge Comey for another six months. 

Before concluding the hearing McFadden cautioned to the government, saying he "will be extremely frustrated if there is some dawn raid" to arrest Comey, prompting Farahnak to assure him "that won't happen."

Earlier in the hearing, Comey's attorneys said there have been several recent instances where FBI agents have been parked outside Comey's home for unexplained reasons, raising the suggestion that he could face arrest at any moment. 

The latest allegations against Comey were revealed Monday after McFadden ordered details of the behind-the-scenes legal fight to be unsealed at the request of Comey's legal team.

According to unsealed court records, prosecutors allege that Comey broke the law by directing FBI staff to leak information to a New York Times reporter for an article published on Oct. 5, 2016, titled "Yahoo Said to Have Aided U.S. Email Surveillance by Adapting Spam Filter."

"The United States' investigation has uncovered evidence that former FBI Director, James B. Comey, sought to correct misinformation which had appeared in the press by way of Reuters the day before," prosecutors wrote in their response to Comey's motion to dismiss the case earlier this month. "Mr. Comey directed staff to speak to [the New York Times reporter] about specific accuracy concerns related to the Reuters article, and thereby illegally transferred classified information."

The article in question centered on whether the Department of Justice sought a court order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to force Yahoo to search for communications between members of a foreign terrorist organization.

According to court filings, Comey sought to correct claims in a Reuters story published the previous day that Yahoo "secretly built a custom software program to search all of its customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by U.S. intelligence officials."

Comey was indicted in North Carolina on April 28 over a controversial Instagram post from last year that prosecutors say was a threat against the president. In the post, Comey shared a picture showing the numbers "86 47" -- interpreted to mean "get rid of" Trump -- written in seashells on the beach, with the caption, "Cool shell formation on my beach walk."

Comey removed the post soon after making it, saying, "I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down." His next court appearance in that case is scheduled for January.

The former FBI director was previously indicted in September 2025 on charges of making a false statement and obstruction related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.

Comey pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and the case was ultimately dismissed on the grounds that the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney who brought the case was improperly appointed.

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Dozens of Afghan immigrants, possibly including relatives of Afghans who worked alongside the U.S. military, are expected to be deported this week, according to lawyers, advocacy groups, and families of those detained.

A court filing for one Afghan immigrant reviewed by ABC News shows that the destination of a deportation flight expected to take place this week is Pakistan, with further transport to Afghanistan. 

Advocates and families previously told ABC News that, as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, hundreds of Afghan immigrants are currently being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Louisiana, from where many international deportation flights depart. 

Charlotte Moyal told ABC News that her husband, who has been in immigration detention for more than a year, was recently transferred from a facility in Pennsylvania to one in Louisiana. Moyal said her husband was notified he could be deported from the U.S. as early as next week. 

Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of AfghanEvac, a nonprofit group that supports Afghans who were evacuated from their home country as part of the United States' military withdrawal, previously told ABC News that families of those detained are "terrified."

If removed to Afghanistan, some of the families fear those removed will face torture or persecution from the Taliban.

"Anybody from Afghanistan is in danger if they get sent back," VanDiver said.

A State Department spokesman told ABC News earlier this week that the department reaffirmed its position that "all countries must be able to manage their borders and immigration processes in a manner that ensures the safety, security, and prosperity of their citizens."

In a statement, Taliban officials said they have "deep concern over reports indicating that the United States intends to transfer a number of Afghan refugees to Pakistan," and that they are "ready to engage constructively in this matter."

"When even the Taliban say they have 'serious concern' about your deportation plan, it is time to stop and ask what you are doing," VanDiver said in response to the statement. "Pakistan and the Taliban are at each other's throats, the border between them is nearly shut, and this administration wants to drop the families of America's allies in the middle of it."

"That is not immigration enforcement. It is abandonment with a boarding pass," VanDiver said. "These families stood with our troops. Stop the flight."

A senior official at the Afghan Refugees Commissionerate told ABC News that because Afghanistan does not have a formal agreement with the U.S., Pakistan handles the transit process for Afghan detainees.

The official said that Afghan immigrant detainees transferred to Pakistan are transported to the Afghan border in bulletproof buses.

"Afghans who stood with American troops, and their families, are being quietly loaded onto a plane to Pakistan, where they will very likely be pushed to the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan," Democratic Rep. Scott Peters, a longtime supporter of Afghan refugees, said in a statement. "If this administration has its way, we would be throwing our vulnerable allies into the jaws of mortal danger. This is absolute cruelty and it is not who we are. This decision needs to be reversed."

ABC News' Luke Barr, Aleem Agha and Habibullah Khan contributed to this report.

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Nvidia, a top chipmaker, is denying a report that its CEO, Jensen Huang, was allegedly targeted in a Chinese spy plot.

According to a New York Times report published Thursday, U.S. intelligence officials allegedly determined that a top executive at a Singapore-based data center company who developed a "close relationship" with Huang was funneling information to Chinese officials in Beijing.

The executive was identified by the Times as Alice Huang, who was pictured together with the Nvidia CEO in 2024.

Nvidia denied the report in a statement to ABC News, saying Jensen Huang "talks with thousands of customer executives every year."

"Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected," the statement read. "Meetings with customers are part of a CEO's job."

A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry also denied the report.

“The reports are baseless and purely slanderous smears against China,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Friday at his daily press briefing.

Neither Alice Huang nor her employer, Megaspeed International, responded to ABC News' request for comment.

According to the Times, President Donald Trump was briefed on U.S. intelligence officials' findings but did not take any action.

The White House has not yet responded to ABC News' request for comment.

Trump is a close ally of Jensen Huang, who has advised the president amid an artificial intelligence race with China. Jensen Huang was a guest at a White House state dinner in September, where Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping.

That same month, the CEO attended a luncheon for AI and tech industry leaders hosted by Trump at the White House.

Earlier this year, in January, Huang convinced the president to clear the way for advance chip sales to China, in a deal that gave the U.S. government 25% of the profits.

Trump also personally owns shares in Nvidia, the world's most publicly traded company.

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Christa Pike said in a statement released by her attorneys on Friday that she is "recovering" but had been "deeply hurt by the incompetence" after her botched execution in Tennessee last month.

"My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn't just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul," she said.

Pike dictated her message to her legal team, the statement said.

The statement, her first public comments since the failed execution, comes one month after her execution date.

Pike touched on the day she was scheduled to be executed, the moments after she awoke and the toll the failed execution took on her in the statement.

Pike is currently in the infirmary at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, Tennessee, the statement said.

"I walked into the execution chamber at Riverbend men's prison prepared to die. I had made my peace," she said. "I had told the people who loved me, supported me and stood by me through the years I was grateful for them. I had also told the people in the room and who were there to witness my execution that I was leaving them in loving kindness."

Pike said days after her survival, she awoke "confused and in pain."

She said she had "not contemplated life beyond that night" and was "deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position."

According to Pike, she has been "largely isolated in the prison's medical ward," which has brought about "its own kind of pain."

She compared her current isolation to the 28 years she spent in solitary confinement, saying this is "a repeat of that condition."

Pike also acknowledged the "love and support" she has received, saying, "To know that so many people care about me, that they see me as a human being whose life matters, is something I cannot fully put into words."

"I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what comes next. Some days, finding hope is harder than others," Pike said. "I am trying to heal, one day at a time. And I am holding on to the love and kindness of so many people who have reminded me that I am not alone."

Pike, 50, was sentenced to death after being convicted of the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

"I continue to think about my victim's family and the terrible pain and loss they have endured," Pike said.

Slemmer's mother, May Martinez -- who had traveled from her home in Orange Park, Florida, to Nashville with her husband for the execution -- told ABC Jacksonville affiliate WJXX that she believes that the state failed her family.

"All I wanted was justice," Martinez told WJXX.

Witnesses to the Sept. 30 execution said that authorities appeared to administer two rounds of lethal pentobarbital but that Pike appeared to still be breathing an hour later when witnesses were escorted out of the chamber.

Pike reportedly asked, "Where am I?" after regaining consciousness in a hospital nearly a week after the botched execution left her critically injured and temporarily on a ventilator, according to one of her attorneys.

Pike is the first person reported to have survived lethal injection after being given medications, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

In the wake of the botched execution, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee ordered a temporary halt to scheduled executions in the state, and Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned.

Speaking to reporters this week, Lee said he expected her sentence would remain unchanged, despite the circumstances.

"As it relates to a particular individual like Christa Pike and her crime, she is still incarcerated under the laws of the state of Tennessee. And I suspect her sentence will be the same as it was before, unless determined otherwise by the courts," Lee said.

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It was a dire warning, delivered on the biggest stage: Some 278,000 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in federal elections and were poised to tilt the scales of the election in November, President Donald Trump warned in a primetime address to the nation in July.

"The real number is actually much higher," he added.

The president's bold claim set off a series of events that culminated in recent weeks with an unprecedented bid by the federal government to impose itself on state-run elections.

The Trump administration has sued the state of California and threatened other states over the issue of noncitizen voting, a longtime concern of the president and his administration despite experts saying it is already illegal and "vanishingly rare." Federal officials have demanded action after presenting to states what they say are lists of noncitizens who are registered to vote, gathered using a combination of federal immigration data and commercially available state voter registration rolls.

But in the final weeks of the campaign, as the administration implores state and local officials, both in and out of court, to investigate those individuals, the lists -- and the grandiose numbers Trump and his allies publicly trumpeted -- appear to be buckling under the scrutiny of state and local election officials.

In California, Washington and Nevada -- and beyond -- state and local officials say the lists provided by the Justice Department appear grossly inaccurate and justify the states' reluctance to purge individuals from registration lists so close to the election.

'Lack of credibility'

The Trump administration initially accused California of harboring over 190,000 noncitizen voters on its rolls over the summer. That sum was whittled down to 20,000 by the time the Justice Department filed its lawsuit against the state last week.

It's not clear why the administration reduced the figure so dramatically. But even the smaller figure seems inflated, according to state and local officials.

In court filings, officials in Los Angeles County said a preliminary review of 200 individuals on the list showed that nearly 40% "indicate that they were born in the United States, which is strong evidence of citizenship; and 71.2% of the records have no voting history."

Judge David Carter, the federal judge assigned to the case, rejected the Justice Department's push for an emergency intervention based in part on what he called the administration's "unreliability" and "lack of credibility."

Late last week, separate from its litigation against the state, the DOJ sent letters to every California county asking local elections officials to help identify potential voters who may be in the U.S. illegally, according to a letter described to ABC News.

"Within 48 hours, we ask that you commit to working with DOJ and DHS to identify who on the accompanying list is a citizen and who is not," according to the letter sent by Justice Department officials.

Since then, county election officials have been sifting through the lists. According to some county officials, the results so far seem to confirm their skepticism of the Trump administration's claims.

In Butte County, situated just north of the Sacramento Valley, officials received a list of 47 names from federal prosecutors late Friday. The county's top election official, Keaton Denlay, told ABC News that he personally reviewed what he called the Justice Department's "poorly formatted excel spreadsheet with missing and jumbled information."

Denlay found that 32 of the 47 individuals "are not on Butte county's active voter rolls," and another seven "did not have sufficient information for me to match to our voter list with confidence."

Officials in Nevada County received a list of just 10 names. Their review "found no evidence of non-citizen voting in the November 3, 2026 Election," an official said.

Of the 33 names sent to officials in San Benito County, officials there said, "a preliminary review ... indicated that not all listed individuals were currently registered to vote in San Benito County," without specifying how many.

Other county officials contacted by ABC News said they were either still reviewing the list or analyzing their legal obligation to cooperate with the Justice Department.

A Justice Department official told ABC News that, as of Thursday, the DOJ under Trump had charged roughly 200 individuals across the country with either illegal voting or unlawful voter registration-related offenses. 

'Tip of the iceberg'?

Federal prosecutors in Washington state convened the media on Monday for a press conference where they accused state leaders of knowingly allowing some 400 noncitizens to vote this fall, calling that figure just "the tip of the iceberg."

The top election official in Washington state issued a blistering response on Wednesday, claiming that a preliminary review of the Justice Department's list found a number of U.S. citizens, as well as "several" other individuals who are not registered to vote.

"The information you provided contains several glaring deficiencies," wrote Steve Hobbs, the Washington secretary of state in response the DOJ. "You provide no information about how the information was collected or what sources were used. Nor do you provide any backup documentation supporting your assertions."

Hobbs said this close to an election, the risk of removing individuals from registration lists or sequestering their ballots would risk disenfranchising eligible voters, a sentiment shared by election officials around the country and the judge overseeing the Justice Department's case in California. 

"It is almost certain more people named on this list are also United States citizens; those already identified may just be the 'tip of the iceberg' of individuals that would be wrongfully disenfranchised by the actions you request," Hobbs told the DOJ.

'There is no trust'

In August, federal officials alerted Nevada state leaders, including Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, that there could be as many as 15,903 noncitizens registered to vote in the state. The two parties met on a video conference to discuss the figure.

According to a recording of the video conference obtained by ABC News, the meeting was not overtly hostile -- but there appeared to be palpable tension and some awkward exchanges, as Nevada officials seemed deeply skeptical of the claims made by Department of Homeland Security officials.

"So what you're saying is the 15,000 number has not been vetted?" a Nevada official asked, according to the recording.

"I probably wouldn't use the sentence, 'It hasn't been vetted,'" a DHS representative responded, adding that each individual has not "had a full manual review."

"So it went from 16,000, and then to the 185, and then down to zero from our perspective," Aguilar said.

"There's no trust in that relationship," Aguilar later told ABC News. "In order to have a working relationship, there has to be trust, and the fact that they continue to tear that trust apart and spread the misinformation and the lies that they are about our elections is wrong."

In response to a request by ABC News for comment earlier this month, DHS stood by its work, which it called "a service to Nevada's citizens," and accused Nevada officials of knowingly harboring illegal voters on its lists.

"Nevada knows the 185 names they keep waving around were never the full list of illegal voters," a Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email. "They were only the files [that immigration officials] had finished reviewing at the moment of the call. Since then, [immigration officials] have manually confirmed about 2,000 more aliens from the same list."

They concluded: "The review is just beginning."

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DoorDash is acquiring grocery delivery company Instacart in a deal valued at around $17 billion, the company announced on Thursday.

A release shared by both parties noted that DoorDash is purchasing the company at $65.00 per Instacart share, "a 26% premium to Instacart's closing price on October 22, 2026, the last trading day before media reports about a possible transaction. "

The company said the acquisition would give consumers a wider variety of store choices and "faster delivery options."

The release listed potential benefits for consumers, including 50,000 more stores for Instacart customers, one membership fee for DashPass and Instacart+ and more orders for local businesses.

"The combined company will offer grocers and retailers of every size DoorDash's delivery network and Instacart's grocery and fulfillment technology, in both apps and on stores' own websites, along with the advertising and AI tools each company has built," according to the release.

The companies said DoorDash is expected to keep Instacart mainstays, including the brand and app.

"Together, we could give stores of every size more of those tools and unlock the potential of grocery delivery," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said in a statement.

Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said the deal would "offer an even better experience for customers and shoppers."

The release added the deal "is expected to close in the end of 2027 or the first half of 2028."

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A 10-year-old girl who was reported kidnapped from her apartment overnight was found safe, police in Oregon said.

Violet Hay was located at a residence in Oregon City at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday local time, over 12 hours after she was reported abducted from her home in Canby, officials said.

"I have great news. We found her safe and alive," Canby Police Chief Jose Gonzalez said during a news conference on Wednesday, getting emotional.

A SWAT team surrounded the residence and took a suspect into custody, he said.

Officers had responded earlier Wednesday, at approximately 1:47 a.m., to an apartment complex in Canby for the reported kidnapping, the Canby Police Department said.

"Investigators learned that at approximately 1:39 a.m., an unknown male reportedly entered an apartment, assaulted a 12-year-old child, and abducted 10-year-old Violet Hay," the police department said in a press release Wednesday.

Violet was "taken by force," and her 12-year-old sister was "viciously assaulted," Chris Owen, Clackamas County chief deputy district attorney, said during the briefing.

The 12-year-old girl was transported to a local hospital and is still receiving treatment, Canby Police Capt. James Murphy said during Wednesday's press briefing.

Murphy described the day's developments as "very dynamic" and said police are still investigating.

"We would like to learn more obviously about these circumstances involved in the case," he said.

Owen said the results of the investigation will be submitted to the district attorney's office Thursday morning and "we will make a charging decision concerning any suspect or suspects."

Police did not take any questions, citing the ongoing investigation.

Amid the search, police said investigators were interviewing family members and were working to collect any surveillance footage and develop a suspect and/or vehicle description.

The girl's mother and father are continuing to cooperate in the investigation, police said.

The search involves local and state authorities, as well as the FBI, according to Canby police. The police chief thanked all those involved in the search for Violet, saying, "Without their help, it would have been impossible for us to find her well and alive today."

"As a parent, I was anxious and I wanted to get it resolved, and I'm so glad that we found her alive and well," he said.

The Canby School District said there would be an increased police presence at Carus Elementary School, where Violet is a student, at dismissal on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution."

"We recognize that news like this is deeply concerning and may cause fear and uncertainty for our families," the Canby School District said in a message to the school community. "During this difficult time, the most important things we can do are remain calm, stay close and connected with our children, and immediately report any information that could help investigators."

Anyone with tips is urged to contact Oregon State Police at 1-800-442-0776 and reference the Canby Police Department case No. 26-021300.

Canby is located about 25 miles south of downtown Portland.

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Two Colorado hikers remain missing after a search team found a tent, collapsed by snow, with items inside, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office announced in a social media post on Tuesday.

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, left Colorado Mountain College Leadville's campus for a hike on Friday and did not return, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities said they received a call about the missing hikers from staff at the college on Monday.

"Family and friends were interviewed, and it was learned that Kaden and Jackson planned on hiking Ice Mountain on the far north end of Chaffee County," authorities said.

Ice Mountain is located southeast of Aspen, in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

"According to friends, Kaden and Jackson planned on returning from the hike on Saturday if they didn't feel safe. If they continued to Ice Mountain, they would return on Sunday," the sheriff's office noted.

Those close to the hikers also described them as "experienced hikers" and added they "should have had appropriate clothing," the sheriff's office said.

Matsuda's car was found at the trailhead with "about eight inches of snow on the ground but none under the vehicle," the sheriff's office said.

Authorities said it was raining in the area on Friday, and began snowing on Saturday afternoon.

The sheriff's office said search and rescue teams began a search mission for Matsuda and Donlon.

Forensic examinations on the hikers' phones indicated that they had not been used in 48 hours, authorities said.

"The service in the area would be almost nonexistent, and they certainly could have turned the phones off to preserve the batteries, which makes the 48 hours less concerning," the sheriff's office said.

On Tuesday, authorities said a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann.

"A search team was sent in on foot to this area and discovered that the object was the hiker's tent that had collapsed under the weight of the snow," the sheriff's office said.

The post continued, "There was no snow under the tent and there were no visible footprints in the snow, which suggested, again, this was all in place before the snow came in. Their sleeping bags, a stove and some clothing were inside the tent, but Kaden and Jackson were not located."

The sheriff's office said Ice Mountain "is a very technical climb, and it is recommended that hikers be very experienced when trying to tackle it. That is when it is dry."

Authorities said the mountain received one to two feet of snow, with three to four feet in some areas due to "sluffing and drifting."

Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said authorities are "still optimistic" that the missing hikers "are hunkered down somewhere waiting to be rescued."

"Our window of opportunity is closing as poor weather is expected again later this week, so we are putting all our available resources in the field. We are also considering other potential destinations they may have been headed to other than Ice Mountain," Rohrich said in a statement.

Rohrich said both hikers are "strong" and added, "hope is not lost."

ABC News has reached out to Colorado Mountain College for more information.

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Labor icon Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers, has died at 96, her family said.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today at the age of 96," her family said in a statement on her official Instagram account. "As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family. We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy."

A spokesperson for Huerta's family confirmed her cause of death was cancer.

Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with fellow activists Cesar Chavez and Gilbert Padilla, which would eventually become the United Farm Workers of America. The union's work led to the first farmworker union contracts in U.S. history.

The union highlighted Huerta's coining of the popular labor motto "Si, Se Puede" ("Yes, we can") and her advocacy for farmworkers, women, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and "all marginalized people."

"Her life's work was to empower her community to face and overcome injustices, and she has left farm workers and the entire Latino community stronger and more organized than she found it," said UFW President Teresa Romero. 

Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, a small mining town in northern New Mexico to Mexican parents involved in union activism. She grew up in Stockton, California, and became active in community and labor organizations as an adult.

Huerta became a teacher in rural California in the 1950s and said life wasn’t always easy for Mexican-Americans, witnessing mistreatment, extreme poverty and starving children.

"We still have that racism that exists that I had to confront when I was a teenager growing up," Huerta told "Good Morning America" in 2020.

She began seeing how horrendous life was for farm workers in California.

"They were only earning like 50 cents an hour," Huerta said. "They had no unemployment insurance, farmworkers, because they migrated from, you know, from county to county. They weren't even able to have any kind of access to the food banks ... no bathrooms in the field, especially for the women. That was really horrible."

She said she knew it was her calling to fight discrimination and help improve the lives of farmworkers. First, she joined a grassroots group called the Community Service Organization. That’s when she met Chavez and her mentor, Fred Ross Sr., who she calls the godfather of the farmworkers' movement.

She founded the Agricultural Workers Association in 1960 before joining Chavez and Padilla to form the NFWA two years later.

Huerta played a pivotal role in the Delano grape strike of 1965 and led the subsequent national boycott of table grapes, which successfully pressured growers to improve wages and working conditions.

Huerta founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation in 2002, a civic advocacy organization supporting marginalized, low-income and immigrant communities

She was also a strong advocate for women, campaigning for reproductive rights and serving as an honorary co-chair of the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C.

In 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her decades of advocacy in civil rights and women's equality.

Allegations against Chavez and continuing work

In 2026, Huerta spoke exclusively to ABC's John Quiñones in response to a New York Times article detailing allegations that Chavez abused women and minors. Chavez died in 1993.

Huerta said that she was "manipulated and pressured into having sex" with Chavez She detailed two separate sexual encounters with him in the 1960s -- one in which she said she was pressured to have sex with him, and another in which she said she was forced against her will.

"And to think that somebody that we looked at as our hero and our leader -- you know, it's pretty horrible," Huerta said.

Huerta said both encounters she had with Chavez led to pregnancies that she kept secret, later arranging for the children to be raised by other families.

"I thought that abortion was a sin," Huerta told Quiñones. "I have since changed my mind on those issues because I now realize that women have to have a right to abortion. And by the way, abortion was also illegal at that time."

She said that one of the children was raised by her brother and the other was raised by a family friend.

Huerta said at the time that she remained committed to her work, focusing on current threats to labor rights and the treatment of immigrants in detention centers.

"My intention is just to do the work, make lives better for women, make lives better for working people," Huerta said. "We know that the job isn't finished yet."

"At my age, 96, as long as God gives me strength and the little energy that I have left, I want to just continue doing the work to make life better for women, for children, and of course, for farmworkers and workers in general," she said. 

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Two right-wing provocateurs, James O'Keefe and Cam Higby, are facing election-related charges in Minnesota after posting videos of an undercover stunt intended to expose alleged deficiencies in election security. 

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said each man faces a count of unlawful voting and identity theft. 

"Elections are the bedrock of democracy and their protection is one of our highest priorities," Moriarty said in a statement. "Individuals engaging in unlawful conduct related to our elections will be held accountable." 

O'Keefe, a self-proclaimed "guerilla journalist" infamous for his undercover videos, and Higby, a social media influencer, posted the video at the heart of the charges in August. It shows the two men approaching election judges at multiple voting precincts in Minneapolis wearing burqas, speaking in fake accents, and allegedly misrepresenting their identities, in an effort to expose what O'Keefe and Higby say are gaps in the rules that allow residents to vouch for the identity of other voters. 

The video, which remains pinned on Higby's X account, is called "I Wore Burqa To EXPOSE Election FRAUD In Minneapolis." 

No ballots were cast in the course of their efforts.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that O'Keefe and Higby deceived the election judges by using the identities of real Minnesota voters "without those voters' knowledge or permission" in violation of state law. Each count carries up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Neither man is in custody, according to charging documents. 

In a statement shared on X, Higby said, "No laws were broken. They want me in PRISON for exposing election vulnerabilities in their state." O'Keefe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Steve Simon, the state's top election official, said in a statement that "any attempt to disrupt or deceive our election workers will not be tolerated." 

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